Most hunters have a favorite rifle/cartridge for hunting whatever game animal tickles their fancy. Whether it was a rifle that was handed down or one that that was researched for weeks and weeks before spending hard earned money on, we all have good reasons why we prefer the rifles and cartridges we do. I have killed deer with at least 6 different cartridges, from the 223 Rem to the 45-70 Govt. My favorite cartridge and the one that I have taken the most deer with is the 30-06 Springfield. I’m going to step on some toes here, and you may even consider this “trolling” the modern cartridge crowd, but I am going to make my case for the 30-06 Springfield and why I love it.
Back when your grandfather was hunting deer, elk, moose, or bear, chances are he or one of his buddies hunted with a 30-06. I wasn’t around back then, but from what I have heard and read folks didn’t have any problem taking any of those animals with a 30-06 (at reasonable distances and with proper bullet selection, of course). In today’s world of influencers and keyboard warriors, there is a lot of hate spewed toward the beloved cartridge. It’s typically the younger millennials (of which I am one) and the Gen Z deer hunters that seem to talk about how the 30-06 is “too much” for deer and “inefficient” compared to newer, more modern cartridges. I cannot argue with those statements, but I bet there isn’t a deer that has been taken with the 30-06 that has been too dead, and I bet the bullet used to kill that deer had plenty of gas when it arrived at it’s destination (again at reasonable distances with proper bullet selection and with a well placed shot). A Ford F-150 is “too much” and “inefficient” compared to a sedan or a smaller SUV when it comes to what most of us guys use our trucks for, but when the time comes to tote the load or do some work, boy are we glad we have that 1/2 ton pickup.
I have been told by several people that they prefer a 308 Winchester because it delivers 30-06 performance in a short action (lighter rifle and shorter bolt throw). If you are going to hunt with a 150 grain bullet, that statement is pretty close to accurate. However, the heavier the bullet, the more the 30-06 pulls away in terms of maximum effective range. I have killed most of my deer with a 150 grain bullet in a 30-06, and I have to say it is my least favorite weight. I would much rather have a 165 or 180 grain, the former being sort of the “sweet spot” for deer. 165 Grain 30 cal bullets have a much better sectional density than 150 grain bullets (.248 and .226 respectively), giving a hunter a little more “insurance” in the case of a quartering shot or a situation when more penetration is needed. There is a little table below to give some “apples to apples” velocity comparisons between factory Hornady loads for 308 Win and 30-06 Sprg.
| Bullet (factory Hornady ammo) | Muzzle Velocity | Velocity at 500 yds | (Approximate) Distance in yards at which velocity drops below 1,800 fps |
| 30-06 165 SST | 2960 | 1997 | 615 |
| 308 165 SST | 2840 | 1902 | 560 |
| 30-06 178 ELD-X | 2750 | 1969 | 640 |
| 308 178 ELD-X | 2600 | 1846 | 550 |
| 30-06 150 SST | 3080 | 2025 | 625 |
| 308 150 SST | 3000 | 1963 | 585 |
As you can see with these Hornady loads the 308 is pretty close to the 30-06 with regards to velocity, but with the heavier 178 grain ELD-X bullet you get nearly 100 extra yards of effective range. As a side note, the ELD-X bullets and SST bullets were designed to expand reliably down to 1,600 fps, but for all intents and purposes I am just sticking with 1,800 fps as a common minimal effective velocity for many factory bullets. When comparing more traditional 180 grain factory loads like Remington Core Lokts or Winchester Power Points, the differences in velocities and maximum effective ranges of the 30-06 and 308 are negligible, but with the more modern, sleek bullets like Hornady ELD-X and Federal Terminal Ascent, the 30-06 shines. Velocity is just one parameter when comparing the two. Without getting too much deeper in the weeds, the 30-06 will have an energy advantage over the 308 at any reasonable hunting distance, giving the 30-06 a little extra “wallop” on game. The 308 Win is a fine deer cartridge, but the 30-06 Sprg equal, it is not.
| Factory load | Energy at 100 yds (ft lbs) | Energy at 300 yds (ft lbs) |
| Remington core lokt psp 180 grain 30-06 | 2436 | 1666 |
| Remington core lokt psp 180 grain 308 | 2288 | 1556 |
| Hornady 178 grain ELD-X 308 | 2357 | 1792 |
| Hornady 178 grain ELD-X 30-06 | 2645 | 2026 |
I had another one of these young bucks tell me recently that he preferred the 7mm Remington Magnum over the 30-06 Sprg because the 30-06 wasn’t as accurate. It may be true that the 7mm Rem Mag is more “inherently” accurate than the 30-06 Sprg, but that does not mean that all 7mm Rem Mag rifles are more accurate than all 30-06 Sprg rifles . I currently own 3 rifles chambered in 30-06 Sprg, and all three of them will shoot 1 inch or better three shot groups at 100 yards with a particular factory load that they prefer. I cannot blame any of those rifles or the 30-06 cartridge if I cannot hit a deer at a practical range with them. For hunting game that is appropriate for these two cartridges 400 yards and in, the 30-06 is just as capable as the 7mm Rem Mag, and in certain scenarios a 30-06 would be better than a 7mm Rem Mag. Not to mention you have increased magazine capacity with many rifles and cheaper ammo with the 30-06.
Another knock against the 30-06 is that it has too much recoil. I’m really not going to comment much on this. There are a multitude of fine deer cartridges that are low recoiling, and I would rather any hunter use a rifle/cartridge combo that he or she is comfortable shooting to ensure good shot placement and an ethical kill on a game animal. I will say, however, that I sure am glad those young American men in the first half of the 20th century learned how to handle the old war horse’s recoil. This “heavy recoiling” cartridge may be old fashioned to many folks, but in the word’s of Agent Phil Coulson, “With everything that’s happening…..people might need a little old fashioned.”
In conclusion, I just like the 30-06. Is is too much for deer? Nothing can be too dead. Is it inefficient compared to modern cartridges like the 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.8 Western, 6.5 PRC, and even the 308 Win? Yes, but I don’t see you trading your truck in for a Prius. Is the recoil too excessive with the 30-06? It’s relative. A friend of mine that has a lot to do with why I love hunting and cartridges as much as I do likes to say, “What’s big to a mouse aint [crap] to an elephant.” I like the 30-06 because it helped the good guys win back to back World Wars. I like it because two of the men that helped me learn how to shoot (my dad and my uncle) both hunted with rifles chambered in 30-06 Sprg. Finally, I like it because it just plain works.
