Are there any cartridges better than the .30-06?

[HuckleberryFun]

No.

 

[MountainBear]

Yes.

Edited: Excellent third or fourth post! Very substantive!

 

[ZigZagZeke]

"Are there any cartridges better than the .30-06? "

Not to re-ignite the oldest argument about hunting rounds in the history of the west, er the lower 48, er the U.S. but sure there is,...

The .270.

LOL!

I had a .270 that was a Remington 721. Nice rifle and accurate, but restricted bullet selection. I now have a S&W (Howa) 1500 in .30-06 which allows me to shoot anything from 220 gr. on down and is capable of .75" groups at 100 yds. I've shot a .32 Special Marlin 336, a .30-30 Marlin 336, and a .243 Winchester 88 for deer hunting. I got the .30-06 for elk and moose, where I wanted to be able to shoot a 220 gr. bullet. Got rid of the .243 model 88 Winchester due to the really awful trigger design. Got rid of the Marlin 336 in .32 Special when I came across the same rifle in .30-30 due to the availability of ammo. The .30-30 and .30-06 ammo is available almost everywhere that sells ammo. That's nice when you need some and you're in the "outback" where the local retail ammo supply is on a shelf in the local grocery store.

 

[Jamie6.5]

I had a .270 that was a Remington 721. Nice rifle and accurate, but restricted bullet selection. I now have a S&W (Howa) 1500 in .30-06 which allows me to shoot anything from 220 gr. on down and is capable of .75" groups at 100 yds. I've shot a .32 Special Marlin 336, a .30-30 Marlin 336, and a .243 Winchester 88 for deer hunting. I got the .30-06 for elk and moose, where I wanted to be able to shoot a 220 gr. bullet. Got rid of the .243 model 88 Winchester due to the really awful trigger design. Got rid of the Marlin 336 in .32 Special when I came across the same rifle in .30-30 due to the availability of ammo. The .30-30 and .30-06 ammo is available almost everywhere that sells ammo. That's nice when you need some and you're in the "outback" where the local retail ammo supply is on a shelf in the local grocery store.

You must have missed the "LOL" at the bottom of my post Zeke.

 

[Mecanik]

In the end if I had to pick 5 calibers to do everything I would pick:
1. .22LR
2. .223 Rem
3. 30-30
4. 30-06
5. 7mm Mag
Everything else is just fluff. This list will do it all and there's no need for any other.
So sayeth me.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

You must have missed the "LOL" at the bottom of my post Zeke.

Nope, just outlining my experience with different hunting cartridges. I'd never really considered all those decisions together in one place before. Versatility and availability have turned out to be the drivers of those decisions.

 

[Jamie6.5]

Nope, just outlining my experience with different hunting cartridges. I'd never really considered all those decisions together in one place before. Versatility and availability have turned out to be the drivers of those decisions.

The "ought-Six's" ability to shoot that huge variety of bullets makes it the most versatile un-belted cartridge in history.
The only cartridge that comes close might be the .300WM & .338WM.

But if all someone wants to do is hunt the lower 48, all you need is mid weight bullets. And the .270 does that very well.
At least as well as the 06, and in some cases better.
Where most people go wrong with the .270 is choosing O'Connor's favorite load, the 130gr bullet, over the 150gr. There's very little the .270 with 150gr slugs won't kill, and nothing in the lower 48.
BTDT with both cartridges, and I prefer the .270 loaded with 150s over the 06 with either 165s or 180s.
But I don't hunt Alaska either.

 

[3MTA3]

The "ought-Six's" ability to shoot that huge variety of bullets makes it the most versatile un-belted cartridge in history.
The only cartridge that comes close might be the .300WM & .338WM.

But if all someone wants to do is hunt the lower 48, all you need is mid weight bullets. And the .270 does that very well.
At least as well as the 06, and in some cases better.
Where most people go wrong with the .270 is choosing O'Connor's favorite load, the 130gr bullet, over the 150gr. There's very little the .270 with 150gr slugs won't kill, and nothing in the lower 48.
BTDT with both cartridges, and I prefer the .270 loaded with 150s over the 06 with either 165s or 180s.
But I don't hunt Alaska either.

.270, .280, and 30-06 are all great all around rounds. The .280 is ballistically the best of the three especially in the AI version, but you can get .270 and .30-06 almost anywhere anytime. If you are in moose (big and can get REAL ornery) and big bear country, the .30-06 is best, otherwise the .270 is all you need.

 

[etrain16]

After talking to @MountainBear today on the phone he swears by it and thinks that God almighty himself owns one.

I disagree though.

God's rifle is a .30-06. No doubt in my mind.

Rumor has it that Moses' staff was actually a .30-06, and that's what he used to part the Red Sea...just sayin'

 

[Member 5605]

Rumor has it that Moses' staff was actually a .30-06, and that's what he used to part the Red Sea...just sayin'

At that point.....

I'm at a loss for words.

 

[MountainBear]

Rumor has it that Moses' staff was actually a .30-06, and that's what he used to part the Red Sea...just sayin'

YES!!! Finally someone else who understands properly...

 

[JRuby]

i agree with spitpatch in that there are better cartridges for specific purposes. I would prefer something heavier for the big five or something smaller for predators. I agree with Jamie and others that there isnt that much difference between the 270,280 and the 3006. In the lower 48 they are all you really need. I have a nice 270 and 3006 but i keep coming back to the 7x57 in a nice mauser action for deer. i think sometimes its the rifle over rhe cartridge. I am a lucky man to have these options

 

[MountainBear]

This one is for you Dyjital! 110gr FMJ with unique. Should be light enough to shoot without hurting your injured shoulder.

 

[JRuby]

This one is for you Dyjital! 110gr FMJ with unique. Should be light enough to shoot without hurting your injured shoulder.

View attachment 310348

how well do most 3006 rifles stabalize that light of a bullet I have never shot anything less that 150 in a 06.

 

[JRuby]

people talk about being able to shoot all these different loads how many of those shoot to the same point of impact. Seems to me that each time you change bullet weights you get to site in all over again. i have always believed in one load per rifle. Makes life easier shooting is suppose to be fun.

 

[Jamie6.5]

people talk about being able to shoot all these different loads how many of those shoot to the same point of impact. Seems to me that each time you change bullet weights you get to site in all over again. i have always believed in one load per rifle. Makes life easier shooting is suppose to be fun.

Except I have had two .270s that will shoot 130gr and 150 gr bullets to the same POA out to 225 yds. I could probably have gone further with both, but I just never tried.

 

[JRuby]

Except I have had two .270s that will shoot 130gr and 150 gr bullets to the same POA out to 225 yds. I could probably have gone further with both, but I just never tried.

very nice rarely will two different bullet weights shoot to the same point. i am sure at some point along the way they cross. Knowing where they cross might be key. For every rule i have heard of thier always seem to be exceptions.

 

[Jamie6.5]

how well do most 3006 rifles stabalize that light of a bullet I have never shot anything less that 150 in a 06.

Light bullets are the easy ones to stabilize. It's the heavy ones (long ones actually) that are hard to stabilize.

 

[JRuby]

i have an original fn belgium 1950s mauser in 270 and in about 15 years its been in the field once. Its a good hunting rifle but i have others i seem to like more.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

The .280 AI is an excellent choice lending approx 100 FPS over the .280 or the .270.
Neither of which would be quite the same without its mother, the 06.
Neither the .270 (which old jack later admitted he was paid handsomely to fib about) nor the .280 AI or it's sibling do what the 06 does from lighter weight to upper weight bullets across the board.
This has been beaten to death by far more experienced shooter/reloaders than I, and the verdict was long ago reached.
From 55 grain to 220 there has never been a more versatile cartridge designed.
Hmmm