The 30/06 I've used for 45 years, from 110 grain to 240 silver tip you have one of the most versatile calibers made. Point of interest through my gunsmithing found that the 06 cartridge hull can be made into 45 acp. It's thicker and can be used more than standard 45s.
@Corbin Watson Hi Corbin. I searched for fixzone and get ALL KINDS of links, most repair places? Can you give me the full name or a link to the "fixzone" that you are talking about? Thanks... Also if anyone wants to spell it out it would be, "thirty-aught-six", with the letter "a" and not an "o". Another OLD word.
You said what I knew in 1971 when I bought my first high powered rifle, a Remington 700 BDL in 30-06. I chose the 30-06 because of the versatility. Just like you've said, I've shot groundhogs with 110 grain and a moose with a 220 grain bullet. As a 21 year old, I didn't have a lot of money to buy a bunch of different rifles in different calibers.
If you are a hunter/shooter that was born prior to 1970 then the ‘06 is a part of your history. It has survived different fads and new cartridges for many years. It is still here and will be forever. Thanks Ron for another great video!
@@RonSpomerOutdoors You got it wrong Ron, USA are the only people that ever said Aught = 0 in the UK,CA,AU and NZ it's (o) sound = zero. We never say Aught.. Aught is a made up USA word. From Australia.
30-06 has always been my favorite cartridge. I was born in 1957 and I started deer hunting with a 30-30 Winchester. My dad was in WW2 and he had carried a 30-06 in the war freeing the French and German people. So as I grew up shooting 30-30 I was always more impressed with my dads Remington Model 740 he bought shortly after returning from 2 years in Europe. Anyway he died in 1979 from cancer and only had about 5 long guns and though I am one of 6 children ( 3 boys and 3 girls) he said to have boys draw out of a hat for his guns. And we did my 2 brothers got 2 guns each and I only inherited 1 of the long guns. You guessed it I got my favorite of his collection 30-06 model 740 Remington. Great Video
100% agree with you. The other thing is that the 30.06 you can find this just about anywhere in the world as it is that famous of a round. I have only a few fire arms at hand. The 30.06 is an excellent hunting round. And finally the 30.06 is considered a hunting round now where as a .308 is not as it is considered a assault round. Something to consider.
Something that is never mentioned about the 30-06 is almost every country store, general store will carry the rounds. Not so for some of the other cartridge.
That was always one of my Dad’s sales pitches for the Aught 6. In Oregon we could always find if needed. (Not counting the last year). Also as he said, one of the most versatile bullet weight range as mentioned in this video
Is the 300 win mag as readily available? I’m okay with the price difference, but am hesitant due to the ammo-pocalypse of the past couple years in buying my first all around hunting rifle in either of these two calibers.
LOL. Even if the '06 is not as versatile, I love it because it's about as American as it gets. When you say "30-06", you see red, white, and blue just like ".45acp". :)
@@FinalLugiaGuardian 308 if born after 1995. I love my 308s. I have them in AR and bolt. I taught my daughters to shoot 308s. I was born in the 70s though and in my era it was 30-30 and 30-06..... with the errant kid who shot 270 because their dad was a ballistics nerd
Hunters often point out that Alaska F&G lists the .30-'06 as their recommended big game cartridge. Not "minimum", but "recommended". Never felt the need to go magnum.
@@johnganshow5536 my dad passed me down one that my late grandfather hunted with and so did my dad. Beautiful, practical rifles that I look forward to pass on to my kids
I still live in Alaska...as a handloaded a big advantage is the wide variety of bullets that can be loaded in the 06....220gr partition for calling moose up close, 130 gr for long range shots at sheep and caribou.
@@RetrieverTrainingAlone I shot a B&C Caribou up at Swede lake near Paxon ( where I would see 5 Grizzlies every day ) 480 lasered yards, 180 grain failsafe 30-06 round through the ribs. Very versitle caliber. Indian valley meats estimated the live weight at 525 pounds...
I inherited my grandmother's Remington 30-06 recently. That gun had been all around the world with her on many hunting expeditions in the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, & Asia. It is now my favorite gun that I own. I even got to use it a few times when I was on hunting trips with grandma. It is such an amazingly powerful & well rounded caliber. I hope to pass it on to my grandchild one day.
I would feel 100% comfortable walking all over AK with The REM700 '06 with 200 grain Nosler Partition Handloads. My uncle has some kinda knack encountering Big moose.... So I loaded Nosler 200gr for his '06 to see how these bullets perform. One headshot from 75 yards to dispatch it impressed me!
There's a reason why it's been around for 115 years. If you show up any guides camp with a 30-06 for any big game animal in North America, they won't be disappointed.
You can have one good bolt action in .30'06 and train with a buttload of various loads OR buy a "specialized" and "specific" rifle and ammo for each and every intended application and train with a buttload of various loads/calibers. Your choice!
.45-1870 with smokeless works better in every single case you might use .30-1906 in a real task. The .277/.280 are superior. support of the .30-1906 is by the same kind of stupidity that thinks .30 carbine is a weak useless round. No, .270 is NOT a necked-down .30-1906, it is an independently derived ammunition from the .280/8mm which came from the .30-1903 that was based on a neat Chinese round (since all the work was done) which was effectively invented by Japan. We're literally going back up to the .270 for battle rifles because the whole 5.56 thing has been shit for 60 years. 5.56 and .223 are sad jokes without a punchline compared to both the .277 and 7.62x54 .270 is designed for 65kpsi and the neck-down is a finer taper than the shoulder on the .30-1906. So not only does the .277 have a higher velocity and better penetration characteristics, its more effective against literally everything and easier to shoot. There's this idiocy around the 7.62 about it's effective range that is just all lies. Steel targets aren't conscripted as enemy soldiers and don't have meat on them. Even in this circumstance the .277 is superior since it will punch a hole in a steel target designed for 7.62. Funny enough there's no real on-vest difference in their weight, it amounts to about one extra round per 20 in savings with the current standard rounds. The new military round with the ceramoplast casing makes a huge difference. In most conditions the .277 will do literally everything the 7.62 will do with the exception of operate an early 20th century belt fed machinegun. The real argument is why the hell everybody went with 5.56 when the .280 British is the superior combat load.
@@prjndigo WOW! REALLY?!?! .45-1870? .30-1906? you just screwed the pooch on your entire diatribe. Let me help you out it's the .45-70 NOT the .45-1870! ".45" is the caliber "-70" is the weight of the black powder charge in grains. The dash ( - ) is used to separate the caliber and the charge weight. and It's the .30'06 NOT .30-1906 ".30" is the caliber "'06" is the year the design was finalized. The apostrophe ( ' ) is used to abbreviate the year. as for the rest of what you said, . . . you simply missed the boat on the intent of the entire video. There are MANY cartridges that are better performing "ballistically"! That is NOT what is being discussed here. The subject at hand is - Does the .30'06 perform "well enough" with a variety of different loads to be useful in many different situations? and the simple answer is a resounding "YES"! It was always a versatile round. With the passage of time it has actually become MORE versatile due to modern bullets and powders. You can do a lot with a single well made .30'06. Probably more than any other rifle cartridge.
@@scotte2815 I enjoy having both options, Fact is you truly never know what ammo is going to be available, and in bulk or reloading components. Lot numbers matter. 🍻
@@prjndigo One more thing you're forgetting, from a small village in Northern Alaska to the tip of South America you can buy 30-06 ammunition. Those other cartridges, good luck on finding them!
I'm a younger guy & was never really interested in 30-06. My Grandpa gave me an old Remmington 30-06 a couple years ago & I slowly fell in love with the old round. It really can do so much.
use with brain tho.. before you knock a deer flat from 5-600 yards out, think about where it is and how you're going to get the carcass outta there afterwards! two hills and gullies with tons of underbrush? please don't take the shot. 30-06 is a really great round, but sometmes just because you CAN doesn't mean you should
@@bryguydoublebarrel8418 Thankfully, I still get to enjoy it with him. He dosen't get to go out as much as he used to, but we still get to take some short trips together.
@@pewpewTN atta boy..keep doin that! My gramps is watchin from above & my dad can't do it anymore but we got A LOT good memories to talk about. Shoot straight bro!
Great video. In my younger days, I opted for the .300 Win Mag. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the recoil was brutal. As time went on, I actually dreaded shooting the .300 Win Mag. Enter the .30-06. Wow, what a difference !! The 30.06 has has about half of the felt recoil of the .300 Win Mag, but with the loss of only a couple hundred FPS velocity. Now, I shoot the .30-06 all day long with no worries.
As for "doesn't kick that much" it depends, of course, on how one loads it, and to some extent on the stock design as well. It absolutely kicks more than the 06. Recoil isn't given enough weight by most people, probably in an attempt to "man up" and not admit to not liking getting the crap knocked out of you when you touch one off. I'll shoot what I need to, but if I don't NEED to get the crap beat out of me, why do it? I agree. I don't see anything in North America that I'd need anything more than a 30-06 for. To Ron's point about dangerous game, well if I WERE going to Africa, the 06 might do the job but I'd want a PH backing me up who was carrying some real artillery in that case. But otherwise? And how many of us are actually going to Africa and shooting cape buffalo anyway?
Trapper John, Ever try that 110 bullet on a coyote? Being heavier construction that 22 centerfire bullets, I wonder how "fur friendly" it would be? I hunt and trap for the fur.
@@trapperjohn2462 MThe 300 Win Mag IS brutal, but may I suggest you give the 9.3x62 a go? I never knew about it until one was bequeathed to me. It may have a little bit more recoil than the 06 (but I've not noticed any difference), but in power, it rates about 70% of what a max velocity 375HH achieves. It is so effective that 1-shot kills on Cape Buff with the 286gr RNSN is common. In a 1-shot kill on a cape buff, my Woodleigh 286gr, went from the right front shoulder through to the left hind rib - that's +40" of straight line penetration!! Read what John Taylor says about the 9.3x62 - you'll be hooked!! 👍
The fact that it's popular in Europe is testimony enough. I asked the Kantine owner at Hohenfels, the US Army training center near Regensburg, what he used for deer, and .30-06 was his answer.
I could point you to an Outdoor Life article a guy wrote in 2019 that reinforced my love for the 06. Killed my first buck with one in 1970. Killed several deer, both whitetail and muleys, couple of nice bull elk, 2 bull moose and a half dozen black bears. There's always been an 06 in my gun rack for 51 years.
Over the years I have never fell for the new cartridge of the month, the 30-06 has always been my favorite all-round hunting cartridge and it has never let me down 👍
Thank you Ron for your great review of the 30-06. My first rifle was a Winchester Model 70 in 30-06 but I sold it a few years ago. Recently I sold a Remington 700 in 7mm Rem mag and got another 30-06. There just isn't enough difference in performance to justify the magnum in my opinion. Glad you emphasized the versatility.
@@jcgardner5852 proper comparison between cartridges is done by sectional density within a group of close calibers, not weight, since SD is more important to performance on critters. Two near identical weight bullets in different calibers will have different BCs, and skew the results incorrectly.
@@anthonykaiser974 I understand what you said but that is not what he was doing. He was looking at sometimes wildly disparate bullets to compare catridges. Still say start with comparison of similar weights then if looking at penetration SD can help. But truth is most will penetrate more than sufficiently for game so putting bullet in right place is most important
@@charlyromeo7926 How are those supperior? By my experience and pretty much the rest of the world's a 180 grain 30-06 will kill better than both the ones you mention and do it with pretty much the same trajectory and wind deflection carrying a larger heavier bullet.
First rifle I ever carried was an 8mm Mauser (got my first deer with it; open sights) and then went with the 30'06 and have been using it for 40 years. It's the perfect cartridge for me.
Bocconom: REMEMBER when you could buy surplus 8mm Mausers from InterArmoCo in Virginia, for about $20 - and they delivered it directly to your home via UPS ? And surplus ammo at $5.00/box of 100 ?
@@marytica123 I never bought 8mm surplus ammo as Remington manufactured plenty right up through the 1980's and I never even knew about InterArmoCo but boy do I now wish I did!
#metoo My first rifle was an 8 mm Mauser made in France (I do not recall name of manufacturer). I traded it in at the local pawn store for a Remington pump-action 30-06. I only got $40 in the trade for the 8mm
The 30-06 has been and always will be the measuring stick of the shooting world. Even in modern commercial cartridge development, everything is compared to what it will and will not do in comparison to the 30-06.
Shot with my 30-06 since I was a little girl. I love this round and I've shot it with all kinds of rounds. I have a Rem. mod. 721 and it shoots 180gr best and a Win. mod. 70 that shoots 150gr best. Love shooting them both.
Ought 6 will never be obsolete. It’s the Chhck Norris of rifle cartridges Loving these videos. Would like to see some on modern muzzleloaders powder/primer/bullet selection. Also, 32 Winchester Special... it’s a favorite of mine.
30-06 and 32 special is what my brother and I grew up hunting with. Both work well hunting eastern whitetail but the versatility of the -06 makes it a pretty special cartridge in my opinion. Between moose coyote and deer I've never been disappointed with the -06
@william bush the 327 magnum would make a great sidearm caliber and it's fantastic henry is offering a carbine chambered in that caliber. But in the context of the rifle cartridges discussed here it's really not in the same conversation. I personally would not consider 327 mag in a carbine sufficient for big game hunting applications due to velocity/energy/drop/drift. we shouldn't introduce the possibility of someone being confused and thinking it could be used in place of 32 special or 30-06 for applications that require more energy such as big game hunting
LMFAO The Chuck Norris of cartridges ! Too cool. Ron made another great video for us enthusiasts ! A few years back Magpul came out with IMO the Chuck Norris of stocks, the Hunter 700 . Simply add the two and , presto !
Hello Ron. Hey, another great video. The 30-06 gets it done in lots of ways. I only have one 30-06, it's one of my favorite rifles. I never feel under or over gunned when I'm using it. Thanks again for your time making these videos.
@@JohnDoe-mt8rf Naaaaah I can assure you At least not the last time I looked my self in the mirror babe. Seems to me you tend to glorify medals much more than the MAN behind than Nothing uncommon among us humans and Carlos used whatever was available to him to him at that time and place including that very mediocre by the todays standards Redfield scope that he paid out of his pocket in a sporting goods store in the states and had a buddy ship it to him In Saigon during the pick of that popular and exiting war . That's all.
The 30-06 is half about shooting a little faster than the 308 and a little slower than a 300 Win Mag. And half about letting people know you believe in the Good 'Ol Days.
When I was 17 I bought my first high-powered centrefire - a Ruger M77 in .30/06 - and I've NEVER regretted the choice. In the intervening 35yrs, I've taken camels, blue wildebeeste and kudu downwards at ranges up to 300m without fuss. I've even shot sharks with it But BEST of all, my daughter now uses it on NT buffalo with no trouble at all 😊👍
1964 BDL for about $110.00, Weaver 4xscope and sling. Moose, caribou, black and brown bear, Dall sheep, Mtn. goat, bison, Musk Ox, Cape buffalo...not much you can’t hunt with this one.
@@jessiewinegeart3898 What calibre is your rifle? I've taken all my cape buff and hippo with my 458 Win Mag (I was also requested by the President of Zambia to drop him a hippo and a few warthog). I've also got an FN9.3x62 bolt action that I've taken Cape Buff and a few of the larger plains game with. But as for my .30/06 I'm just a proud Dad to now see it comfortably slung on my daughter's shoulder. 😊👍
Thank you Ron for a great presentation on the 30-06. This is the round that I grew up with in the 1960’s. I moved away to shoot more exotic and modern caliber’s for many years. I found that I have never lost my love and fondness for this round, I have also moved back to shooting in again. This round has never failed me.
I even had some 55 Grain Sabot Accelerators in 30-06 as well. They were screaming. These days, I have specific rifles for specific purposes, but if you had to just use one rifle, the 06 is a strong contender.
I used to have a Savage model 110 30-06, the versatility of that particular round is one of the main reasons that I bought that rifle in the first place. Although I mostly hunted deer with it. I used to shoot at the range for accuracy and sighting in and for my money it's hard to beat that rifle in that caliber. I used to get Superior accuracy even with the most inexpensive box ammunition off the shelf.
Collected and shot numerous cartridges all my life, 338 Win Mag, 300 Win Mag, 300 Wea Mag, 7mm Wea Mag, 270 Wea Mag, 257 Wea Mag, 270 Win, 243 Win, and 6 mm Rem. They are all gone now, only 3006s and 308s remain in the safe.
I have found the .30-06 cartridge to be both a blessing and a curse, at least for a practical, frugal fellow. Sure, it covers most of the bases for a hunting cartridge (the blessing), which appeals to my practical, frugal nature, but it also obviates the necessity of other cartridges in the stable (the curse). (Remember, we're talking about me and my predilection towards the practical, and penchant towards cheapness...errr, I mean frugality; YMMV.) When I see new cartridges pop onto the shooting scene, I think to myself, "Hey, that might be cool to try.", then I compare it to my real-world needs that the ol' '06 already covers and, blam!, I find it nearly impossible to justify purchasing. Not that I am completely immune to the siren call of new cartridges, for I bought a 6.5CM 'bout three years ago and, while it was a very accurate round, I just didn't warm up to it, so I sold the Tikka it was chambered in. BTW, my 20-year-old son has expressed interest in hunting and I am going to encourage him to go with, you guessed it, the venerable .30-06. May the curse continue to the next generation.
My Uncle and I had this very conversation 3 days ago. Out to 300 yards the '06 will do all, we also settled on 300 yard max, where we hunt it's all we need. Nice video Ron, nothing wrong with a proven oldie but goodie.
Today's factory load and handloader options take the '06 to new levels of performance and versatility. I've loaded 20 or more rifle cartridges for myself and friends over the last 3+ decades, including most of the belted magnums. The most recent rifle I purchased last year . . . .30-06 - not your grandpa's '06 - by a long shot!
Great video Ron. The 30-06 may not always be the very best choice for every animal, but it is the single best all around cartridge we have. That won't change either.
eh. its never the best choice for an animal. lets be real is way more than any white tail or mule deer needs, and as far as an all a rounder... still no. its not a great long range choice, while not giving that punch that really starts with the .338 win mag or even the .338-06. so it will cost you the same shots on elk/moose as a .25-06, .264, .280/AI, or even a .270, but also cost you long range shots that the previously mention rounds will not. and if you really like to reach out and touch the larger deer, that .338 win mag with high bc bullets is up for it. further, even with heavy for caliber bullets, the 06 isnt a great brush round either. its the middle child, it cant do what the big boys do, and its worse than its little siblings at everything else. but what is still even more versatile.. .375 HH. they they make light for caliber low charge bullets just for white tail sized game, and it will smoke an elephant, cape buffalo, or alaskan brown bear.
I’ve never owned a rifle in 30-06 because back in my day everybody and their brother carried one. I wanted something a little different so I went with the 7mm REM Mag Which is still my favorite round to this day.
The 7mm mag out preforms the 30-06, especially at long range. The 7mm is a very flat shooting cartridge. I think the recoil is mostly comparable but the mag has a little more IMHO.
I think I have heard that the sabot rounds are inaccurate. I would like to see some more research and development into that idea. It would be nice to have sabot bullets to reload in one rifle for super fast loads that are also as accurate.
@@bensears7499 I used those accelerator rounds long ago, and my experience was not that they were inaccurate. They shot about as well in most rifles as the regular 150-grain bullets did at 100 yards, which is what the factory said they would do. The problem is most medium-bore hunting rifles, especially of 1940's - 1970's vintage, weren't really accurate enough for varmint shooting. Add in a light but not terribly aerodynamic bullet with a rather blunt soft lead tip, it lost velocity fast and got pushed around by the wind at longer ranges.
@@dc4457 Maybe with new bullet designs and computer modeling we could come up with some excellent rounds. Stabilizing a heavier spear shaped .224 would be interesting. Maybe barnes bullets.
And that is the type of comment that either gets hunters killed here in Africa or results in wounded animals. Except for Lion and Leopard, American dangerous game and African dangerous game are not comparable. American dangerous game species are not megafauna. There is a very big difference between 'can' shoot an elephant or brain shoot a hippo from a platform under ideal circumstances while backed up with a PH armed with a 458 lott or 500 Gibbs and standing on your own trying to stop a charging charging 1700kg hippo or a 6000kg bull elephant with a 3006. The decision for the 375H&Hmag or 9.3x62mm to be classed as the minimum size cartridge in Africa for dangerous game was not made by inexperienced, uneducated or unqualified people. The 3006 is an exceptional all round rifle and together with the 338 win mag is probably the best choice for the majority of hunters here in South Africa where firearm laws restrict ownership to a single rifle unless you belong to hunting associations and go through the annual schlep of getting and maintaining a dedicated hunter status.
@@fudgepie1 Very knowledgeable comment. Of course, they'll reiterate the old Bell tales. What they forget to realize is that tightwad used those smaller calibers due to availability, dependability and cost. When you can shoot elephants that don't run as soon as they catch your scent is also a factor. No disrespect to Mr. Bell, but I've lived long enough to not believe every single thing someone says unless I'm present to witness.
@@fudgepie1 seeing as how this is a discussion about the versatility of a particular cartridge and not the legalities of hunting in Africa, Ron's not wrong. The fact of the matter is the .30-06' has killed every dangerous game animal on the planet, while charging, one shot stop. The men that did it were steely-eyed, brass-balled, ice-cold bastards, and probably a little foolhearty, but it still happened. The answer to Ron's question here, is a hearty YES, it is as versatile as they say and maybe more so. COULD I face a charging Rhino with only my XL7? Yes. SHOULD I? Probably not. Big difference. Don't conflate capabilities with sensibilities; I do value your opinion, but please curb your "this is what gets people killed" rhetoric.
I have always thought the 30/06 was the most versatile round going And a little thing I’ve read is that it was so impressive they used IT to base the 50BMG on , and they are very similar it trajectory Thanks for the vid
If you know someone who misses or makes a lot of bad shots ask them where the crosshairs were when their rifle fired. They probably won't know because they are closing their eyes and flinching.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors That in itself would be an excellent video, Ron - "Calling your shots". Commiting to the shot while calmly applying the fundamentals in that moment that makes or breaks a hunt. Getn over the buck fever, ethically taking game.
@@ikesquirrel I favor 7x57, myself. I keep on target with no flinch at all and in a 98 Mauser action, it can be pushed to its full potential, which is considerable.
i love the 30-06! i handload, my 150 gr does 3050 fps out of the muzzle....168 gr clocks in around 2910 fps. that some fast, flat shooting, hard hitting rounds! my son hunts with the same 30-06 i do... weatherby vangaurd deluxe. he loves that rifle/cartridge combo too! i'm a fan of Hornady. they make great ammo, and projectiles.... and i know if i find myself in a tuff spot where my handloads went missing, i can find Hornady ammo almost anywhere.
Marketing is what is pushing it aside. Not performance. Out with the old, in with the new stuff you got to spend more for. Great review. Excellent cartridge 👍
Col. Townsend Whelen said, "The .30-'06 is never a mistake." I would also say the same for the 7.92x57mmMauser, when loaded to its full potential, and it's been around 18 years longer than the .30-'06.
You're right about the 8mm Mauser but American factory loads are about equal to the Winchester 32 special. Back in the 60s and early 70s Norma had full power loads with 170 grain bullets that were very good, but I don't know what ever happened to them.
Great video I love my 30 06 with 180 grain partition it can tackle just about any large game. The 200 grain is also a favorite super hard hitting out to 300 yards.
I have one very easy to load and very accurate. you can build loads to do almost anything with current components - I build a woods round for short range using the 160 gr .30-30 ftx from Hornady loaded to about 2500 fps. doesn't go thru the far side of a whitetail and continue on for two miles if the deer is close, and vet limited meat damage as well as reduced muzzle blast and recoil. the -06 loadsdown pretty well - I make a few varmint loads using 110 grain vARMINTER BULLETS AND FAST POWDERS FOR CLOSE RANGE VARMINTING. i'VE HAD GOOD LUCK WITH tRAIL BOSS AND imr4227 ALTHOUGH THE TRAIL BOSS LOADS ARE MUCH CLEANER BURNING - TYPICALLY ABOUT 1 moa LOADS FOR SMALL GAME AND BIG VARMINTS. ANDIT DOESN't KNOCK MY HAT OFF WHEN i SHOOT LIKE SOME OF THE MAGNUMS. fOR HUNTING nORTH AMERICAN GAME - IF IT'S TOO FAR FOR A .30-06 ITS PROBABLY FARTHER THAN YOU SHOULD BE SHOOTING. AS A varminter some animals are tough like badgers - a 130 gr pill will stop them no question. Most bullet shoot well from my -06 the bullet companies have had several decades to perfect those .30 cal bullets.
My late father stated it was the best all around rifle for me starting out. If I was out hunting and my ammo fell out of the canoe I could always find more at any store. He shot a Browning BAR 7mm mag. Good show Ron
I have hunted with a 30-06 springfield for 27 years and will continue to use it. I have taken whitetail deer with 125 grain through it 220 grain bullets. All weights have worked great. My personal favorite bullet weight is 180 grain for deer, it really hammers them. Thanks for sharing this video 👍
I love my 30-06. I have smaller, bigger, faster, heavier bullets, flatter trajectory, yada, yada, rifle/cartridge combinations. But, I pick up my '06 more than any other. 150's for whitetail, 165's for mule deer and similar size game and 180's for elk, moose, small/medium bears, etc. It covers a wide selection of medium and even large North American game animals.
I use a 30-06 (Remington 742 auto and 7600 pump) @ 165gn core lokt for MOOSE , BLACK BEAR , CARIBOU and SEAL here in Newfoundland ... I use to shoot the 180’s but found I suffered accuracy beyond 400 yards .. I have shot 150’s but I found they weren’t doing a proper job long range .. personally I find the 165 a perfect all around bullet for my hunts.
In the north as my ancestors Inuit, know that 30-06 can kill a fully grown whale or very large polar bear in one shot. 30-06 is super underrated bullet. In ww2 30-06 was known to rip off arms and legs in one shot, human body is no way can compared to fully grown elephant or whale bullet killer.
@@someguyfromarcticfreezer6854 The NZ Veterinary Service uses Woodleigh Hydrostatic bullets to euthanase beached whales. Now that's effective straight line penetration!! 👍
Well done again Ron only thing to add is in a standard bolt action the magazine will hold 1 more round. I have reloaded for the 30-06 but never owned one but my Brother and Father hunt with them and from watching them it’s not lacking. If anything it’s getting better with the newer powders.
I couldn't agree more Ron. I tell peope all the time a 06 is the way to go and when they say there Lapu, mag this,, magnum that will out shoot a 06 , when I prove them wrong by out shooting them, there flabergasted ! I can't tell you how many 03 Springfield action sporting and target rifles both I've built over the years and other than the mauser action that's just about all I use. I built my first in 1966 with the help of my pa when I was 16 and only have 2 recievers left to work with, but I have 6-7 each of Springfields and Mausers already in about every configuration you can think of. Sadly those both are getting hard to find nowadays in good condition so I'm arfraid many folks won't ever have the oppertunity to try building one , not that all that many people are building much other than AR15's now anyways. It's a dying art I'm afraid. I'm a pretty huge fan of the 6.5X55 Sweed and 7X57 mm Mauser too and have probibly built as many of those as well and the more " Plastic Fantastics " I see come out, the more & more I like my old school wood and steel and I can STILL out shoot most of them with my 100 year old relics of a bygone era ,,,,,,,
You nailed it. I'll put my "old fashioned, overweight" -06 with plenty of seasons behind the scope against anyone buying the latest "nearly weightless, lunar lander grade synthetic stocked, .015 caliber particle accelerator." My first exposure to competition was shooting an old CMP Garand High Power match. The magic lies within the Wizard, not the wand. My buddy carries a 1903 every year to Bear camp. Funny how at the range he can put all his rounds into a pie plate, while the fellas with the various .300 magnums are satisfied to keep their shots on the 4x8 sheet of plywood their target is stapled too.
Picked up my first 30-06 a few years ago in a remington 760. I absolutely love it. Just picked up a 7600 in 30-06 that I'm considering converting into a carbine. And leaving the older classic for longer range. What a great round. Excellent video!
@HeirloomGameCalls man, times have changed! Haha. I considered myself lucky on both of mine. My 760 w/ basket weave detail, I got for about $600, same for the 7600 in nearly unfired condition. But that one is all synthetic furniture. Nowhere near as nice. They just keep going up. Not uncommon to see similar condition go for 1300-1600. But man, I love them. Going to break in the 7600 this fall for hunting. I hunt the thick woods a lot so, it's perfect.
@@claytonkeates2614 my OLD 760 has a lowlow serial number (Less than 7000). It shows it age though. No basket weave, just the straight lines in the forearm and a hard rubber butt plate. It has quite a few "Character" dents and dings from before I got it. Probably from riding around in a truck or on a horse. No telling. Sometimes wish that "Ol' 760" could talk.
I've enjoyed my Remington 7400 30-06 for decades. I think rifles like the 6.5 Creedmore are interesting and if I was just getting into buying my first rifle I'd consider it. But my 30-06 does everything I want it to do and is capable of much more. And all that versatility is why I'll probably never change over to something else.
I hunt with 180 sierra gamekings flying at 2800 fps gives 4 moa drop at 300 meters exactly a very good all-rounder from limpopo bushveld to the opem country in the karoo
Very educational video on the 30.06. It is interesting that this round is the standard by which all of the other rounds are compared to. Wtih the wide selection of grain bullets for the 30.06 - it makes a great choise for an all around hunting rifle. Thank you this information.
Great video Ron.Ive owned a '06 for forty years now,a Ruger M77.Needless to say,it's my favorite rifle,others have come and gone,but I'll keep that one for as long as I'm alive.I chose the '06 after having a .243 stolen from my house and used the insurance money to buy my next rifle.I was young and didn't know if I would be able to buy a lot of guns,but had aspirations of hunting the big game fields of the world,especially here in the states.I wanted a rifle that would handle any game,and that I could find ammo just about everywhere,so after much study and thought,I decided on the '06. I have really come to love both the 165 and 200 gr. Nosler partition bullets.The 165 for everything up to deer size and slightly larger and the 200 for elk and up.I don't like shooting long range and I'm not very good at it,so up to 250 yards is good for me,and I've never found the round wanting. Keep up the great work,enjoy your vids.
Got my M77 30-06 back in 1986, still driving nails with it. Then got a M77 243 when I was in the Army. Someone did a five finger discount from the arms room at Ft Riley. I can remember reading the report, then sending my write up of the report to the Forscom and Post commander. They did not know that I was the top student in my armorer's course, along with having a few III corp inspections with no deficiencies that got me two metals since that was so out of the norm. Even a III corp coin for running the supply. Then the Unit before I was the Physical security NCO for the entire battalion. Then included a letter prior to the weapons disappearance Listing what was being done wrong for the security of POW's in the arms room. I was a little mad on my last day in the army picking up an empty case.
I love my 30-06. It copes with anything we have in the UK from occasional opportunistic fox right through to the biggest red stags. With a nosier accubond bullet I don’t get too much damage on the more diminutive roe deer either. Should I get a chance in a wild boar I’m sure it will do a great job too.
@Meg Dye: Should you get a chance in a wild boar, I can assure you that your .30-'06 will indeed do a great job. In the wayback when, I used to be a licensed guide in California, and guided wild boar hunters in that state's Central Coast region. I witnessed many a boar fall to well-placed shots from the .30-'06.
I love '06 because it has a lot of uses. When I pair it with my 300AAC, it makes even more sense. I reload, and I can share several of the different bullet types and weights between both.
Awesome video. Lots of fun watching it. This is one of these that makes me rethink what I’ve chosen for rifle from mice to moose and even target shooting. By the way for anybody out there considering joining Patreon you should do it for Ron’s channel. He actually will answer your questions that you ask as he has answered a bunch of my random questions.
If i were to hunt deer size game on up, 30-06... if i were to hunt deer size game on down to varmints, i'd probably go 270 or the .25-06, or a short action cartridge like 7mm-08 or .243. 30-06 is still a pretty great cartridge that's definitely not going anywhere anytime soon.
I love my 7mm08, with 120 grain Nosler, extremely precise. Dimes at 100 yards. I also handload and built a round to do this. That said I still love my 06, 150 to 180 grains is the sweet spot, many deer and elk. Be gracious.
My dad carried a BAR in the Korean War. He got a .30-06 after the army to hunt with. Many times he said .30-06 has killed every animal on the North American Content. He taught me the ballistics of the round. I have the rifle now as he has past. It has never failed in a kill.
I love the 30.06 it's honestly my favorite rifle round. Recoil really isn't that bad if you practice with it. The ability to manage recoil is 100% a learned skill, I'm 5'8" and 120lbs and I can shoot my 30.06 all day if I had the ammo, sitting, standing, prone, doesn't matter, just practice with it and pretty soon you hardly notice the recoil anymore.
Great video Ron. One of your best. From a loader's perspective, that case design just loves so many powders and almost any primer you want to use. The generous SAAMI specs virtually eliminate any COAL issues like you get with the 308 and 300WM. Perfection for a hunting cartridge.
First of all I came from a 06 family. Loved the video. Most versatile round as you said. A Great “starter kit” for a young person is an 06, good pump shotgun and a good .22 rifle. My first 06 was a model 54, back in 1968, got it for my 13th birthday. This year I gave my son my 25 06 and am going back to using my dad’s model 70 that he bought in 50 or 51. (Traded off one of his model 94s. Shooting Blacktails in clear cuts put a strain on the 30 30😜). Why am I going back to the stick in the mud Aught 6?It’s time to put the Ol’ War Horse back to work.
For handloaders, the 30-06 really wakes up with hodgdon superformance powder. My rifle pushes 165s at 2950 and 180s at 2850, without going over book data. They were twisted correctly right from the start to stabilize a huge range of bullets and they have remarkably less recoil than the belted magnums. They got it right all those years ago
@@carterthiessen2664 I am sure he is talking about BULLET weight. A 180 grain bullet....not powder amount. That is what most people are referring to when they say that. Did you not say that above already? Why would you think he meant powder? EDIT: I see why you think that. I misread. I am dumb👍
I'm no expert! But I do know one thing about the venerable 30-06! I heard the adults talking about it when I was a kid and I even own one now (traded a kayak for it, long story). My Remington is right out of 1983, complete with Redfield scope. "Ought" you might hear the Brits say "naught", being a military guy, I used the radio with Brits on the other end, and learned that. Other military parlance that refers to Zero are "bingo" in aviation terms, which meant the fuel I have is sufficient to return, in other words, "zero" for any other purposes. I was a crewmember on AC-130 gunships and we used the term "Winchester" for zero ammo remaining. Not sure of the providence of that term. We'd say, "Winchester on 40mm" no more 40 millimeter (or 105, or 25 etc), or just "Winchester" for zero ammo onboard. Great show Mr. Spomer. You have an amazing cartridge collection. Surprising results for the venerable aught six. Might have to dust mine off, maybe update the optic!
@@bustersmith5569 probably if you were on the ground! From our vantage point it looked the same day or night, but most of our ops were at night for obvious reasons. 😃💥💨
Very good advice and remember 308 fans you can do almost the same thing with your set up also it'll take the same projectiles and come very close to the 30-06 in performance.
Yes, and no. Above 180 grains, the .30-06 has a clear advantage. I can load .308 to 2,800 fps with 150 grain bullets safely, but a .30-06 can send the same bullet out of the same length barrel at least 200 fps faster. That is a significant difference. I prefer the .308 because I prefer semi-automatic and short action bolt-action rifles over the longer action bolt-action the .30-06 is well suited to. It is still a powerful, accurate and versatile cartridge that is not going to be obsolescent any time soon, like the .308.
@@taraswertelecki3786 One of the 06's advantages (besides powder capacity) is the fact that you can seat bullets further out and stay within specs. If you try loading the heavy long range bullets (long nosed ones like 208gr Berger LRHT...) for the 308 without pushing the ogive under the case mouth, you may have to exceed mag length in some platforms. That said, there's no specific weight range at which the 308 suddenly starts to suffer. Sure, long bullets will intrude on the already limited powder space, but usually you can stay within ~150fps-ish of the 06 with most bullets, including 110 and 220grainers. That's closer to the 30-06 than the 06 is to any of the 7mm+ magnum cartridges (with significantly less powder and somewhat less recoil on top of that). Also, there's 150gr factory loads that safely push 3000fps in the 308.
I added the .30-06 to my collection years ago realizing how versatile this round really is. It has enough punch to get it way out there 500 to 1000 yards.
Just curious have you used this chambering to target shoot? I know this is a versatile round but I am wondering if the common twist rate works for bullets all the way from the low end to the top end?
With the wonderful array of bullets and powders available today, I say a resounding yes. The only larger game that I hunt today is whitetail. If I had an 06, it would be loaded to approximate 30-30 ballistics. As is, the .223 is plenty at my roughly 50 yard shots. The last five deer taken with my .223 and a 65 grain game king with blc-2 have taken a total of 1 step after the shot. That is good enough for me.
I've loved the old 06 Have taken several game I liked Hornady light magnum loads that speed velocity 200ft/sec, and footprints 200lbs more than regular loads
I have an early 80's Remington model 700BDL 30-06 that I will keep forever. Beyond the versatility, I always like the 30-06 for the availability of ammo. Growing up in the Deep South, I literally used to see 30-06 sold in lots of gas stations.
My Alaskan daughter in law shot a wild bison last year at 308 yards , it was a 1800 lb bull taken with one shot and an immediate drop. I have a Remington 742 auto and it’s my rifle of choice with a 180 grain bullet for elk. My dad (rip) had a 760 pump and he took more mule deer and elk than I can count. Excellent video Ron!
I was lucky enough to befriend someone fifteen years ago who had four generations worth of guns they no longer wanted, and gifted them to me. Among them was a 1949 production Winchester M70 in 30-06. Doesn't get any more iconic than that. The bullet versatility aspect is valid. My father took a 30-06 to the Canadian arctic 60+ years ago, using it on everything from waterfowl with 110 grainers to polar bears with 220s. He even helped cull a few woods bison with the Parks service, and didn't feel undergunned. Grain of salt with the Nosler data - they typically 'get' about 5% more velocity than any other manufacturer. In reality, you're going to read about 95% of their paper speed on the chronograph. The only way you're going to get 2,600 fps with a 220 grain bullet in a 30-06 is with a maximum load of slow burning powder in a 26+ inch barrel. In a 24 inch or shorter barrel, forget it.
Yes, Nosler's manual usually shows highest MVs. Can't decide if they're pushing the envelope or others are playing it extra safe. But I can't imagine they'd recommend unsafe loads.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors Neither. Nosler simply publishes velocities that are highly dubious and contrary to the equivalent data from other sources. My 7mm Remington Magnum load velocity is bang on with Hornady, Speer, Sierra, Lyman, et al, but 100 fps below what Nosler achieves with the same bullet weight and a lighter charge of the same powder, in the same barrel length. Their handgun loads are even more optimistic - they must be using unvented test barrels for the revolver cartridges. Useful and safe data, but taking their velocities as gospel is gonna cause you performance anxiety. Consensus on discussion boards with experienced handloaders is that there's a lot of blue sky in their ballistics.
Probably the worst thing about the 30 06 is it's been around so long, but it's been around so long because it's so good.
Well stated, and how many cartridges were developed using that case?
@@stephansmith958 most of them until not long ago.
Yup lt is “OLD HAT” Like taking your granny out to a matinee movie.
Nothing new or glamorous just does the job lol 😂🇨🇦
So good ? That's funny.
@@charlyromeo7926 How do I KNOW your channel has no content? Hold on, brb...
There's a reason it's the standard by which all others are judged.
Yup , if it ain't broke , don't fix it . Just have parts on hand . Just in case....
I guess I don't need to comment now, you nailed it lol.
The 30/06 I've used for 45 years, from 110 grain to 240 silver tip you have one of the most versatile calibers made. Point of interest through my gunsmithing found that the 06 cartridge hull can be made into 45 acp. It's thicker and can be used more than standard 45s.
@Corbin Watson Hi Corbin. I searched for fixzone and get ALL KINDS of links, most repair places? Can you give me the full name or a link to the "fixzone" that you are talking about? Thanks...
Also if anyone wants to spell it out it would be, "thirty-aught-six", with the letter "a" and not an "o". Another OLD word.
@@ronlacy2010 he said "flixzone," not "fixzone."
You said what I knew in 1971 when I bought my first high powered rifle, a Remington 700 BDL in 30-06. I chose the 30-06 because of the versatility. Just like you've said, I've shot groundhogs with 110 grain and a moose with a 220 grain bullet. As a 21 year old, I didn't have a lot of money to buy a bunch of different rifles in different calibers.
Same here, still got to this day!
Been shooting it for over 60 years.
About the year i got MY 700 bdl in '06! Between it & my Garand, & ~3k cmp LC68, & HXP ammo, i'm pretty well set for WTSHTF!
Holy cow. I too was 21 when I bought my 700 in 06. Only difference is it's a lefty SPS and it was my first firearm. Great stick!
What dose B.C stand for ??
If you are a hunter/shooter that was born prior to 1970 then the ‘06 is a part of your history. It has survived different fads and new cartridges for many years. It is still here and will be forever. Thanks Ron for another great video!
Thanks John
@@RonSpomerOutdoors You got it wrong Ron, USA are the only people that ever said Aught = 0 in the UK,CA,AU and NZ it's (o) sound = zero. We never say Aught.. Aught is a made up USA word. From Australia.
Ian Farr-Wharton it aught to b a shame lol 👍🏻👍🏻
@@whatstheproblem6606 You mean it "ain't " to b a shame of.. Not aught..lol
@@ianfarr-wharton1000 Well bubba- we invented the round and we named it, and it is aught, not zero. LOL
To quote Jeff Cooper's daughter, Lindy Wisdom, "ain't many problems a man can't fix with seven hundred dollars and a thirty ought six."
That's brilliant
@@austerityclause That is funny
@@austerityclause Whats the rock pit filled with??
@@stevejames9510 ahh... The quarry... Whirlybird, traitors, water and 20 years of lead.
@@austerityclause I have a First Edition, signed by Kent Lamont, with a note on letterhead.
30-06 has always been my favorite cartridge. I was born in 1957 and I started deer hunting with a 30-30 Winchester. My dad was in WW2 and he had carried a 30-06 in the war freeing the French and German people. So as I grew up shooting 30-30 I was always more impressed with my dads Remington Model 740 he bought shortly after returning from 2 years in Europe. Anyway he died in 1979 from cancer and only had about 5 long guns and though I am one of 6 children ( 3 boys and 3 girls) he said to have boys draw out of a hat for his guns. And we did my 2 brothers got 2 guns each and I only inherited 1 of the long guns. You guessed it I got my favorite of his collection 30-06 model 740 Remington. Great Video
100% agree with you. The other thing is that the 30.06 you can find this just about anywhere in the world as it is that famous of a round. I have only a few fire arms at hand. The 30.06 is an excellent hunting round. And finally the 30.06 is considered a hunting round now where as a .308 is not as it is considered a assault round. Something to consider.
My Granpa was in WWII as well.
I have his 30-06 enfiield
Very lovely story
Love the story friend.
Huh... why didn't the girls get to participate?
Its like asking if my hammer from 1906 will still drive nails today.
And it will most likely do it better than most Harbour Freight made in china junk on sale today.
Nice comparison
@@PrinceAlhorian amen brother
Not exactly; powder and especially bullet tech has improved dramatically in 100 years.
@@CorePathway yes but all the things it kill then it will still kill now.
Something that is never mentioned about the 30-06 is almost every country store, general store will carry the rounds. Not so for some of the other cartridge.
That was always one of my Dad’s sales pitches for the Aught 6. In Oregon we could always find if needed. (Not counting the last year). Also as he said, one of the most versatile bullet weight range as mentioned in this video
My dad always said this, too
Is the 300 win mag as readily available? I’m okay with the price difference, but am hesitant due to the ammo-pocalypse of the past couple years in buying my first all around hunting rifle in either of these two calibers.
30-30 use to be that way too.
The makers of the oll 06 where ahead of their time.
Truly an amazing cartridge, and I believe will continue to shine for many more decades to come.
LOL. Even if the '06 is not as versatile, I love it because it's about as American as it gets. When you say "30-06", you see red, white, and blue just like ".45acp". :)
I get the same feel from 30-30 Winchester and .44 Remington Magnum. America!
30-30 and 30-06 are the American standards for growing up shooting and developing marksmanship skills
@@OldSchoolParatrooper I would add 308 Winchester to that list too.
There are a bunch of hunters who use 308 for deer and hog.
@@FinalLugiaGuardian 308 if born after 1995.
I love my 308s. I have them in AR and bolt. I taught my daughters to shoot 308s.
I was born in the 70s though and in my era it was 30-30 and 30-06..... with the errant kid who shot 270 because their dad was a ballistics nerd
@Bobby Henderson No 30.06 sadly. But I did buy a 9mm pistol in 2020. What does that make me?
Lived in Alaska 37 years, shot maybe 60 big games animals with many different calibers. 30-06 became my go to favorite...
Hunters often point out that Alaska F&G lists the .30-'06 as their recommended big game cartridge. Not "minimum", but "recommended". Never felt the need to go magnum.
@@jimpeschke3435 Winchester model 70 30-06 is the official rifle of Alaska..
@@johnganshow5536 my dad passed me down one that my late grandfather hunted with and so did my dad. Beautiful, practical rifles that I look forward to pass on to my kids
I still live in Alaska...as a handloaded a big advantage is the wide variety of bullets that can be loaded in the 06....220gr partition for calling moose up close, 130 gr for long range shots at sheep and caribou.
@@RetrieverTrainingAlone I shot a B&C Caribou up at Swede lake near Paxon ( where I would see 5 Grizzlies every day ) 480 lasered yards, 180 grain failsafe 30-06 round through the ribs. Very versitle caliber. Indian valley meats estimated the live weight at 525 pounds...
I inherited my grandmother's Remington 30-06 recently. That gun had been all around the world with her on many hunting expeditions in the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, & Asia. It is now my favorite gun that I own. I even got to use it a few times when I was on hunting trips with grandma. It is such an amazingly powerful & well rounded caliber. I hope to pass it on to my grandchild one day.
I would feel 100% comfortable walking all over AK with The REM700 '06 with 200 grain Nosler Partition Handloads.
My uncle has some kinda knack encountering Big moose....
So I loaded Nosler 200gr for his '06 to see how these bullets perform. One headshot from 75 yards to dispatch it impressed me!
How much do you want for the rifle?
There's a reason why it's been around for 115 years. If you show up any guides camp with a 30-06 for any big game animal in North America, they won't be disappointed.
You can have one good bolt action in .30'06 and train with a buttload of various loads
OR
buy a "specialized" and "specific" rifle and ammo for each and every intended application and train with a buttload of various loads/calibers.
Your choice!
.45-1870 with smokeless works better in every single case you might use .30-1906 in a real task. The .277/.280 are superior. support of the .30-1906 is by the same kind of stupidity that thinks .30 carbine is a weak useless round. No, .270 is NOT a necked-down .30-1906, it is an independently derived ammunition from the .280/8mm which came from the .30-1903 that was based on a neat Chinese round (since all the work was done) which was effectively invented by Japan.
We're literally going back up to the .270 for battle rifles because the whole 5.56 thing has been shit for 60 years. 5.56 and .223 are sad jokes without a punchline compared to both the .277 and 7.62x54 .270 is designed for 65kpsi and the neck-down is a finer taper than the shoulder on the .30-1906. So not only does the .277 have a higher velocity and better penetration characteristics, its more effective against literally everything and easier to shoot. There's this idiocy around the 7.62 about it's effective range that is just all lies. Steel targets aren't conscripted as enemy soldiers and don't have meat on them. Even in this circumstance the .277 is superior since it will punch a hole in a steel target designed for 7.62.
Funny enough there's no real on-vest difference in their weight, it amounts to about one extra round per 20 in savings with the current standard rounds. The new military round with the ceramoplast casing makes a huge difference.
In most conditions the .277 will do literally everything the 7.62 will do with the exception of operate an early 20th century belt fed machinegun.
The real argument is why the hell everybody went with 5.56 when the .280 British is the superior combat load.
@@prjndigo WOW! REALLY?!?!
.45-1870?
.30-1906?
you just screwed the pooch on your entire diatribe.
Let me help you out
it's the .45-70 NOT the .45-1870!
".45" is the caliber
"-70" is the weight of the black powder charge in grains.
The dash ( - ) is used to separate the caliber and the charge weight.
and
It's the .30'06 NOT .30-1906
".30" is the caliber
"'06" is the year the design was finalized.
The apostrophe ( ' ) is used to abbreviate the year.
as for the rest of what you said, . . .
you simply missed the boat on the intent of the entire video. There are MANY cartridges that are better performing "ballistically"! That is NOT what is being discussed here. The subject at hand is - Does the .30'06 perform "well enough" with a variety of different loads to be useful in many different situations?
and the simple answer is a resounding "YES"!
It was always a versatile round.
With the passage of time it has actually become MORE versatile due to modern bullets and powders.
You can do a lot with a single well made .30'06. Probably more than any other rifle cartridge.
@@scotte2815 I enjoy having both options, Fact is you truly never know what ammo is going to be available, and in bulk or reloading components.
Lot numbers matter.
🍻
@@prjndigo One more thing you're forgetting, from a small village in Northern Alaska to the tip of South America you can buy 30-06 ammunition. Those other cartridges, good luck on finding them!
I'm a younger guy & was never really interested in 30-06.
My Grandpa gave me an old Remmington 30-06 a couple years ago & I slowly fell in love with the old round.
It really can do so much.
Welcome to the party, Ryan.
use with brain tho.. before you knock a deer flat from 5-600 yards out, think about where it is and how you're going to get the carcass outta there afterwards! two hills and gullies with tons of underbrush? please don't take the shot. 30-06 is a really great round, but sometmes just because you CAN doesn't mean you should
Gramps was a smart guy! Enjoy that legacy & round. He'd want you to.
@@bryguydoublebarrel8418 Thankfully, I still get to enjoy it with him.
He dosen't get to go out as much as he used to, but we still get to take some short trips together.
@@pewpewTN atta boy..keep doin that! My gramps is watchin from above & my dad can't do it anymore but we got A LOT good memories to talk about. Shoot straight bro!
Great video. In my younger days, I opted for the .300 Win Mag. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the recoil was brutal. As time went on, I actually dreaded shooting the .300 Win Mag. Enter the .30-06. Wow, what a difference !! The 30.06 has has about half of the felt recoil of the .300 Win Mag, but with the loss of only a couple hundred FPS velocity. Now, I shoot the .30-06 all day long with no worries.
300 win mag doesn't kick that much and mine is light
As for "doesn't kick that much" it depends, of course, on how one loads it, and to some extent on the stock design as well. It absolutely kicks more than the 06.
Recoil isn't given enough weight by most people, probably in an attempt to "man up" and not admit to not liking getting the crap knocked out of you when you touch one off. I'll shoot what I need to, but if I don't NEED to get the crap beat out of me, why do it?
I agree. I don't see anything in North America that I'd need anything more than a 30-06 for. To Ron's point about dangerous game, well if I WERE going to Africa, the 06 might do the job but I'd want a PH backing me up who was carrying some real artillery in that case. But otherwise? And how many of us are actually going to Africa and shooting cape buffalo anyway?
Trapper John, Ever try that 110 bullet on a coyote? Being heavier construction that 22 centerfire bullets, I wonder how "fur friendly" it would be? I hunt and trap for the fur.
@@MuskratOutdoors Never tried it on a coyote. Hunted woodchucks out to about 150yds. It tears them up quite a bit.
@@trapperjohn2462 MThe 300 Win Mag IS brutal, but may I suggest you give the 9.3x62 a go? I never knew about it until one was bequeathed to me. It may have a little bit more recoil than the 06 (but I've not noticed any difference), but in power, it rates about 70% of what a max velocity 375HH achieves. It is so effective that 1-shot kills on Cape Buff with the 286gr RNSN is common. In a 1-shot kill on a cape buff, my Woodleigh 286gr, went from the right front shoulder through to the left hind rib - that's +40" of straight line penetration!! Read what John Taylor says about the 9.3x62 - you'll be hooked!! 👍
The .30-06 is an iconic war horse that'll never die, it's too versatile.
The fact that it's popular in Europe is testimony enough. I asked the Kantine owner at Hohenfels, the US Army training center near Regensburg, what he used for deer, and .30-06 was his answer.
Animals haven't got any bigger or tougher than the old days. But the 06 has gotten more deadly with modern bullets an powder. Its going nowhere
@@anthonykaiser974 Ok Anthony. Very good.
@@tonyv8925 9mm is proven.And recently resides in 357mag neighborhood. This is more than proof
@@anthonykaiser974 popular in Europe because a kantine owner used it😂😅😂😅
I could point you to an Outdoor Life article a guy wrote in 2019 that reinforced my love for the 06. Killed my first buck with one in 1970. Killed several deer, both whitetail and muleys, couple of nice bull elk, 2 bull moose and a half dozen black bears. There's always been an 06 in my gun rack for 51 years.
I had a3006 and love d i
Over the years I have never fell for the new cartridge of the month, the 30-06 has always been my favorite all-round hunting cartridge and it has never let me down 👍
New cartridge of the month 😂😂
Thank you Ron for your great review of the 30-06. My first rifle was a Winchester Model 70 in 30-06 but I sold it a few years ago. Recently I sold a Remington 700 in 7mm Rem mag and got another 30-06. There just isn't enough difference in performance to justify the magnum in my opinion. Glad you emphasized the versatility.
You are welcome, Rich. Thanks for watching.
Why did you not compare closer bullet weights? For example 167gr 30-06 to 168 7mm? More comparable and 06 comes out ahead in my book.
My first was the Ranger version of the Model 70 in 30-06. I traded that for a Swedish Mauser and I wish now that I hadn't.
@@jcgardner5852 proper comparison between cartridges is done by sectional density within a group of close calibers, not weight, since SD is more important to performance on critters. Two near identical weight bullets in different calibers will have different BCs, and skew the results incorrectly.
@@anthonykaiser974 I understand what you said but that is not what he was doing. He was looking at sometimes wildly disparate bullets to compare catridges. Still say start with comparison of similar weights then if looking at penetration SD can help. But truth is most will penetrate more than sufficiently for game so putting bullet in right place is most important
I'm old school the 30-06 is old school we both preform above average, and still versatile as hell.
Morning Don. We still gets um on the "grit" them young uns.
Regards UK
Old School?I hear yea babe. Me too
I love both 6.5 Χ55 Χ 55 and 7mm Mauser. Both superior to 30 06 ballistically speaking and beyond sentimentality
We stay strong with our old school ways.
Enjoy the great outdoors while we still can.
@@charlyromeo7926 How are those supperior? By my experience and pretty much the rest of the world's a 180 grain 30-06 will kill better than both the ones you mention and do it with pretty much the same trajectory and wind deflection carrying a larger heavier bullet.
You can't "preform" well enough to spell "perform" correctly
7x57 is still a great hunting cartridge btw. id love to have one. but what i got are 2x 30.06 and a .270 . i love them
First rifle I ever carried was an 8mm Mauser (got my first deer with it; open sights) and then went with the 30'06 and have been using it for 40 years. It's the perfect cartridge for me.
Bocconom: REMEMBER when you could buy surplus 8mm Mausers from InterArmoCo in Virginia, for about $20 - and they delivered it directly to your home via UPS ? And surplus ammo at $5.00/box of 100 ?
@@marytica123 I never bought 8mm surplus ammo as Remington manufactured plenty right up through the 1980's and I never even knew about InterArmoCo but boy do I now wish I did!
@@bocconom Check out "Interarmco" on Wikipedia. The story of the company and its founder is amazing !
#metoo
My first rifle was an 8 mm Mauser made in France (I do not recall name of manufacturer). I traded it in at the local pawn store for a Remington pump-action 30-06. I only got $40 in the trade for the 8mm
@@lockednloaded7830 How long ago?
.30-06 is easily my favorite rifle cartridge, I've probably shot over 24,000 rounds of it and I love it as much as I did the first time
M1919 browning?
@@Quyana16 a few 03s, and my Garand. It was really the only gun I shot as a teenager until my mid 20s
The 30-06 has been and always will be the measuring stick of the shooting world. Even in modern commercial cartridge development, everything is compared to what it will and will not do in comparison to the 30-06.
Shot with my 30-06 since I was a little girl. I love this round and I've shot it with all kinds of rounds. I have a Rem. mod. 721 and it shoots 180gr best and a Win. mod. 70 that shoots 150gr best. Love shooting them both.
@william bush that's the Remington model 700, not the Winchester model 70
You are a awesome lady Crystal.
@@eac1235 Just me EAC 123. Just a run of the mill lady but thank you for the compliment.
@william bush Was there a recall? I never any issues with mine.
There are much better cartridges today babe.
Ought 6 will never be obsolete. It’s the Chhck Norris of rifle cartridges
Loving these videos. Would like to see some on modern muzzleloaders powder/primer/bullet selection. Also, 32 Winchester Special... it’s a favorite of mine.
We'll see if we can get to some of those. Thanks Gary.
30-06 and 32 special is what my brother and I grew up hunting with. Both work well hunting eastern whitetail but the versatility of the -06 makes it a pretty special cartridge in my opinion. Between moose coyote and deer I've never been disappointed with the -06
@william bush the 327 magnum would make a great sidearm caliber and it's fantastic henry is offering a carbine chambered in that caliber. But in the context of the rifle cartridges discussed here it's really not in the same conversation. I personally would not consider 327 mag in a carbine sufficient for big game hunting applications due to velocity/energy/drop/drift. we shouldn't introduce the possibility of someone being confused and thinking it could be used in place of 32 special or 30-06 for applications that require more energy such as big game hunting
LMFAO The Chuck Norris of cartridges ! Too cool. Ron made another great video for us enthusiasts ! A few years back Magpul came out with IMO the Chuck Norris of stocks, the Hunter 700 . Simply add the two and , presto !
Hello Ron. Hey, another great video. The 30-06 gets it done in lots of ways. I only have one 30-06, it's one of my favorite rifles. I never feel under or over gunned when I'm using it. Thanks again for your time making these videos.
How many 06s does one man need?
Always just one more
The 30-06 is a great round. Carlos hathcock shot a n.v.a high command in the chest about 800 yards with it.
Yep, with a Model 70 Winchester.
Wow 800 yrds? So the round and the 70win accomplished that. Not Hathcock.😮😮😮😮😮
@@charlyromeo7926 you can't be that dum
@@JohnDoe-mt8rf Naaaaah I can assure you At least not the last time I looked my self in the mirror babe. Seems to me you tend to glorify medals much more than the MAN behind than Nothing uncommon among us humans and Carlos used whatever was available to him to him at that time and place including that very mediocre by the todays standards Redfield scope that he paid out of his pocket in a sporting goods store in the states and had a buddy ship it to him In Saigon during the pick of that popular and exiting war . That's all.
@@JohnDoe-mt8rf one more thing You mean Dumb. What is dum?
The 30-06 is half about shooting a little faster than the 308 and a little slower than a 300 Win Mag.
And half about letting people know you believe in the Good 'Ol Days.
And knowing is half the battle.
Let's quit attempting to compare the .308 Win.to the .30-06 and look up the ballistics of a .30 cal, 130 gr. SP traveling @ 3200 fps. !
@Craig Bauer Reloading advice from someone with Simpson hands
@Craig Bauer Post the chrono result in a video.
@Craig Bauer You've finally said something that makes perfect sense
When I was 17 I bought my first high-powered centrefire - a Ruger M77 in .30/06 - and I've NEVER regretted the choice. In the intervening 35yrs, I've taken camels, blue wildebeeste and kudu downwards at ranges up to 300m without fuss. I've even shot sharks with it But BEST of all, my daughter now uses it on NT buffalo with no trouble at all 😊👍
After a lot of research, I made the same choice. That Hawkeye is my go-to for many hunts.
1964 BDL for about $110.00, Weaver 4xscope and sling. Moose, caribou, black and brown bear, Dall sheep, Mtn. goat, bison, Musk Ox, Cape buffalo...not much you can’t hunt with this one.
@@jessiewinegeart3898 What calibre is your rifle? I've taken all my cape buff and hippo with my 458 Win Mag (I was also requested by the President of Zambia to drop him a hippo and a few warthog). I've also got an FN9.3x62 bolt action that I've taken Cape Buff and a few of the larger plains game with. But as for my .30/06 I'm just a proud Dad to now see it comfortably slung on my daughter's shoulder. 😊👍
I trained in the Navy in the Mid 1960's with the M1 Garand and the 30-06. Loved that gun.
Thank you Ron for a great presentation on the 30-06. This is the round that I grew up with in the 1960’s. I moved away to shoot more exotic and modern caliber’s for many years. I found that I have never lost my love and fondness for this round, I have also moved back to shooting in again. This round has never failed me.
Thanks Mark. Like many of us, welcome back to the old -06.
I even had some 55 Grain Sabot Accelerators in 30-06 as well. They were screaming. These days, I have specific rifles for specific purposes, but if you had to just use one rifle, the 06 is a strong contender.
55 grain sabot?!!😲😲😲
Were you shooting at prairie dogs in South Dakota from your bench in Kansas?!!! Freakin amazing!
@@lancemiller9110 I vaporized a ring necked pheasant in Wyoming with an Accelerator. oops.
I used to have a Savage model 110 30-06, the versatility of that particular round is one of the main reasons that I bought that rifle in the first place. Although I mostly hunted deer with it. I used to shoot at the range for accuracy and sighting in and for my money it's hard to beat that rifle in that caliber. I used to get Superior accuracy even with the most inexpensive box ammunition off the shelf.
Collected and shot numerous cartridges all my life, 338 Win Mag, 300 Win Mag, 300 Wea Mag, 7mm Wea Mag, 270 Wea Mag, 257 Wea Mag, 270 Win, 243 Win, and 6 mm Rem. They are all gone now, only 3006s and 308s remain in the safe.
Same here but it’s aught 6 and 7x57 for me
Ron is one of the most knowledgeable on ammo and guns, very impressive.
👍⚔👍
He certainly is
A shooter did the 1,200 and 1,500 yd milk jug challenge a few years back with a 30-06 Rem and got them both. Keep doing your thing Ron.
30-06 Rem?
@@Cloudstrife112233 Remington
I have found the .30-06 cartridge to be both a blessing and a curse, at least for a practical, frugal fellow. Sure, it covers most of the bases for a hunting cartridge (the blessing), which appeals to my practical, frugal nature, but it also obviates the necessity of other cartridges in the stable (the curse). (Remember, we're talking about me and my predilection towards the practical, and penchant towards cheapness...errr, I mean frugality; YMMV.) When I see new cartridges pop onto the shooting scene, I think to myself, "Hey, that might be cool to try.", then I compare it to my real-world needs that the ol' '06 already covers and, blam!, I find it nearly impossible to justify purchasing. Not that I am completely immune to the siren call of new cartridges, for I bought a 6.5CM 'bout three years ago and, while it was a very accurate round, I just didn't warm up to it, so I sold the Tikka it was chambered in.
BTW, my 20-year-old son has expressed interest in hunting and I am going to encourage him to go with, you guessed it, the venerable .30-06. May the curse continue to the next generation.
Awesome round. The 30/06 and the 30-30 don't get enough respect.
Yep
!
!
Imagine the amount of game taken with those two rounds. You have to have those two as well as a 10/22 and a 12 gauge pump to be a proper American
30'06 is an incredible versatile cartridge.
My Uncle and I had this very conversation 3 days ago. Out to 300 yards the '06 will do all, we also settled on 300 yard max, where we hunt it's all we need. Nice video Ron, nothing wrong with a proven oldie but goodie.
Today's factory load and handloader options take the '06 to new levels of performance and versatility. I've loaded 20 or more rifle cartridges for myself and friends over the last 3+ decades, including most of the belted magnums. The most recent rifle I purchased last year . . . .30-06 - not your grandpa's '06 - by a long shot!
I’ve had my ‘06 for 50+ years. It’s still my favorite rifle for hunting.
Great video Ron. The 30-06 may not always be the very best choice for every animal, but it is the single best all around cartridge we have. That won't change either.
Thanks 404.
You mean you have.
eh. its never the best choice for an animal. lets be real is way more than any white tail or mule deer needs, and as far as an all a rounder... still no. its not a great long range choice, while not giving that punch that really starts with the .338 win mag or even the .338-06. so it will cost you the same shots on elk/moose as a .25-06, .264, .280/AI, or even a .270, but also cost you long range shots that the previously mention rounds will not. and if you really like to reach out and touch the larger deer, that .338 win mag with high bc bullets is up for it. further, even with heavy for caliber bullets, the 06 isnt a great brush round either. its the middle child, it cant do what the big boys do, and its worse than its little siblings at everything else.
but what is still even more versatile.. .375 HH. they they make light for caliber low charge bullets just for white tail sized game, and it will smoke an elephant, cape buffalo, or alaskan brown bear.
@@hotramen5952 Wrong.
@@404nitro wow sorry my facts hurt your feelings.
I’ve never owned a rifle in 30-06 because back in my day everybody and their brother carried one. I wanted something a little different so I went with the 7mm REM Mag Which is still my favorite round to this day.
The 7mm mag out preforms the 30-06, especially at long range. The 7mm is a very flat shooting cartridge. I think the recoil is mostly comparable but the mag has a little more IMHO.
Anyone remember the old "accelerator" ammo? It was a .224 bullet in a sabot. They loaded it for the 30's. 30-30, .308 win, and 30-06. Very fast.
I think I have heard that the sabot rounds are inaccurate. I would like to see some more research and development into that idea. It would be nice to have sabot bullets to reload in one rifle for super fast loads that are also as accurate.
ua-cam.com/video/dUjUq9U_EsQ/v-deo.html
@@bensears7499 I used those accelerator rounds long ago, and my experience was not that they were inaccurate. They shot about as well in most rifles as the regular 150-grain bullets did at 100 yards, which is what the factory said they would do. The problem is most medium-bore hunting rifles, especially of 1940's - 1970's vintage, weren't really accurate enough for varmint shooting. Add in a light but not terribly aerodynamic bullet with a rather blunt soft lead tip, it lost velocity fast and got pushed around by the wind at longer ranges.
@@bensears7499 Sabot rounds in a rifle? That sounds cool. I thought that sabot rounds were a thing in tanks only..
@@dc4457 Maybe with new bullet designs and computer modeling we could come up with some excellent rounds. Stabilizing a heavier spear shaped .224 would be interesting. Maybe barnes bullets.
I know it will stop a elaphant..or any of the five in Africa... Good job Ron Spooner. We appreciate your talent and your love for the outdoors...
Thanks Jerry.
And that is the type of comment that either gets hunters killed here in Africa or results in wounded animals. Except for Lion and Leopard, American dangerous game and African dangerous game are not comparable. American dangerous game species are not megafauna. There is a very big difference between 'can' shoot an elephant or brain shoot a hippo from a platform under ideal circumstances while backed up with a PH armed with a 458 lott or 500 Gibbs and standing on your own trying to stop a charging charging 1700kg hippo or a 6000kg bull elephant with a 3006. The decision for the 375H&Hmag or 9.3x62mm to be classed as the minimum size cartridge in Africa for dangerous game was not made by inexperienced, uneducated or unqualified people. The 3006 is an exceptional all round rifle and together with the 338 win mag is probably the best choice for the majority of hunters here in South Africa where firearm laws restrict ownership to a single rifle unless you belong to hunting associations and go through the annual schlep of getting and maintaining a dedicated hunter status.
@@fudgepie1 Very knowledgeable comment. Of course, they'll reiterate the old Bell tales. What they forget to realize is that tightwad used those smaller calibers due to availability, dependability and cost. When you can shoot elephants that don't run as soon as they catch your scent is also a factor. No disrespect to Mr. Bell, but I've lived long enough to not believe every single thing someone says unless I'm present to witness.
@@fudgepie1 seeing as how this is a discussion about the versatility of a particular cartridge and not the legalities of hunting in Africa, Ron's not wrong. The fact of the matter is the .30-06' has killed every dangerous game animal on the planet, while charging, one shot stop. The men that did it were steely-eyed, brass-balled, ice-cold bastards, and probably a little foolhearty, but it still happened. The answer to Ron's question here, is a hearty YES, it is as versatile as they say and maybe more so. COULD I face a charging Rhino with only my XL7? Yes. SHOULD I? Probably not. Big difference. Don't conflate capabilities with sensibilities; I do value your opinion, but please curb your "this is what gets people killed" rhetoric.
Bell used the 7mm,but hunted from raised stands called machans or from the backs of elephants, enabling him to make earhole shots.
I have always thought the 30/06 was the most versatile round going
And a little thing I’ve read is that it was so impressive they used IT to base the 50BMG on , and they are very similar it trajectory
Thanks for the vid
the .222 is based on it as well I believe, if you look at all 3 they look the same just different scale
If you know someone who misses or makes a lot of bad shots ask them where the crosshairs were when their rifle fired. They probably won't know because they are closing their eyes and flinching.
You got that right, Victor. Dry fire practice and call your shots.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors That in itself would be an excellent video, Ron - "Calling your shots". Commiting to the shot while calmly applying the fundamentals in that moment that makes or breaks a hunt. Getn over the buck fever, ethically taking game.
That's why I use a 22-250 for deer. Next to no recoil and it absolutely smokes them. 1600 ft lbs of energy is nothing to sneeze at in any caliber.
@@ikesquirrel I favor 7x57, myself. I keep on target with no flinch at all and in a 98 Mauser action, it can be pushed to its full potential, which is considerable.
@@ikesquirrel.243 here. Ain't no shame. I put them exactly where they need to go.
i love the 30-06! i handload, my 150 gr does 3050 fps out of the muzzle....168 gr clocks in around 2910 fps. that some fast, flat shooting, hard hitting rounds! my son hunts with the same 30-06 i do... weatherby vangaurd deluxe. he loves that rifle/cartridge combo too! i'm a fan of Hornady. they make great ammo, and projectiles.... and i know if i find myself in a tuff spot where my handloads went missing, i can find Hornady ammo almost anywhere.
Marketing is what is pushing it aside. Not performance. Out with the old, in with the new stuff you got to spend more for.
Great review. Excellent cartridge 👍
Col. Townsend Whelen said, "The .30-'06 is never a mistake."
I would also say the same for the 7.92x57mmMauser, when loaded to its full potential, and it's been around 18 years longer than the .30-'06.
My very first hunting rifle 8mm back in 1987,still have it 😀today still love it
Combine the two to 7.9-06'
Hell of a wildcat
Yep 8 mm mauser is awesome to
@@MrRourk (7.92) 8x63 is a true statement of that later wildcat
You're right about the 8mm Mauser but American factory loads are about equal to the Winchester 32 special. Back in the 60s and early 70s Norma had full power loads with 170 grain bullets that were very good, but I don't know what ever happened to them.
Yes sir, 30-06 is a great round, that and .308 are my go to rounds!
Love it in the M1 Garand and in the bolts rigs too!
Great video I love my 30 06 with 180 grain partition it can tackle just about any large game. The 200 grain is also a favorite super hard hitting out to 300 yards.
My favorite cartridge 30-06 👌
All other cartridges are compared to the 30--06. And if I had one gun, it would be an 06.
Same. It was always my favorite rifle.
It was my first big game rifle.....I still have it.
Amen!!
My first gun I got was a 30.06. It's a light weight hunting rifle, great for hiking or walking while hunting... though it has quite the kick to it
I have one very easy to load and very accurate. you can build loads to do almost anything with current components - I build a woods round for short range using the 160 gr .30-30 ftx from Hornady loaded to about 2500 fps. doesn't go thru the far side of a whitetail and continue on for two miles if the deer is close, and vet limited meat damage as well as reduced muzzle blast and recoil. the -06 loadsdown pretty well - I make a few varmint loads using 110 grain vARMINTER BULLETS AND FAST POWDERS FOR CLOSE RANGE VARMINTING. i'VE HAD GOOD LUCK WITH tRAIL BOSS AND imr4227 ALTHOUGH THE TRAIL BOSS LOADS ARE MUCH CLEANER BURNING - TYPICALLY ABOUT 1 moa LOADS FOR SMALL GAME AND BIG VARMINTS. ANDIT DOESN't KNOCK MY HAT OFF WHEN i SHOOT LIKE SOME OF THE MAGNUMS.
fOR HUNTING nORTH AMERICAN GAME - IF IT'S TOO FAR FOR A .30-06 ITS PROBABLY FARTHER THAN YOU SHOULD BE SHOOTING. AS A varminter some animals are tough like badgers - a 130 gr pill will stop them no question. Most bullet shoot well from my -06 the bullet companies have had several decades to perfect those .30 cal bullets.
My late father stated it was the best all around rifle for me starting out. If I was out hunting and my ammo fell out of the canoe I could always find more at any store. He shot a Browning BAR 7mm mag. Good show Ron
I have hunted with a 30-06 springfield for 27 years and will continue to use it. I have taken whitetail deer with 125 grain through it 220 grain bullets. All weights have worked great. My personal favorite bullet weight is 180 grain for deer, it really hammers them. Thanks for sharing this video 👍
I prefer the 165s, I've not had a deer move more than a foot after the shot
I love my 30-06. I have smaller, bigger, faster, heavier bullets, flatter trajectory, yada, yada, rifle/cartridge combinations. But, I pick up my '06 more than any other. 150's for whitetail, 165's for mule deer and similar size game and 180's for elk, moose, small/medium bears, etc. It covers a wide selection of medium and even large North American game animals.
I use a 30-06 (Remington 742 auto and 7600 pump) @ 165gn core lokt for MOOSE , BLACK BEAR , CARIBOU and SEAL here in Newfoundland ... I use to shoot the 180’s but found I suffered accuracy beyond 400 yards .. I have shot 150’s but I found they weren’t doing a proper job long range .. personally I find the 165 a perfect all around bullet for my hunts.
@@SydeWynder69 How would you compare it to 308 ?
In the north as my ancestors Inuit, know that 30-06 can kill a fully grown whale or very large polar bear in one shot.
30-06 is super underrated bullet. In ww2 30-06 was known to rip off arms and legs in one shot, human body is no way can compared to fully grown elephant or whale bullet killer.
@@someguyfromarcticfreezer6854 The NZ Veterinary Service uses Woodleigh Hydrostatic bullets to euthanase beached whales. Now that's effective straight line penetration!! 👍
@@dimmacommunication The '06 does better in every department over the 308.
Well done again Ron only thing to add is in a standard bolt action the magazine will hold 1 more round. I have reloaded for the 30-06 but never owned one but my Brother and Father hunt with them and from watching them it’s not lacking. If anything it’s getting better with the newer powders.
Thanks for bringing up the extra round in magazine of skinnier cartridges. I rarely think about that.
I couldn't agree more Ron.
I tell peope all the time a 06 is the way to go and when they say there Lapu, mag this,, magnum that will out shoot a 06 , when I prove them wrong by out shooting them, there flabergasted !
I can't tell you how many 03 Springfield action sporting and target rifles both I've built over the years and other than the mauser action that's just about all I use.
I built my first in 1966 with the help of my pa when I was 16 and only have 2 recievers left to work with, but I have 6-7 each of Springfields and Mausers already in about every configuration you can think of.
Sadly those both are getting hard to find nowadays in good condition so I'm arfraid many folks won't ever have the oppertunity to try building one , not that all that many people are building much other than AR15's now anyways. It's a dying art I'm afraid.
I'm a pretty huge fan of the 6.5X55 Sweed and 7X57 mm Mauser too and have probibly built as many of those as well and the more " Plastic Fantastics " I see come out, the more & more I like my old school wood and steel and I can STILL out shoot most of them with my 100 year old relics of a bygone era ,,,,,,,
You nailed it. I'll put my "old fashioned, overweight" -06 with plenty of seasons behind the scope against anyone buying the latest "nearly weightless, lunar lander grade synthetic stocked, .015 caliber particle accelerator." My first exposure to competition was shooting an old CMP Garand High Power match. The magic lies within the Wizard, not the wand. My buddy carries a 1903 every year to Bear camp. Funny how at the range he can put all his rounds into a pie plate, while the fellas with the various .300 magnums are satisfied to keep their shots on the 4x8 sheet of plywood their target is stapled too.
Picked up my first 30-06 a few years ago in a remington 760. I absolutely love it. Just picked up a 7600 in 30-06 that I'm considering converting into a carbine. And leaving the older classic for longer range. What a great round. Excellent video!
I've had a 760 for around 40 years now. It was made in 1953. The year they were released. STILL shoots well.×
I gave $200 for it when I got it.
@HeirloomGameCalls man, times have changed! Haha. I considered myself lucky on both of mine. My 760 w/ basket weave detail, I got for about $600, same for the 7600 in nearly unfired condition. But that one is all synthetic furniture. Nowhere near as nice. They just keep going up. Not uncommon to see similar condition go for 1300-1600. But man, I love them. Going to break in the 7600 this fall for hunting. I hunt the thick woods a lot so, it's perfect.
@@claytonkeates2614 my OLD 760 has a lowlow serial number (Less than 7000). It shows it age though. No basket weave, just the straight lines in the forearm and a hard rubber butt plate. It has quite a few "Character" dents and dings from before I got it. Probably from riding around in a truck or on a horse. No telling. Sometimes wish that "Ol' 760" could talk.
I've enjoyed my Remington 7400 30-06 for decades. I think rifles like the 6.5 Creedmore are interesting and if I was just getting into buying my first rifle I'd consider it. But my 30-06 does everything I want it to do and is capable of much more. And all that versatility is why I'll probably never change over to something else.
I hunt with 180 sierra gamekings flying at 2800 fps gives 4 moa drop at 300 meters exactly a very good all-rounder from limpopo bushveld to the opem country in the karoo
Hell Yeah! You definitely understand. I'm running 185 VLDs out of a 28" 1:10 barrel at right around 2940 FPS.
@@satcong7481 very nice a 30.06 is touching at the feet of a 300 but withou all that recoil and meat damage
Very educational video on the 30.06. It is interesting that this round is the standard by which all of the
other rounds are compared to. Wtih the wide selection of grain bullets for the 30.06 - it makes a
great choise for an all around hunting rifle. Thank you this information.
I would certainly put the .30-06 in the top 3 or 4 most practical/useful forms of ammunition ever developed.
I was raised by my Grandma and I knew what ought meant and I called our refrigerator was the Ice Box.
Looking at this while laying down on my davenport.
@@ryanwalker3509 I can see one of those across the room from my Chaise-lounge
@william bush Looking at today's kids, maybe they should bring those back.
@ Mark Smith . Bring the old refrigerator back & lock the parents of the kids in it , it is their fault the kids are like they are !
ICE BOX....................HAHAH........IT'S STILL CALLED THE ICE BOX IN MY FAMILY!! SOMETIMES IT'S CALLED THE !#$#$%%$^& ---> ICE BOX!!
Great video Ron.Ive owned a '06 for forty years now,a Ruger M77.Needless to say,it's my favorite rifle,others have come and gone,but I'll keep that one for as long as I'm alive.I chose the '06 after having a .243 stolen from my house and used the insurance money to buy my next rifle.I was young and didn't know if I would be able to buy a lot of guns,but had aspirations of hunting the big game fields of the world,especially here in the states.I wanted a rifle that would handle any game,and that I could find ammo just about everywhere,so after much study and thought,I decided on the '06. I have really come to love both the 165 and 200 gr. Nosler partition bullets.The 165 for everything up to deer size and slightly larger and the 200 for elk and up.I don't like shooting long range and I'm not very good at it,so up to 250 yards is good for me,and I've never found the round wanting. Keep up the great work,enjoy your vids.
Got my M77 30-06 back in 1986, still driving nails with it. Then got a M77 243 when I was in the Army. Someone did a five finger discount from the arms room at Ft Riley. I can remember reading the report, then sending my write up of the report to the Forscom and Post commander. They did not know that I was the top student in my armorer's course, along with having a few III corp inspections with no deficiencies that got me two metals since that was so out of the norm. Even a III corp coin for running the supply. Then the Unit before I was the Physical security NCO for the entire battalion. Then included a letter prior to the weapons disappearance Listing what was being done wrong for the security of POW's in the arms room. I was a little mad on my last day in the army picking up an empty case.
my dad loved the 30-06. He had a Springfeild rife, I bought one at a gun show I love it too.
I know I absolutely love mine. I just love how versatile the round is.
Your a class act Ron, my dad had a 30-06 and it makes sense now that I know how versatile it is. Thanks for a great video.
Thanks 👍
I love my 30-06. It copes with anything we have in the UK from occasional opportunistic fox right through to the biggest red stags. With a nosier accubond bullet I don’t get too much damage on the more diminutive roe deer either. Should I get a chance in a wild boar I’m sure it will do a great job too.
@Meg Dye: Should you get a chance in a wild boar, I can assure you that your .30-'06 will indeed do a great job. In the wayback when, I used to be a licensed guide in California, and guided wild boar hunters in that state's Central Coast region. I witnessed many a boar fall to well-placed shots from the .30-'06.
There's more 30-06 ammo on that table than anywhere east of the Mississippi right now.
...or West 🥺
I have lot of '06 loaded, and still have plenty of powder, primer, cases and bullets if I need to load more.
@william bush Somewhere in ukraine probably
In what house.
😂💯
I love '06 because it has a lot of uses. When I pair it with my 300AAC, it makes even more sense. I reload, and I can share several of the different bullet types and weights between both.
No matter the cost of patent infringement it was well worth it
30-06 in the model 70 is a killing machine
I have two Model 70s, both in .30-06. One is the Manlicher style stock with a 19 in barrel. Love them both.
Awesome video. Lots of fun watching it. This is one of these that makes me rethink what I’ve chosen for rifle from mice to moose and even target shooting.
By the way for anybody out there considering joining Patreon you should do it for Ron’s channel. He actually will answer your questions that you ask as he has answered a bunch of my random questions.
.30-06 is the most popular caliber for hunting wild boar here in Portugal. Another great video. Thanks.
If i were to hunt deer size game on up, 30-06... if i were to hunt deer size game on down to varmints, i'd probably go 270 or the .25-06, or a short action cartridge like 7mm-08 or .243. 30-06 is still a pretty great cartridge that's definitely not going anywhere anytime soon.
I love my 7mm08, with 120 grain Nosler, extremely precise. Dimes at 100 yards. I also handload and built a round to do this.
That said I still love my 06, 150 to 180 grains is the sweet spot, many deer and elk. Be gracious.
My dad carried a BAR in the Korean War. He got a .30-06 after the army to hunt with. Many times he said .30-06 has killed every animal on the North American Content. He taught me the ballistics of the round. I have the rifle now as he has past. It has never failed in a kill.
SIR !! IF THERE IS A TARGET RANGE IN HEAVEN , YOUR DAD IS HAVING FUN!! SIR!!..............SAM 101AB.
I believe it has taken every game animal in the world.
I should say, every KIND of game animal in the world.
Another quality video of caliber wisdom from Ron Spoomer. I have two .30-06 rifles. Amazing caliber. I swear by it.
I have a lot of cartridges and the 30.06 is my favorite. I also love the 30-30 170 grain at around 2400 FPS
How do you get a 30-30 to go that fast?
@@czed7515 look at ballistics. It’s possible from my 94 Winchester
@@czed7515 load 35 grains in a 150 weight round
35 grains of what powder?
Great vidio for great cal. From South Africa. 30 06 can do it all!
I love the 30.06 it's honestly my favorite rifle round. Recoil really isn't that bad if you practice with it. The ability to manage recoil is 100% a learned skill, I'm 5'8" and 120lbs and I can shoot my 30.06 all day if I had the ammo, sitting, standing, prone, doesn't matter, just practice with it and pretty soon you hardly notice the recoil anymore.
Great video Ron. One of your best. From a loader's perspective, that case design just loves so many powders and almost any primer you want to use. The generous SAAMI specs virtually eliminate any COAL issues like you get with the 308 and 300WM. Perfection for a hunting cartridge.
Thanks Ron for the education. I'm brand new to firearms and really appreciate picking up the technical points.
First of all I came from a 06 family. Loved the video. Most versatile round as you said. A Great “starter kit” for a young person is an 06, good pump shotgun and a good .22 rifle. My first 06 was a model 54, back in 1968, got it for my 13th birthday. This year I gave my son my 25 06 and am going back to using my dad’s model 70 that he bought in 50 or 51. (Traded off one of his model 94s. Shooting Blacktails in clear cuts put a strain on the 30 30😜). Why am I going back to the stick in the mud Aught 6?It’s time to put the Ol’ War Horse back to work.
For handloaders, the 30-06 really wakes up with hodgdon superformance powder. My rifle pushes 165s at 2950 and 180s at 2850, without going over book data. They were twisted correctly right from the start to stabilize a huge range of bullets and they have remarkably less recoil than the belted magnums. They got it right all those years ago
Try 180 grains of IMR4380 and Sierra match 168bthp….that what mine loves
@@williamsporing1500 180gr of powder in an 06? You wouldn't even fit 80 in the case. Might want to re check that haha
@@carterthiessen2664 I am sure he is talking about BULLET weight. A 180 grain bullet....not powder amount. That is what most people are referring to when they say that. Did you not say that above already? Why would you think he meant powder? EDIT: I see why you think that. I misread. I am dumb👍
I'm no expert! But I do know one thing about the venerable 30-06! I heard the adults talking about it when I was a kid and I even own one now (traded a kayak for it, long story). My Remington is right out of 1983, complete with Redfield scope. "Ought" you might hear the Brits say "naught", being a military guy, I used the radio with Brits on the other end, and learned that. Other military parlance that refers to Zero are "bingo" in aviation terms, which meant the fuel I have is sufficient to return, in other words, "zero" for any other purposes. I was a crewmember on AC-130 gunships and we used the term "Winchester" for zero ammo remaining. Not sure of the providence of that term. We'd say, "Winchester on 40mm" no more 40 millimeter (or 105, or 25 etc), or just "Winchester" for zero ammo onboard. Great show Mr. Spomer. You have an amazing cartridge collection. Surprising results for the venerable aught six. Might have to dust mine off, maybe update the optic!
Thanks MJA.
C130 gun ship 👍 that had to be awesome 👍 special at night,,,,,,,,,
@@bustersmith5569 probably if you were on the ground! From our vantage point it looked the same day or night, but most of our ops were at night for obvious reasons. 😃💥💨
This is just good information. Thanks Ron. The .30-'06 is a true and fine global all-rounder.
I love your channel great content and you don’t ask your viewers for money! God bless you & Aloha from Oahu🤙
Thanks Platinum. Aloha.
@william bush yes hawaii you can have cool stuff
@william bush yes nothing poisonous and no snakes
Very good advice and remember 308 fans you can do almost the same thing with your set up also it'll take the same projectiles and come very close to the 30-06 in performance.
Yes, and no. Above 180 grains, the .30-06 has a clear advantage. I can load .308 to 2,800 fps with 150 grain bullets safely, but a .30-06 can send the same bullet out of the same length barrel at least 200 fps faster. That is a significant difference. I prefer the .308 because I prefer semi-automatic and short action bolt-action rifles over the longer action bolt-action the .30-06 is well suited to. It is still a powerful, accurate and versatile cartridge that is not going to be obsolescent any time soon, like the .308.
@@taraswertelecki3786 One of the 06's advantages (besides powder capacity) is the fact that you can seat bullets further out and stay within specs.
If you try loading the heavy long range bullets (long nosed ones like 208gr Berger LRHT...) for the 308 without pushing the ogive under the case mouth, you may have to exceed mag length in some platforms. That said, there's no specific weight range at which the 308 suddenly starts to suffer.
Sure, long bullets will intrude on the already limited powder space, but usually you can stay within ~150fps-ish of the 06 with most bullets, including 110 and 220grainers.
That's closer to the 30-06 than the 06 is to any of the 7mm+ magnum cartridges (with significantly less powder and somewhat less recoil on top of that).
Also, there's 150gr factory loads that safely push 3000fps in the 308.
I have the 25/06, the 270 and the 30/06. I love that case. I also have a 7-08 and a 7 mag. My 25/06 is my go to on whitetail.
I added the .30-06 to my collection years ago realizing how versatile this round really is.
It has enough punch to get it way out there 500 to 1000 yards.
Just curious have you used this chambering to target shoot? I know this is a versatile round but I am wondering if the common twist rate works for bullets all the way from the low end to the top end?
The 30/06. Simply perfection
😂🤣😂🤣
@@charlyromeo7926 Price to performance ratio, what cartridge significantly beats the 30-06? Mr. 🤣😂🤣😂
@@Slow13C6GS Yery good babe.
@@charlyromeo7926 30-06 is a legend.The most popular hunting catridge in the world.
@@ciro79A legend alright. Blame Dug out McArthur for that.. There are much more efficient cartridges out there.
With the wonderful array of bullets and powders available today, I say a resounding yes. The only larger game that I hunt today is whitetail. If I had an 06, it would be loaded to approximate 30-30 ballistics. As is, the .223 is plenty at my roughly 50 yard shots. The last five deer taken with my .223 and a 65 grain game king with blc-2 have taken a total of 1 step after the shot. That is good enough for me.
I've loved the old 06
Have taken several game
I liked Hornady light magnum loads that speed velocity 200ft/sec, and footprints 200lbs more than regular loads
I have an early 80's Remington model 700BDL 30-06 that I will keep forever. Beyond the versatility, I always like the 30-06 for the availability of ammo. Growing up in the Deep South, I literally used to see 30-06 sold in lots of gas stations.
My Alaskan daughter in law shot a wild bison last year at 308 yards , it was a 1800 lb bull taken with one shot and an immediate drop.
I have a Remington 742 auto and it’s my rifle of choice with a 180 grain bullet for elk. My dad (rip) had a 760 pump and he took more mule deer and elk than I can count. Excellent video Ron!
It is amazing that it is almost as good as things we have 115 years later. My car is a lot better than a model N Ford.
I was lucky enough to befriend someone fifteen years ago who had four generations worth of guns they no longer wanted, and gifted them to me. Among them was a 1949 production Winchester M70 in 30-06. Doesn't get any more iconic than that.
The bullet versatility aspect is valid. My father took a 30-06 to the Canadian arctic 60+ years ago, using it on everything from waterfowl with 110 grainers to polar bears with 220s. He even helped cull a few woods bison with the Parks service, and didn't feel undergunned.
Grain of salt with the Nosler data - they typically 'get' about 5% more velocity than any other manufacturer. In reality, you're going to read about 95% of their paper speed on the chronograph. The only way you're going to get 2,600 fps with a 220 grain bullet in a 30-06 is with a maximum load of slow burning powder in a 26+ inch barrel. In a 24 inch or shorter barrel, forget it.
Yes, Nosler's manual usually shows highest MVs. Can't decide if they're pushing the envelope or others are playing it extra safe. But I can't imagine they'd recommend unsafe loads.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors Neither. Nosler simply publishes velocities that are highly dubious and contrary to the equivalent data from other sources. My 7mm Remington Magnum load velocity is bang on with Hornady, Speer, Sierra, Lyman, et al, but 100 fps below what Nosler achieves with the same bullet weight and a lighter charge of the same powder, in the same barrel length. Their handgun loads are even more optimistic - they must be using unvented test barrels for the revolver cartridges. Useful and safe data, but taking their velocities as gospel is gonna cause you performance anxiety. Consensus on discussion boards with experienced handloaders is that there's a lot of blue sky in their ballistics.
@@shawnwells5719 I noticed this as well