Instantly the 30/06 cartridge was adopted into civilian use for sporting purposes and rapidly expanded into the world wide shooting community and in which it was accepted with open arms. The 30/06 springfield is one of the most widely accepted cartridges in the world. The reason for such popularity is the availability of bullets which range in weight from 100 grains to 220 grains.

 The 30/06 brass cartridge case lends itself well to be altered into other calibers and cartridges, the list is long and most of the cartridges that were developed are some of the best we have even today.

 The 30/06 springfield with the power it offers down range will recoil somewhat to the shooters shoulder with heavier bullets in the 180 grain range, the recoil is at the peak of what most shooters will tolerate. However with achievements of the ammunition manufacturers in the past ten years, recoil has been reduced dramatically and this has moved the 30-06 Springfield cartridge into a stand alone position of the most versatile rifle cartridge in all of North American hunting.

 While those that handload their own ammunition for the 30-06 springfield have been nearly duplicating 300 H&H Magnum ballistics for years with their 30-06 handloads, the ammunition manufacturers have picked up the pace with high performance loads for the 30-06 as well. Remington's 55-grain Accelerator load with its 55-grain saboted bullet at 4080 fps for the 30-06 springfield is quite an achievement, Hornady's Superformance loadings offer standard loadings with an average of 200 feet per second velocity gains over standard 30-06 loads of equal bullet weights with the use of specialized gun powders.

30-06 Springfield Specifications:

30-06 Springfield Barrel Specifications:
Common Barrel Twist Rate - 1 in 10" - (Uncommon) - 1 In 12".
Bore Groove Diameter - .308".

30-06 Springfield Cartridge Specifications:
Bullet Diameter: .308 Inch.
Neck Diameter: .340 Inch.
Shoulder Diameter: .441 Inch.
Shoulder Angle: 17 Degrees.
Base Diameter: .470 Inch.
Rim Diameter: .473 Inch.
Case Body Length: 1.948 Inches.
Case Shoulder Length: .063 Inch.
Case Neck Length: .383 Inch.
Case Overall Length: 2.494 Inches.
Cartridge Overall Length: 3.340 Inches.

30-06 Springfield Reloading:
30-06 Springfield Reloading Specifications:
Bullet Diameter - .308".
Maximum Case Length - 2.494".
Trimmed Case Length - 2.484".
Primer Size - Large Rifle.
30-06 Springfield Loading Data Hints:
The 30-06 Springfield responds well to IMR powders such as 4064, 4350, 4320 and 4831 ignited by remington 9 1/2 primers, very accurate.
(110-130 Grain Bullets) - Varmint. (130-150 Grain Bullets) - Deer.
(165 Grain Bullets) - Elk. (165-180 Grain Bullets) - Moose.
30-06 Springfield Reloading Data:
Hodgdon Reloading Data Center.

30-06 Springfield Reloading For Accuracy:
 Reloading for accuracy in the 30-06 Springfield is not all that difficult. I have written a nice little guide for rifle cartridge reloading that will solve any issues you may have reloading your empty 30-06 brass into fully loaded accurate rifle cartridges.
 Some of the most important issues when reloading for the 30-06 Springfield is case capacity as this is a variable in reloading not a constant. Just using brass from different manufacturers will show considerable variance in case capacity and when done wrong extreme jumps in chamber pressure will occur, so read well the part on case capacity and load density of powder.
AccuracyBrassPrimersPowderBulletsLoad TestingRun-Out

30-06 Springfield Accuracy:
Maximizing 30-06 Springfield Rifle Accuracy:
To Achieve maximum accuracy from your 30-06 Springfield Autoloading or Bolt Action rifle there are several things you need to do.
 1. Properly mount your rifle scope.
 2. Properly break-in your rifle barrel.
 3. Properly sight-in your rifle.
 4. Use this free target designed for accurate sight-ins, follow the instructions.
Note: If you follow all of the directions in the above guides that I have written, you will achieve the maximum accuracy that your 30-06 Springfield rifle pocesses.

30-06 Springfield Ballistics And Hunting Applications:

This is a down range trajectory chart for the 30-06 Springfield cartridge with the scope mounted 1.5 inches above the bore center line and this loads effective hunting bullet energy range with well placed shots on the following wild game. Varmint and Predator Size Game: such as Bobcat, Cougar and Coyote. Deer Size Game: such as Antelope, Black Bear, Black-Tailed Deer, Hogs, Javelina, Mule Deer and White-Tailed Deer. Elk Size Game: such as Caribou, Elk and Sheep. Moose Size Game: such as Brown Bear, Grizzly Bear and Moose. 30-06 Springfield XP3 Factory Ammunition: Bullet Diameter: .308 Inches. Bullet Weight: 150 Grains. Bullet Ballistic Coeffecient: .437. Bullet Muzzle Velocity: 2,925 Feet Per Second. Bullet Muzzle Energy: 2,849 Foot Pounds.
Range	100 yds.	200 yds.	300 yds.	400 yds.	500 yds.	+
Bullet Drop	+ 1.9	0	- 7.2	- 20.8	- 42.2	Inches
Bullet Energy	2448	2095	1782	1507	1266	Ft. Lbs.
Varmint	+	+	+	+	+	-
Deer	+	+	+	+	+	-
Elk	+	+	+	-	-	-
Moose	+	+	-	-	-	-

30-06 Springfield Ballistics For Moose Size Game:
The 30-06 Springfield chambering is more than capable of taking out moose and big bears with authority, but the best possible energy range for this round on these large game animals is 200 yards.
 The winchester XP3 cartridges in 30-06 Springfield, 150 grain bullet weight, are rated by winchester for use on the following game animals: Antelope, White-Tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Caribou, Elk, Moose, Grizzly Bear and Brown Bear.
 Now let's look at another Winchester XP3 loading for the 30-06 that will extend the energy range for moose and bears.

This is a down range trajectory chart for the 30-06 Springfield cartridge with the scope mounted 1.5 inches above the bore center line and this loads effective hunting bullet energy range with well placed shots on the following wild game. Varmint & Predator Size Game: Bobcat, Cougar & Coyote. Deer Size Game: Antelope, Black Bear, Black-Tailed Deer, Hogs, Javelina, Mule Deer & White-Tailed Deer. Elk Size Game: Caribou & Sheep. Moose Size Game: Brown Bear & Grizzly Bear. 30-06 Springfield XP3 Factory Ammunition: Bullet Diameter: .308 Inches. Bullet Weight: 180 Grains. Bullet Ballistic Coeffecient: .527. Bullet Muzzle Velocity: 2,750 Feet Per Second. Bullet Muzzle Energy: 3,022 Foot Pounds.
Range	100 yds.	200 yds.	300 yds.	400 yds.	500 yds.	+
Bullet Drop	+ 1.6	0	- 7.8	- 22.5	- 45.1	Inches
Bullet Energy	2658	2330	2034	1768	1530	Ft. Lbs.
Varmint	+	+	+	+	+	-
Deer	+	+	+	+	+	-
Elk	+	+	+	+	-	-
Moose	+	+	+	-	-	-

 As you can see from the above ballistics charts the 30-06 springfield is a very powerful 200-300 yard moose and bear cartridge for North American hunting and it achieves this through the latest developments in factory ammunition and handloading your own ammunition for the 30-06.

30-06 Springfield Ballistics For Elk Size Game:
The 30-06 Springfield chambering is an excellent cartridge for elk hunting in open and wooded elk country. The 30-06 springfield is good for elk out to about 250-300 yards with most factory ammunition. Having said that, those that handload their own 30-06 ammunition know that they have range out to 400 yards using the right bullet and powder combination. Those that shoot factory ammunition now have the same range for elk when using the Hornady Superformance factory 30-06 165 grain SST loadings.

This is a down range trajectory chart for the 30-06 Springfield cartridge with the scope mounted 1.5 inches above the bore center line and this loads effective hunting bullet energy range with well placed shots on the following wild game. Varmint & Predator Size Game: Bobcat, Cougar & Coyote. Deer Size Game: Antelope, Black Bear, Black-Tailed Deer, Hogs, Javelina, Mule Deer & White-Tailed Deer. Elk Size Game: Caribou & Sheep. Moose Size Game: Brown Bear & Grizzly Bear. 30-06 Springfield Hornady SST Superformance Factory Ammunition: Bullet Diameter: .308 Inches. Bullet Weight: 165 Grains. Bullet Ballistic Coeffecient: .447. Bullet Muzzle Velocity: 2,960 Feet Per Second. Bullet Muzzle Energy: 3,209 Foot Pounds.
Range	100 yds.	200 yds.	300 yds.	400 yds.	500 yds.	+
Bullet Drop	+ 1.6	0	- 6.9	- 20.10	- 40.70	Inches
Bullet Energy	2769	2380	2034	1729	1461	Ft. Lbs.
Varmint	+	+	+	+	+	-
Deer	+	+	+	+	+	-
Elk	+	+	+	+	-	-
Moose	+	+	+	-	-	-

 If you look at all the ballistics charts to this point you will notice that all of the 30-06 springfield loadings are fairly even, the slight advantage goes to the Hornady loading here as an elk cartridge for the simple fact there is a slight bullet drop difference at 400 yards. Once again it is the developements in factory ammunition that pushes the 30-06 cartridge to this level of performance.

30-06 Springfield Ballistics For Deer Size Game:
The 30-06 Springfield chambering is a runaway favorite amongst deer hunters in North America as it is an excellent choice for deer hunting. This cartridge has more to offer than most deer hunters realize as many are just quite not sure what the best loads are and that are available to them. For a long time the 30-06 has been known to have pretty good recoil to it and that is true when going for maximum output from the 30-06 cartridge but the latest loading advancements has the 30-06's recoil tamed quite measureably to the point most younger hunters would find it quite tolerable. The first ballistics we will look at for the 30-06 springfield cartridge is the Remington managed recoil loads for the 30-06 springfield.

 Remingtons 30-06 springfield managed-recoil centerfire ammunition delivers deer hunting performance out to 200 yards with half the recoil as they use a specialized new bullet that was developed specifically to perform at lower velocity levels. These bullets are optimized to provide 2x expansion with over 75% weight retention on shots inside of 50 yards and out to 200 yards.

This is a down range trajectory chart for the 30-06 Springfield cartridge with the scope mounted 1.5 inches above the bore center line and this loads effective hunting bullet energy range with well placed shots on the following wild game. Varmint & Predator Size Game: Bobcat, Cougar & Coyote. Deer Size Game: Antelope, Black Bear, Black-Tailed Deer, Hogs, Javelina, Mule Deer & White-Tailed Deer. Elk Size Game: Caribou & Sheep. Moose Size Game: Brown Bear & Grizzly Bear. 30-06 Springfield Remington Managed Recoil Factory Ammunition: Bullet Diameter: .308 Inches. Bullet Weight: 125 Grains. Bullet Ballistic Coeffecient: .267. Bullet Muzzle Velocity: 2,660 Feet Per Second. Bullet Muzzle Energy: 1,964 Foot Pounds.
Range	100 yds.	200 yds.	300 yds.	400 yds.	500 yds.	+
Bullet Drop	+ 1.0	-2.9	- 15.2	- 38.9	- 78.0	Inches
Bullet Energy	1513	1148	856	632	469	Ft. Lbs.
Varmint	+	+	+	+	+	-
Deer	+	+	-	-	-	-
Elk	-	-	-	-	-	-
Moose	-	-	-	-	-	-

 As you might imagine the above Remington ammunition for the 30-06 springfield recoils very little, so lets look at the ballistics of what the 30-06 springfield cartridge is truly capable of when bullet and powders are used that are very specialized for distance and recoil reduction.

 Hornady's Superformance ammunition is 100 to 200 feet per second faster than any conventional ammunition on the market today, and achieves this performance, without increases in felt recoil, muzzle blast, temperature sensitivity, fouling or loss of accuracy. Hornady's Superformance ammunition uses ultra progressive propellants, that impart all useable energy to the bullet reducing the rocket nozzle effect at the muzzle while maintaining accuracy and still increasing velocity.

This is a down range trajectory chart for the 30-06 Springfield cartridge with the scope mounted 1.5 inches above the bore center line and this loads effective hunting bullet energy range with well placed shots on the following wild game. Varmint & Predator Size Game: Bobcat, Cougar & Coyote. Deer Size Game: Antelope, Black Bear, Black-Tailed Deer, Hogs, Javelina, Mule Deer & White-Tailed Deer. Elk Size Game: Caribou & Sheep. Moose Size Game: Brown Bear & Grizzly Bear. 30-06 Springfield Hornady SST Superformance Factory Ammunition: Bullet Diameter: .308 Inches. Bullet Weight: 150 Grains. Bullet Ballistic Coeffecient: .415. Bullet Muzzle Velocity: 3,080 Feet Per Second. Bullet Muzzle Energy: 3,159 Foot Pounds.
Range	100 yds.	200 yds.	300 yds.	400 yds.	500 yds.	+
Bullet Drop	+ 1.4	0	- 6.4	- 18.9	- 38.4	Inches
Bullet Energy	2700	2298	1945	1636	1366	Ft. Lbs.
Varmint	+	+	+	+	+	-
Deer	+	+	+	+	+	-
Elk	+	+	+	-	-	-
Moose	+	+	-	-	-	-

 As you can see in the above ballistics chart the 30-06 springfield cartridge is more than capable of supplying plenty of energy well beyond a 1/4 of a mile when used for deer and antelope hunting with a very flat trajectory and the fact that most 30-06 chambered rifles are very accurate with most 150 grain weight bullets which makes this ammunition a very good choice for long range hunting.

30-06 Springfield Ballistics For Varmint Size Game:
The 30-06 Springfield cartridge is more than capable of being a double duty cartridge as it can be loaded to be an effective varmint round and ammunition manufacturers have several good loadings for those who shoot factory ammunition. Both Remington and Winchester load a 125 grain bullet to a velocity of 3,140 feet per second for varminting in the 30-06 springfield cartridge and that alone is pretty impressive. However Remington truly produces ammunition for the 30-06 rifle users who want to exclusively, hunt varmints.
 Remington manufactures the 30-06 springfield 55-grain Accelerator load at a velocity of 4,080 feet per second and because of this loading the 30-06 springfield cartridge is truly the stand alone winner of the most versatile cartridge in all of North American hunting.

This is a down range trajectory chart for the 30-06 Springfield cartridge with the scope mounted 1.5 inches above the bore center line and this loads effective hunting bullet energy range with well placed shots on the following wild game. Varmint & Predator Size Game: Bobcat, Cougar & Coyote. 30-06 Springfield Remington Accelerator Factory Ammunition: Bullet Diameter: .224 Inches. Bullet Weight: 55 Grains. Sabot Diameter: .308 Inches. Bullet Ballistic Coeffecient: .197. Bullet Muzzle Velocity: 4,080 Feet Per Second. Bullet Muzzle Energy: 2,033 Foot Pounds.
Range	100 yds.	200 yds.	300 yds.	400 yds.	500 yds.	+
Bullet Drop	+ 1.4	+1.4	- 2.6	- 12.2	- 30.0	Inches
Bullet Energy	1482	1073	763	528	355	Ft. Lbs.
Varmint	+	+	+	+	+	-

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