.30-06 Springfield

The .30-06 cartridge was conceived in 1900, when Springfield Armory engineers began work on a battle rifle to replace the .30-40 Krag-Jorgensen. A prototype emerged in 1901. Two years later, the Model 1903 Springfield appeared. Its .30-caliber rimless cartridge headspaced on the shoulder, like the 8x57 Mauser. A 220-grain bullet at 2,300 fps made the .30-03 a ballistic match for the 8x57 and its 236-grain bullet at 2,125.

A year later, Germany switched to a 154-grain 8mm spitzer at 2,800 fps. Americans countered with the Ball Cartridge, Caliber .30, Model 1906. It hurled a 150-grain bullet at 2,700 fps. Someone decided to shorten the case .07, to .494. All .30-03 rifles were recalled for rechambering.

Early '06 bullets were jacketed with an alloy of 85 percent copper, 15 percent nickel. It did not hold up at .30-06 velocities; fouling rendered rifles inaccurate. Tin plating reduced fouling, but over time, tin "cold-soldered" to case mouths and could cause pressure spikes. An alloy of zinc and copper, 5-95 or 10-90, solved this problem; it became known as gilding metal.

After WWI demonstrated the value of high ballistic coefficients, the Army replaced 150-grain '06 bullets with a 173-grain spitzers at 2,646 fps. This M-1 round pestered troops to 5,500 yards, and boosted recoil. In 1939 the Army adopted the M-2 load, to fight WWII with a 152-grain spitzer at 2,805 fps. By conflict's end, two generations of riflemen were hopelessly in love with the .30-06.

Suitable Applications

The '06 is a fine choice for any North American big game, and for all but a few ponderous beasts abroad. It is the all-around cartridge, chambered in more rifles than any other round save the .308. During the first twenty-five years of Model 70 production, Winchester sold it in eighteen chamberings. More than a third (208,218) were '06s. You can buy '06 cartridges in more places than any other rifle ammo. Such ubiquity is endearing to anyone whose luggage has vanished in the bowels of foreign airports. The .30-06 still ranks as one of the two most popular elk rounds.

Ballistics

The '06 is a near match to the 7mm Rem. Mag. Given identical bullets and 200-yard zeros, it hits within two vertical inches of the .300 Win. Mag. at 300 yards. Hornady and Federal catalog souped-up 180-grain loads that perform like the .300 H&H. O'Conner used 53 grains of IMR 4320 behind 150-grain bullets for 2,950 fps. Whelen launched 165-grain boattails with 58 grains of 4350. Page claimed fine accuracy with 180-grain bullets and 55 grains of 4350. Waters capped 50 grains of Norma 203 with 180-grain Norma bullets.