Is a 30 cal big game rifle needed anymore?

[TJ427]

Our 30-06 is collecting dust only because the 6.5 and 7 prc are more fun to shoot due to being new to us. the old '06 is still a great cartridge. It's a great time to be a hunter/shooter, we have all kinds of outstanding options.

 

[FredH]

On the other hand I don 't see anything wrong about hunting with 30 caliber rifles. What is up with caliber bigotry? I find the 308 a very useful tool as is the 30-06. The recoil might be a bit much for extended strings at the bench for some but for sighting in and some practice I see no problem.

 

[IDVortex]

On the other hand I don 't see anything wrong about hunting with 30 caliber rifles. What is up with caliber bigotry? I find the 308 a very useful tool as is the 30-06. The recoil might be a bit much for extended strings at the bench for some but for sighting in and some practice I see no problem.

No one isn't technically saying they're wrong to use, it's the matter of being able to be very proficient with them. Shooting them to only sight in, or shoot a hundred rounds a year is not being proficient.

My first rifle is a 30-06, love it, won't get rid of it. But, I'm no longer hunting with it due to having a flinch with it. My 6.5 I can shoot for awhile especially with a can and not loose accuracy like I will with my -06, both guns will kill, but my 6.5 is more accurate with me behind the gun than my 06.

 

[FredH]

No one isn't technically saying they're wrong to use, it's the matter of being able to be very proficient with them. Shooting them to only sight in, or shoot a hundred rounds a year is not being proficient.

My first rifle is a 30-06, love it, won't get rid of it. But, I'm no longer hunting with it due to having a flinch with it. My 6.5 I can shoot for awhile especially with a can and not loose accuracy like I will with my -06, both guns will kill, but my 6.5 is more accurate with me behind the gun than my 06.

Well I'm not sure why your unable to get "very proficient" with larger cartridges. With my 30-06 and 7MM RM I can shoot 1" groups, they handle pretty much like my other rifles. I shoot a lot of different rifles mostly 7-08 to 6AR in a volume of shooting most would be lucky to be able to do. I have a bench less than 100 feet from my kitchen table. I have no issue with flinching. If you flinch due to recoil I suggest a softer recoil pad and a better fitting stock. And practice. Saying your level of proficiency ends at light recoiling cartridges really outlines a personal problem.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Well I'm not sure why your unable to get "very proficient" with larger cartridges. With my 30-06 and 7MM RM I can shoot 1" groups, they handle pretty much like my other rifles. I shoot a lot of different rifles mostly 7-08 to 6AR in a volume of shooting most would be lucky to be able to do. I have a bench less than 100 feet from my kitchen table. I have no issue with flinching. If you flinch due to recoil I suggest a softer recoil pad and a better fitting stock. And practice. Saying your level of proficiency ends at light recoiling cartridges really outlines a personal problem.

How many shots in your 1” “groups”?

 

[FredH]

How many shots in your 1” “groups”?

3 for hunting rifles, 5 for my heavy barreled 308 which beats MOA by a bunch. Same for my 260.

 

[Mangata]

It seems that many folks as it turns out don’t enjoy shooting guns with heavy recoil. As such, they develop bad shooting habits from the heavy recoil, and as well practice less due to heavy recoil. All combined this heavy recoil decreases accuracy, decreases the ability to spot shots, and increases time to follow up shots. Not to mention the increased costs of larger caliber ammunition which can be significant.

Now if an avenue existed that you could shoot lower recoil calibers that allow you more ability to practice without significant recoil. More ability to practice because the cost per round is a fraction of the cost of buying larger caliber ammunition. Not to mention that with specific frangible heavy for caliber projectiles you will be able to make game just as dead as the larger calibers.

Which would you choose to shoot??? Sometimes it takes a bit to get your mind around changing to the smaller caliber. I know that it took a lot of reading, and critically thinking about my hunting needs.

In my safe right now I have a 457 lever gun, 375 H&H, 300 Wby, 300 WSM, 30-06, 308, and 280AI. I have hunted all of these with great success. However, the recoil and cost of shooting are without a doubt a downside of those guns (well, except the 280AI). Thus, I practice less, and shoot less.

So within this last month I made the decision (see late adopter) to put together two RSS. One a 223, and the other 6.5 Creed. 223 will be ready this week (suppressor stamp approved in less than a week!), and the 6.5 hopefully the week after. After getting some practice in I intend to hunt the moose in sept then goat & black tail in October.

My decision after assessing the options…

 

[199p]

I think the biggest difference in not needing a big magnum is bullet technology has made them far more deadly and something like a 108eldm can make a larger wound and do more damage then a dirty old 338 lead head that punches through and dumps most of its energy into the hill side behind it.

I enjoy Shooting my 338 edge and my 300nm but i shoot way better with my .223, 22x47 and 6.5cm

 

[Robobiss]

Seems like this thread is still alive and kicking, so may as well contribute.

Ive hardly shot a .30 cal (other than a 300BLK) in the last few years. All .223 and 6.5 creed with the occasional .270 (all mostly suppressed)

My dad got a somewhat beat up Rem700 tactical in the shop in .308 on a trade last week. For the money he had into it, and the money he sold it to me for I figured I couldn’t go wrong. I was thinking “everyone needs a .308” and then I thought “well if it shoots like garbage I’ll twist a 6 creed barrel on there because I’ve wanted one for a while”. I thought it was funny that the “tactical” model didn’t have a threaded barrel, but such is life. It’s a few years old, anyways.

I had some brass, bullets, and powder so I twisted up 15 rounds of cheap 150gn FMJ’s I had laying around yesterday at a near max charge and decided to shoot it to determine if it shot good enough that it was worth the $120 to get the barrel threaded.

It definitely shot good enough to thread the barrel, so I will. And then do some further testing,shooting, and load development. But halfway through the 15 I was thinking to myself “this thing is nowhere near as fun and enjoyable to shoot as my 6.5.” Not comparable in the slightest to the .223

It will definitely be more fun and enjoyable to shoot once the barrel is threaded and I twist a suppressor on the end of it, but it’s notably less enjoyable than even my 6.5 creed which doesn’t recoil *that much* less.

With the can on it, my little sister will shoot my 6.5 with max loads and 147’s and will have fun with it, I don’t know if she would enjoy the 308, suppressed or not.

 

[packgoatguy]

It's been said... but I'll say it again. Recoil is relative!

A 10/11lb 308win/270win/6.5PRC (including the weight of the scope, suppressor, bipod, full mag, etc) is going to have the same recoil as an 8lb 6.5CM, or a 7lb 6mmCM/243win. If you don't mind carrying the extra weight, have heavy barrels, heavy chassis, 30+oz scopes, etc... then most moderate cartridges in the recoil range of a 308win or even a 30-06 are likely going to be as shootable as an ultralight rifle in a 243win or something.

However, if you are an "ounce counter" paying thousands for CF barrels, HNT26 magnesium chassis, putting on sub 20oz scopes with 8oz suppressor... then a lighter recoiling cartridge like the 6.5cm or less will pay dividends.

The recoil issue isn't just about how "sensitive" we are to the pain, but rather is about how much the recoil impulse moves the gun before the bullet leaves the end of the barrel. More recoil... more potential for movement that can affect accuracy.

 

[35WhelenAI]

No, a 30 cal big game rifle is not needed. Why else would I be carrying a 35 Whelen AI for the past 22 big game seasons?

 

[k80Titus]

30 06 is back to back World War Champ.

 

[pilgrim7]

You don't "need" a 30 any more than you need a v8 to get to the trailhead. I'm a proponent of smaller lighter guns, but I'll still tote my .308 around a fair amount this rifle season. I'm happy with the level of accuracy I get and I just really like the gun. I'll be carrying a 223 around some too, and I'm not at all concerned that one will kill better than the other.