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30-06 can still get it done

Yea. You have to appreciate the farmers. They were environmentalist's before that word existed. I don't mean the giants, I mean the little guy's and gal's. They are the world's biggest gambler's. They nurture and work the soil, plant their crops and pray for rain. Sometime's they get it, sometime's not and sometime's too much. They work long and hard, worry about what will happen next and still, they keep on going. Knowing that they cannot control nature. We need more of that kind of stamina and courage and faith.
 
A great many local farmers have trouble every year with deer destroying their beans. Especially those near mountains. Our wildlife officers give out permits to those who have this trouble and many come to me to help. I have used many different rifles this year. I try to keep rounds off my custom barrels so every once in a while I bring one of the stock guns to stretch its legs. This evening I broke out a bone stock sako A7 rough tech pro with a leupold vx5 3-15x44. I have shot this rifle on paper out to 1000 with 190 Bergers propelled by RL16 and it does very very well. But the farthest I had ever used it on game was 443 yards. This evening I took 5 does this this rifle between 224 and 721 yards being the longest poke. @ 721 yards my 190 Berger impacted with 1802 FPS and 1370 FT LBS. The doe went straight down. This is proof in my mind that you don't have to have a Proof barreled defiance action in a manners and a 6.5 whatever with a $3000 glass to cleanly and ethically play the long range game. A 30-06 loaded to mag length with 190 Bergers will get it done.View attachment 204929
I really think you are pushing the limits of the 30-06. If you want to consistently be effective out past 500 yards on game you really need a magnum of some sort. 300 rum is my preference, but something 300 win and above is ideal.
 
If something bigger than a 30-06 is needed after 500 yds. I wonder what would be needed at 900 yds. , again for game/Whitetails ?
Now Elk/Moose and above to me could be a different discussion.
 
I really think you are pushing the limits of the 30-06. If you want to consistently be effective out past 500 yards on game you really need a magnum of some sort. 300 rum is my preference, but something 300 win and above is ideal.
Well everyone has an opinion but with the OP's load I'd more than feel comfortable shooting out past 800 yds at deer, no magnum needed!
 
A great many local farmers have trouble every year with deer destroying their beans. Especially those near mountains. Our wildlife officers give out permits to those who have this trouble and many come to me to help. I have used many different rifles this year. I try to keep rounds off my custom barrels so every once in a while I bring one of the stock guns to stretch its legs. This evening I broke out a bone stock sako A7 rough tech pro with a leupold vx5 3-15x44. I have shot this rifle on paper out to 1000 with 190 Bergers propelled by RL16 and it does very very well. But the farthest I had ever used it on game was 443 yards. This evening I took 5 does this this rifle between 224 and 721 yards being the longest poke. @ 721 yards my 190 Berger impacted with 1802 FPS and 1370 FT LBS. The doe went straight down. This is proof in my mind that you don't have to have a Proof barreled defiance action in a manners and a 6.5 whatever with a $3000 glass to cleanly and ethically play the long range game. A 30-06 loaded to mag length with 190 Bergers will get it done.View attachment 204929
Nice calipier 06 have a huntsman grandfather in caliper. I inherited the gun. I think longest shot was 763 yds.I was told by him the gun doesn't make a hunter the hunter makes the gun. He was so true. 06 is a caliper most calipers try to top. Some have some still can't beat. Happy hunting
 
I'd be willing to bet, with the shot the op put on that doe, she'd be just as dead with a heavy 6mm Berger pushed by anything in the .243 family or bigger. Knowing a rifle and being coincident in it. Being able to place a round where it belongs every time. RUM not needed. In my humble opinion.


I really think you are pushing the limits of the 30-06. If you want to consistently be effective out past 500 yards on game you really need a magnum of some sort. 300 rum is my preference, but something 300 win and above is ideal.
 
I'd be willing to bet, with the shot the op put on that doe, she'd be just as dead with a heavy 6mm Berger pushed by anything in the .243 family or bigger. Knowing a rifle and being coincident in it. Being able to place a round where it belongs every time. RUM not needed. In my humble opinion.
I have a fully custom 7RUM as well and it sees action past 1000 yards. Once you get past the 1400 yard mark the 197 match Kings really do well on steel. They save a lot of questionable wind reads. But I do not hunt that far. It is too easy to make a mistake And potentially wound an animal and I have more respect for the game than to let it suffer with a bad shot for my ego.
 
I have a fully custom 7RUM as well and it sees action past 1000 yards. Once you get past the 1400 yard mark the 197 match Kings really do well on steel. They save a lot of questionable wind reads. But I do not hunt that far. It is too easy to make a mistake And potentially wound an animal and I have more respect for the game than to let it suffer with a bad shot for my ego.


This is good, shows you know what you're doing . More to the reason I believe, if someone is comfortable with a combination, it will be deadly, no magnums needed;)
 
Hello guys Vaughn from OZ here, when I was a young man I had a 303/25 with a nearly shot out barrel then they started selling the Belgian made 30/06 Mauser. I was pretty recoil shy and this rifle used to boot me with its military stock, My mentor mate Noel Robinson the local gunsmith cut and bent the bolt handle for me then sold me a Fajen stock for $35.00
Then he died a week or so later bluing rifles, the fumes lowering his blood pressure to an extreme level from which he never recovered. I shot that rifle, It had an as new barrel with very broad rifling which contributed to its recoil, I have no doubt . As time went by I came to master that rifle and it shot consistent 3/4 inch groups at 100 m. It got that way that I had absolute confidence in that rifle and as a result I shot very well with it, if I missed I blamed myself not the rifle.
Then I bought a Ruger 308 it would not shoot under 2 inches so I replaced the barrel with a target heavy barrel and it shoots one hole groups at 100 m. In short pinpoint accuracy which I could not expect from the 06, I wore that O6 out , I have just built a new 30/06 on an Brazilian contract Mauser fitted a Dakota 3 position safety. whilst the 308 is an exceptional cartridge there is just something about a 30/06, loaded well it is not too far behind the 300 WM. Yep the 30/06 is a fine old cartridge one that will grace gunracks when the populace leave their short magnums in the safe to gather dust and rust. Good Old cartridges never die and the 06 is the best of the best.
Vaughn G
 
I will never get rid of old faithful .06. Win mod 70. I gave up hunting for about 10yrs after twins were born. Then one day come home from long week out on the road the wife says were going to town drags me In to pawn shop and says does this work. Why yes, yes it does. Cant complain been good rifle still going.
 
I will never get rid of old faithful .06. Win mod 70. I gave up hunting for about 10yrs after twins were born. Then one day come home from long week out on the road the wife says were going to town drags me In to pawn shop and says does this work. Why yes, yes it does. Cant complain been good rifle still going.
Sounds like a good woman! You chose wisely
 
Been in this LR rifle game for a few years and love it. Love building new rifles, new cartridges that love to stretch the tape measure. I came from a hunting tradition and the "Up North" mentality. We headed up north to do all our hunting and recreational activities. We all shot factory rifles with no customizing and no reloading. Off shelf ammo and nothing fancy. Accuracy was always first however and still is. Few years ago I decided to hunt with my old woods deer guns that I grew up using. The 308, 30-06, .270 were most of what we used. Remington 742s, 760s. Browning BAR's or Winchester 100s. These were our Northwoods deer guns. It brought back the old memories again slinging the short semi auto over my shoulder heading out to my stand. Awkward somewhat as it's been a long time since I've shot any of them. I Killed an 8 pointer at around 125 yards with a 180 grain 06 round. Ammo that has been in the safe since the 70s. It brought back my earlier years for sure. Today I think I've evolved to the rifles I use today and will predominantly shoulder them. It was nice to step back a bit and haul the old woods relic into the deer blind and harvest a deer with it. That's what this thread brings back. The old 30-06 will never leave the memories of those of us that toted one for years and or still does.
 
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