…if you don’t own at least one .30-06?

Was wondering how many else share this opinion.

Also curious if there’s another caliber you think better represents all of mankind.

Mostly joking here but also serious question.

Model 12 pump!!

Well this little girl is out. I have no use for a 30-06. Now the .338-06 is one of my favorites. To me the .270 and 30-06 both have too much recoil for what they deliver. Both great rounds to be sure. The 25-06 is also a great Texas deer cartridge.

Nov 4 can't get here fast enough!

I have a set dies and some brass, does that count?

1903 Springfield/ 03A3 and a Garand so maybe I am binary

I have 30-30, 222, 243, 30-06, 270, and 38-40. Also a foreign gun that I’ve shot once and leave in the country. Don’t remember the caliber on that one.

But, when I deer hunt, its always the 30-06, or if sitting close to a feeder, the 30-30.

The 30-06 is military, from Eddystone Arsenal, scoped, and recently re barreled. I killed my first Arizona bull elk and mule deer buck with it in 1967 while in the USAF.

Guess not.

7mm mag here.

The classic .30-06 is certainly a great, long-proven round, but I don't own one. I prefer 7-08, or jump to 7 mag if needed.

I was a handgun guy before I got hooked into centerfire rifles, but...

This is from a PM I wrote earlier today to someone about a gun deal that won't happen the way I thought I'd like....but it's relevant to this discussion:

I became interested in heavier hitters years after in the late 80s and I'd study Cartridges of the World. I somehow decided a bullet needed to weigh a minimum of 150 grains and move at 3000 fps at a minimum. I'm not too sure how I got that idea. When the time came to select something my uncle suggested the .30-06, but I was the same way about it and just found it unappealing because "everyone and their dog has a .30-06." I kinda developed an affinity for the oddball stuff, choosing .41 Mag over .44 Mag, .280 over .270, .222 over .223, ect. & etc.

One day in the more recent past I read an article in one of the rags---probably Rifle (I don't buy the old standby rags like G&A, ST, and the like) written by Richard Mann, I think. He was talking about an intriguing .30-caliber wildcat, presenting it as though it was new. When he referred to it as the .300 Whelen, I knew I'd been had of course, but I also came away with a different opinion of the cartridge. It just seemed much more appealing for some reason (I still call it .300 Whelen sometimes). Then one day about six or eight years ago an opportunity to swap something I had for a late manufacture Model 70 in .30-06 fell in my lap and I jumped on it. I still have it and I like it very much.

I think about 99% of hunters could do everything they're doing just as well with a .30-06, but the truth is there are a lot of cartridges out there that you could say the very same thing about, and still be right.

It's a great one.

How about a .338 Win Mag? I’ve never owned an -06. Closest I’ve had was a .270 Win.

I love .338 Win Mags. That's a man's gun and perfect for elk and big Mule deer. Mines an old Ruger M77 Tang Safety but I had to tame it years ago with an aftermarket stock, recoil pad, break and trigger job. It's a pleasure to shoot now.

50 BMG

No need for a great big-game hunting round, when I no longer hunt big game.

I haven't been without a .22 LR since the 4th grade, and haven't passed a single year where I didn't find it useful.

I had that same gun in a 338 Win Mag. I have probably shot close to 200 different rifles in my life all the way up to the 458 Win Mag. That 338 Ruger 77 is the only rifle I have ever hated. It would flat out beat me to a pulp so I sold it to another forum member. The new owner had a muzzle break installed and a few years later I saw where he was selling it as well. I guess the muzzle break didnt help. LOL

It’s for sure in my top 3 favorite calibers for North America, I’ll be toting an old red pad here in a few weeks for opening morning. Old one but good one…

I have killed deer with the old 06 warhorse but never owned one. Probably never will.

Wound up with one from a benefit auction, like it more than I thought.

I’ll take a 338 Win Mag over it all day.

I don't have a use for one but am not against getting one some day.

Purely subjective but totally agreed with OP. Not even a man unless you own a 30-06. Mines in a very boring 700.
I'd also request to add to the short list a 1911 in 45acp. 9mm and other calibers in 1911 are awesome but just not a man unless u have at least one on 45.

Have owned several, including a Michael Petrov-verified Springfield NRA Sporter that, like a fool, I sold. Gave my father's Springfield to my son-in-law. It's a wonderfully versatile cartridge, and load it with a 200-grain Partition and it will do for anything in North America.

He only did part of the fix. Needed fiber stock, upgraded recoil pad and trigger job. I'm shooting mine today, elk hunting next month in Wyoming.

.30-06 is a fine round but the .300 win mag is the Lords caliber.

No need for the 06’ when they invented the win mag

The man purse crowd will be along shortly to talk about how the recoil from a long action hurts their cat.