Don't get a 30-06

[KenLee]

Recoil negates it as a “do everything the only rifle i need” rifle. I wouldn’t hand one to my 12 yo. With his personality I’m positive he would never pick up a rifle again if i let him shoot 30-06. He can’t handle much recoil. Some can some can’t and he is squarely in the can’t camp.

.243 is probably more of a “only rifle i need” rifle imo just for the fact i can hand it to anyone really and it will handle any hunt i want to do.

That stock being too long is more detrimental to small folks than recoil from a 30-06 with good pad, imo.

 

[betelgeuse]

My mother and I bought my dad an -06 for Christmas one year when I was small. After high school he gave it to me for Christmas. He is dead and gone, but the -06 lives on, and kills what you point it at.

It's not a crime to use 30-06

 

[betelgeuse]

I just bought one for my 14 year old for Christmas. All he wanted. We talked about other calibers, he wanted an 06. I don't know why, the likes the older stuff. Had a SxS shotgun too.

I borrowed longer and made him shoot it this summer. Still wanted one. This one has a brake so will tame it down some. He said I can shoot everything with it, hard to argue that.

Sent from my moto g power - 2025 using Tapatalk

It's legendary.

 

[natedock1]

I own bolt guns in 30-06, 243, 300wm, and 223. They all shoot great.

It's a major #firstworldproblems issue. Every time I think about buying a new rifle / caliber I talk myself out of it because from a practical standpoint pretty much all of my big game rifle hunting needs are more than adequately met by that lineup.

In fact, i could probably get rid of everything but the '06 and still be in the same boat. Not to mention 80% of the time I'm bow hunting anyway.

Owning a 30-06 is super boring - it's a total joy thief. It already does exactly what you're hoping that shiny new rifle will do from a hunting standpoint. And just like that, you can't logically justify that new rifle purchase.

I'm only 40 years old. Am I already turning into a fudd? Please help!

There is either a better bigger gun or smaller gun for whatever you are using a 30-06 for. It’s fine if you already own one before cool guns and calibers car out but I can’t imagine anyone going and buying one off the shelf new today.

 

[betelgeuse]

I'll leave this here:

The .30-06 has taken more record-book big-game animals than any other round

 

[ganderson01]

The more I’ve broken away from the 30-06 I still catch myself comparing every other rifle to it. It almost acts as a benchmark for all rifles before and after it in my mind!

 

[Coopsdaddy]

First real rifle was a Ruger all weather 06,than a rem lss mtn rifle in 06 on to a fieldcraft in 06.
Love the round but im about to move on and use my 6.5cm and 223 alot more.
Just for the simple fact that I shoot them more.
The 06 is definitely the gun if your only going to have one.

 

[CJ19]

Thread title should be

270 >>> 30-06

 

[barrister]

It’s my go to caliber for everything from whitetail to moose. I’ve also used it to shoot varmints. Recoil is totally fine and I enjoy shooting it at the range and in the field. If you look at it honestly and with an open mind, it’s rarely (if ever) a totally wrong option for any hunting use case.

 

[Scoutfan]

Kinda like the old saying - the 30/06 is never a bad choice. It's the jack of all trades and master of none. I can't really think of anything that the 30/06 is the best choice for, but I can't think of anything that I would rather have if I could only have one rifle for everything.- unless I hunted the big 5 in Africa .

 

[1000yards]

I was sitting on the powerline last week when some does came out at 430 yards. I had my 223 that I knew I could hit one with. And I had my 30-06 that I knew I could hit one with. I grabbed the -06 and got it done. It's always nice having options.

 

[Ajsomp]

The 06 deer hunters I know usually say the same thing - they never moved on because they never felt they needed to. One guy I hunted with this year shot the biggest deer of the week. He did shoot three times (using the same core lokt he bought 12 years ago) and had not shot that rifle since moving from Alaska two years ago. Take that for what you will.

Does it kill - absolutely. Do I bag on anyone with one? Nope. Do I own one- no. In fact I’ve never owned an 06. But I don’t find myself looking to get one either.

 

[tim tarras]

Funny this came up. When I was looking a rifle for my son because he was recoil shy, we landed on the 6.5 Creedmoor. I liked the lack of recoil compared to the 06 that I bought one. Every year I have shot the 06 just to shoot it but the recoil always stopped me from taking it.

This year I decided to load some 150 ttsx just to see. l loaded 56gr of H4350 with a Fed 210. It a joy to shoot! I shot 8 in one sitting and was not sore! Most I could do before this was to shoot 3 before being sore. I have some more work to do on the load as I was getting horizontal stringing but all the ranges are closed for the winter here.

I am also toying with the idea of trying 130gr to see what it would be like.

 

[Choupique]

can't really think of anything that the 30/06 is the best choice for,

Holding bastonge in the 40's

 

[betelgeuse]

Mine scatters the 220 grain loads all over. I only tried one batch.

 

[Scoutfan]

Funny this came up. When I was looking a rifle for my son because he was recoil shy, we landed on the 6.5 Creedmoor. I liked the lack of recoil compared to the 06 that I bought one. Every year I have shot the 06 just to shoot it but the recoil always stopped me from taking it.

This year I decided to load some 150 ttsx just to see. l loaded 56gr of H4350 with a Fed 210. It a joy to shoot! I shot 8 in one sitting and was not sore! Most I could do before this was to shoot 3 before being sore. I have some more work to do on the load as I was getting horizontal stringing but all the ranges are closed for the winter here.

I am also toying with the idea of trying 130gr to see what it would be like.

If your rifle likes them you won't be disappointed with the Barnes 130 until far enough out that lack of bc becomes an issue. One of mine loves them and it turns them into a mild mannered pussycat.
They are moving fast enough that you don't have to push them hard to make them perform.
A fun plus about them is if you have any 270 loving friends you can run them over a chronograph and compare velocity.- kinda hurts their feelings but you don't ever have to listen again to how much better their 270 is

 

[Parkerpusher]

Range work with a classic 06 isn’t comfortable for long, and no you can rarely spot your shots, whatever that’s worth. Most of my production is done with a 6mm, but I still love my 06 for some reason I can’t define. I bought a savage axis in a chassis a few years ago, slapped a few weights / suppressor / good scope on it and it’s a real hoot slapping steel out to 1k with that thing.

 

[flyfisher117]

.30-06, a long action with higher recoil and minimal improvements over a softer recoiling short action.

Best of no worlds. lol.

“2 wurld warz” and “muh knock powwwerrrrrr”

 

[Choupique]

Best of no worlds. lol.

“2 wurld warz” and “muh knock powwwerrrrrr”

Spoken like a man who does not own an M1

 

[betelgeuse]

.30-06, a long action with higher recoil and minimal improvements over a softer recoiling short action.

Best of no worlds. lol.

“2 wurld warz” and “muh knock powwwerrrrrr”

Been using the same one for hunting for 40 years. Works fine