30-06 for long range

[Jurgens]

Hi Bullet Pullet/ Wildrose
Bullet puller just my 2cents but the .303 is pretty close to the .30-06.
Take Africa for example, here in SA there is a familie .303 in almost every second house. The same goes for all the old Comenwelth collinies. The .303 was used agains the Boers in the war that started in 1899. The Boer coverment imported some Mauser 7x57mm mauser ( under 40 000 if I remember correctly) and was only availible for the burgers who did not own there own rifles. As the war went on ammo was shortening and lots of boers used stolen .303 as ammo was very availible. ( Short History in SA) In the earley years game was seen as competion with the animals the farmers farmed with and was shot as they were came across on the farms. Problem animals (lions, leupord, eliphant) was shot with the rifle in the house witch was 9/10 times a .303.
Over Africa the .303 with the 174gr FMJB has taken countles animals including lots of big 5. Buffalo, Elephant, Lion, Leapord have on regular basis taken with the .303.All the parks ( under british rule in Africs) were issued with .303 rifles and they were used (still are in lots of parks) for culling, camp meat and what effer they needed it for.
After the 1900 the .303 was the main rifle to be used in SA as well as the other British collinies by the commen man. The .30-06 is very popular since the beginning in SA but took a while to get a foot hold here as ammo was scares ( .303 freely availible) and the rifles was not so availible. If I had to take a ruff estimate the .303 has a good 20-30 year advantige in Africa over the .30-06.
The 7x57mm is also very popular as is the 9,3x62mm but as you said the wat didn't help them mutch and they took a back ground role.

I own a .30-06 and .303 (familie rifle BSA MK3 SMLE) and in the bush they have te same effect! If the bullet is placed in the right place you can collect your meat.
The .30-06 is my primary rifle with 180gr TTSX but every year the old .303 goes allong and if the hunt allows it I try and take some thing with it. My .303 still has its origanal stock and open sights and is awsome to shoot.

So here is the long and short in my opinion! The .30-06 on paper will have more game taken but the .303 will be very close! It will never be able to calculate exatly but those 2 will be in no.1 with the 7x57mm close.

Just my opinion
Jurgens

 

[RMulhern]

I'm sure this has been covered 1000 times but i'm to lazy to search all the forums. Whats wrong with shooting a 30-06 for getting into along range shooting. I have a tikka M658 with a Nikon 3x9x40 bdc scope but i also have a marlin heavy barrel 26in i believe with a redfield evolution which would be a better starting rig. Also a 243 with pentax 4x12x50 and a old remington 760 pump in 270 that needs a new scope. would any of these work for a good starting rig. keep in mind i know nothing of long range shooting the longest shot i have made is 200 yards and that was at the range. when i say long range i mean 500-800 yards. also what books or videos would be useful.

Naw....the '06 is an old and worn out cartridge and just not fit for modern times! I can't get it to do any better than this from 800 yards:

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[ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61286670@N08/7544275054/"]Flickr: Page Not Found[/ame] by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

Shoots about the same from 1000 so I'm fearful that it's just not enough cartridge for the 'younger set' these days! If it doesn't shoot a cartridge with a case about the size of my thermos jug..it just won't work! Incidentally this 'poor accuracy' may be due to the 30 year old Hart barrel attached to the rifle that I won lots of stuff with shooting NRA HP events!

**** '06 just no good!

Oh...forgot! Here's 5 shots from 600 yards I made before a lightening storm ran me off day before yesterday. Group clustered into 1.5" vertical x 1.75" horizontal! Like I said....the ole '06 is just a worn out cartridge!

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[ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61286670@N08/7546318690/"]Flickr: Page Not Found[/ame] by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

 

[rscott5028]

Rubbish the 303 is not even close at taking the African game that the 30-06 has .

The AK47 has overtaken all others in Africa just in the last 30 years.

Or, were you referring to legal hunting?

-- richard

 

[Dan Flowers]

Aside from all the game I have shot in the US, I took a 30/06 to Namibia on my first African plains game hunt. I shot 33 animals on that trip, including small stuff like springbok, blesbok, impala, warthog; all the way up to big tough stuff like red hartebeest, oryx, blue wildebeest, kudu and zebra. Ranges were between 300 and 700 yards. I was shooting a Weatherby action with a Krieger barrel, topped with a 4.5 x14 Leupold w/ mildot. I used 180 grain Hornady Interbond bullets in Lapua cases on top of 55.5 grains of IMR-4350. I was getting 2805 fps, certainly no super-scorcher, but it grouped well, around .5-.6 MOA.

To make a long story short, it killed everything I pointed it at with authority. I took 10 springbok for meat with headshots between 300 and 575 yards. The red hartebeest I killed at 695-700 yards in a 15mph full-value crosswind. I only recovered 3 bullets on the trip, the rest were pass-throughs, including an big zebra shot through both shoulders at 320 yards. Don't let anyone tell you 30/06 is not an adequate caliber. Components are also easy on the budget.

 

[rscott5028]

[...]Components are also easy on the budget.

You have to start saving somewhere to afford to ship those 33 trophies back home.

-- richard

 

[7 loader]

If the 308 can do it the 06 can too possibly better.

 

[clemens]

I usually use my .06 for brush hunting but my old win 70 could use upgrade to long range status with some work. That being said, just out of curiosity how far out does anyone here think the old war horse be good to for Elk. I don"t take chances i was figuring about 300 max with perfect conditions, but we all know that doesn't exist it can change in few seconds or minutes. Deer prob stretch it out there a bit more. So what ya think gentlemen looking for Honest opinion. Good day to all.

 

[7 loader]

500 to 600 yds. Farther than the 308. I guess. I do know that it was used for 1000 yd comp before the 7mm rem mag or the 308 came along. I figure the 180 gr nosler accubond would do the trick.

 

[RMulhern]

500 to 600 yds. Farther than the 308. I guess. I do know that it was used for 1000 yd comp before the 7mm rem mag or the 308 came along. I figure the 180 gr nosler accubond would do the trick.

7 loader

I dare say that the 30/06 has probably won more matches at Camp Perry, Ohio aka The National Matches than most know about! And since I haven't asked German Salazar if I can quote from his Blog.....I can only recommend you go here...to read all about it! Please pay close attention to the average scores listed by German which were fired from 1000 yards and I think that bespeaks tremendously to what the cartridge is capable of.....along with German's holding and wind reading ability!! Hunting accuracy with a rifle of around 8-9# weight can be excellent but in a target configuration that weight won't cut it! Weights for F/Open class rifles are considerably heavier as are those used for the LR matches whereby sling support is authorized. Personally I don't like anything under 16# for sling support or prone shooting!

The Rifleman's Journal: Cartridges: The Logical .30-06

And if you aren't familiar with the NRA LR target....the 10 ring is 20" diameter with the X ring measuring 10"! F/Open Class is ONE-HALF those sizes!

 

[WildRose]

I usually use my .06 for brush hunting but my old win 70 could use upgrade to long range status with some work. That being said, just out of curiosity how far out does anyone here think the old war horse be good to for Elk. I don"t take chances i was figuring about 300 max with perfect conditions, but we all know that doesn't exist it can change in few seconds or minutes. Deer prob stretch it out there a bit more. So what ya think gentlemen looking for Honest opinion. Good day to all.

With the right bullet there's no reason it couldn't be very effective out to at least 600yds.

 

[clemens]

Say with 180 185 Bergers? or 200 or 220gr? for the 500 600 yrds for elk?

 

[WildRose]

Say with 180 185 Bergers? or 200 or 220gr? for the 500 600 yrds for elk?

I wouldn't use the berger's on elk. I'd go with a well proven premium hunting bullet like the Sirocco, Interbond, Interlock, or Partition.

In the 0-6 I'd go for the 180's vs 200 class bullets at that range.

 

[clemens]

makes sense. have to give them a try to see how the rifle likes them.

 

[7 loader]

7 loader

I dare say that the 30/06 has probably won more matches at Camp Perry, Ohio aka The National Matches than most know about! And since I haven't asked German Salazar if I can quote from his Blog.....I can only recommend you go here...to read all about it! Please pay close attention to the average scores listed by German which were fired from 1000 yards and I think that bespeaks tremendously to what the cartridge is capable of.....along with German's holding and wind reading ability!! Hunting accuracy with a rifle of around 8-9# weight can be excellent but in a target configuration that weight won't cut it! Weights for F/Open class rifles are considerably heavier as are those used for the LR matches whereby sling support is authorized. Personally I don't like anything under 16# for sling support or prone shooting!

The Rifleman's Journal: Cartridges: The Logical .30-06

And if you aren't familiar with the NRA LR target....the 10 ring is 20" diameter with the X ring measuring 10"! F/Open Class is ONE-HALF those sizes!

Thats why I wrote what I did. I used one yrs ago, took a deer at 688 yds On a abandoned RR track. I would take A 06 adove a 308 any day of the week.