Date: 08 Jul 94  12:38:50
From: Ed Harris
To:   All
Subj: 30-06 Part I of III

America's Greatest, All-Around .30-'06

By C.E. Harris  - Rev. 7-8-94

The most popular deer camp discussion for generations has been
that of the proverbial "All-Around Rifle".  What would be YOUR
choice if you could have only one rifle?   Forget the
apocalyptic, "Red Dawn" scenarios and consider only the present,
and the realistic future.  For me, the answer is plainly obvious. 
A .30-'06 bolt-action, because there's not much a skilled
rifleman and handloader can't do with it.

Some years ago I was invited with a group of gun writers to a
"bring your own rifle" hunt in Texas.  One of the scribes was
intent on doing a survey of what the "experts who could pick
anything their heart desired" did, in fact, choose.  The fellow
doing the survey had built his own wildcat, just for the
occasion.  Of the dozen or so "experts" in attendance besides our
wildcatter, one was a fancier of the .270 Winchester, and the
rest of the rifles in camp were all .30-'06 boltguns.  Now THAT
would have made an interesting article, but the wildcatter, who
had embarked with other ideas, never wrote it, a shame to be
sure.

My gun rack currently holds six .30-'06 rifles, if you don't
count the half-dozen or so extra barrels for my switch-barrel
silhouette, target and bench rifles.  My first .30-'06 was a DCM
M1903A3.  My second was an M1 Garand.  My third was a custom
Winchester Model 70 target rifle with Hart barrel and stock by
Roy Dunlap.  I'm sure my early exposure to highpower rifle
competition, ROTC, handloading, DCM ammo, a particularly fine lot
of TW54 Ball, and some even better LC63 National Match ammo had
something to do with my love for the .30-'06.  But, 30 years
later, as I inspect and care for the brass I've hoarded, it still
makes sense.

The variety of factory loads in .30-'06 is greater  than for any
other American cartridge.  When handloading options are added,
the possibilities are simply staggering.  To keep it simple, five
classes of .30-'06 loads cover all possible uses for a rifle. 
These are: small game and gallery loads; light varmint and target
loads; service rifle loads; long range loads, and big game loads. 
There is, understandably, some overlap, as a "service rifle" load
with match-type bullet becomes a fine "big game" load, with the
substitution of a hunting-type bullet.

I recommend the .30-'06 handloader keep a limited selection of
powder and bullet types which have flexibility for multiple
purposes.  One "reduced load" powder, one "service rifle" powder
and one "long range or big game" powder will do it all. 
Similarly, for bullets, one light cast bullet plinker, a 160-180-
gr. gas-checked target bullet, a "general purpose" 150-168-gr.
jacketed hunting or match bullet, and a heavier 180-200-gr.
specialized hunting or long range target bullet for the serious
shooter round out the whole menu.   Coordinate your .30-'06
component requirements within other needs when possible.  This
enables you to produce economical, safe, and effective ammunition
without accumulating odd lots of components which cause problems
for storage or disposal later.  With this goal in mind, I'll
describe each load class, and make some recommendations based
upon my experience.

- - End of Part I - - continued next message

Copyright, C. E. Harris, 1994, All Rights Reserved


In Home Mix We Trust, Regards, Ed
 


--- msged 2.05
 * Origin: Home of Ed's Red (1:109/120.3006)
 
 
 

