Trying to get some info for a friend to help him get started shooting. I reload for several calibers and dabble in prs style shooting but never really messed with a 30-06. He tells me it's a seventies Remington 700bdl. How would he go about finding more about it. Like what twist rate and what kind of ammo to start with shooting longer ranges? I don't know if there's a standard go to factory round for 30-06 like the federal gold medal match is for 308. I'm familiar with the cleaning rod method of checking rifling but I thought I'd check here first to see if maybe it was an easy answer. Thanks.
1970s 700 bdl 30-06 ammo reccommendations
- Thread starter chevytruck_83
- Start date
Fast14riot
Gold $$ Contributor
Most likely 1:10, don't think I've seen a factory gun with anything other than that. Try 180gr bullets, most every '06 I've owned has shot 180's reasonably well for factory ammo.
Albany Mountain
Silver $$ Contributor
I would use the 180 sierra gameking. decades ago this bullet and I believe in 30-06 won the Wimbleton cup at Perry. 4064 and maybe 4350 would be good powders.
180 or 150 grain bullets were what was sold at most sporting good stores for hunting back then.
I use a 165 grain with IMR 4350 which I think is one of the very best powders for the ol 30-06.
I use a 165 grain with IMR 4350 which I think is one of the very best powders for the ol 30-06.
Dans40X
Welder
Bbl code will get you in the ballpark when manufactured.
Serial Number sequencing will get you in the decade of manufacture.
Rem 30-06 Bbl twist rate is 1:10" twist.
Start out with light 110-125gr bullets for a new shooter to get acclimated to the shooting sports,then load some 150-165gr bullets.
Hornady 190gr BTSP w/ 57ish gr of IMR 4350 shoot well in Rem 30-'06 Bbls.
Serial Number sequencing will get you in the decade of manufacture.
Rem 30-06 Bbl twist rate is 1:10" twist.
Start out with light 110-125gr bullets for a new shooter to get acclimated to the shooting sports,then load some 150-165gr bullets.
Hornady 190gr BTSP w/ 57ish gr of IMR 4350 shoot well in Rem 30-'06 Bbls.
What Dans40X said. If this guy hasn't shot big bore very much, shooting 180+ grain bullets will probably be a one-time affair. There's nothing wrong with starting off with about 20 110 gn carbine bullets with light powder loads and working up to 150s. Unless the guy is planning on shooing big game or going out to 1000 yds, I don't see a lot of reason to load bullets above 170 gns. (Just MHO.) The .30-'06 is a pretty flexible round. Make the most of it.
nicholst55
Brass Whore
I believe that Browning at one time sold some .30-06 rifles with a 1:12 twist, but that was eons ago.
Tell your friend to shelf the 30-06 and buy a Ruger American Predator in .223. Great fun and no recoil.....cheap ammo and very accurate.
Thanks for the help. I need to see what he wants to do. All of his rifles are old school high quality pieces. He's not crazy about the new stuff. So if I convince him to get something easier on the wallet and shoulder it probably wouldn't be something made in the last century. He has odd stuff like the old 700 titanium 7mm08. I personally like the idea of a 308 just because it's easy to find decent ammo and extremely easy to hand load for. I doubt he will go for a 223.
ultramagbrion
Guerrilla Machinist
Does he have any 243's ? My all time favorite , of the 3-4 dozen Rems Ive owned over the years , was an early 70's BDL Varmint in 243. A classic beauty and like so many of those early Varmint BDL's , extremely accurate . Old-School Cool
Is this "friend" some petite girl or woman? I mean really... is the slap of recoil going to turn them off against shooting? Somebody advises loading up some squib 110gr rn carbine bullets so as not to generate flinch for life?
Gonna worry about the twist rate? Before a shot has been fired? More likely the concern is cleaning the hell out of that old rifle. If anything, the barrel is junk because it was never cleaned and there is layers of crap on the bore. Worried about the piece shooting well? Well, get your pal to bring the smokepole over and show him/her about cleaning...
.30-06 was kind of the American Standard. Healthy recoil was considered "invigorating". Tell the guy to buy a couple boxes of cheap Rem, Win, or Fed ammo at Walmart and just go shooting for goodness sakes! Clean the wasps nests out of the barrel first though. Then tell him the bad news about that crappy non-safe Rem 700 "safety" the one that don't block the firing pin... Show him a 1gal jug of water impacted from 20yds by a bullet. Makes a life long impression, and reinforces "never point the muzzle at anything you don't wish to see destroyed" Gun Comandment #2, right after All Guns are considered loaded until proven otherwise...
The guy/gal will either like shooting, or not; it ain't gonna depend upon you. The real fun will begin after he/she has some fired brass. You did say you're a handloader? Hopefully, the BDL will shoot like a house on fire, once the bore is scrubbed really well. How can you not have fun with this?
Gonna worry about the twist rate? Before a shot has been fired? More likely the concern is cleaning the hell out of that old rifle. If anything, the barrel is junk because it was never cleaned and there is layers of crap on the bore. Worried about the piece shooting well? Well, get your pal to bring the smokepole over and show him/her about cleaning...
.30-06 was kind of the American Standard. Healthy recoil was considered "invigorating". Tell the guy to buy a couple boxes of cheap Rem, Win, or Fed ammo at Walmart and just go shooting for goodness sakes! Clean the wasps nests out of the barrel first though. Then tell him the bad news about that crappy non-safe Rem 700 "safety" the one that don't block the firing pin... Show him a 1gal jug of water impacted from 20yds by a bullet. Makes a life long impression, and reinforces "never point the muzzle at anything you don't wish to see destroyed" Gun Comandment #2, right after All Guns are considered loaded until proven otherwise...
The guy/gal will either like shooting, or not; it ain't gonna depend upon you. The real fun will begin after he/she has some fired brass. You did say you're a handloader? Hopefully, the BDL will shoot like a house on fire, once the bore is scrubbed really well. How can you not have fun with this?
dryhumor
When an old man dies, a library is lost forever...
I found some Rem 180 hypersonic on closeout. It shot just over an inch at 160. I went back to get the last box of it. It my back up ammo.
Winchester 180 shoots about 2-3 inches at the same distance.
185 Bergers just cluster, if you get to the point of reloading. 52gr imr 4831, BR2s. 26 inch bbl. 10 twist
Winchester 180 shoots about 2-3 inches at the same distance.
185 Bergers just cluster, if you get to the point of reloading. 52gr imr 4831, BR2s. 26 inch bbl. 10 twist
This is what I suggest. No reason to reinvent the wheel.
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