Great thread, love the 'O6's and I like the analogy above that said the '06 will do 90% of what a .300 win mag will do without the recoil and crappy barrel life. I'd like to build an '06 that would shoot a 220 grain round nose bullet at 2600-2700fps for a heavy timber elk rifle.
- Thread starter sdom001
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Barrels aren't expensive, and most shooters won't wear one out.
Barrel life has never been a consideration. Bring on the 257 Weatherby and lets kill some shit.
I can't understand how the 30-06 used to be able to shoot 1000 yards, and well, in fact Carlos Hathcock's first tour in Nam was spent with a 30-06, not to mention the scores that were posted at Camp Perry by the old, not very accurate 30-06, what happend? It seems that with CNC's and the other modern mfging methods etc. the 30-06 should have gotten even better, but after reading this board, and the experts on here, I can only conclude the poor old 06 isn't capable of what it once was. It couldn't even begin to think about posting the same scores it used to. I'm glad I own a couple of "old ones", as they are so much better than anything that could be produced today. Thanks to all that have pointed this out!!
I love your sarcasm.
I was beginning to think the same as you, but I hadn't given up on my rather newer one yet! I do plan to restock it this summer, as the factory BDL synthetic stock is rather flexible, and I am going to get a chassi for my 338LM. I will put the H&S stock on the "old" 30.06, and get a new, longer barrel, and give it a new lease on life. I refuse to believe that the 30.06 is that inferior to the .308-----look at the case capacity difference. Put a good barrel on it, true it and blue-print it, a good stock, and load it with some heavier bullets-----watch it sing. So what if you have to dial a little more height in the scope, the bullet will "pass" the lighter ones and hit the target at 1000yds with energy to spare.
Heheh, makes you scratch your head huh?
I've had hits out to a mile with my 30-06, regularly at 1300 yards. Though, since we're trading secrets, I mix some dehydrated Unicorn Tears into the H4831sc before putting the 208 Amax on top. sssshhhhhhhh
Unicorn tears!!! Dang it, all this time I've been wondering what I'm missing from my recipe! Let me know when you're ready for that reamer
Yup, and cuz it's written on the interwebz you know it must be true
This discussion has me itching to build yet another 30-06 again...
This discussion has me itching to build yet another 30-06 again...
Not 100% sure what's going on in my own case, but the 30-06 Factory Tikka T3 Varmint barrel I took off my Tikka was more accurate than the 6.5x47 28 inch Kreiger that I installed on the same receiver.
I thought I'd add a list of German Salazar's 30-06 recipes (from AccurateShooter.com):
German Salazar's Favorite 30-06 Match Loads
The loads I generally use are listed below. All loads are in Winchester or Lake City Match brass. I have used Lapua, Remington, Federal, and Norma brass also but simply due to availability and quality I use mostly Winchester. Among all the options I prefer Lapua and Winchester. I normally use Russian (PMC/Wolf) primers but sometimes use Federal 210. If you use normal, responsible reloading procedures (starting 10% low) these loads should be safe in any brand of brass as capacity is very similar in all types of .30-06 brass. IMPORTANT: All these loads are for moly-coated bullets. Reduce loads by at least 1.5 grains initially with naked bullets.
200 or 300 Yards
1. 47.5 grains H4895, Sierra 168 moly MK.
2. 50.0 grains IMR 4320, Sierra 168 moly MK.
500 or 600 Yards
1. 51.0 IMR 4320 grains, Berger 155 VLD or 155.5 Fullbore, or Sierra 155 Palma (all moly).
500 to 1000 Yards
1. 53.5 grains H4350, Sierra 190 moly or Berger 190 VLD moly, 2800 fps.
German Salazar's Favorite 30-06 Match Loads
The loads I generally use are listed below. All loads are in Winchester or Lake City Match brass. I have used Lapua, Remington, Federal, and Norma brass also but simply due to availability and quality I use mostly Winchester. Among all the options I prefer Lapua and Winchester. I normally use Russian (PMC/Wolf) primers but sometimes use Federal 210. If you use normal, responsible reloading procedures (starting 10% low) these loads should be safe in any brand of brass as capacity is very similar in all types of .30-06 brass. IMPORTANT: All these loads are for moly-coated bullets. Reduce loads by at least 1.5 grains initially with naked bullets.
200 or 300 Yards
1. 47.5 grains H4895, Sierra 168 moly MK.
2. 50.0 grains IMR 4320, Sierra 168 moly MK.
500 or 600 Yards
1. 51.0 IMR 4320 grains, Berger 155 VLD or 155.5 Fullbore, or Sierra 155 Palma (all moly).
500 to 1000 Yards
1. 53.5 grains H4350, Sierra 190 moly or Berger 190 VLD moly, 2800 fps.
Thanks, Pawprint, I'll keep these in mind for future testing----after my rebuild.
I put a H-S on my 06 already, it shoots pretty damn good for an old lady. If it had a thicker barrel and more power in the scope id try it at 600yds.
I am going off of the advice of German Salazar at The Riflemans Journal. He talks about accuracy of the 30-06 and barrel length and twist.
I like that stock I haven't decided yet on Mcmillan or Bell&Carlson.I went with these parts,
McM A2
Douglas #7 bbl
Badger Ord brake, floorplate, knob, lug, base, rings
Leup MK4 16X
If you think Unicorn tears are great you should try a drop of blood. It is a little harder to get; you wouldn't believe what it can do!
sdom001 - my longest hit with a 30-06 is 1,740yd on a 12" square plate, 4th rd hit. It was not a "regular" shot, but at 1300yd the rifle shoots "regularly"
Cwoods, that's good advice, chicken blood has been suggested to me before. The guy said I should put on some bells and dance around the rifle while sprinkling the chicken blood over the whole rifle... perhaps this is a similar effect you're talking about?
mrbro - Hahaha! Love that idea!
Cwoods, that's good advice, chicken blood has been suggested to me before. The guy said I should put on some bells and dance around the rifle while sprinkling the chicken blood over the whole rifle... perhaps this is a similar effect you're talking about?
mrbro - Hahaha! Love that idea!
As you have already settled on the 30-06, I can only offer a few suggestions.
1. go with a 1-10 twist so you can use heavier bullets of you wish.
2. Keep barrel length to about 24 inches as longer gets unwieldy (not that 24 inch is handy) and heavy
3. Stay with the standard cartridge rather than the AI version. The small performance gain is not worth the work on cases. If you need more power, you are getting away from the 30-06's availability in nearly any gun shop.
1. go with a 1-10 twist so you can use heavier bullets of you wish.
2. Keep barrel length to about 24 inches as longer gets unwieldy (not that 24 inch is handy) and heavy
3. Stay with the standard cartridge rather than the AI version. The small performance gain is not worth the work on cases. If you need more power, you are getting away from the 30-06's availability in nearly any gun shop.
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Tyler,
I agree that OP will get more distance with a 7mm, or something like a 6.5. Although I am a fan of the 6.5 bores, the heaviest decent bullet I can find is the Lapua 144 grain, 7mm's offer heavier bullets with correspondingly greater downrange energy.
I agree that OP will get more distance with a 7mm, or something like a 6.5. Although I am a fan of the 6.5 bores, the heaviest decent bullet I can find is the Lapua 144 grain, 7mm's offer heavier bullets with correspondingly greater downrange energy.
I appreciate any and all suggestions, I went with the 1-11 twist as suggested by German Salazar. I'll def think about keeping it at 24" but was looking at 26" also from GS's suggestion. The original plan was to stay with the standard cartridge so thanks for the heads up on performance gain vs case work.
Hahaha, I received a mod notice that someone's avatar was offensive. I just ran through this thing twice and didn't see a problem.
You might want to re-think that if you are going to shoot heavies. Mr. Salazar is required by palma regs to shoot 155gr booltes for some comps. I find the 06 twisted 10 to be quite nice with 225's, 208's and 210's out to a mile (the 225's might like a 9 twisted tube a bit more, tho). Just don't try to group heavies under 300 yards, I get the same group size from 100 - 300, 3/4 inch, then again I have repeated 1.5" groups at 500 when the loose nut behind the trigger is tightened up. The grand lady will certainly get you where you need to be.
Cheers,
Doc
The 1-11 twist will do most of what the 1-10 will do, but as mentioned above, it won't work as well with the heavy bullets over 200 grains. With the longer bullets, you get a higher BC, but usually they weigh more, and require more twist to stabilize. I agree with Doc.
The barrel length all depends on what you want to do with it. If all you are doing is shooting off a bench, shooting where you take a long time to get into position, and it doesn't matter whether the rifle is easy to manuver, there is no benefit to having a "handy" rifle. But if you are planning on shooting in matches where fast movement helps, the extra barrel length can be a detriment.
The biggest advantages to the 26 inch tube is extra velocity, and the ability to set the barrel back and have it re-crowned after you shoot it out a bit. However, your 30-06 will last a great deal longer than the hotter rounds like 300 mags. So being able to set back a barrel may so far off that it isn't an important consideration.
I had my 300 win mag barrel set back and re-crowned by about 3 inches total, and it is now 24 inches from the recoil lug. My 260 remington is still 26.5 inches from the recoil lug, and I wish I would have had it cut to 24 inches. I simply don't need the extra velocity that the last 2 inches of barrel brings me. I don't shoot the rifle to the distance where it's bullets start to destabilize anyhow, so the extra length just makes it more unweildy, harder to get cases for (49 inches), and heavier. I know better for next time though.
I decided against going with the 260 AI after learning how far the 260 would shoot without being improved. Then I thought: "Why go to all the extra work to form AI cases if I'm not shooting that far anyhow?"
The barrel length all depends on what you want to do with it. If all you are doing is shooting off a bench, shooting where you take a long time to get into position, and it doesn't matter whether the rifle is easy to manuver, there is no benefit to having a "handy" rifle. But if you are planning on shooting in matches where fast movement helps, the extra barrel length can be a detriment.
The biggest advantages to the 26 inch tube is extra velocity, and the ability to set the barrel back and have it re-crowned after you shoot it out a bit. However, your 30-06 will last a great deal longer than the hotter rounds like 300 mags. So being able to set back a barrel may so far off that it isn't an important consideration.
I had my 300 win mag barrel set back and re-crowned by about 3 inches total, and it is now 24 inches from the recoil lug. My 260 remington is still 26.5 inches from the recoil lug, and I wish I would have had it cut to 24 inches. I simply don't need the extra velocity that the last 2 inches of barrel brings me. I don't shoot the rifle to the distance where it's bullets start to destabilize anyhow, so the extra length just makes it more unweildy, harder to get cases for (49 inches), and heavier. I know better for next time though.
I decided against going with the 260 AI after learning how far the 260 would shoot without being improved. Then I thought: "Why go to all the extra work to form AI cases if I'm not shooting that far anyhow?"
Doc76251 and Unknown, I hope I'm not coming across as arguing with you. Unfortunately I already have the barrel. At the time I was going with what German said - "Twist Rate - The standard rate of twist for factory and arsenal barrels chambered in .30-06 is 1:10". This was established in 1903 with the .30-03 cartridge that used the Krag's 220 gr. round-nose bullet at a very modest muzzle velocity. As the cartridge evolved into the .30-06 with a 150 gr. spitzer bullet, the original rifles had their barrels set back and rechambered with the new short-throat chamber for the lighter bullet, but naturally the rate of twist remained the same. That's ancient history and we don't need to repeat it; what we need is the optimal rate of twist for modern match bullets, and that is the 1:11" twist. This will properly stabilize bullets up to 210 gr. with no concerns and that's as heavy as we're going to consider in this series.
As a fundamental rule, the slower you spin a bullet the more accurate it can be. The reason is simply that bullet jackets aren't perfectly uniform in thickness and a slower rate of spin keeps those tiny variances from altering the bullet's flight. Think of a car tire with a slight imbalance, the faster you go, the more you feel that thumping. The bullet is the same except that because it isn't held by an axle like the tire is, the imbalance will make it wander slightly from its original path. The limitation we face on rate of twist, is that although we want it to be slow for accuracy, we need a certain amount of twist for stability. The 1:11" twist will stabilize all useful match bullets, whereas a 1:12" twist is marginal with some 190 gr. bullets and all of those that are heavier. Accordingly, we can rule out the 1:10" twist as unnecessarily fast, the 1:12" as potentially too slow, and settle on the 1:11" as being just right. Accuracy won't necessarily suffer much with a 1:10", so if you have one, that's fine, if a touch less than optimal. I would avoid the 1:12", however, because it will limit your bullet choices."
I should be fine since I currently am only planning on shooting a 180grn bullet. I will probably cut it down to 24" tho because what you said makes sense.
As a fundamental rule, the slower you spin a bullet the more accurate it can be. The reason is simply that bullet jackets aren't perfectly uniform in thickness and a slower rate of spin keeps those tiny variances from altering the bullet's flight. Think of a car tire with a slight imbalance, the faster you go, the more you feel that thumping. The bullet is the same except that because it isn't held by an axle like the tire is, the imbalance will make it wander slightly from its original path. The limitation we face on rate of twist, is that although we want it to be slow for accuracy, we need a certain amount of twist for stability. The 1:11" twist will stabilize all useful match bullets, whereas a 1:12" twist is marginal with some 190 gr. bullets and all of those that are heavier. Accordingly, we can rule out the 1:10" twist as unnecessarily fast, the 1:12" as potentially too slow, and settle on the 1:11" as being just right. Accuracy won't necessarily suffer much with a 1:10", so if you have one, that's fine, if a touch less than optimal. I would avoid the 1:12", however, because it will limit your bullet choices."
I should be fine since I currently am only planning on shooting a 180grn bullet. I will probably cut it down to 24" tho because what you said makes sense.
No offense was taken. we were merely discussing various pros and cons. I have a MCMillan built M40 in 300 win mag with an obermeyer 1-11 twist, and it Usually outshoots me. So I do not have anything against a 1-11 twist.
Your rifle should shoot 180-190 grain bullets Great. My rifle shoots the 190 SMK and the Scenar (180 or 185 grain) great with the same load.
Your rifle should shoot 180-190 grain bullets Great. My rifle shoots the 190 SMK and the Scenar (180 or 185 grain) great with the same load.
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I currently have no plans for shooting anything heavier than maybe 210 grn but you never know. Anyone every hear anything bad about Bell&Carlson stocks.
The 1,740yd shot that I made was
26" barrel
Win brass, NS only with 0.334" bushing
208 Amax @ 3.415" OAL
59.5gr RL22 @ 2750fps (it was cold that day)
SHOOTER said it was subsonic about 1450yd, I dialed 53MOA and held the additional 30MOA to the target.
26" barrel
Win brass, NS only with 0.334" bushing
208 Amax @ 3.415" OAL
59.5gr RL22 @ 2750fps (it was cold that day)
SHOOTER said it was subsonic about 1450yd, I dialed 53MOA and held the additional 30MOA to the target.
First, get the Serengetti reamer print, Dave Kiff has it, where I got mine. There IS something magical about that particular print, it is what Salazaar uses too.
A 280 will reach farther...BWAAAAHAHAHA! Farther than what? Farther than a mile? Well call me stupid but I think a mile is about far enough for most peoples skills. I can assure you a 280AI and a 30-06 will both be sub sonic before a mile, and I have made hits at a mile, when I wasn't litterally scaring the hell out of a 16" steel plate.
A 30-06 isn't as accurate as a 308. Yeah heard that one before, just more blatant bullshit too. 30-06 is the perfect in between, comes damn close to a 300Win Mag, with more barrel life and less recoil.
Don't let the naysayers get you down. If you have the right man build it, and load it right, you will be glad you built an 06. Especially when you start slinging heavy bullets. I want to see the 308 that will sling a 190 SMK at 2880fps without destroying the brass or the rifle...eventually.
I would get a 1-10 twist though. That is the one thing I digressed from when I took Salazaar's advice. I am glad I did. If it has affected teh accuracy I sure as hell can't tell the difference.
My build is a trued 700, Krieger 1-10 #17, fluted, cut to 27"(yeah its heavy but this is my poor man's LR gun). A2 McMillan, KG Guncote in flat black on all metal, standard floorplate with box extension installed, holds 7 rounds. MK4 16X, Near 25MOA rail, MK4 medium rings, teardrop PTG bolt handle welded to bolt.
Rifle turns in amazing LOW single digit SDs with H4350 and 190SMK's. More accurate than the 1000yd BR gun I owned.
Just because a thing is old doesn't mean it isn't effective. I kinda like the idea that the cartridge is 110 years old. It amazes me how some will slobber over a 1911 .45 and poo poo a 30-06 on a modern platform.
A 280 will reach farther...BWAAAAHAHAHA! Farther than what? Farther than a mile? Well call me stupid but I think a mile is about far enough for most peoples skills. I can assure you a 280AI and a 30-06 will both be sub sonic before a mile, and I have made hits at a mile, when I wasn't litterally scaring the hell out of a 16" steel plate.
A 30-06 isn't as accurate as a 308. Yeah heard that one before, just more blatant bullshit too. 30-06 is the perfect in between, comes damn close to a 300Win Mag, with more barrel life and less recoil.
Don't let the naysayers get you down. If you have the right man build it, and load it right, you will be glad you built an 06. Especially when you start slinging heavy bullets. I want to see the 308 that will sling a 190 SMK at 2880fps without destroying the brass or the rifle...eventually.
I would get a 1-10 twist though. That is the one thing I digressed from when I took Salazaar's advice. I am glad I did. If it has affected teh accuracy I sure as hell can't tell the difference.
My build is a trued 700, Krieger 1-10 #17, fluted, cut to 27"(yeah its heavy but this is my poor man's LR gun). A2 McMillan, KG Guncote in flat black on all metal, standard floorplate with box extension installed, holds 7 rounds. MK4 16X, Near 25MOA rail, MK4 medium rings, teardrop PTG bolt handle welded to bolt.
Rifle turns in amazing LOW single digit SDs with H4350 and 190SMK's. More accurate than the 1000yd BR gun I owned.
Just because a thing is old doesn't mean it isn't effective. I kinda like the idea that the cartridge is 110 years old. It amazes me how some will slobber over a 1911 .45 and poo poo a 30-06 on a modern platform.
Well, I seen my smith yesterday to take him the can in order to make sure the threads were good to go. All he has to do is make the ports on the brake and coat it. Man, that rifle looks good! I should be getting it any day. I asked what reamer he went with and it is a Obermyer reamer. I couldn't find out much about it but if it has Boots' name on it I'm sure it's GTG. My smith said he had to cut .0032 more on the throat/free bore? He cut it to match my loads. And pics will be up soon and I'm taking vaction as soon as I get it in order to do load development and just have fun....
Anyone know the difference between the Obermyer and Serengetti reamer?
Anyone know the difference between the Obermyer and Serengetti reamer?
I am sure you will LOVE the rifle when you get it. I just ordered a new 32" barrel for my 30.06---we will chamber in 30.06-AI. I can't wait for February when it should be finished. Kevin Neitzel of Accurate Sports built my 338LM, and it is SWEET! He is doing my 30.06 also.
The Obermyer reamer was fantastic back in the day, I ground a lot of them the 80's and early 90's and still a few even today but the Salazar Serengetti reamer just plain dominates the 06 field . I spoke with German about that chamber last week and he said that it just kept amazing him every time he worked with it . German is shooting Rim Fire now but you can bet as his shoulder gets better he will be back with the Serengtti and we will here more out of him about it.
I have to agree... I see no reason to build a 30-06. But I just don't like the round. We have to many better choices out there in MHO.. I like the 6.5s and 7mm for long range stuff. I think if you are going to get any benefit out of a 30cal.... Go big or go home. 300 win mag or short mag.. something that is going to push the heavy 30 cal bullets fast enough to really make a difference to set it apart from the smaller calibers that are going to out preform the 30-06 with less recoil.
That's just my own opinion and experience. I built a 6.5-06 AI and I would rather shoot my 6.5x47 Lapua any day for a dozen different reasons over my 6.5-06. I wish I had used that money to build a 7mm SAUM or a .284 instead of throwing it away on a 6.5-06 chambering. If a 30-06 is just your favorite round then by all means build it. but man im telling you there are way better choices for long range shooting out there. And if anyone wants to use the dang "well you can buy 30-06 off the shelf" crap.... well your not going to be shooting that kind of ammo for long range... or at least not in completion. Like I said if you just love a 30-06 then spend the money on it.. But if you are wanting to build the best long range rifle you can...... Rethink what you are about to spend your hard earned money on.
That's just my own opinion and experience. I built a 6.5-06 AI and I would rather shoot my 6.5x47 Lapua any day for a dozen different reasons over my 6.5-06. I wish I had used that money to build a 7mm SAUM or a .284 instead of throwing it away on a 6.5-06 chambering. If a 30-06 is just your favorite round then by all means build it. but man im telling you there are way better choices for long range shooting out there. And if anyone wants to use the dang "well you can buy 30-06 off the shelf" crap.... well your not going to be shooting that kind of ammo for long range... or at least not in completion. Like I said if you just love a 30-06 then spend the money on it.. But if you are wanting to build the best long range rifle you can...... Rethink what you are about to spend your hard earned money on.
OK, seeing as how the discussion has gotten into chambering alternatives to the .30-'06, I'll open up my mind's eye some.
Everything said favorably about the .30-'06 so far is worth reading, but somewhere beyond what's covered, there comes the part about firing 40 rounds of 190's or heavier, prone for score plus sighters, at 1000yd targets. It can get old in a hurry.
Do it anyway, it's a lesson worth learning, but once earned; please consider a switch/replacement barrel chambered for the .280 Rem. Very nearly the same case necked down to 7mm, it permits equal or superior performance with less bullet mass, and definitely translates into flatter, with somewhat less recoil. In the right barrel (26"-28", or more) a 150gr will very likely reach 1Kyd at a useful velocity, and the customary 1:9" twist typically will stabilize up to 168 reliably, and maybe 175's. For myself, I would strongly consider 30" with a 1:10" twist and 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips, using the rifle in a manner similar to how the Palma long/light strategy is played. This will translate to a heavier barrel mass shooting a lighter bullet relatively flat, perhaps doing admirably at attenuating recoil, over longer courses of fire.
Greg
Everything said favorably about the .30-'06 so far is worth reading, but somewhere beyond what's covered, there comes the part about firing 40 rounds of 190's or heavier, prone for score plus sighters, at 1000yd targets. It can get old in a hurry.
Do it anyway, it's a lesson worth learning, but once earned; please consider a switch/replacement barrel chambered for the .280 Rem. Very nearly the same case necked down to 7mm, it permits equal or superior performance with less bullet mass, and definitely translates into flatter, with somewhat less recoil. In the right barrel (26"-28", or more) a 150gr will very likely reach 1Kyd at a useful velocity, and the customary 1:9" twist typically will stabilize up to 168 reliably, and maybe 175's. For myself, I would strongly consider 30" with a 1:10" twist and 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips, using the rifle in a manner similar to how the Palma long/light strategy is played. This will translate to a heavier barrel mass shooting a lighter bullet relatively flat, perhaps doing admirably at attenuating recoil, over longer courses of fire.
Greg
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I have followed this thread with a great deal of interest. I am currently having the exact same issue. Going to ship out my Long Action R700 to get trued in a week or two and still have not picked a caliber yet. I can't help but feel that it is a waste using a .308 in a long action, but some have said that it is a very viable option.
I cant help but feel that the 06 is a VERY good choice, simply based on its history alone! I am ripping my hair out trying to decide, as this will be my hunting rig but also a range toy and deciding on the chambering is killing me. If I had a short action I would go with .308, but due to my long action, I do not want to limit myself!
I cant help but feel that the 06 is a VERY good choice, simply based on its history alone! I am ripping my hair out trying to decide, as this will be my hunting rig but also a range toy and deciding on the chambering is killing me. If I had a short action I would go with .308, but due to my long action, I do not want to limit myself!
I can load 110gr up to 215gr and get plenty of performance from varmints to sheep hunting in the mountains to long range steel banging out to 1500 yards. All without pushing the pressure limits or burning up barrels and easy to find components (well, in normal times anyway)... What's not to like?
i have a braked 22" 8lb rifle for the mountains
A 17lb 26" rifle for the heavies
and a short 16" for subsonics with a can.....for me it suits my needs very well and I don't need multiple dies and components to do it.
To be honest I'd like to look into the 6.5s and 7mm but right now there's nothing I feel the 06 is lacking for me...granted if I were a comp shooter that might be a different story..
i have a braked 22" 8lb rifle for the mountains
A 17lb 26" rifle for the heavies
and a short 16" for subsonics with a can.....for me it suits my needs very well and I don't need multiple dies and components to do it.
To be honest I'd like to look into the 6.5s and 7mm but right now there's nothing I feel the 06 is lacking for me...granted if I were a comp shooter that might be a different story..
Cheese, If you like the .308 then you will love the '06....period! It's one of the most flexible calibers. Build the '06 now and later build an ubber tacticool 6.5 whatever. I will have a 6.5 one day but I'm a stubborn American who loves .30 cals. There maybe better calibers for their flatter shooting properties but I dare say there many that will allow you to shoot varmits, polar bears and 1,500 steel gongs lie the '06 will....
I hear ya! It just sounds so versatile. Load up or down... just as accurate as a .308 from what I'm hearing... biggest concern is recoil. but I suppose I can build up a precision .223 or something later one for the smaller fun stuff..
I'm in the middle of building a heavy 30-06 myself. I think it should round out at about 17lbs, so I'm not too concerned about the recoil.
For the rest of those who talk about the recoil being such a huge turn off, I just ran the numbers and they just aren't far enough from a 308 to make me think twice over the velocity gain and yet it's still significantly less recoil than a 300 Win Mag.
Assuming a 10lb gun, 190gr bullet.
308 at 2536fps, 14 ft/lb recoil energy 9 fps recoil velocity
30-06 at 2692fps, 19 ft/lb recoil energy 11 fps recoil velocity
300 Win Mag at 2975, 29 ft/lb recoil energy 13 fps recoil velocity
For the rest of those who talk about the recoil being such a huge turn off, I just ran the numbers and they just aren't far enough from a 308 to make me think twice over the velocity gain and yet it's still significantly less recoil than a 300 Win Mag.
Assuming a 10lb gun, 190gr bullet.
308 at 2536fps, 14 ft/lb recoil energy 9 fps recoil velocity
30-06 at 2692fps, 19 ft/lb recoil energy 11 fps recoil velocity
300 Win Mag at 2975, 29 ft/lb recoil energy 13 fps recoil velocity
That reiterates what has been said by many here. The 30-06 is a good median between the two. "Not a bad place to be".
I have 7mm stuff and am here-
