Author Topic: How's the 30-06 for varminting? (Read 1289 times)

Braden · « **on:** July 25, 2004, 05:58:19 PM »

The ol' 06 is probably the most versatile cartridges in the rainforest of calibers out there. Although there are factory loads at what, 125 grains for varmint? you never hear about the use of bullets that small in that rifle. Soo hers my question: The -06 is great for medium-large game, but how does it stand up in that every now-and-then instance where that coyote on the horizon needs to be shown whos boss?

Mac11700 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 25, 2004, 07:41:33 PM »

Why...just fine of course :wink:

Mac

7magWoodsman · « **Reply #2 on:** July 26, 2004, 12:39:05 PM »

I have shot countless groundhog, fox, coyote, and crow with the 30/06
I recommend the Remington Accelerator which is a .22 cal bullet cased in plastic You will probally have to order them although a few gunshops keep them in stock here in Kentucky...Accelerators also made for 30-30win.
Just be sure to only load one at a time in the tube-fed leverguns

like2shoot · « **Reply #3 on:** July 26, 2004, 12:51:14 PM »

I have used 125 grain Rem. bulk pack bullets in 30/06 and in 308s for groundhogs. Both worked well. I used 748 in the 308 and RE 7 in the 06.

Zachary · « **Reply #4 on:** July 26, 2004, 01:04:20 PM »

The .30-06, with the right bullets and loads, can be effective on coyotes. The only thing is that a .308 caliber bullet is a bit overkill and may (probably will) cause much pelt damage.

Zachary

Catfish · « **Reply #5 on:** July 26, 2004, 01:24:46 PM »

I`ve got a friend that use an -06 for groundhog for years. I loaded all of his ammo for him so I know what shot in his gun and what didn`t. Forget the Accelerators. They are very accurate to 75 yrds., not to good at 100 yrds., and you won`t hit nothing at 150 yrds. The litest bullet I found that shoot good in an -06 was the 130 grn. Speer HP. They will hold their line forever and are good to as far as you can guess the hold over. We tried every thing we could get, but the 130 Speers shot by far the best. They leave great big holes and are no good for hide hunting though.

Braden · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2004, 03:51:21 PM »

Whats the smallest gr. that factory shells are sold at? The smallest Ive seen are 125 gr. It seems logical that someone would have the idea to make a lightweight bullet, such as a V-Max for the 30-06. The 204 ruger and 17hmr are amazign bullets, so why arent more companies following hornadys lead and producing varmint loads for more rifles? Cause i guarantee people would buy them if there numbers compare at all to the 204.

7magWoodsman · « **Reply #7 on:** July 28, 2004, 04:03:03 PM »

When a bullet that is too small is pushed too fast it has a tendancy to explode on contact...I would say thats why...

plus to get a .30cal bullet to weigh 85gr. it would be so short it would probally tumble

Lawdog · « **Reply #8 on:** July 29, 2004, 09:24:56 AM »

I have not found very many .30-06s that have barrels that will stabilize bullets lighter than 130 gr.. And I agree with Catfish. Forget the Accelerators. Tried them and accuracy isnt anywhere near good enough for small varmints beyond 50-75 yards. Recoil also becomes a factor when shooting numerous times like in Ground Squirrel or Prairie Dog shooting. Firing 100 plus rounds prone will have your shoulder going on strike. Lawdog

DirtyHarry · « **Reply #9 on:** July 29, 2004, 03:44:36 PM »

I have had the same experience as Lawdog, almost every 06 I ever owned except 1, would keyhole any bullet under 140 grains

Mac11700 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2004, 07:19:39 PM »

I owned a Handi 30-06 for a very short time several years ago...got it on a crazy 4 gun trade for a couple nice pistols I owned...I did try some of the reduced loads for the 90grain Speer Varminter and some of the higher velocity110 grain plinkers...granted they weren't exceeding accurate...but I did manage to take a couple of coyotes and ground hogs with them...I was getting 2-3" groups and they were quite pleasent to shoot...I didn't really take a whole lot of time to develope a load with it...just got lucky with what I tried...then wound up making another several gun trade and passed it along

Mac

safetysheriff · « **Reply #11 on:** August 06, 2004, 06:04:35 PM »

Quote from: Braden

but how does it stand up in that every now-and-then instance where that coyote on the horizon needs to be shown whos boss?

That part about shooting to long range:"on the horizon" will require a better caliber/cartridge..... I'd go with the .25-06 or the .260 Remington for extremely long range. Even the .270 will do much better for such shooting with its lighter bullets. The .30-06 just isn't made for that.

If you're looking for a dual-purpose cartridge with bear thrown in I'd go with the .270....but I'd go with a smaller caliber if there's no bear on the menu.

Good Hunting.

Braden · « **Reply #12 on:** August 06, 2004, 06:13:53 PM »

I was just wonderin bout the 30-06 capabilities... im probably gonna get a 270WSM... How do yall think thatll handle the varmints? Fine, of course, but id like any opinions yall have anyways...

7magWoodsman · « **Reply #13 on:** August 06, 2004, 07:09:40 PM »

Quote from: safetysheriff

Quote from: Braden
but how does it stand up in that every now-and-then instance where that coyote on the horizon needs to be shown whos boss?

That part about shooting to long range:"on the horizon" will require a better caliber/cartridge..... I'd go with the .25-06 or the .260 Remington for extremely long range. Even the .270 will do much better for such shooting with its lighter bullets. The .30-06 just isn't made for that.

If you're looking for a dual-purpose cartridge with bear thrown in I'd go with the .270....but I'd go with a smaller caliber if there's no bear on the menu.

Good Hunting.

I am not meaning any offence, but I have to take up for the "Old '06"

I shot a Red Fox at 400 yards with a Remington BDL 30'06 using 150gr Remington factory loads when I was just a young buck...the longest shot I ever made on a deer was over 500 yards with the same rifle with a fixed 4x Weaver both shots were one shot kills...although there may be better choices for longe range shooting(7mm Remington Magnum) the 100 year old '06 can hold its own if the shooter is proficient with the rifle and familiar with the load...there are confirmed kills out to and including 1000yards+ in the World Wars made by snipers using the Springfield '03 chambered for 30-06 so on the contrary "The 30-06 is made for that" but in 100 years there has been a lot of improvement so naturally there are better choices for longe ranges but to be 100 years old and within inches of the "best" at 500 yards is pretty good in my opinion.

If I was going to buy a new rifle tomorrow and long range was in my mind along with coyote and deer I would go with the 6mm Rem. or the 260 Rem.

7mm MAGNUM · « **Reply #14 on:** August 17, 2004, 02:09:37 PM »

What 7magWoodsman said,....

A good 6 - 6.5mm rifle would make a dandy long range "get someone's attention" varmint weapon!!

A M91 Carcano Model TS, Cal. 6.5mm goes for dirt cheap (about $90.00) from one of my sources. You can either keep it in it's original stock & condition or get yourself a "sporterized stock" for it. The ammo is dirt cheap also and readily available through a wide array of surplus suppliers.

Questor · « **Reply #15 on:** August 18, 2004, 12:54:42 AM »

The .270 is fine for prairie dogs. I load the velocities to be the same as regular hunting bullets so it helps me understand the trajectory. Try Hornady vmax bullets. Devastating, but more pelt damage than some would like is guaranteed.

safetysheriff · « **Reply #16 on:** August 25, 2004, 11:11:14 AM »

7magwoodsman,et.al.,

The point I'm trying to make is that there are better, significantly better, cartridges for the "now and then" shot at ANYTHING on the horizon. It's no news to me that the .30-06 will reach out and touch something! That's old hat to anyone who has read about the cartridge. The question was, "how does it stand up?" In my opinion the fact remains that a number of 6mm, 6.5 mm, and .257 caliber cartridges will do much BETTER, because they shoot flatter, recoil less, and will still do double duty by handling deer and Small bear. These cartridges also make it easier to handle long-range duties when the shooter is less experienced at doping the wind and the range......

Take care.

MGMorden · « **Reply #17 on:** August 25, 2004, 12:33:17 PM »

.30-06 has the distance and kill power that's no question. It'll do excessive pelt damage though. The whole thing is do you care? Dedicated varminters usually do and will want something more appropriate (if you want to go for deer and coyote I'd say to get a .25-06). HOWEVER, some, such as myself, don't care about pelts in the least. When I kill a coyote it's just to get rid of a nuisance animal, and I really couldn't care less what kind of damage it did (heck I'd shoot one with a .375 H&H if I was holding it). If that's the type you are, the rest assured that .30-06 will do just fine.

Most of the time when I see them it's on dog drives (deer dogs will also run a coyote). I can verify that 00 Buckshot does a number on em too.

Zachary · « **Reply #18 on:** August 26, 2004, 04:17:53 AM »

I guess folks could use FMJs to avoid excessive pelt damage.

Zachary

lilabner · « **Reply #19 on:** August 26, 2004, 12:00:44 PM »

If you must have a rifle that is good for varmints and also big game, go 25-06. It is an accurate cartridge and flat shooting. Bucks wind, good at long range on coyotes. Also, a very good deer cartridge even on the big ones.

Larry Gibson · « **Reply #20 on:** August 26, 2004, 01:14:20 PM »

Braden

"]The ol' 06 is probably the most versatile cartridges in the rainforest of calibers out there. Although there are factory loads at what, 125 grains for varmint? you never hear about the use of bullets that small in that rifle. Soo hers my question: The -06 is great for medium-large game, but how does it stand up in that every now-and-then instance where that coyote on the horizon needs to be shown whos boss?[/quote]"

Well to answer the question; specifically regarding the '06, it does just fine. I have killed many a rockchuck, coyote, jackrabbits and other sundry varmints with the 30-06. While a few were with big game loads most were with loads developed just for varmint hunting. If you have a big game load that is accurate, you can judge the range correctly and if you know your holdover or can adjust the scope elevation for the range then it will suffice quite nicely for that occasional "coyote on the horizon" shot. I have killed many coyotes while hunting deer/elk with a 180 gr Hornady SPBT from 25 to 450 yards. Getting in some "varmint shooting" with your big game rifle and load prior to season is excellent practice, far better than just shooting on a range. One small caveat here; I know you didn't mean it but some may confuse "on the horizon" with a skyline shot. Of course a skyline shot is not to be recommended.

For pure varmint hunting whit the '06 I found that 53 gr of H4895 under a Speer 130HP or a Sierra 125 SP in milsurp cases with WLR primers was very accurate and quite deadly to 500+ yards. Velocity runs 3050 to 3150 fps give or take depending on barrel. I've used a couple heavy barreled target '06s but most was with sporters (22 - 24" barrels) which would shoot close to or better than MOA with the above load. I never found the recoil to be that much different from a 25-06 or 6.5-06 (my favorite long range rockchuck cartridge). Flatness of trajectory was perhaps an issue in the past but with lazer range finders and easily adjusted (repeatable adjustments also) scopes for the range that has pretty much been negated. Another caveat here; if you are hide hunting expect a lot of damage with either the Speer or Sierra bullet. I have seen larger rockchucks "eat" a 55 gr sp out of a 22-250 and just roll of the rock. Conversely the same hit with either the Speer or Sierra bullet out of the '06 would "frisbe" them off the rock, no need to walk down range to confirm the kill.

A really fun varmint load for out to 300 yards is the Win/Rem .310 bulk AK/SKS SP bullets over 28 gr of SR4759. Velocity runs right at 2400 fps out of 22" '06 barrels. The Speer or Hornady 100 gr HJs over 18 gr of Unique is another fun short range varmint load but velocity is only 2000-2100 fps, kills well out to 200 yards though.

Yes, the '06 will do just fine.

Larry Gibson