why don't you own a 30-06?

[fatercat]

ask myself the same question. so, i went and bought one. not as flat shooting as my 257 weatherby, kicks a little more.  it will take anything on this earth. it will be my grizz gun loaded with 220 gn. round nose. the 165 gn will take every thing else.

[yooper77]

ask myself the same question. so, i went and bought one. not as flat shooting as my 257 weatherby, kicks a little more.  it will take anything on this earth. it will be my grizz gun loaded with 220 gn. round nose. the 165 gn will take every thing else.

I am grateful for the invention of the 30-06 Springfield.  I have a 338-06 A-Square that I make from once fired or new 30-06 Springfield brass.  Using Nolser 180 grain Accu-bond or Ballistic Tip bullets it marvels the 300 Winchester Magnum performance.  I have loaded and shot 275 and 300 grain bullets, but my big bear bullet would be the Nosler 250 grain Partition. It also likes 200, 210 and 225 grain bullets as well.

I also have a 270 Winchester which with Nosler 110 Accu-bonds surprises the 257 Weatherby Magnum performance all in a 30-06 Springfield parent case lengthened just a bit. Mostly I use any 150 grain bullet which gives me easy MOA accuracy every time.

Yes, why don't you own a 30-06? It is truly amazing cartridge that gave life to wildcats and will live forever in them.

Just look at the 222 Remington and 50 Browning Machine Gun they are both 30-06 Springfield in design just smaller and larger.

yooper77

[Sourdough]

I own 7ea 30-06s and use all of them regulerly.  But my go to gun is a NEF Handi rifle in 30-06.  I've taken Moose, Caribou, Black Bears, and loads of Wolves with it.  I've even taken it to Texas and Tennessee, where I've shot Whitetail, Coyotes, Hogs, and even a Turkey with it.

The Caribou in my Avatar was shot with my 30-06 Handi at 250 yards.

[deerandduck]

Wait, do you mean it's not required to own a 30-06?       I thought it was required, like apple pie and pick-up trucks.  Membership in Greybeards....
Yeah, I got one, well actually two now, but planning on selling one.  Hard to beat it.
Deerandduck

[Drilling Man]

ask myself the same question. so, i went and bought one. not as flat shooting as my 257 weatherby, kicks a little more.  it will take anything on this earth. it will be my grizz gun loaded with 220 gn. round nose. the 165 gn will take every thing else.

  You may want to rethink any non premium 220RN bullet, as the 200 grain bullets out perform the 220's in every way...  And, on big bears the 200's, especially the 200NP's give the extra penetration that you will need for tough DG.

  I've always kept my 30-06's loaded with 200NP's for my "one load for everything", and it works perfectly for that job.

  Oc course, they aren't needed if you don't live or hunt where DG, like the big bears are...

  DM

[bigswede]

ask myself the same question. so, i went and bought one. not as flat shooting as my 257 weatherby, kicks a little more.  it will take anything on this earth. it will be my grizz gun loaded with 220 gn. round nose. the 165 gn will take every thing else.

  You may want to rethink any non premium 220RN bullet, as the 200 grain bullets out perform the 220's in every way...  And, on big bears the 200's, especially the 200NP's give the extra penetration that you will need for tough DG.

  I've always kept my 30-06's loaded with 200NP's for my "one load for everything", and it works perfectly for that job.

  Oc course, they aren't needed if you don't live or hunt where DG, like the big bears are...

  DM

The 200 gr Speer Hot Cor works great as an all around load for the ole 30-06 as well.  Its cheaper than the NP also.  Mine drives tacks going out of the barrel at a modest 2500 fps. Just my .02

[Mac11700]

ask myself the same question. so, i went and bought one. not as flat shooting as my 257 weatherby, kicks a little more.  it will take anything on this earth. it will be my grizz gun loaded with 220 gn. round nose. the 165 gn will take every thing else.

Cause my 300 Win Mag will out preform the 30-06 with the 165's and all heavier bullets too...or even the 338-06 A-square I had and dearly loved..For some of us,the added recoil and expense is worth it,stepping up to a magnum. Even if I had multiple rifles to choose from,that wouldn't make a big enough difference to me and how and where I hunt now-a-days.I've had a bunch of very good 30-06 over the past few years..all were fine examples of just how accurate a 30-06 rifle could be..but..moving to the stage of life I am now,by reducing not only all the expense of shooting multiple calibers but of buying the rifles themselves just makes things a lot simpler and having just 1 high power rifle that will take anything I ever want at ranges far exceeding what the venerable o6' can do or loaded down sedate levels when I choose to is very appealing,and this allows me great peace of mind.It's not that I don't like the 30-06..not at all..because I do..it's a great cartridge,but that is just like the rest of life..there is always different great things to choose from..I just choose not to shoot it now or own one. What I have now and soon is 1 excellent HP rifle..1 excellent rim fire rifle(yet to be purchased)..1 excellent shotgun..1 excellent pistol..no fuss..no muss..there is no where on this continent or many other places in the world I could go and feel under gunned..even for the biggest bears if I choose to. Folks may feel the same way with the o6'..I  just don't..and that's what's make us all different,we all have different expectations,needs,wants,and desires..so what works for you..may not be my ideal choice..

So..IMHO..should every one have 1..not really..some folks don't have the need..

Mac

[mechanic]

I still have a VERY OLD 742 Woodsmaster in '06, and it's an outstanding universal round.  I just don't have a lot of need for it where I hunt.  I save it for that "some day" when I might get to hunt bigger game than white  tail at ranges over 100yds. 

[Swampman]

Wouldn't be without one.  The .30-06 has never been improved by necking it up or down.  It's perfect.

[securitysix]

I was going to say "Because I have two bolt-actions chambered for .308 Winchester and I have no need to shoot bullets heavier than 180 grains", then I remembered that I do, in fact, own a .30-06.  Mine is a Springfield M1 Garand made in 1942.

[scootrd]

I Hunted for years with a '06 , As I got older I finally decided it was just plain overkill where I hunt in the north east,
After I married,  Kids, mortgage etc. my priorities in life changed (for me for the better). I am probably never going to afford to take that "big hunting trip" (no regrets) I dreamed about when I was single with no other responsibilities in life except to myself.

So the '06 is now retired Happily above my Mantle.

I now hunt with a mod seven 7mm-08 22" barrel , The 7mm-08 is flatter shooting with equal energy and 40% less recoil than the 30-06, My mod 7 is lightweight, a pleasure to carry, pleasure to shoot , provides less kick , and a superb Deerslayer and much better suited for the terrain I hunt.  

So yes I own an '06 but will probably never carry it again, unless I have a moment of nostalgia.

It does look nice above the mantle though.

[yooper77]

Wouldn't be without one.  The .30-06 has never been improved by necking it up or down.  It's perfect.

The 35 Whelen, 338-06 A-Square, 270 Winchester, and 25-06 Remington are all perfect and made by simply necking the 30-06 Springfield up and down without touching the shoulder.  Not to forget many more perfect wildcats for the 30-06 Springfield parent case.

I also load the 30-06 Springfield Ackley Improved, which is an improvement of the parent by moving the shoulder to a 40 degrees angle.

yooper77

[Swampman]

Just different but not improved.

[Empty Quiver]

I don't own one because it is common. I don't see any reason to be common or own a bunch of common things. It is perfectly adequite for just about any killing job on the planet, so what, many many other calibres are perfectly adequite as well. If it were indeed perfect why would someone go to the trouble of trying to improve it?

Other common items I do not and likely will not own include. A small block Chevy powered anything, a Glock 17 or any other for that matter, a Remington arm, and anything Nike. I can't really argue that any of these things are of inferior quality, but I have gotten by quite well without them, and will continue to do so. In the interest of full disclosure a Glock 20 does intrigue me.

[yooper77]

Just different but not improved.

Nope, my dies actually say Improved, so different yes and improved yes.

yooper77

[Swampman]

They have to make money some how.  The problem with owning a .30-06 is that you don't need something else.  I keep getting rid of rifles because they are almost as good as the .30-06.

[smong2000]

Because there are .308 Winchester, err,  7.62 NATOs....

[Swampman]

Only 200fps slower for the same money.

[saddlebum]

The .30-06 AI is the most inefficient of all the P.O. Akley Improved cartridges. Not worth the trouble and expense, IMO.

One reason I like the '06 is because it IS common. Brass is,(used to be), cheap and easy to come by. If the need arises, you can find a box of shells in a remote gas station. Bullet selection is huge. The reason it is common is because it has got all it's different jobs done all over the world with great success for over a 100yrs. That is boring to some folks. I like it because it shows it is proven. There was another thread that asked, if you only had one hunting rifle.........? I chose the M-70 .30-06.

[yooper77]

They have to make money some how.  The problem with owning a .30-06 is that you don't need something else.  I keep getting rid of rifles because they are almost as good as the .30-06.

I first bought a Weatherby Mark V Synthetic in 30-06 Springfield, and had no trouble selling it for the Weatherby Mark V Ultra Lightweight in 338-06 A-Square, it was a very good decision.  Yep is wears the best in optics too, a Leupold VX-III 3.5-10x40 mm scope.

I have another Weatherby Mark V Sporter in 7mm-08 Remington. Yes it also wears the best in optics, a Leupold VX-II 3-9x40 mm scope.

These are a great cartridges spawned from great parents, the 30-06 Springfield and 308 Winchester.

yooper77

[anweis]

I did not get a 30-06 because of chance. I just happened to like very much two rifles in two calibers other than 30-06 and acquired them. I am not caliber obsessed, as long as it's adequate. I care more about the entire rifle package than caliber. I ended up buying two calibers that i had never heard of before and never considered buying because i liked the rifles. These are very nice rifles in calibers just as adequate as 30-06. Actually, one of them is "more adequate"  . I probably will never own a 30-06 because i don't need one. 

[Flynmoose]

I can't imagine living without at least one 30-06. I love the history of
the round. It is also the first centerfire caliber that I shot, a big deal
to a junior high kid that had only shot a mod 33 Remington 22lr. It
was love at first blast! I used to go to the Army surplus store on my
bicycle and bring home a pile of mil-surp 06 ammo in my newspaper
bag. It would then get very noisy on the island that we lived on!!

[mannyrock]

  Don't own one because I don't need one.   The .308 Winchester with a 180 grain premium bullet will do anything I need to do, with significantly less recoil and a shorter receiver.   Yea, its 200 fps slower than the .30-06, but so what?  I don't care, and apparently no animal I have ever shot has seemed to care, since they are all dead.   And, if I really really "need" to boost up the performance to a standard .30-06 180 grain round, then I'll just buy a box of Hornaday light magnum rounds.

   Now, don't get me wrong, I think the .30-06 is a great round.  But, I just don't need one.

Regards,

Mannyrock

[jlchucker]

I don't own one because I gave it to my niece's husband.  It was a lefty Model 70 stainless with a walnut stock.  With a scope on it, I figured it was too heavy to lug around.  For the kind of hunting I do, my 30-30, 35 Remington or 45-70 leverguns are all I need.  Besides, Ethan's a nice guy-a rugged farm boy who likes that rifle and will pass it along to future generations.  Besides that, he's got plenty of farmland that I can hunt on for the rest of my days.

[teddy12b]

"why don't you own a 30-06?"

Accusing someone of not owning a 30-06 are some fighting words.   

It's perfect just the way it is.  There is a reason why it's the benchmark all others are judged by. 

[nova71]

what mannyrock said, the 308 win does everything I need

[Swampman]

There is a reason why it's the benchmark all others are judged by.

Ditto....everything else "is almost as good as."

[poncaguy]

I just prefer the 270 and 338 Federal.............like the 308 more than the 30-06...........

[teddy12b]

I just prefer the 270 and 338 Federal.............like the 308 more than the 30-06...........

As long as you understand why you're wrong and can accept it.  That's the first step to covery and buying a 30-06.




(only meant in good fun bud)

[poncaguy]

My first rifle was a Remmy 700 30-06,traded it for the 270 and never regretted it............I might, just might, buy a  30-06 barrel for my Rossi Wizard so you will like me.........