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30-06 still relevant?

If anyone is messing around with RL23 or H4831SC and 212 gr bullets I need some load ideas. It seems hard to get enough RL23 in the case.
 
Im using h4831sc in lapua brass with a 200gr bullet seated long. About 59gr-60gr fills up the case and crunches when seating bullets. If your using 212gr bullets, i would start .020” off the lands and at 57gr and work up... idk how long your throat is. Mine is long.
 
I recently switched to a different lot of powder and had to increase my charge weight to 60.5gr but definitely start lower than that because my last lot was 58.5gr and i was at the same velocity. Im running a 28” barrel and getting right around 2750fps.. i was around 2800fps but backed it down for primer pocket life.
 
wow. That is a good bit of lot to lot variation. I will keep that in mind. I am loading for a hunting rifle so brass life is not the most important thing.
 
Well dont let that example steer you away from h4831sc. The powder was several years old in 1lbers and i moved to some fresh in an 8lb jug.
 
Gents,

I'm a fan of the '06 myself and have a few questions based on using a 10 twist bbl.

1. Anyone shot 155's and how did they do? Hodgdon's manual has them at 3150ish with H4350. Don't know how accurate, but if it groups that'd be worth a look. Should I just confine my search to 175's and heavier bullets?

2. How's barrel life compared to .308, assuming both would be loaded slightly faster than factory?

3. What benefits to going Ackley improved? Down sides?

4. My current chamber was cut with a SAAMI reamer. Is there a better "all around" reamer?

5. Any factory ammo good out to 1K? @pmclaine?

Thanks and God bless America
 
Gents,

I'm a fan of the '06 myself and have a few questions based on using a 10 twist bbl.

1. Anyone shot 155's and how did they do? Hodgdon's manual has them at 3150ish with H4350. Don't know how accurate, but if it groups that'd be worth a look. Should I just confine my search to 175's and heavier bullets?

2. How's barrel life compared to .308, assuming both would be loaded slightly faster than factory?

3. What benefits to going Ackley improved? Down sides?

4. My current chamber was cut with a SAAMI reamer. Is there a better "all around" reamer?

5. Any factory ammo good out to 1K? @pmclaine?

Thanks and God bless America

Ive been buying cases of 168 grn FGMM every couple weeks for a month or so now at $185 shipped, Im up to 6 cases. Seems to work good in one of my 1903s but I really bought it for my Model 70 nthat is being rebarreled as we speak. I cant reload/buy components for that price.

I also have a case of Sig Sauer 175 grn SMK that I expect will shoot well. Expensive almost $400/200.

I have shot Creedmoor 167 Lapua through my Model 70. I buy it from CMP. It has shot exceptionally well...

Iron Sights

P9028211.JPG


Lapua Ammo

P9028214.JPG


100 Yards setting sights...

P9028215.JPG


P9028216.JPG
 
I commented about buying Federal Gold Medal Match 168 grain SMK at a good price.

I think $185/case shipped is a fantastic price for some quality ammo.

Realize most 30-06 pipe hitters like to use heavier bullets and push 300WM capability but for us little guys that don't often get big sky ranges to shoot on, or if you don't reload, FGMM at that price is pretty reasonable.

I bought two twenty round boxes of the stuff at +/- $35/box plus postage from Target Sports or such before I noted a seller at the CMP Forums offering to sell this FGMM.

I have since bought six cases over a few purchases.

If anyone is interested in any of this ammo you can look up the WTS at the CMP Forums yourself or you can PM me for the sellers email.

Im not associated with the seller beyond being a happy customer. Just trying to let others enjoy good shooting at less cost.

All my spare cash is now being allotted to building another dead caliber gun (.308) otherwise Id be keeping my mouth shut to deplete more of the sellers ammo supply for my own use.
 
30-06 is a great cartridge that will stay relevabt for a long time just because of the sheer amount of rifles chambered for that caliber. I prefer 308 .
 
Great article. All still true today. And with the improved bullets and powders of today, even more valid.
 
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Great article. All still true today. And with the improved bully’s and powders of today, even more valid.


That article was written in 2012.

Makes me wonder if someone in .mil was wondering if "Whats old is new".

AF is the service that contracts service rifles isn't it?
 
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I missed that because of skimming, but the past 7 years have added some more good options in .30 for bullets.
 
.30 06 with 208s running at 2790 out of a 23" barrel. I believe this to be a fast barrel, but 2700 is completely obtainable. This gives you more than enough to pack energy out to distance.
 

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.30 06 with 208s running at 2790 out of a 23" barrel. I believe this to be a fast barrel, but 2700 is completely obtainable. This gives you more than enough to pack energy out to distance.

So what bottom trigger gaurd/magwell are you using here? I am having a heck of a time finding anything that fits a 30-06 in a stagger-stack 10-round configuration. I can find double stacked 300WM mags, but not 30-06.
 
So what bottom trigger gaurd/magwell are you using here? I am having a heck of a time finding anything that fits a 30-06 in a stagger-stack 10-round configuration. I can find double stacked 300WM mags, but not 30-06.
Single stack. No double. That is a Magpul.
 
Yep, single stack 5-round Magpul... I guess no one makes a double stack 30-06 magazine for the Rem 700.
 
First rifle my dad gave me was a Remington 7400 30/06. First rifle my wife gave me was a abolt 30/06. The 7400 was junk but I will never part with it.
 
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The 30-06 with modern powders can be a great universal hunting/target rifle. The new Reloader powders with heavy bullets like the Hornady 208 ELD with its .690 G1 B.C. really make the 30-06 case a contender in the long range game.
Below is a picture of my good friend shooting my Hart barreled 30-06. He put three rounds in a 1” group at 330 yards. That is his new Krieger barreled .308 In the background.


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30-06 will never not be my primary hunting cartridge. 308 is my primary learning ballistics like a boss cartridge. 6.5 CM is my man bun cartridge.

And my 300 RUM is my "I'm blessed with .5" more than average but wish I had 2" more for that BDE" cartridge... that costs me a eff ton to shoot.

And then there's the .223 which frankly annoys me... and yet... doesn't. I should see someone about that...
 
6.5 CM is my man bun cartridge

I might steal this.

On a different forum, the .308 is obsolete. Since the .308 replaced the .30-06 then it might be also.

A few years ago there were some dedicated .30-06 long range shooters. Their logi was that 1K was the limit of .308 and .30-06 could give a better velocity to stay super sonic past 1K. German Salazar used to write about the .30-06 in his blog. He quit the blog and around the end of 2017. I think he stopped shooting and writing articles around then also.
 
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It’s as relevant as relevant can be. Still makes top five sales of rifle cartridges. The long range guys use other cartridges. Considering 30-06 was used in many 1000 yard competitions years ago, it could still be used; especially with the better powders. It’s still one of the most practical hunting calibers for cervids. If your not looking to harvest an elk or moose at 500 yards plus that is. And then magnums aren’t even required; which makes the 30-06 even more relevant. Also, a 30-06 is better than a 270 for cervids any day of the year. Even Mr. 270 Jack O’Connor used the 30-06 a lot and said the 30-06 is better for harvesting large game cervids. And it surely has an edge on the .308. So I hope that helps put things in perspective. Are there flatter shooting, more aerodynamic projectiles with higher BCs; and less recoil for good long range performance ? Yes , certainly there are. But 30-06 is definitely relevant for many rifle shooters within their needs and capabilities. I own three, and may get the Winchester Super Maple as a fourth. They are just that good. Well to me they are. In the end though, it really depends what the individual wants and if they need or want more specialized rigs for their intended purpose.
 
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I forgot to mention. In the future when the first
practical all around laser gun comes out, it should probably be called 30-06. How’s that for relevant? Lol. I guess it’s safe to say that at this point you figured I’m a huge 30-06 fan.
Have fun-shoot well-stay safe !
 
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30-06 will never not be my primary hunting cartridge. 308 is my primary learning ballistics like a boss cartridge. 6.5 CM is my man bun cartridge.

And my 300 RUM is my "I'm blessed with .5" more than average but wish I had 2" more for that BDE" cartridge... that costs me a eff ton to shoot.

And then there's the .223 which frankly annoys me... and yet... doesn't. I should see someone about that...
[/QUOTE
It sounds ok to me. There’s an answer to all our madness- lol.
 
Speaking of German Salazar I found where somebody posted his '06 pet loads. German retired early from shooting and most of his blog articles are no longer readily available. He had a great shooting career.

 
Google the riflemans journal cartridges: accuracy of the 36-06.That should get you Germans article's.I dont know how to post a link or I would , some interesting reading .
 
Those aren't his blog articles. I have a feeling since German copyrighted everything he eventually got it off the archives. Accurate Shooters is very protective of him and his departure from the shooting scene. He made an almost complete split from the shooting community. He's a corporate attorney so who knows WTF happened, lol.
 
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Those aren't his blog articles. I have a feeling since German copyrighted everything he eventually got it off the archives. Accurate Shooters is very protective of him and his departure from the shooting scene. He made an almost complete split from the shooting community. He's a corporate attorney so who knows WTF happened, lol.
Still archived. Some good reading there, you should look into it.
 
With all due respect ,Have you looked at the articles ? They are German's.

Yes, they are written by him for Accurate Shooters. But he totally took down his very informative blog articles. Like he took his toys and went home. People started downloading them from Internet Archives and he blocked that per the copyright. Never mind copyrighted or not people were printing and saving his stuff for years. Personally, I think the guy is extremely intelligent with a little brat inside him.
 
Still archived. Some good reading there, you should look into it.

If you can get Internet Archives to bring up his blog articles we would appreciate workable links. All I get is the pages never existed to archive. Links that used to work in the archives no longer work.
 
I just opened the archive before I posted it. His blog went away because he quit paying for hosting. After looking around 2012 is not archived, the beginning to Dec 2011 is there. Update: there is a link to 2012 in the Accurate shooter forum. I guess I'm going to finish downloading while I can.


PS: It says he retired for health reasons.
 
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Yep, too many years of sling shooting ruined his shoulder.
 
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