Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Any love for the 30/06

2400 fps MV Mike... 300 Savage Equivalent.

I firmly believe the 30-06 will cover the hunt for just about 96% of big game,, worldwide!

I thought everyone had at least one 30-06!

I have one. A Ruger Hawkeye left handed stainless steel with a gray laminated stock. It has a brushed aluminum Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10 scope on top. I haven’t shot anything but paper with it though.

Ron

i'm down to one, early war Arisaka Type 99 with an old aperture sight in '06. a couple of years ago, i went to the auction and paid about $100-120 for it. i took it home, cleaned her up and now she sits in my safe. i have never fired it. oh, i have my dad's (RIP) Remington m760 in '06 too.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/U3EDdTV.jpg?1[/img]

i used to have Remington m700 A, B and CDL and a Savage m116 in '06. i killed a dump truck of deer. 180gr Remington RN factory ammo was used. my dad had a crap pile of ammo and now it is mine. most of my deer were felled by factory ammo, but 150 - 220gr Hornady, Speer and Seirra were sometimes used.

when i sold the Savage years ago, i did not have the '06. i had a TC Venture (sold) in 25-06 and my 1973 Ruger #1 in 270 Winchester, which i killed a truck load with the 270.

i like my 1972 Winchester m94 in 35/30-30 and my Husqvarna m46 in 9.3x57 better than the '06. but if it came down to only one rifle, it would be '06.

It's funny, as a kid growing up reading the magazines I thought there were better choices. As a lefty my options for a bolt rifle were very limited and I hated that the bolt rifles in that era were only offered in 30-06, 7mm Mag and 270. This was the late 70s early 80s. Fast forward to 2019 and I found a Model 70 left hand 30-06 at a local gun store. I looked at it 4 times before finally buying it. I love that gun cartridge combo. I actually found an old box of Winchester silver tip bullets and loaded up some and shot 2 mule deer with it last season (the first mule deer I've shot in 38 years).

Utility aside there is also a certain romance about a M70 and an 06. Like peaches and cream!

I'm down to two.

HVA with peep, Ruger with Boyd Classic stock.

DF

Nice. Likely the Ruger is a nicer rifle being modern, stainless, and a scope. But give me that top rifle any day. Like it.

Good choice; you have an eye for excellence.

While the Ruger is a MOA rifle on a good day with a select load, the HVA is a tack driver. I fitted the peep sight due to the low comb. It had a scope when it shot this group.

Bullet is Ralph Council hand made, bench rest grade. He says it works ok on game. Just never shot a deer with one.

DF

This!!!!! 💪

I bought a Browning BAR '06 back in the late 70's and then a BAR II Safari Grade '06 right after they came out because they were easier to take down and clean than the original BAR's. They lived off of Speer 150gr Spitzer HotCor's and Hornady 150gr BTSP's over either IMR 4320 or IMR 4350. Later had to sell both of those in a divorce...

In the late 80's I bought a like new Sako Finnbear L61R '06, very early Garcia import, with nice wood, and it fits me like it was custom made for me. I can shoot it offhand better than any of my other rifles. It gets fed 150 or 165gr Speer Spitzer HotCor's or NBT's usually over H4350. For elk, I'd load it with 180's. That rifle survived the divorce and I still have it. If I had to pare down to 2 or 3 bolt actions, that would be one of them.

Back in the 80s when I almost always hunted in Minnesota with a 30/06, I didn't handload either.

It didn't move off the shelves as quick as the other 06 rounds. I always bought Federal ammo ( for cheap in those days) using a 220 grain RN. There was never any question if you were carrying 'enough gun'... with a 2 x 7 on my Browning A Bolt, and a 3 x 9 Leupold with a German # 1 reticle on my Model 70. Just had both rifles in my hands today...

Still look good, feel good and come right up into a shooting position nicely still.

And still kill stuff as well.

30-06 is boring and=


Additionally, too much recoil/overkill for deer. My 240 Weatherby kills em' just as quick..if not quicker and does so with way less recoil.

Yes.

Mid ‘70’s Ruger tang safety.30-06. Arguably the best all around cartridge ever made.

I've had a couple of BAR 30-06's. They were good guns, just didn't keep them. To me the BAR is a heap better than the Remington 740/742. More accurate and better made.

My fanciest one was bought with the wood showing considerable wear. I refinished it, sent to Errol Case in MO to restore the fancy checkering/carving. He did a perfect job.

I traded the restored gun for an Ed Brown Damara in .300 WM, which I still have. I doubled my money on that gun thanks to the restored wood, looked near factor original.

So this BAR helped me afford an Ed Brown Damara.

DF

The 30-06 is a lot of cartridge for deer. It will surely put ‘em down. I would think that the 270 WCF would be a more popular deer cartridge than the 06 based on its 100 years of existence. In the late 1920s it was a laser, today it’s every bit as good on deer as the 06 without the recoil. Shooting a 130 gr load at 3,150 fps yields magnum performance and dispatches game way out there. With the advent of telescopic sights the 06, 308 WCF and 270 WCF were by far the most popular 20th century deer chambers. Still are for many.

I agree with 130’s at 3,100 fps as dynamite on thin skinned BG like our local WT’s. Hits them like a magnum. Will blow thru a WT chest with quick kills.

Don’t think heavier bullets add anything to that kinda hunting. Bigger game, sure.

DF

my new Brux barrel showed up early at Greg`s place 30 caliber , #3 contour ,9 twist ,6 groove barrel, will be finished at 25 1/2 inches ,Greg will chamber this barrel to a standard 30-06 cartridge.this Winchester 70 is a s.s. extreme weather receiver with a Timney trigger and a Brown Precision stock with a aluminum bedding block . I will have too glass bed and open up barrel channel on this stock some . i plan on putting steel picatinny mnts. and a 5.5-22x56 Nightforce scope on this rifle. i also plan on loading 124 gr. Hammer hunter bullets for this rifle when i get the rifle completed. i see no reason to chamber any other cartridge this is the rifle i will use if i fly to other places to hunt and this rifle will be handed down to son then grandson. the one thing about this wonderful old cartridge ammo can be found any place in the world. long live this grand old cartridge ! Pete53