What makes an 06?

[deerhunter628]

This might be a stupid question, but what makes an 06? I of course have seen the 30-06, 25-06. Now I see 6.5-06 and 338-06. What does the 06 part mean? Dont beat me up too bad for my ignorance.

 

[LandYacht]

The 30.06 was introduced in 1906, thus the aught six


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[deerhunter628]

Thanks. That makes sense. Do you know about the other 06's?

 

[Cahunter805]

They are all variations of either necked up or down from the 30-06 parent case.
There is also a 22-06,6mm-06,8mm-06, 35-06(35Whelen) and 375-06.
There are also Ackley versions of many of those cartridges.
The 270win,280Rem and 30-06 are all based off the old 30-03 case.

 

[Ratbeetle]

They use a 30.06 case with the neck sized to accept a different caliber bullet.

 

[elkguide]

All are cartridges that are based on the .30:06 case.

 

[deerhunter628]

Thanks for the info. I have never reloaded so I have not heard of most of those. Seems like I am seeing more 06's than I used to.

 

[TauPhi111]

It is common parlance in creating wildcat cartridges to include some of the info about the parent cartridge in the name of the new cartridge. The 30-06 is the original and gets it's name from it being a 30 cal and created in 1906, so the military in their boundless creativity called it the 30-06. Every other round you mentioned was at one time a wildcat of the 30-06, and therefore will often carry the -06 to tell people that is the parent round of this new cartridge, i.e. 25-06, 338-06, 6mm-06, 6.5mm-06. However, sometimes the creator will call the round something completely new, or when the round is standardized, the company making it will call it something totally new, i.e. 35 Whelen, 270 Winchester, 280 Remington. Thus, a family of cartridges is created from 1 case. The same can be said about the 308 Win. It spawned the 243 Win, 260 Rem, 7mm-08, 338 Federal, and 358 Win.

 

[deerhunter628]

It is common parlance in creating wildcat cartridges to include some of the info about the parent cartridge in the name of the new cartridge. The 30-06 is the original and gets it's name from it being a 30 cal and created in 1906, so the military in their boundless creativity called it the 30-06. Every other round you mentioned was at one time a wildcat of the 30-06, and therefore will often carry the -06 to tell people that is the parent round of this new cartridge, i.e. 25-06, 338-06, 6mm-06, 6.5mm-06. However, sometimes the creator will call the round something completely new, or when the round is standardized, the company making it will call it something totally new, i.e. 35 Whelen, 270 Winchester, 280 Remington. Thus, a family of cartridges is created from 1 case. The same can be said about the 308 Win. It spawned the 243 Win, 260 Rem, 7mm-08, 338 Federal, and 358 Win.

That makes sense. So would the 338-06 be more similar to a 338 mag or a 30-06?

 

[TauPhi111]

That makes sense. So would the 338-06 be more similar to a 338 mag or a 30-06?

It's honestly in between. I don't have one myself, but when people choose that round they are usually looking for the ability to throw the heavier bullets of the 338 Win Mag without the recoil. You wont get as high as velocity as the 338 WM but it'll be more powerful than the 30-06. I do have a 35 Whelen and a 30-06 that weigh about the same and I'll tell you the 35 is much more powerful on both ends.

 

[deerhunter628]

This is all very interesting. I have never put any thought into any outside the big standards. The .308, 30-06, 300 win mag etc

 

[amassi]

The 30-06 started service as the 30-03, aka 30 U.S.
It was loaded with 220gr round nose bullets, because of this its ballistics weren't up to snuff with the Europeans

Remember the u.s just got out of the Spanish american war (fought with 6 different service rifles, even the terrible 30/40 krag)
3 years later, the 30/03 was reintroduced with lighter(150gr) pointier spitzer bullets and different newfangled powders Thus the 30/06 was reborn.
Coincidentally- the research order called for a round that was smokeless, rimless, could launch a 220gr pill @2300fps and could engage a cavalry horse at 1000 yards.

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[Vaultman]

It's honestly in between. I don't have one myself, but when people choose that round they are usually looking for the ability to throw the heavier bullets of the 338 Win Mag without the recoil. You wont get as high as velocity as the 338 WM but it'll be more powerful than the 30-06. I do have a 35 Whelen and a 30-06 that weigh about the same and I'll tell you the 35 is much more powerful on both ends.

35 whelen has been my dream rifle for years. Is yours a factory or a convert from something?

 

[TauPhi111]

I did convert it. When I was in college, my aunt gifted me a 1903-A3 Springfield that was either her uncle's or her grandfather's, I can't remember which. It was definitely not a collector piece so I decided to sporterize it, and since I already had a 30-06, I thought a big and more exotic cartridge would be cool. I sent the barrel off to Dan Pendersen down in AZ to get rebored and rechambered to 35 Whelen. I then pillar and glass bedded the barreled action in a Boyds laminate stock with snake skin checkering, installed a Timney trigger and an EGW rail. Right now it wears a Vortex Diamondback 4-12. Shoots 225 grain Barnes TSX at 2740 FPS. When I originally build it, I imagined I'd take it out west for elk one day. However, after a couple elk trips, I don't know if I ever will. The rifle is HEAVY. I have a 30-06 I built on a Mauser action with similar furniture and optics that is nearly 10 lbs and after carrying that for 2 years on 2 trips in Colorado, I'm definitely taking a lighter rifle next time. Looking to my stubby 18" barreled 358 Win for next time, or maybe something new. However, if I ever need a rifle with some serious power, I'll be reaching for this one.

 

[HawkCreek]

The 30-06 started service as the 30-03, aka 30 U.S.
It was loaded with 220gr round nose bullets, because of this its ballistics weren't up to snuff with the Europeans

Remember the u.s just got out of the Spanish american war (fought with 6 different service rifles, even the terrible 30/40 krag)
3 years later, the 30/03 was reintroduced with lighter(150gr) pointier spitzer bullets and different newfangled powders Thus the 30/06 was reborn.
Coincidentally- the research order called for a round that was smokeless, rimless, could launch a 220gr pill @2300fps and could engage a cavalry horse at 1000 yards.

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The .30 US is the .30-40 Krag (aka .30 Army) not the .30-03.
They tried loading the .30-40 Krag with a 230 grain bullet at 2200fps but the Krag rifles single locking lug couldn't take it. The .30-03 got the ballistics they wanted in the Springfield '03 rifle (220 grain bullet at 2300 fps). Then after we got that adapted everyone shifted to spitzer bullets and so we followed with the .30-06 and like you say we went with the 150 grain bullet is a very slightly different case.

The .30-40 is a great round (yes I know there are newer more efficient rounds), its limited by the weak Krag bolt action rifle that SAAMI loads are based off of. It's pretty easy to surpass .308 ballistics and get near .30-06 ballistics with the .30-40 out of a stronger gun.