Best .30-06 Springfield Ammo
Every load we price, sorted by cost per round delivered to your state
We track 37 .30-06 Springfield loads from 4 dealers. The cheapest delivered to AR, shipping included, is Prvi Partizan .30-06 Springfield 150gr FMJ Ammo at $1.11 a round. By use: Target & Range from $1.11, Hunting from $1.23, and Competition from $2.24.
The .30-06 Springfield is a long-action .30 caliber hunting round, adopted by the US Army in 1906 and used in the M1903 Springfield and M1 Garand. It fires the same .308-inch bullet as the .308 Winchester from a case about half an inch longer, which lets it push heavier bullets faster. Hunters use it on deer, elk, moose and bear.
Most loads here are hunting loads. Use 150 to 165 grain bullets for deer and pronghorn, and 178 to 185 grain bullets like the Nosler 180gr Partition for elk and moose. The Barnes 130gr Reduced Recoil and Hornady Custom Lite 125gr loads kick less, for new shooters. FMJ from Prvi Partizan or American Eagle is for practice. If you shoot an M1 Garand, the CMP warns against heavy bullets and full-pressure loads, which can bend the operating rod, so buy ammo labeled for the Garand.
All .30-06 Springfield Loads
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.30-06 Springfield Trajectory Calculator
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Advantages and Disadvantages
Pros
- Over the .308, it drives 180 grain and heavier bullets roughly 100 to 150 fps faster for elk and moose.
- Factory loads span 125 to 185 grains, so one rifle covers reduced-recoil deer loads through heavy elk loads.
- It shoots the same .308-inch bullets as the .308, which gives handloaders a large bullet selection.
Cons
- It needs a long action, so rifles are longer and heavier than short-action .308 or 7mm-08 rifles.
- Full-power loads recoil harder than the .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor.
- Few semi-auto platforms take it besides the M1 Garand and some hunting autoloaders.
- Old military rifles like the Garand need specific loads, so not every box on this page suits every .30-06.