.30-06 ability

[WeedWacker]

Would you say the '06 is good enough to take everything in the lower 48 including moose? I was under the impression it carried enough punch for even a griz at 100-150 yards at least (not that I would want to be on the ground that close to one).

This question came to my mind when reading an article in my American Hunter mag discussing Remington's .300 RUM variable power loads. Compares the level I to a '06 but doesn't want to take a gemsbok with it (IIRC they are the african equivalent to elk).

 

[sureshots]

Yes

I have Never hunted A moose but I have read that thousands have been killed with the 30-06 cal. Years ago the 30-30 was used on everything from jack rabbits to buffalo so I'm sure the 30-06 will do the job.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

I think a 30.06 is good on everything that doesn't bite back and will certainly take a moose.

 

[Doyle]

Well placed shots from a 30-06 have been the doom of many a grizzly and brown bear. Use good ammo and hit your spot and the cartridge will do its job.

 

[Art Eatman]

After 19 months here,ya gotta ask?

I guess the way I figure it is that I might well do it again to shoot and kill a whitetail out toward 500 yards, but probably not much over 300 or so on a big mulie. Odds are I'd limit my range on elk to maybe some 300 yards, preferably less.

I guess I'd want to be within 100 yards of a grizzly that did not know I was there, and I'd be confident of a clean kill. The '06 would not be my first choice for grizzly "up close and personal" and headed in my direction.

 

[HiBC]

A lot of moose are taken with a 6.5X55

Assuming you do not want to carry an African Stopping Rifle for bears,it will come down to placing a shot that will penetrate sufficiently to disrupt the heart lungs or central nervous system.

Several years back the Rifleman had an article on .30 cal bullet performance.
At very close range,a 180 gr bullet from a .308 might give more reliable performance than a .300 magnum,only because the .300 magnum velocities might compromise bullet integrity.(The 308 gave better penetration up close with same bullets)

The general idea is,a 30 cal 200 grain slug (for example) will kill the same critter if it is fired from a .308 or a 30-40 Krag or a .303 British as it will out of a .300 Mag,the difference is,how far away .
At 2200 or 2300 impact velocity,decent penetration and wound channel will occur.

Of course,bullets have improved,so the ideal velocities have gone up,

Generally,a man with a 30-06 shooting at less then 300 yds will have better results than a man with any 300 magnum shooting at over 300 yds,as the variables influencing shot placement are greater at long range.

Having said all that,if I was out with moose/bear on my mind,I would carry my .375/.338,(.458 necked down to .375).Or a .338
For one do-everything rifle,I'd choose a 30-06

 

[armedandsafe]

I've taken many big muelys with the 30-06, out to 500 yards. I've taken rockchucks at 300-400 yards. I've taken Barren Ground Grizz and the big white at <30 yards. I've shot moose, carabou, antelope and car engines with the 30-06. It works, with the right shooter and load.

Pops

 

[hogdogs]

I would rely on an -06 for any and all game in the LOWER 48 and would consider it for grizz too. I seen the damage done to LARGE michigan deer with them...
Brent

 

[Scorch]

The 30-06 has been used for and is capable of taking anything that walks on the North American and/or South American continent, as well as most of what walks and crawls on the European, African, Asian, and Australian continents. It has certainly killed a lot of deer, elk, moose, buffalo, African plains game, Asian game, and European game. Hemingway describes using it as his all-around rifle in Africa and other places for taking lion, various antelope (including gemsbok), Cape buffalo, eland, and rhino. I might opt for a bigger caliber for some of those, but the 30-06 will work. I would avoid using a 30-06 against things that would like to make you breakfast or just stomp you into a wet oozy spot, but it has certainly been used for those too.

I also read the American Hunter article. I found it amusing that the author felt that the 30-06 "equivalent" loads (with significantly more recoil and blast, BTW) were adequate for almost everything he hunted, but that he opted for the 300 RUM because it is a "better" plains game rifle. Huh??? I chalk it up to another example of thinly veiled commercialism.

 

[Jack O'Conner]

30-06 has proven it's worth wherever animals are hunted. Over 100 years of successful game taking is noteworthy!

The advent of Premium bullets has taken the 30-06 to an even higher status than ever before. Yet at the same time, Remington & FEDERAL offer reduced recoil ammo for common deer hunting situations that require a little less power than 30-06 offers in its standard form. In summary, 30-06 owners have more choices than ever before.

Very few articles have been written about the pointed 200 grain bullet. I'm not sure why this weight is widely ignored. This would be a logical choice for colossal North American and many African animals as well.

Jack

 

[HoraceHogsnort]

I recently saw a photo of Sam Fadala in Africa posing with a Cape Buffalo (which is actually an ox) that he'd slain with an '06 using a 220 gr. Hornady solid copper bullet. THAT'S doggoned impressive. Actually, the venerable '06 has been used at one time or another to slay EVERY dangerous game on the planet, but this old guy ain't gonna go try and duplicate the feat just to prove the first time was a fluke!!

 

[stevelyn]

More meese up here drop dead in front of .30-06s than anything else. Especially in the bush communities.

And if I have my way in September, another one is going to be added to the statistic.

 

[elkman06]

For me.....06-2meese,, meese-0. Sorry, they are losing by 100%. Shoot them in the heart and well...they're dead. I am also confident enough that w/ a griz in front of me..I would not want any other rifle that I own.
elkman06

 

[Buzzcook]

For some reason the only time you see an Alaskan brown bear or grizzly is when they start charging from 20 yds away. If it weren't for that I'd say a .30-06 was good to go on any Western Hemisphere game.

Seriously the .30-06 is fine for moose. I'd say, if you had a clear shot, you could use the exact same round you'd use on white tail.

 

[lt dan]

30-06 and Africa

Weedwacker, in africa if you own a 30-06 you are a made man. the 30-06 is the most popular rifle in africa. if you own one you must have had a lot of fun with it by now.

the man that says you can not shoot a gemsbok with a 30 -06 is mistaking or has a hidden agenda. the fact that this person is allowed to say this in a respectable us magazine is an insult to american hunters and i hope there will be complaints.

i would say the most common calibre used over here to kill gemsbok is the 270. my brother in law does all his gemsbok harvesting with a 243win.

how can a 30-06 not be enough when for so many years the Botswana parks board used it with solids to cull elephant. there is a well known American ph living in africa ,Bob Rokos, he shot 4 cape buffalo per month for the staff's meat rations when he was in the employment of the Botswana tsetse fly control department. he did this with a 303 with old mil ammo!!!!

come to africa with your 30-06 you will be welcomed with opened arms. the 300 rum and the 300wetherby mag however are seen as meat wasters.

 

[jhgreasemonkey]

It's marketing. What you read is trying to make you believe that you need a .300 ultra mag lol. They are pretty sweet but are expensive rifles and expensive to shoot. The 30-06 is a capable cartridge and very inexpensive and widely available compared to others.

 

[kurtiss]

Yes, the 30-06 is a capable round. As others have said, it is good for any game in North America.

 

[Socrates]

Well, get the low pressure version 7.62 x 54R.
It's also MUCH cheaper, avaliable in rifles with a bayonet, which, I certainly like to keep stuff away from me...

 

[jhgreasemonkey]

That M44 should make for a gnarly hog rifle with that fixed bayonet.

 

[Stiofan]

More meese up here drop dead in front of .30-06s than anything else.

Around here, they use anything from .270 up through .30-06 mostly so I'd have to agree. Our moose are a bit smaller than yours, but the 06 has plenty of punch.