30-06 for everything????

Joined
Jul 6, 2024
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90
Plain truth is that a 30-06 will do it all assuming you can handle the recoil. If you can't handle it well your gonna screw up aa lot and blame everything but the shooter. worst recoiling rifle I ever fired was a 30-06, much worse than even my old 338 Mag. I'd bet not much in North America couldn't be taken with say a 260 Rem IF the shooter did his job. Elenore O'Conner killed her only elephant with a 30-06 but then Bell killed a lot of them with a little 6.5! Today I think they require what a 375 H&H min? 375 H&H is worthless if you can't handle the recoil! I think the first 30-06 I'd shot needed a good gunsmith, damn near tore my shoulder off but my 1903 is easy shooting, well to me anyway.
 

PsRpOiGrRiAtM

Lil-Rokslider
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Jan 10, 2021
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Montana
Nothing wrong with the caliber choice. Since you're going from Hawaii to the dry Southwest, I will be very curious to see if the extreme changes in local humidity will have any drastic effects on POI w/ the wood stock.
 

AZ_Hunter

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May 1, 2024
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Took the chopped tikka 30-06 out today for load testing. I was doing 3 shot ladders using 178gr ELDM and Super Performance powder… this looks like a good load. 2820 fps out of the 20” suppressed, below book max:
 

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OP
Tricer

Tricer

Lil-Rokslider
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Took the chopped tikka 30-06 out today for load testing. I was doing 3 shot ladders using 178gr ELDM and Super Performance powder… this looks like a good load. 2820 fps out of the 20” suppressed, below book max:
That’s will work!!!
 
OP
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Tricer

Lil-Rokslider
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Nothing wrong with the caliber choice. Since you're going from Hawaii to the dry Southwest, I will be very curious to see if the extreme changes in local humidity will have any drastic effects on POI w/ the wood stock.
I highly doubt there will be any issues. Remember poly and carbon stocks are a new experiment. Honestly planning on using the bow most of the trip but I will definitely shoot one with the 30-06 on this trip.
 

CMP70306

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Mar 3, 2023
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Took the chopped tikka 30-06 out today for load testing. I was doing 3 shot ladders using 178gr ELDM and Super Performance powder… this looks like a good load. 2820 fps out of the 20” suppressed, below book max:

Make sure you keep it on the lower side if you hunt where there are high temp swings. I loaded my 6.5 PRC with Superformance and got a 150 fps swing between 40 and 80 F with heavy bolt lift, flat primers and ejector marks where there previously was a smooth bolt lift and rounded primers.
 

AZ_Hunter

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So it’s temp sensitive huh? I read what I could online and some said it’s not that bad, but 150fps swing is huge. Crap. I was shooting at 90+ degrees.

I have a nice load with RE17 but I only have so much left and I can’t find any to save my life. Got another powder recommendation that’s more temp stable?
 
Joined
Jul 22, 2024
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a buddy just asked what would be good for deer and elk. We landed on 30-06. While not did wal for either imo it’ll work fine for both
 
Joined
Jul 6, 2024
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I don't have a clue how high temp might effect a wood stock unless left in the heat to long. Then humidity would probably play a part too. I do think it would be foolish to go without aa good bedding job with the barrel free floated. I free float my barrels more than most. Instead of using a dollar bill to check it I use two pieces of typing paper, little more gap. Problem with bedding would seem to me to be heat and humidity can move a stock around some pretty quick. That is why I use extra space free floating the barrel. I float from the front of the action on out.
The action I make as tight as the epoxy will get it. It might swell some but if it does it simply tightens up the bedding around the action parts.

I have always read that it's altitude that mess's things up and seems to be the bullet in flight it mess's with. Seems that humidity doesn't help any at all. I reload my hunting ammo late spring and early summer. Idea is I'll be shooting in hotter temps so probably help when getting to a hotter climate to hunt. Of course around here hotter climate is from 80's early summer to maybe 90's in early fall! Not a big change. Have never had a problem due to heat but then again I hunt local areas so temp change really doesn't mean that much here.
 

CMP70306

WKR
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Mar 3, 2023
Messages
359
So it’s temp sensitive huh? I read what I could online and some said it’s not that bad, but 150fps swing is huge. Crap. I was shooting at 90+ degrees.

I have a nice load with RE17 but I only have so much left and I can’t find any to save my life. Got another powder recommendation that’s more temp stable?

I’m running H4350, it gets me 2800 fps with a 178 ELD-X in a 20” barrel.
 
OP
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Tricer

Lil-Rokslider
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I’m running H4350, it gets me 2800 fps with a 178 ELD-X in a 20” barrel.
I am running H4350. In my opinion it’s one of the most stable powders out there.
 

JDPAPA

FNG
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Aug 4, 2024
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Location
North Eastern Maryland
Just got back from a hunt in South Africa and I used a 30.06 with 150 gr. Barnes bullet and took two animals at 300 yards plus with that combination and both animals dropped in their tracks. Gemsbuck and Blue Wildebeast are large animals and those bullets expanded very well with shoulder shots. The guide stated they regularly take longer shots with the same results. Going elk hunting in November and I intend on using the exact same set up.
 

JFK

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Sep 13, 2016
Messages
847
I don't have a clue how high temp might effect a wood stock unless left in the heat to long. Then humidity would probably play a part too. I do think it would be foolish to go without aa good bedding job with the barrel free floated. I free float my barrels more than most. Instead of using a dollar bill to check it I use two pieces of typing paper, little more gap. Problem with bedding would seem to me to be heat and humidity can move a stock around some pretty quick. That is why I use extra space free floating the barrel. I float from the front of the action on out.
The action I make as tight as the epoxy will get it. It might swell some but if it does it simply tightens up the bedding around the action parts.

I have always read that it's altitude that mess's things up and seems to be the bullet in flight it mess's with. Seems that humidity doesn't help any at all. I reload my hunting ammo late spring and early summer. Idea is I'll be shooting in hotter temps so probably help when getting to a hotter climate to hunt. Of course around here hotter climate is from 80's early summer to maybe 90's in early fall! Not a big change. Have never had a problem due to heat but then again I hunt local areas so temp change really doesn't mean that much here.

The effects of humidity changes on wood stocks causing POI shift have been largely exaggerated over the years. Is it possible? Yes. But a properly bedded, free floated wood stock with all wood properly sealed isn’t the liability that it’s made out to be.
 

kcm2

WKR
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Feb 26, 2012
Messages
416
I agree. A good rifle in the 270/30-06 will handle any animal in the lower 48 for normal ranges.
 
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