Is 30-06 future proof ?

[d2wing]

Hi guys..
Just wonder.. I came along many websites and youtube channels..stated that 30-06 are dated and there are many other modern cartridges that better then 30-06..
I have Sako 30-06.. bought recently.. my first rifle ever .. never shot before .. I planing to start hunt next year ..
So my question is how long you think 30-06 will be around more ?
And any suggestion .. what is best deer cartridge in terms price and availability?

You are good. 30-06 is the standard for North American hunting. The internet is all about the next thing and is doesn't reflect real life. Many others have come and gone, many more will.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I've been hunting with a 30-06 for several years. It serves me well, and I have no reason to change to the "flavor of the week" just because some hack in a gun rag says its "better". More than likely, the old '06 will be around for many years to come, naysayers be damned. No sense in looking for the latest, greatest caliber to replace it; in real-world conditions, you'll find very little difference. So, use what you have, learn to shoot it well, and put meat on the table. Your rifle will kill game just as well as any of the new fangled 6-point-whatever extra super magnums.

Having said that, I used a .243 for deer this year, and enjoyed carrying and shooting it. Yes, it was lighter and didn't kick nearly as hard. No, it will not replace the '06 as my primary deer rifle, but it will certainly be used when I hunt open fields, and definitely for coyotes this spring. There is also a 30-30 in my cabinet that comes out for deer drives; again, useful but will not replace the '06. Quite frankly, I'd rather trust my life and livelihood to the old 30-06 than chance it with any other caliber.

Mac

Since you mentioned the 243. For me, 243 is king of the hill. I've wanted a 30-06 for yearrrrrrrs, but I just can't justify replacing the 243. It does what I need and does it well. Lighter, less recoil, cheaper ammo, etc etc. I've owned it since...forever ago. I hunt caribou on open tundra. The only thing a 30-06 would give me is perhaps another hundred yards of effective range. I'm already shooting out to 300 with the 243. As much as I would like to have a 30-06, I don't think it will make me a better hunter.

 

[MacAR]

As much as I would like to have a 30-06, I don't think it will make me a better hunter.

Not likely. I've always looked at the .243 as a "rifleman's cartridge", one that requires superb ability on the shooters part; you don't try to shoot through anything with it, not even a blade of grass. In the words of a friend: "it'll make a hunter out of you". I missed 2 with it this year, one in a bramble patch and another on the edge of a cedar thicket. The bullets were deflected by brush and the deer both ran off, unscathed. If I'd been using my '06 I'd have had 2 dead deer in the freezer, but I suppose that would've been a bit too easy. I wound up getting some meat with the 243, and as far as terminal damage, the 85gr Remington bullet I used did a molly-whopping good job at killing a couple fat does. Seemed they were just as dead as if they'd been shot by the '06 or 270 for that matter. Go figure.

Mac

 

[DustyGmt]

30-06 is like the old union dinosaur in the plant that the younger folks don't like because they get paid more and seem to be less efficient, but don't have the stones to call them out and tell them what they think because the 30-06 has been there forever, and relates to the upper management too well to go anywhere.....

People seem to think because the 30-06 and .270 are old they are no longer relevant, I don't believe that will actually be the case for a very, very long time. I believe it has and will continue to drop in popularity, but just like the union dinosaur, it ain't going anywhere.....

 

[D.B. Cooper]

30-06 is like the old union dinosaur in the plant that the younger folks don't like because they get paid more and seem to be less efficient, but don't have the stones to call them out and tell them what they think because the 30-06 has been there forever, and relates to the upper management too well to go anywhere.....

People seem to think because the 30-06 and .270 are old they are no longer relevant, I don't believe that will actually be the case for a very, very long time. I believe it has and will continue to drop in popularity, but just like the union dinosaur, it ain't going anywhere.....

As a dyed in the wool union guy, I approve this message. =)

Regarding "relevance," I recall Clint Smith did a youtube video responding to an accusation that he was no longer relevant. His response was something to the effect of he's been there, done that, still here, and still contributing. I thought it was a good response.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Since you mentioned the 243. For me, 243 is king of the hill. I've wanted a 30-06 for yearrrrrrrs, but I just can't justify replacing the 243. It does what I need and does it well. Lighter, less recoil, cheaper ammo, etc etc. I've owned it since...forever ago. I hunt caribou on open tundra. The only thing a 30-06 would give me is perhaps another hundred yards of effective range. I'm already shooting out to 300 with the 243. As much as I would like to have a 30-06, I don't think it will make me a better hunter.

I’ve not found that factory .243 ammo is any cheaper than factory .30-06 ammo. In fact when comparing apples to apples they tend to be about exactly the same.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I will be looking to add another 06 to my safe when I stop by the CMP Talladega next month, I've found it a very versatile round and it uses multiple powders for the reloaders, I load some 125 and 130gr down to soft shooting 100yrd rnd that is very accurate, 150 gr for hunting and 168gr for targets out to 600yrds. I started keeping different reloads in different color ammo cans. My first 06 was in 1974 a Rem 742BDL CD, then in 1975 a Rem 700 BDL CD and the list keeps growing with the Howa1500s and Garands being my favorites.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I’ve not found that factory .243 ammo is any cheaper than factory .30-06 ammo. In fact when comparing apples to apples they tend to be about exactly the same.

I'll take ypur word for it; I haven't bought factory ammo in a long time,

 

[H&Hhunter]

I'll take ypur word for it; I haven't bought factory ammo in a long time,

Neither have I but I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that there is no difference in the price of components either. I get what you said above about recoil ETC but cheaper ammo is not valid. Ammo cost, factory or hand loaded is going to be about the same.

 

[Thomasss]

Couldn't we be asking the same question about .308 and.243? .308 was introduced in 1952 = 70 years old and .243 was introduced in 1955 = 67 years old. It sounds like the 6.5 Creedmoor will cancel out those two rounds pretty quick, n'es pas? lol

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Couldn't we be asking the same question about .308 and.243? .308 was introduced in 1952 = 70 years old and .243 was introduced in 1955 = 67 years old. It sounds like the 6.5 Creedmoor will cancel out those two rounds pretty quick, n'es pas? lol

The problem with the six point whatever fad and the johnny come lately calibers is I just don't see what they have to offer that would make me discard a proven cartridge like 30-06. (or 243 or what have you) The irony in that statement is that, at one time, 243 was a johnny come lately cartridge.

So having said that, as new shooters come of age, they may adopt the six point whatever and those calibers may overtake 30-06 in terms of market share, but in terms of "future proof," 30-06 is pretty secure. I doubt the major ammo makers will discontinue 30-06 ammo in our life time.

 

[wombat13]

Agree.

And let’s face it, the guys who are shooting deer with their precision and/or “gamer” rifles are probably putting hundreds or thousands of more rounds down range in a given year than the guy who dusts off his hunting rifle a few weeks before the season, puts a couple rounds through it to check the scope, and hits the field opening day.

That’s true and certainly some advantage, but how many of those thousands of rounds are offhand, kneeling, using an improvised support , etc., rather than a bipod and/or bags? We all know there is a world of difference between the range and hunting. A friend of mine came with me to hunting camp. He’s a plenty good shot at the range, but he couldn’t make even relatively easy shots at the deer because he couldn’t figure out how to shoot from the treestand.

 

[Shooterbob]

The 30/06 most certainly can be future proof I know my 30/06 is I have enough primers powder bullets to last my lifetime for hunting

 

[Hunter 08]

.30-06 is here to stay for a long time. Until Gauss technology gets to the point of super sonic speeds, you'll be good for a long time. It's still a popular hunting round. Can be had in light recoil 125gr and upwards for 220gr. If you can hand load, I've heard you can get into low levels of .300 Win Mag, but that could just be a load of garbage.

 

[H&Hhunter]

.30-06 is here to stay for a long time. Until Gauss technology gets to the point of super sonic speeds, you'll be good for a long time. It's still a popular hunting round. Can be had in light recoil 125gr and upwards for 220gr. If you can hand load, I've heard you can get into low levels of .300 Win Mag, but that could just be a load of garbage.

I guess you’d need to define “low levels of .300 mag” but a quick look at any reloading manual will answer that question.

 

[wolf695]

A lot of us now old guys, know the cal. well! It was a standard Mil rounds for many yrs. Yes it's a little slower on speed, but it's power speaks for it's self.

 

[Thomasss]

A lot of us now old guys, know the cal. well! It was a standard Mil rounds for many yrs. Yes it's a little slower on speed, but it's power speaks for it's self.

SLOWER THAN WHAT???

 

[.308 Norma]

A lot of us now old guys, know the cal. well!

Yep, the 30-06 is a 30 "cal." - the same "cal." as my 308 Norma Magnum and my 308 Winchester.

Yes it's a little slower on speed, but it's power speaks for it's self.

My 308 Norma Magnum is both faster and more powerful than my 30-06. So?
The question was, "Is the 30-06 future proof?" As much as I like my own 308 Norma Mag, its popularity as a big game cartridge faded away many years ago. As a matter of fact, the 308 Norma Mag never was even close to the 30-06 in terms of popularity. "And rightly so," most people would probably say.

 

[Hugger-4641]

I can understand the OP's question. If you are new to guns and open any reloading manual you'll see cartridges you've never heard of, many of which are obscure and considered "obsolete" by most.
If you watch you tube, the next best thing makes everything obsolete. Those of us who've been around long enough to appreciate just how many 30-06 rifles have been produced and are still in use think it's a silly question. Same goes for the 30-30 and several others.

 

[Laphroaig]

The problem with the six point whatever fad and the johnny come lately calibers is I just don't see what they have to offer that would make me discard a proven cartridge like 30-06.

The 6.5 x 55 was born in 1894, and I'm not sure if it was the first in Europe. Maybe it seems like a fad now, but it just took us 100 years to figure out that six point whatevers can be a pretty efficient tool to have in our boxes. The Creedmoor and .260 are not much different from those original Europeans. Don't get me wrong because I'm a dyed in the wool(rich) 30-06 guy but also realize that sometimes a softer shooting cartridge makes a lot of sense.

 

[LoonWulf]

Nope, nothing is future "proof"
The 30-06 tho has significant support, and i dont doubt its here for a long time to come.

Personally i have a soft spot for it. It was the first centerfire rifle cartridge I ever shot. I also dont own one because I dont find myself using them when I have em.

 

[Chuck R.]

The 6.5 x 55 was born in 1894, and I'm not sure if it was the first in Europe. Maybe it seems like a fad now, but it just took us 100 years to figure out that six point whatevers can be a pretty efficient tool to have in our boxes. The Creedmoor and .260 are not much different from those original Europeans. Don't get me wrong because I'm a dyed in the wool(rich) 30-06 guy but also realize that sometimes a softer shooting cartridge makes a lot of sense.

I think the bolded is pretty much the crux of it.."efficiency".

You'll hear quite a few guys state that "X" is over kill for deer, then others will say there's only one degree of dead. I've said both myself. It's one thing to use a heavier than "needed" caliber for just hunting, but it's another to use it for TGTs as well. Cost and recoil are both cumulative. Even when reloading the cost for powder and bullets is greater with the bigger cartridges.

I'm a huge fan of the .270W, IMHO it's a great open country deer cartridge, but I basically get the same effect from my .260Rem M7 in a lighter, more compact, less recoiling package that's a little cheaper to shoot. IF you do the MPBR calculations I lose about 30yds in range going from a 130 grn .277 at 3170FPS to a 120Grn .264 at 2930FPS. Both have the energy and penetration to get the job done at most of the distances I'm shooting deer.

Also a lot of what goes into the newer cartridge's "superiority" is the barrel twist in order to stabilize the higher BC bullets. Longer range shooting is a thing now, there's more shooters than there are hunters. Honestly I don't need a faster twist for probably 99.9% of the shots taken on game animals, but IF I'm shopping for a new rifle, why limit myself?? I'm kind of shocked to see manufacturers still producing rifles with slower twist barrels, it's actually a pretty simple fix. IF I need a new open country deer rifle today, I'd probably buy a 6.5PRC and pass the .270W by. Both are effective on deer, I'd just get more use out of the 6.5PRC whacking steel all year long.

Now IF a company would just start making .270s with 1:8 twist barrels, then I could claim smug superiority over the 6.5PRC guys because I was only losing 20yds of range, while shooting a lighter recoiling cartridge with cheap easily formed brass.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I'm kind of shocked to see manufacturers still producing rifles with slower twist barrels, it's actually a pretty simple fix.

I suspect that may have something to do with the cost to change over the tooling to make those barrels compared with the expected return on investment. This is especially true if those slower twist barrels are still selling well and making good profits for the gun companies.

 

[H&Hhunter]

If you want to tighten the twist on your .270 go buy a fast twist barrel and have a competent gun smith install it.

BOOM you’ve got your 6.5 PRC killing .270 Win..

Now that they are producing long, heavy, slippery bullets in .277 this is a very viable option.

 

[Seedy Character]

Neither have I but I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that there is no difference in the price of components either. I get what you said above about recoil ETC but cheaper ammo is not valid. Ammo cost, factory or hand loaded is going to be about the same.

The components cost the same, as in a primer, brass or pound of powder. But, a .243 uses less powder than a .30-06, therefore; cheaper to reload. Bullets being smaller, lighter also tend to be slightly cheaper, but premium bullets; not so much.

The old war horse '06 will be around a long as the Dems allow us