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The do-all .30-06: from mice to moose, the venerable '06 can take 'em all

The .30-06 Springfield is the most versatile cartridge ever developed. Considering North American big game only, the 7mm Remington Magnum may win the horse race by a nose. But all in all, the hundred-year old '06 has captured fans worldwide from its birth in 1903 as the .30-03 Springfield. Some devotees go overboard. I read a book in which the author listed best cartridges for different kinds of shooting. From stopping charging elephants to dispatching rats in the basement, this scribe picked the .30-06 Springfield every time. Truth is, being a jack-of-all-trades, the venerable round is probably not ideal for anything. It's not best for varmints. The great Colonel Townsend Whelen said it was too much for deer in the early 1900s. And something bigger is better life insurance against a charging beast bent on turning the hunter into an antipasto.

But loaded right, the cartridge can do just about anything. We could start at the top with the strongest long-range medicine available, but instead, let's work up from the below. Here are 10 ways to load the '06 to do everything: accurate small game and camp meat provider, mild informal target and plinking fun, wild turkey, varmints, deer .30-30 style, deer way out there, elk, all-around big game, moose/big bears, and long-range challenge.

The '06 for Small Game

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In my home state, Wyoming, a big-game rifle is legal for rabbits and mountain birds. After filling a deer or elk tag, I leave camp with my .30-06 for edibles. Of course a 22-rimfire pistol is great for these tasty items, but on backpack hunts especially, it's nice to have one rifle that does it all, including super light loads for procuring fresh campfire food. So how about a little 110-grain 30-caliber bullet at .22 Long Rifle velocity? The bug in the oatmeal with such squib loads in medium to large capacity cases has always been accuracy-or rather the lack of it. Thanks to Hodgdon's Triple Seven that bug has been squashed. While Triple Seven is a muzzleloader fuel, it cleans up as readily and thoroughly as smokeless (but do the job soon after shooting). I have no concern with Triple Seven loads in my favorite .30-06, an all-weather Legendary Global Mauser 98 action with 26-inch Morrison Precision barrel, McMillan synthetic stock, topped off with a 30mm Swarovski 2.5-10X scope secured with Tally mounts.

For low velocity with grouse taking accuracy, go with 30-grains volume (not weight) Triple Seven FFg powder behind a 110-grain bullet. The FMJ (full metal jacket) bullet is allowed where I hunt. it does clean work on camp meat. Choose the 110-grain SP (softpoint) roundnose where the FMJ is not practical or legal. Hornady makes good .30 caliber 110-grain bullets in FMJ, SR and spitzer styles. Good bullets for mountain birds, cottontails, and other delectable fireside fare. To prepare these loads, use a volumetric black powder adjustable measure set at 30-grains. More powder can be loaded, but don't bother. It's counterproductive to the application of this load. Hodgdon warns against compacting Triple Seven in the cartridge case anyway, plus the goal is .22 Long Rifle velocity. The 30-grain volume Triple Seven FFg charge accurately pushed the 110-grain bullet at 1,312 fps.

Informal target shooting

A little higher velocity is the goal to gain a slightly flatter trajectory. I find a bullet like the 110-grain Sierra soft point just right for light-recoil and relative quietness. This is the kind of load that should always be used in training a new shooter, as well as anyone who is recoil or noise sensitive. My wife and I started a youth introduction program in our little town, whereby we take kids out who want to shoot. The kids never shoot full-power ammo in our H&R .243 single-shot training rifle. In fact, my wife shoots squib loads in her rifle until she's hunting. She plinks away with butterfly amino for practice and rifle familiarity with full-throttle fodder for big game only. In the field, excitement and concentration erase all awareness of the extra "kick" and muzzle blast, I like smokeless powder for this one. Super accuracy is not necessary for such close-range shooting. A charge of 15-grains SR-4759 with the aptly named 100-grain Speer Plinker gets 1,500 fps and is ideal for close-range practice and plinking.

Wild turkey

Rifles are legal for wild turkey hunting in some areas. The .22 WMR is good for Ben's bird, especially with Federal's 50-grain JHP. But once again the '06 shouts, "Hey, I can do that, too!" Any .30 caliber FMJ bullet is legal for gobblers where I hunt. Often, I do a month-long camp in northern Wyoming where elk, deer, and other big game are open season--as well as wild turkeys. One 110-grain 30-caliber pill swiftly supplies a Thanksgiving dinner. For this work, I want about 2,000 fps. Wild turkeys are tough customers. They can scurry into the brash in a flash, never to be seen again. Aim for the pinion area where wing and body join. Put a 30-caliber 110-grain roundnose softpoint starting at two grand on that spot and it will cleanly drop the biggest tom that ever gobbled and with minimum meat loss. For this load, lay in 16-grains SR-7625 powder with that 110-grain missile for 2,000 fps at the muzzle, and shoot with confidence out to 125 yards.


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