Opinions on 30-06

[rblum]

Great thing about an ‘06 is that there are plenty of nice used rifles. I would be looking in many of the used rifle websites online.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

Someone just listed a stainless pre64 model 70 in 30-06.

for the price I’d just get that and have a gunsmith add some sites.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

Some of the big box stores (Cabela's, Bass Pro, Academy) have great promotions. I introduced a young man to hunting a few years ago and he killed several deer and pigs using my rifles (under my supervision). He was looking at costs on my rifles thinking that is what he needed. I told him those are way more than you need. I took him to Bass Pro and they had a Savage 30-06 in stainless with camo stock and mounted scope for $279. I told him this is all you need; get what you want when you have more experience. On top of it all, Bass Pro had a promotion and gave him a $50 coupon to use on his new rifle. After I tightened all the screws on it and remounted the scope correctly for him, it shot everything we put through it 1.5 MOA or less; consistently and repeatedly. There are a lot of good rifles out there in 30-06 at every price range.

Safe shooting and good hunting.

 

[Rubberhead]

I call this one "3G" - it my Dad's, my son's and my deer rifles...all Browning A-bolts, all in .30-'06...

I post this only to say that everyone that see my son's gun (the stainless & walnut gun in the middle) notices it, comments on it and raves about it...truth is it was $800 new-in-box from Dick's Sporting Good including the Nikon scope...they're all deadly accurate for the ranges we hunt (<250 yards).

 

[Firebird]

Gotta Be honest here-I don’t see the importance of iron sights and the only rifle I own that still has them is the .375. And since this is “opinions” on the -06, I would get the most inches on the barrel that I could especially if you can handload. . .
someone mentioned the rifle that just came up for sale here on AH-which deserves very serious consideration!

 

[Firebird]

This is my dads only rifle-a .30-06 remington 700 ADL which was certainly a cheaper model when he got it. Dad loaned it to a nephew and when it got returned it still had a live round in the chamber. Dad was livid and told me to take the rifle home and put it in my safe. Over the years dad quit hunting (old age more than anything else) and I gradually upgraded the rifle components. Remington makes a B-zillion replacement options for the 700 available everywhere (which should be a strong selling point for the rem 700) and over time that rifle got a Timney trigger, new scope base, rings and scope. New recoil pad and had it fiberglass bedded. Stripped the stock and hand rubbed original color back in but matt, not gloss and most importantly very carefully and specifically hand loaded to best accuracy with two different bullets.
Then I talked dad into giving the rifle to my brother who has a couple sons-keeping the rifle under the family name and in my own wheelhouse. Last season my brother took the rifle to Wyoming and shot a little three point mule deer, with the stated intention of showing dad his old rifle still at work and of course give him some freezer love. Not much of a deer but the picture is priceless to us boys and our dad-

 

[SFRanger7GP]

@Firebird: Have you read: One Man, One Rifle, One Land"? He did it all with a Rem 700 ADL in 30-06.

 

[ChrisG]

I second the ruger guide gun! I have one in .375 Ruger and it is great! They do need some work and arent the prettiest of rifles. I smoothed the action up on mine and brought the sandblasted finish down to a semi matte with some 600 grit sand paper. But it functions great! The .30-06 is one of those jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none sort of cartridge. It is about perfect for elk sized game. Way overkill for deer and a little small for the really bigs stuff... but it does it all and has been doing in successfully for over a century.today with modern powder and modern bullets it is better than ever. While I no longer own one, I still regard the '06 as a cartridge that will never be unseated.

 

[Firebird]

By J. Y. Jones-I have read it and very much enjoyed that book-despite that I don’t care for the Nosler partition. His book “Another Rifle, Another Land” is also fun reading. Certainly shows the diversity of the cartridge!

 

[Scott CWO]

The first centerfire rifle I hunted with at twelve years of age was my dad’s .30-30 Winchester M94 with iron sights. The first first centerfire rifle that I owned was a new Ruger M77 .30-06 that my uncle bought for me that also included an NRA membership when I was sixteen years old. My son has it now and I really miss that rifle. It shot 165gr Federal (Sierra?) boat tail bullets at just under 1” at 100 yards. For deer, pronghorn and elk, I never needed iron sights. To me, iron sights are more of a requirement for dangerous game anyway.

 

[Forrest Halley]

The iron sights are a must have for the .30-06. there's a certain magic and romance to them. The necessity can be debated for days, but if you're taking a hunting trip out where the gravel roads end and the scope goes south, you're still in the game. If you must be chic and skip the sights QD mounts, a second scope zeroed allows the same thing at greater expense, but hey, you're chic! Right? I've had the scope go south on me. I always take two guns for this reason.

 

[mark-hunter]

Two guns, or two scopes for one gun, or one gun with scope and iron sights.. there must be a back up for hunting trip abroad.

 

[Chuck Kazen]

Not much you can't fix with a 30-06;
Good for everything from mice to moose;
When they invented the 30-06 for North America they coulda stopped;
If you can only have one rifle get a 30-06. If you can have ten, get a 30-06 first.
All these old sayings exist because they are pretty much true. Also, no better platform than a Winchester 70. The Alaskan model with it's 25" barrel will get you knocking on the door of the various 300 magnums - IF YOU HANDLOAD. The 1:10 rifling will also stabilize the heavier (180+ grain).
The larger case capacity and faster rifling give the 30-06 and edge with heavy bullets over the 308.
Enjoy.

 

[BWH]

Browning X-Bolt…. 168 gr Barnes TTSX, from Springbok to Eland & a dozen in between

 

[Hunter-Habib]

You can never go wrong with a .30-06 Springfield . During my Kenyan mixed bag Safari in 1974 , a .30-06 ( a BRNO ZKK600 ) accounted for all of my plains game . The 220 grain Remington Core Lokt used to be considered “ premium “ back then . Worked well even for the bull eland .

 

[Hunter-Habib]

The honest work of a .30-06 and Remington Core Lokt soft points ( 180 Gr & 220 Gr ) .

 

[Doug3006]

I shot all of my trophies on my 1st trip to Namibia with my Winchester model 70 Super Grade in 30-06. Hartmans Mountain Zebra, Kudu, Gemsbok, Red Hartebeest, and Warthog. Each required just one shot but I paid the insurance on a couple of them. I was shooting 180 grain Barnes TSX. Next time I use the 06 on plains game, I’m thinking about shooting Sierra 180 grain Pro-Hunter round nose. Anyone have any experience or opinion on these?

 

[lwaters]

With today's powders and a 24in. Barrel the 30-06 will do anything a factory loaded 300 will do.

 

[Firebird]

 

[Opposite Pole]

I shot all of my trophies on my 1st trip to Namibia with my Winchester model 70 Super Grade in 30-06. Hartmans Mountain Zebra, Kudu, Gemsbok, Red Hartebeest, and Warthog. Each required just one shot but I paid the insurance on a couple of them. I was shooting 180 grain Barnes TSX. Next time I use the 06 on plains game, I’m thinking about shooting Sierra 180 grain Pro-Hunter round nose. Anyone have any experience or opinion on these?

Why not use a 180gr Sierra TGK instead? They’ll give you more range should you need it, are wonderfully accurate, and kill quickly. It’s a tougher bullet than Gameking, where Gameking would break apart the TGK exits.