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30-06 Springfield
Load Data
| History and Information | Lee Die Instructions |
| Lee Quick Trim Die Instructions | Load Data |
| Alliant Load Data | Barnes Load Data |
| 30-06
Springfield Barnes Manual 3 2001 |
Barnes Reloading Volume 4-2008 |
| Berger Load Data | Berger Reloading Manual 1 2012 |
| Hodgdon H4895 Reduced Load Data | Hodgdon Load Data |
| Hodgdon reloading manual 2022 30-06 | 30-06 Springfield Hornady Manual 7 2007 |
| M1 Garand Hornady Manual 8 2010 | Hornady Manual 8 2010 |
| Hornady Manual 9 2012 | Hornady 11th 2021 Load Data |
| Lee Load Data | Lyman Load Data |
| Nosler Load Data | Nosler 9 2020 |
| Shooter's Reference Load Data | Sierra Reloading Data Volume V-2003 |
| Speer Load Data | Speer Reloading Manual 14 2007 |
| Speer 15 2018 | Swift 2 2014 |
| Trail Boss Reduced Loads 2018 | Vihtavuori Load Data |
| VihtaVuori 3 2000 | Western Powder Load Data |
| M1
Garand Hornady Manual 7 2007 |
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| Terminal Ballistics .30-06 Springfield | Reloading The Versatile .30-06 Springfield Unlock its potential with hand loads |
| The All American 30-06 Springfield | Is the 30-06 as Versatile as They Claim? |
| 30-06 Finished or Just Getting Started | The
Forgotten 200 and 220 grain .30-06 Loads |
| 10MinuteTalk - 30-06 Is it Still as Good as it Once Was? | Loading
the 30-06 to to its full potential |
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My 30-06 Bullet Hornady’s inexpensive 150 grain BTSP and FBSP Interlock bullets both produce fast, emphatic killing on lighter medium game at normal hunting ranges. Jacket/core integrity is somewhat poor at impact velocities of 2400fps and above however penetration is more than adequate for game weighing up to 70kg (155lb). Both projectiles give optimum wounding and fast killing at full .30-06 velocities, having a useful range of around 400 yards. The 150 grain SST as mentioned in the factory ammunition section is really quite an outstanding bullet for use on light to mid weight deer species of up to 80kg (180lb). The faster this bullet is driven the better, producing broad wounding and very fast killing out to 300 yards combined with adequate long range performance. The 150 grain InterBond produces best results at impact velocities above 2400fps however much depends on game weights, being more emphatic on heavily built medium animals weighing up to 150kg (330lb) game down to 2200fps. The InterBond is prone to over expand and lose SD on tough game, however in this regard, energy transfer is assured on mid weight game such as the heavy species of Whitetail, Red deer, Thar and Boar. Hornady’s 165 bullets tend to produce excellent accuracy and velocities in .30-06 rifles, whether of vintage designs and twist rates, or modern barrel designs. This bullet weight is ideal for game weighing between 80 and 150kg (180-330lb). That said, the traditional Interlock and SST bullets are fast expanders, producing wide wounding on light bodied game and adequate penetration on slightly heavier game. Of the two designs, the SST is, as can be expected, the more dramatic killer. On lean game at longer ranges, the 165 grain SST never really produces immensely delayed killing. There can at times be a delay in killing at long ranges but the results are nonetheless emphatic. Penetration on game weighing between 150 and 180kg (330-400lb) is acceptable at close ranges where velocity is still around 2900fps however exit wounding cannot be expected on tough game. While the 165 grain Hornady bullets and especially the SST are ideally suited to mid weight game species of the suggested weight range, some hunters would rightly view this bullet weight and the SST design as a good all-round performer. The 165 grain InterBond is a tough bullet, doing its best work on game weighing between 80kg and 200kg (180-440lb) and adequate for deer/antelope weighing up to 320kg (700lb). From muzzle velocities of 2950fps, wounding performance begins to wane after 275 yards (2400fps), showing a more marked decrease in wounding potential at 375 yards (2200fps) and onwards.
The 200 grain Partition and the .30-06 go together like bread and butter. From an MV of 2550fps, the 200 grain Partition gives deep, broad wounding on game weighing between 200-450kg, out to normal hunting ranges of around 300 yards, yet remaining effective for longer range shooting (down to 1600fps). On heavy game such as Bovine species, the Partition struggles to produce wide wounding due to the limitations of the caliber. In this regard, although the 200 grain Partition can achieve cross body penetration on 600kg body weights, hunters really should avoid ordinary chest shots, opting for head and neck shots. This also applies to the wonderful 220 grain Partition, driven at 2350fps.
The .30-06 is versatile regarding powder selection while performance can also be enhanced via the use of specific powders. IMR 4064 and Varget (ADI 2208) are optimal burn rates for 130 to 150 grain bullets while IMR4350 and H4350 (ADI 2209) work well with ideal with 165 to 180 grain bullets. Slow burning powders such as Reloader 22 (MRP) and Superformance can produce outstanding performance with 195 to 220 grain projectiles. From a 24” barrel, the .30-06 is typically capable of comfortably pushing 130gr bullets at 3200fps, 150 grain bullets at 3000fps, 165-168 grain bullets at 2850fps, 175 grain bullets at 2800fps, 180 grain bullet at 2750fps, 200 grain bullets at 2550-2600fps, 208-210 grain bullets at 2450fps and 220 grain bullets at around 2400fps. Some rifles may produce velocities 50 to 100fps faster than these statistical averages, especially if using the afore mentioned slow burning powders with heavy projectiles.
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The Popular .30-06 Springfield
By Chuck Hawks |
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The famous .30-06 really started in 1903 with the .30-03 Springfield military round adopted for the (then) new 1903 Springfield service rifle. This was the cartridge and rifle adopted as a result of painful lessons learned in the Spanish-American War.
In 1906 the .30-03 cartridge was updated to match the newly revised German 8x57JS service round. The neck was shortened .1 inch and a 150 grain spitzer bullet at 2,700 fps was substituted for the previous 220 grain RN bullet at 2,200 fps. The revised cartridge was called the .30-06 Springfield; .30 inch being the bore diameter, '06 representing the year it was adopted by the US Army, and Springfield being the Federal armory where it was developed.
The .30-06 has been going strong ever since, and it is one of the most widely distributed sporting cartridges in the world. The Europeans sometimes call it the 7.62x63, and many European rifles have been so marked. Like the .270 Winchester, 7mm Remington Magnum, and .308 Winchester, ammunition for the .30-06 can be found everywhere game is hunted. These four cartridges comprise my "short list" of all-around cartridges for worldwide use. (See my article All-around Rifle Cartridges for more details.) The .30-06 undoubtedly qualifies as one of the world's best all-around hunting cartridges, and I would guess that if push came to shove, most experts would put it in first place.
The .30-06 case is 2.494 inches long, and the cartridge has an overall loaded length of 3.340 inches. It requires a rifle with a standard length action. Actually, the .30-06 is the longest of the famous Twentieth Century military cartridges that fought two World Wars and became famous "all-around" hunting cartridges the world over (two others being the .303 British and 8x57JS Mauser), and it essentially defined how long a "standard length" action must be. The .30-06's rim diameter followed the example of the 7x57 Mauser (which was the inspiration for the .30-03) and measures .473 inch. This likewise became a de-facto standard dimension, allowing the bolt faces of sporting rifles to accomodate a wide range of cartridges without modification.
Almost every gun company that builds a long action rifle chambers it for the .30-06. If you wanted to buy a new .30-06 today, you would find you could purchase a pump action Remington 760, a semi-automatic Browning BAR or Remington 7400, or a lever action Browning BLR. Almost every standard length bolt action rifle is chambered for the cartridge, including the very popular Browning A-bolt series, Remington 700 series, Ruger 77 series, Savage 110 series, Weatherby Mark V series, and Winchester 70 series. Overseas such famous names as Blaser, CZ, Mauser, Sako, and Steyer-Mannlicher build .30-06 sporters, along with many others. Fine single shot rifles like the Ruger No. 1 and Browning "high wall" are also chambered for the .30-06, as are a few double rifles.
In the year 2000 the .30-06 Spfd. was the number one selling centerfire rifle cartridge in America. .30-06 ammunition is loaded not only in North America, but also in Europe, Africa, Australia, South America, and probably other places. There is a very large selection of factory loads for the caliber, with bullets ranging from 125-220 grains in weight. The reloader has bullet choices ranging from 100 grains to 250 grains.
With the right loads a hunter armed with a .30-06 can tackle everything from jackrabbits to elk, and it shoots flat enough to be included with the long-range big game cartridges. I feel that large, thick-skinned game should be left to the medium and big bores, but nearly everything else is within the capabilities of the .30-06 Spfd. It is my understanding that most Alaskan guides recommend the .30-06 as the minimum cartridge for use on grizzly and brown bears.
Recoil energy is about 20 ft. lbs. in an 8 pound rifle shooting the 180 grain factory load. This is about as much kick as the average shooter can handle, so the .30-06 represents the top power level suitable for the majority of shooters.
The most common factory loaded bullet weights for the .30-06 are 150 grain, 165 grain, and 180 grain. These are the best bullet weights for almost all medium and big game hunting with the .30-06, so they are also the bullets most often used by reloaders. The sectional density (SD) of these three bullet weights is as follows: 150 grain .226, 165 grain .248, and 180 grain .271. Using Nosler Partition spitzer bullets for comparison, the ballistic coefficient (BC) of these bullets is: 150 grain .387, 165 grain ..410, and 180 grain ..474.
The regular factory load for the 150 grain spitzer bullet in the .30-06 has a muzzle velocity (MV) of 2,910 fps with muzzle energy (ME) of 2,820 ft. lbs. At 200 yards the figures are 2,342 fps and 1,827 ft. lbs. Zero this load so that the maximum bullet rise (mid-range trajectory) is 3 inches, and the average spitzer bullet will not fall 3 inches below the line of sight until it reaches 285 yards. Any load with a maximum point blank range (MPBR) of 285 yards can take a lot of game. This is the flattest shooting of the standard .30-06 big game loads, and probably the best choice for medium size deer, antelope, goats, and sheep.
The regular .30-06 factory load for the 165 grain spitzer, regarded by many as the best general purpose bullet weight for the .30-06, gives a MV of 2,800 fps and ME of 2,872 ft. lbs. At 200 yards the figures are 2,283 fps and 1,909 ft. lbs. That load has a maximum point blank range (+/- 3") of about 273 yards.
The popular 180 grain factory load has a MV of 2,700 fps and ME of 2,913 ft. lbs. At 200 yards the figures are 2,023 fps and 1,635 ft. lbs. This load will suffice for all thin-skinned big game, given reasonable bullet placement. Its MPBR (+/- 3") is about 269 yards.
The penetration of most .30 caliber 180 grain bullets at .30-06 velocities is excessive for deer and antelope, and the expansion too slow. 180 grain bullets like the Nosler Partition and Remington Core-Lokt give all the penetration required for any North American game. As Jack O'Connor (the Dean of gun scribes) wrote, the factory loaded 180 grain Remington Core-Lokt bullet will shoot through both shoulders of an Alaskan grizzly bear and kick up dirt on the far side. There are heavier bullets available for the .30-06, including 200 grain, 220 grain, and 250 grain slugs, but they would be needed only in cases requiring extreme penetration. If you need a bullet that heavy you would probably be better off using a medium bore rifle.
There are premium factory loads for the .30-06, which (in a 24 inch barrel) give a significant boost to velocity. Hornady's Light Magnum load gives the 150 grain spire point an advertised MV of 3,100 fps and ME of 3,200 ft. lbs. The Light Magnum load for the 165 grain spire point boat tail claims a MV of 3,015 fps and ME of 3,330 ft. lbs. Hornady's Light Magnum for the 180 grain spire point boat tail bullet has a catalog MV of 2,880 fps and ME of 3,316 ft. lbs. These are about the top velocities attainable within the .30-06's SAAMI pressure limit of 50,000 cup.
Reloaders can use bullets weighing from 110 to 250 grains, but the 150, 165, and 180 grain bullets are the most popular. The second edition of the Sierra Bullets Reloading Manual shows that 52.2 grains of IMR 4350 powder behind a 150 grain bullet gives a MV of 2600 fps, and 59.3 grains of IMR 4350 gives a MV of 3000 fps.
The second edition of the Sierra Bullets Reloading Manual shows that 48.2 grains of IMR 4350 powder behind a 165 grain bullet gives a MV of 2400 fps. 56.5 grains of IMR 4350 powder gives a 165 grain Sierra bullet a MV of 2800 fps.
The Sierra Bullets Reloading Manual also shows that 48.7 grains of IMR 4350 powder behind a 180 grain bullet gives a MV of 2400 fps. 56.0 grains of IMR 4350 gives a 180 grain bullet a MV of 2800 fps. All of these Sierra loads used Winchester cases and primers, and were chronographed in a 26 inch barrel.
The .30-06 Springfield maintains about a 100 fps advantage in MV compared to the .308 Winchester when equivalent loads are compared. This is due to the greater powder capacity of its longer case. That translates to about 1 inch less drop at 300 yards, or a 10 yard increase in maximum point blank range.
When comparing the .308 and the .30-06 cartridges, my conclusion is that if a person intends to purchase a standard size rifle (for instance a Remington M-700 BDL), then he or she might as well buy a .30-06 and take advantage of the 30-06's somewhat flatter trajectory. For any rifle with a standard length action, it is pretty hard to go wrong with the .30-06.