No Respect!!!!

The 30-06 has earned it spot in history and will never be forgotten. It helped win two world wars and several major conflicts. It is still one of the finest rounds ever designed and still out sells all other rounds two to one here in the states. Oh it still has won more 1000-yard bench rest competitions then any other round. In Iraq some snipers are using their personal rifles chambered in the trusty 06, because it has a little more energy the then the 7.69 NATO by the way is just a shorten version on the 06. More wildcat and commercial rounds have been based on the 06 then any other round. Here is just a few examples, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester (7.62 NATO), 25-06, 30-06 Ackley improved, etc just to name a few. Also there is more commercially available powder and rounds for the 30-06 then any round.

 Performance

The .30-06 is a powerful round designed in an age when 1,000 yard (914 m) shots were expected. In 1906, the original .30-06 cartridge consisted of a 150 grain (9.7 g) flat base cupronickel jacketed bullet. After World War I, the United States military realized the need for better long range performance out of machine guns. Based on reports from Europe, a streamlined, 173 grain (11.2 g), boat tail, gilding-metal bullet was used. The .30-06 cartridge with the 173 grain (11.2 g) bullet was called the "M1 Ball".

Army practice was to use the oldest ammunition for training, so older stocks of M1906 continued in use until exhausted in 1936. Once the new M1 began seeing widespread use, the US military realized it was exceeding the safety limits of ranges constructed for the 1906 cartridge over the past 30 years. Rather than engage in massive construction projects, it was decided to switch back to the original profile bullet but utilize a newer jacket material. Initially, this was stained to match the color of the cupro-nickel jacket.

This 152 grain (9.8 g) flat base bullet without the stain was standardized in 1940 as the "Ball, M2" cartridge. According to U.S. Army Technical Manual 43-0001-27, M2 Ball specifications call for 2,740 feet per second (835 m/s) velocity, measured 78 feet (24 m) from the muzzle. M2 Ball was the standard issue ammunition for use in U.S. military rifles and machineguns until replaced by the 7.62x51mm for the M14 and M60.

Commercially manufactured rifles chambered in .30-06 are popular for hunting. Current .30-06 factory ammunition varies in bullet weight from 110 to 220 grains (7.1 to 14.3 g) in solid bullets, and as low as 55 grains (3.6 g) with the use of a sub-caliber bullet in a sabot. Loads are available with reduced velocity and pressure as well as increased velocity and pressure for stronger firearms. The .30-06 ranks as one of the most popular sporting cartridges in the world.

NOTE: .30-06 cartridges are also produced commercially with a plethora of different bullets and to a number of different specifications.

• Armor Piercing, M2

This cartridge is used against lightly armored vehicles, protective shelters, and personnel, and can be identified by its black bullet tip.

• Armor Piercing Incendiary, T15/M14 and M14A1

This cartridge is used, in place of the armor piercing round, against flammable targets. The tip of the bullet is colored with aluminum paint. The M14A1 featured an improved core design and incendiary charge.

• Ball, M1906

This cartridge is used against personnel and unarmored targets, and can be identified by its silver-colored bullet. The M1906 has a 150 grain (9.7 g) projectile and flat base. Its jacket is a cupro-nickel alloy which was found to foul the bore quickly.

• Ball, M1

The M1 has a 173 grain (11.2 g), nine-degree boat-tailed projectile designed for aerodynamic efficiency. Though it had a lower initial velocity, velocity and energy were greater at longer ranges due to its efficient shape. The jacket material was also switched to gilding metal to reduce fouling.

• Ball, M2

With a 152 grain (9.8 g) bullet based on the profile of the M1906, this cartridge incorporated the gilding-metal jacket of the M1 projectile and had a higher muzzle velocity than either of the earlier cartridges.

• Blank, M1909

This cartridge is used to simulate rifle fire. The cartridge is identified by having no bullet, and by a cannelure in the neck of the case which is sealed by red lacquer.

• Dummy, M40

This cartridge is used for training. The cartridge has six longitudinal corrugations and there is no primer.

• Explosive, T99

Development of a cartridge that contained a small explosive charge which more effectively marked its impact. Often referred to as an "observation explosive" cartridge, the T99 was never adopted.

• Incendiary, M1917

Early incendiary cartridge, bullet had a large cavity in the nose to allow the material to more easily shoot forward on impact. Because of this the M1917 had a tendency to expand on impact. The M1917 had a blacked tip.

• Incendiary, M1918

Variant of the M1917 with a normal bullet profile to comply with international laws regarding open-tipped expanding bullets.

• Incendiary, M1

This cartridge is used against unarmored, flammable targets. The tip of the bullet is painted blue.

• Match, M72

This cartridge is used in marksmanship competition firing, and can be identified by the word "MATCH" on the head stamp.

• Tracer, M1

Tracer for observing fire, signaling, target designation, and incendiary purposes. The M1 has a red tip.

• Tracer, M2

Tracer for observing fire, signaling, target designation, and incendiary purposes. Has a short burn time. The M2 originally had a white tip, but then switched to a red tip like the M1.

• Tracer, T10/M25

Improved tracer over M1/M2. Designed to be less intense in terms of brightness than either the M1 or M2 tracers. The M25 had an orange tip.

• Rifle Grenade Cartridges, M1, M2, and M3/E1

These cartridge are used in conjunction with the M1 (for the M1903 rifle), M2 (for the M1917 rifle), and the M7 series (for the M1 rifle) grenade launchers to propel rifle grenades. The cartridge has no bullet and the mouth is crimped. The differences between the three cartridges have to do with the powder charge and the subsequent range of the launched grenade. The M3E1 also featured an extended case neck