SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
In one week's time, I have researched, and learned a lot.
A Brief Summary:
Design and manufacture require engineers. Engineers love standards.
The 30/06 Springfield cartridge is the Gold Standard, for many reasons. Scopes and bullets are designed around it's capabilities...velocities, bullet energy, and therefore trajectory. The current threshold for that capability on big game like deer is 600 yards. But, even that is soon changing.
The 30/06 will propel bullets weighing between 150-180 grains at velocities between 2700-2900 fps or so, with sufficient remaining energy to kill a deer out to that 600 yard range, with the right bullet. It is no accident that .30 cal. 165/168 gr, even 178 gr, high Ballistic Coefficient bullets are available. In the '06, they provide sufficient velocity, energy and flat enough trajectory to allow fatal hits on game to 600 yards, with less than a single turn of 15 MOA on your elevation dial. The current minimum bullet impact velocity threshold, which will allow reliable bullet expansion on big game, is 1800 feet per second. That too, is changing. Nosler has introduced their AccuBond Long Range hunting bullets, which lowers this threshold to 1300 fps. Utilizing them, the handloader has the ability to make his maximum range on deer-sized big game, with the 30/06, out to 750 yards, if you're willing to accept a 1,000 ft lb bullet impact energy minimum.
A 1" tube scope with some type of BDC reticle or externally adjustable windage and elevation turrets will allow you to see far enough and adjust your aim accurately enough to utilize that 600 yard capability, without exceeding the '15 MOA in 1 complete turn' of your elevation adjustment turret, so that if your scope does not have a zero stop, you won't lose your place on the dial, and easily be able to return it to your 100 yard zero starting and reference point. Plus, your scope adjustment is nearer to optical center, for brightest, sharpest and clearest image.
'Short Range' shooting is today 0-300 yards, which is also Maximum Point Blank range. 'Intermediate Range' is 300-600 yards, and 600 yards is currently the Great Divide. The last stop for the 30/06 and similar on big game. Steel plate shooters have no such restrictions. Either you hit the plate, or you don't. On the other side of the Great Divide, lies Magnum cartridges, and rifles with precision scopes to shoot them. 'Rifles' is a relative term, highly tuned Precision Shooting Instruments would be more accurate. Muzzle brakes and weight to tame magnum recoil. Synthetic stocks with aluminum chassis' and bedding for absolute uniform accuracy, adjustable to fit a shooter precisely and comfortably. Triggers adjustable for everything but bass and treble, that break like the proverbial icicle. 'Fast Twist' barrels to stabilize the new, very aerodynamic and slippery heavyweight long-for-caliber bullets. Scopes with 30 mm, even 34 mm tubes. Parallax and focus adjustments. Externally adjustable turrets, with zero stop for two or more turn adjustment capability for elevation adjustments, and still be able to precisely return to 100 yard zero with no worry of your memory failing you and losing your place on the dial. Using Kestrels, which are basically handheld weather stations, that know your exact location, the direction you're facing, your precise altitude, barometric pressure, air temperature, wind speed and direction, and humidity, at your exact location, with built-in ballistics programs that you program with your very precise cartridge and rifle info, BlueTooth capable with your phone's ballistic app if you want, to constantly update the weather info. Using that info, continually shown on it's display are the elevation and windage adjustments you need to make on your scope, in MOA or MILS, your choice, to be able to hold dead on to hit your target, you simply input the range to target info, from your rangefinder.
How long before a BlueTooth-capable scope, with built-in rangefinder, appears on the market that you can pair with a Kestrel...sight on your target, push a button, and a dot appears exactly where you need to hold on your target? It's not very far away.
The Big Leagues, where money is no object. These boys, most of them shooting steel plates, some of them big game hunting, are pushing today's practical shooting range envelope, farther and farther downrange.
A Brief Summary:
Design and manufacture require engineers. Engineers love standards.
The 30/06 Springfield cartridge is the Gold Standard, for many reasons. Scopes and bullets are designed around it's capabilities...velocities, bullet energy, and therefore trajectory. The current threshold for that capability on big game like deer is 600 yards. But, even that is soon changing.
The 30/06 will propel bullets weighing between 150-180 grains at velocities between 2700-2900 fps or so, with sufficient remaining energy to kill a deer out to that 600 yard range, with the right bullet. It is no accident that .30 cal. 165/168 gr, even 178 gr, high Ballistic Coefficient bullets are available. In the '06, they provide sufficient velocity, energy and flat enough trajectory to allow fatal hits on game to 600 yards, with less than a single turn of 15 MOA on your elevation dial. The current minimum bullet impact velocity threshold, which will allow reliable bullet expansion on big game, is 1800 feet per second. That too, is changing. Nosler has introduced their AccuBond Long Range hunting bullets, which lowers this threshold to 1300 fps. Utilizing them, the handloader has the ability to make his maximum range on deer-sized big game, with the 30/06, out to 750 yards, if you're willing to accept a 1,000 ft lb bullet impact energy minimum.
A 1" tube scope with some type of BDC reticle or externally adjustable windage and elevation turrets will allow you to see far enough and adjust your aim accurately enough to utilize that 600 yard capability, without exceeding the '15 MOA in 1 complete turn' of your elevation adjustment turret, so that if your scope does not have a zero stop, you won't lose your place on the dial, and easily be able to return it to your 100 yard zero starting and reference point. Plus, your scope adjustment is nearer to optical center, for brightest, sharpest and clearest image.
'Short Range' shooting is today 0-300 yards, which is also Maximum Point Blank range. 'Intermediate Range' is 300-600 yards, and 600 yards is currently the Great Divide. The last stop for the 30/06 and similar on big game. Steel plate shooters have no such restrictions. Either you hit the plate, or you don't. On the other side of the Great Divide, lies Magnum cartridges, and rifles with precision scopes to shoot them. 'Rifles' is a relative term, highly tuned Precision Shooting Instruments would be more accurate. Muzzle brakes and weight to tame magnum recoil. Synthetic stocks with aluminum chassis' and bedding for absolute uniform accuracy, adjustable to fit a shooter precisely and comfortably. Triggers adjustable for everything but bass and treble, that break like the proverbial icicle. 'Fast Twist' barrels to stabilize the new, very aerodynamic and slippery heavyweight long-for-caliber bullets. Scopes with 30 mm, even 34 mm tubes. Parallax and focus adjustments. Externally adjustable turrets, with zero stop for two or more turn adjustment capability for elevation adjustments, and still be able to precisely return to 100 yard zero with no worry of your memory failing you and losing your place on the dial. Using Kestrels, which are basically handheld weather stations, that know your exact location, the direction you're facing, your precise altitude, barometric pressure, air temperature, wind speed and direction, and humidity, at your exact location, with built-in ballistics programs that you program with your very precise cartridge and rifle info, BlueTooth capable with your phone's ballistic app if you want, to constantly update the weather info. Using that info, continually shown on it's display are the elevation and windage adjustments you need to make on your scope, in MOA or MILS, your choice, to be able to hold dead on to hit your target, you simply input the range to target info, from your rangefinder.
How long before a BlueTooth-capable scope, with built-in rangefinder, appears on the market that you can pair with a Kestrel...sight on your target, push a button, and a dot appears exactly where you need to hold on your target? It's not very far away.
The Big Leagues, where money is no object. These boys, most of them shooting steel plates, some of them big game hunting, are pushing today's practical shooting range envelope, farther and farther downrange.
Last edited: