surplus .30-06 in a hunting rifle?

[TonyDedo]

I've been considering adding a cheap-to-mid-range bolt action rifle to my collection, and I'm trying to decide on a caliber.

Originally I had just been looking at .308 and .223, but I've run across a couple real inexpensive .30-06 rifles coming out of estate sales.

I have a pretty solid inventory of surplus Lake City .30-06 ammo I picked up from CMP, which makes the caliber very appealing.

Is there any reason I wouldn't want to shoot this ammo in one of those rifles? I recall reading somewhere that shooting surplus ammo in a commercial hunting rifle could damage it. Is this true, or am I confusing .30-06 with .223/5.56x45?

 

[bpm990d]

No it should not hurt it. However if your going to use it for hunting, you should shoot what you intend to hunt with. That way you will know your zeros. If you reload you can always pull the bullets on the M2 ball and replace them with something more appropriate like a Nosler 150gr. Ballistic Tip or Partition.

You are thinking about the cautions about shooting 5.56mm ammo in rifles chambered for a .223.

B

 

[Patriot]

I've been considering adding a cheap-to-mid-range bolt action rifle to my collection, and I'm trying to decide on a caliber.

Originally I had just been looking at .308 and .223, but I've run across a couple real inexpensive .30-06 rifles coming out of estate sales.

I have a pretty solid inventory of surplus Lake City .30-06 ammo I picked up from CMP, which makes the caliber very appealing.

Is there any reason I wouldn't want to shoot this ammo in one of those rifles? I recall reading somewhere that shooting surplus ammo in a commercial hunting rifle could damage it. Is this true, or am I confusing .30-06 with .223/5.56x45?

No reason at all. Of course, you will save all that 30-06 brass for me because you don't reload it, right?

 

[Nickle]

The only way it's going to hurt is if it's corrosive. The US switched about 1952, so there's little chance that ammo is corrosive. It's M2 Ball, which is actually a moderately light load.

Time to squash most of the 5.56/.223 rumour. Yes, 62 gr and 55 gr loads are for different throats. No, they don't raise pressure so much as to KB a good bolt gun or AR. Yes, a Rem 700 has taken up to 175,000 psi pressure and didn't KB. Locked it up solid, though (I have seen one that did). The owner's friend was a lefty, and pwned a Savage 110, and didn't fare so well. Rifle was in 26 pieces after. Dubber making his own ammo and didn't know the difference between AL-5 and 4831 powder. Had to be told by a 12-15 year old at the local gun shop (this was QUITE a while ago, I don't totally remember my age at the time, I do turn 54 this month, FWIW).

 

[The Zieg]

What's the opinion on the surplus '06 ammo as a hunting round? I have some jacketed Greek (or is it Yugoslav?) ball left that I might use on mule deer here in Colorado, but I'm told it doesn't mushroom enough to kill quickly, that it's inclined to pass through.

Is this a valid point?

Zieg

 

[bpm990d]

Use the appropriate ammunition.

B

 

[jpattersonnh]

What's the opinion on the surplus '06 ammo as a hunting round? I have some jacketed Greek (or is it Yugoslav?) ball left that I might use on mule deer here in Colorado, but I'm told it doesn't mushroom enough to kill quickly, that it's inclined to pass through.

Is this a valid point?

Zieg

Yep! It will not mushroom at all. It will fragment if it hits bone.