This Isn’t Your Grandpa’s 30-06 ( The H.C.A.R. )

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swampratt

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Don’t you get a lot of meat damage using 30-06 on whitetail?
It boils down to where you shoot them and the bullet construction as to how much meat damage you will get.

My hunting buddy has shot them with 30-30, .243, .308, 30-06 and 5.56.

His comments on those were can you find a different bullet for the 5.56 besides that 55gr V max for deer as it ruins a lot of meat.

His comment was you shoot them with this 30-06 and you know if you hit them because they are on the ground.

Now I have shot whitetail with many more calibers and can say it is where you shoot them and bullet construction.
Hit one in the shoulder bone and you will likely take out both shoulders on a 90 lb. deer.
Hit them in the crease behind the shoulder No bone and expect the heart to be missing.

Double lung one and you mess up a couple ribs.
Neck shoot one and expect that meat and surrounding 4" from where the bullet entered to be trash.

Most meat damage I ever had was with .308 20.5" barrel through the shoulders with 178 A-Max.
Both shoulders junk.
 

swampratt

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I reload and really want my brass to be found and in non dented shape.
This has kept me away from semi auto's in larger calibers.

And the fact that the AR platform is much harder for me to hold steady at longer ranges 150+ yards than my bolt rifles.

You guys can have it even though I like it.
 

El Pablo

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It boils down to where you shoot them and the bullet construction as to how much meat damage you will get.

My hunting buddy has shot them with 30-30, .243, .308, 30-06 and 5.56.

His comments on those were can you find a different bullet for the 5.56 besides that 55gr V max for deer as it ruins a lot of meat.

His comment was you shoot them with this 30-06 and you know if you hit them because they are on the ground.

Now I have shot whitetail with many more calibers and can say it is where you shoot them and bullet construction.
Hit one in the shoulder bone and you will likely take out both shoulders on a 90 lb. deer.
Hit them in the crease behind the shoulder No bone and expect the heart to be missing.

Double lung one and you mess up a couple ribs.
Neck shoot one and expect that meat and surrounding 4" from where the bullet entered to be trash.

Most meat damage I ever had was with .308 20.5" barrel through the shoulders with 178 A-Max.
Both shoulders junk.
Try a 7.5x55 out of a k31 at a whole 10 yards away. It was all I could afford at the time. Was shooting Prvi Partizan fmj. That left a huge exit hole.
 

dennishoddy

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Don’t you get a lot of meat damage using 30-06 on whitetail?
I’ve got a Model 70 in 30-06 that I’d love to use but it seems like so much gun for 90 lb does. Even my 6.5 Grendel with 123gr SST seems a bit much, but at the ranges that I take most of mine 5.56 would probably work, usually less than 100 yards.
The 30-06 was the only center fire rifle I owned for many years due to financial reasons. Haven’t taken a whitetail with it in 20 years or so. It’s the elk rifle now.
55 grain in a 5.56 or a 55 grain in .243 WSSM takes care of business since then.
Occasioally break out the Ruger .44 mag semi auto rifle or this year the .44 mag lever gun known as the “forgotten rifle”.
The .300 Savage gets its turn in the rotation occasionally with pistols getting to play as well. .44 mag, .45 LC and .45 acp. All supported with pics on here over the years.
 

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