30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

Guys I just have tovent on the 30-06. I am getting tired of the "blanketanswers" to posts.
Example post: I am Joe Blow for Florida. I am headed to Colorado for my first elk hunt. I hunt deer in my home state with a 30-06. Should I buy a elk rifle?
Example Answers: The 30-06 is all you need, you are good to go.
The 30-06 will do it all for you.
The 30-06 is the only gun you need.
This blanket answer never mentions bullet constuction,velocity, trajectory or kenetic energy.

I just do not like the 30-06. Many people claim it is the do all cartridge. I like most round based on the 30-06 case, except the 30-06 & 35-whelen. Rounds like the 25-06, 6.5-06, 270, 280& 338-06, have earned there place in my gun safe.
The 35-Whelen is a "pumkin slinger", that is very effective at close range.The next time I hunt elk inside a phone booth, this will be weapon of choice.:D
IMHO The 30-06 is a slow .30-caliber that is out preformed hands down by several other.30-calibermagnum rounds. I honestly have a 300-win mag that has less felt recoil than my wife's old 30-06. The less felt recoil is done with proper stock fit & overall rifle weight. This rifle does not have a muzzle break.

IMHOWith all the great calibers to choose from, the 30-06 is never the best or the only rifle you need. The 30-06 is somewhere at the bottom of my list.
I would rather see someone buy a rifle that is considered too big for deer if elk is on the menu. the 300-win mag is a great place to start with the magnums.
If the hunter can afford two rifles? Buy onefor deer & one just for elk. I suggest the 270-winchester for deer & 338-win mag for elk.

I am sure I will get bashed for my views, thatsok I have big shoulders.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

Compare Federal 300Wby and 30-06 with 180gr. NPs. There is a differance of 310fps,752ftlbs @ the muzzle and 8-9" differance in drop @ 500yards. I agree there is no end all do all cartridge. I want them all, aspecially the 338-06. But don't knock my baby. Look at those figures man, its not a magnum but it comes close.She doesn't make my shoulders touch when i shoot her. I think she kicks less than my .270 did. AND!!! ha,ha... I do not have to pay 40 or 50 dollars a box for ammo. So what if you can't kill Elk at a thousand yards. Use your skills and get closer. Besides i don't think there is enough performance gain in the new mags for me to spend a grand on a new rifle.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

The 06 might not be "your" favorite, BUT I'll bet a dollar that the 06 has killed more N.A. game, including elk, than any other caliber. I've killed most of my elk with a .270, and they ended up just as dead as the elk I shot with my .300 win. mag.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

You guys are right, the 30-06 is a good round. I just do not like it. I think there are better choices out there.
I read on the Remington web page. Remington chambers more rifle models & sells more rifles chambered in 30-06 than any other rifle.
That speaks volumes.

But I still do not like the 30-06.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

Maybe it would have been better to suggest that others could offer a wider selection of suggestions for calibers outside of just .30-06, as you almost seemed angry, or at least irritated by it.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

This is a great country. One of the great things about it is that if you don't like the 30-06, you sure as 'H' don't need to own one.

The 30-06 is boring. There is no whiz bang magnum name tacked on it and it just goes out year after year for longer than any of us have been around and does what it was made to do. Kill Things. Is there better choices? Probably. You name a cartridge and I will name a better choice for something. For the one gun hunter, taking everything into consideration, the 30-06 will do the job about as well as any one rifle can. Heaven forbid that we be limited to one rifle. If I have several rifles, the 30-06 would need not be amoung them. However for just one, it would have to be the 30-06. No one gun can do it better.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

To each their own. I do like it. Don't know that it is the best caliber for anything as there are several calibers that are good for most animals. It is a good general round for us mere mortals who may not have a gun safe full of selections. I've killed 10 elk. One with a .308, one with a 30-30, and the rest with the 06 (Winchester xp2, 165 grains--there may be better bullets but this one is the most accurate out of my barrel and has had devestaing effects on any elk, deer, or antelope I've shot from ranges of 60 yrds to 250 yards). I've seen plenty of elk killed with 300 mags, .270s, and a couple with .243s and 25-06. I expect that shot placement, an appropriate bullet,andreasonable ranges for the performance of the cartridge and the abilities of the shooter really are more important than the caliber (in most cases).

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

you hit the nail on the head shot placement is the key to all guns i do like the 06 but it would depend on the game you shoot. i know that someone will want a cannon next just so they can hit something anywhere and blow it apart. i think that a lot of people likethe big guns just so they can act like they dont have to practice at the range. just my 2 cents

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

NC hit the nail on the head. Practice, Practice, Practice!!!!!!

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

I like your thinkin on the over kill instead of under kill, I think of it like this, I would rather loose a little meat and kill that animal as fast as posible than shot it with somthing to small and track it for 200 yds, and yes it is mostly about shot placment but lets face we ain't perfect and if you don't hit where your aimmin the bigger the caliber the better. No matter what I'm hunting I shot it till its dead, weather that means 1 or 10(I'm not that bad of a shot,lol) ,I'm only saying this because I 'ev seen to many hunting shows that they shot it once and watch it limp around out there when they could have shot again and ended it.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

The 30-06 is a great utility gun. I don't own one but have always envied those that have one and hunt with it. I shoot a 300 WM and it kicks the s**t out of me. I really have to shoot it all year to be ready for hunting season. The 06s that if have shot seem smooth and a pleasure to shoot. For reloading they are great. I agree that the 300 mags or the 338 WM is the best elk rifle. But not everyone can shoot a mag rifle. Within 300 yards an 06 is just the ticket. And I don't know of a general all-game gun. I don't subscribe to that theory. Especially when elk is part of your game.

My advice on an elk gun is to use the biggest gun you can shoot accurately and not too heavy to carry. For many hunters, thats a 30-06.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

O.K. Maybe i was a little defensive about my cartridge of choice. I have a marlin M60 .22 a m77 sporter in .223 a Rem Sendaro in 25-06 and2 CZ 550s in 416 Rigby and 505 Gibbs. They all have their purpose, tiny stuff,varmits, long range varmits, scary stuffand T-REX(if i find one) in that order. But my go to gun is a 57 year old Rem 721 in 30-06. The guys who ask for advice are probably like me. They may only be able to afford one Elk or Moose hunt in there life. Why by an Ubermagnum they will never shoot again,if they already own a gun that will do the job well? Why not the 06 or 308 they can use on anything from Sparrows(now thats OVERKILL)to Moose?

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

Wolf Killer: There is room under the tent for all cartridges. No one says you ONLY have to have a .30-06. It is OK to have rifles chambered in many cartridges. Notwithstanding, the .30-06 is a pretty handy deal. I'm sure you've heard the arguments. Let me just review the utility that the .30-06 provides to me.

I prefer my .25-06 for deer and antelope. I would prefer a .338 Winchester Magnum for elk (I'm going on my first elk hunt in mid-October and will take my .30-06). When I go out of state for hunting, however, I want to take a backup rifle in case something happens to the "go to" gun. What should I do? have two .25-06s? two .338's? I think one .30-06 suffices as a backup for all the hunting I do. Not perfect, perhaps, on these game animals -- elk, pronghorn, deer -- but entirely adequate to the task, if the shooter does his part. If I hada .270 for deer and antelope, some folks judge that this is a little light for elk and moose, and hence would be a poor backup rifle for those hunts.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

OHHHHH NOW YOU GOT MY DANDER UP!

I see many many people hunting without proper practice. You know what the majority of them are shooting? Something in the "smaller" category. Like a 243, 30-30, 270 etc.Now I agree that too many people go hunting without shooting enough to become proficient. But, it is incorrect to generalize by saying that people shoot bigger gunsbecause they don't want to practice. Don't pi$$ on my head and tell me its raining.

My dad is one of those "never go undergunned" guys. His theory is: If a 30-06 is good then a 338 is better. And let me tell you he shoots a lot and is good.I think resonable peoplewho like to shoot "bigger" rifles do so because they are not limited to broadside 100 yard shots. When the 7x7 bull elk of my dreams presents a quartering to me shot at 225 yards I'm going to feel very confident in my 338's abilities to take out the front shoulder, plow right on through the vitals, and anchor him.

I've never been one to run down the lighter cartridges. I've said on other posts that I wouldn't hesitate to take my boy elk hunting with his 270 for an instant. He's good with it. What I would do is tell him to limit his shot selection. No marginal angles or distance. Thats not to say that just because I carry a 338 that I can shoot at anything I see. No, I have limits as well, the 338 only broadens my window of oppurtunity a little.

Target acquistion, proper breathing, trigger control, & follow through. Its all the same regardless if its a 22 lr or a 416 rem. The big ones just push a little more.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

I don't currently own a 30-06 and never will own one.I personally prefer the 7mmremmag as a one gun for everything cartridge.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

I do not own and have never owned a .30-06 as well, but by rep a very good rifle. I just think, why would you want to limit yourself to just one rifle, unless of course you simply can not afford any others. I like having variety.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

yer absolutely right

the 308 win is all ya realy need[8D][8D][8D]

early

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

I agree!
my Rem 760 in .308 has been very good to me,, wouldnt hesitate too use it on any big game in north america. Ive killed coyotes to moose with it... Beware of the man with 1 rifle,, generally he will know how too use it,,, and use it well!

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

First three long guns for someone starting out thatI would recommendare:
a 22LR, a 12 gauge, and a 30-06.

When your rack of rifles is limited, thena 30-06 is a great asset due to its versatility.

For those who believe in cartridge spacing,and go about collectingadditional rifles, thenthe 30-06 will tend to become less and less valuable due to its "jack of all trades master of none" characteristics as it compete with ones more specialized rifles. Eventuallythe 30-06can bereplaced unless you have got real attached to it along the way.

If I was phasing out an '06 out of my rack, I'd replace it with a 308 for target work (already got that one)and a 300RUM (looking real hard)for hunting (same caliber, but very different cartridges). Probably won't get rid of the 30-06 since I like taking a 30-06 along to elk camp as one of the back up rifles in case someone in the group has a mishap --- anyone can shoot a 30-06 without recoil management savvy, the mags generally require a little more cognitionon the part of the shooter.

Per Stubblejumper, I would also agree that a 7mmRemMag is a good 30-06 equivalent/substitute depending on your tastes and preferences. Of course it does have the dreaded "magnum" word in its name which makes it automatically unmasterable to some.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

I'll tell you the reason I chose to get one.

Reloading.

I can reload it with 100-200 grain bullets, and I like that flexability. I generally shoot a 150 grain, but I'm not limited.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

Thats exactly what a 30-06 is "Jack of all trades" and a master of it...
So I've got a question,if you are Elk hunting with your .338 (master of elk)and you see a "Buck of your Dreams" does that mean your going to let it walk away cause you don't have your master deer rifle thats chambered for the .270?:D:D
Yeah I'm a 30-06 fan..
But for me its not that I'm a one gun hunter, the fact is many of the big game species I hunt, over lap
open seasons....
If I'm hunting August and Septfor I often find myself with big bucks, elk, sheep all in the same area
all are open to hunting....
Everything depends on shot placement and bullet choiceand min caliber selection...
The 30-06 has it all,even cal selection is well above the minimum suggested for big game species hunted in North America..

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

James B for president!!!

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

:DOK!

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

Would you consider a good 300 H&H an Elk cartridge?

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

James B has a vote.

One time around 1903 there was a 30cal round that revolutionized the hunting world and I believe that it held it's ground with not any dispute until the magnum craze hit the world. Even though the magnums were out before the craze didn't really happen until the late 80's. Bigger better and killed on both ends. If you did a nationwide survey it would still be the No 1 spot of a caliber that is used to hunt almost everything. And this is coming from a person that's not a 30-06 true fan. I prefer the 270win over it. I'm a trajectory man. I like em fast and flat. But all around from deer to kodiak one rifle it's hard to leave it out of the top spot. Hail the 30-06 they got it right the first time.

All around caliber is the one that is accurate enough to hit where you wanted it too.

All around bullet is the one that killed your animal.

The world is full of preferences I'll take the old traveled road it all ways leads me home to a gut pile.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

wolfkiller...as long as it kills....its alright with me..good hunts to ya

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

I would have to say that the 30-06 did and still will kill any animal in the states include alaska with more than enough energy and power to do so with the right lead and shot placement... But myself do like and prefer the 7mm RUM or plain 7mm RM over the 06...

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

Isn't the .300 WM a .338 casing necked down to 30 cal?

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

Thats about right. The 338 was the 458 necked down and the 300 was based on that case with the shoulder moved ahead a bit.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

Out west here, you may be hunting in what WE call a remote area. Like around Hulett, or Ten Sleep, or Centennialand you discover you left your ammo on the kitchen table!
(Hasn't happened to me, but I know a guy . . .)
It is then and there that you are glad you chose a 30-06, or 7mm Mag, or even the 30-30 because that might be the only ammo the local "sporting goods store" carries. For me at least, that is a major consideration.
No the balistics don't match up to some of the more modern lazer beam flat rounds of today, but the .06 is powerfull enough for any North American big game and still comparitivly easy on the shoulder. Still a huge favorite out west where what you shoot is almost as important as where you shoot. (Don't show up with too little gun!)

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

I agree with Game & Cherokee, you can find 30-06 ammo practically anywhere, and while I have never owned a 30-06 (270 WSMfor me), I still give it the respect that it deserves. It's been around longer than most of us and has stood the test of time.....numbers don't lie:)

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

I would venture to say that it's been around longer than all of us, unless there are any 101 year olds frequenting the board... :D

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

Actually, the 30-06 is exactly (approximately exactly) 100 years old.
The only reason the "06" follows the "30" is because the
30-06 Springfieldbecame the official ammo of the U.S. Army in 1906.
I guess that's the same case with the 25-06.

RE: 30-06 Jack of all trades, Master of None.
 

I knew that. I said 101 years because that's how old someone would have to be to have been around longer than the .30-06.

The reason the .25-06 is an "06" is because it is a necked down .30-06. It's not because it was developed/adopted or whateverin 1906.