My dad had a “love affair” for most of his marriage. While around mom he never ceased to sing her praises yet, when he was alone it was a different tune. I believe it was in the late 1930s when it started. He was a meat provider for a sheep outfit and worked the uranium mines of eastern Utah and Western Colorado. On his trips to town to resupply and whoop it up I imagine is when this affair began to bud.

War began in 1941 and in 1942 he was in the Pacific Theatre still maintaining the relationship. In 1946 my dad married my mom. The affair picked back up and while living in northern California it really began to blossom. I suspect what led him to Wyoming was the infinite opportunities and enjoyment which that developing relationship could bring.

I don’t think mom ever really knew or most definitely didn’t understand, most spouses don’t understand when it comes to this type of relationship. All men have such an affair whether they want to admit it or not. It typically starts in one’s youth by observation of a father or grandfather figure. But this does not eliminate personal culpability and blame for the inevitable occurrence of the “affair.”

No Sir! It’s all you buddy!

We may have observed and learned about it elsewhere, but it’s your “affair.” Your relationship which you continue to maintain and cultivate. You won’t get no Good Will Hunting “it’s not your fault” consoling here.

My First Mistress

The object of my original affair was different than my dad’s. But…I have to say his mistress is starting to have an appeal that I never saw before.

I cut my teeth hunting big game with my mom’s 264 Winchester Magnum. Many friends and family at the time were all shooting the 7mm Remington Magnum, a ballistic twin. But I liked the older of the ballistic triplets and went with the 270 Winchester as my mistress. With today’s plethora of available propellants, projectiles, and fast twist rate barrels choosing one over another clearly becomes a matter of personal preference.

Enter the 30-06 Government Springfield, originally introduced in 1903 with the final tweaking occurring in 1906 hence the “06.” Pronounced “thirty-ought-six” and commonly and reverently referred to simply as the “oh-six” in most old-timer circles, whereas young bucks today like to use the full “thirty-ought-six” to save from confusion. As if anyone worth their salt would confuse the “oh-six” with another anything.

Most of my rifles are switch barrel capable. Switching a barrel isn’t nearly as difficult as it’s made out to be unless the previous installer of the barrel believed it needed to be torqued to wellhead specifications. So, it was quick and easy to pull the 6mm Creedmoor barrel and reinstall the 308 Winchester barrel on the Savage SA as well as pull the 25-06 Remington barrel and reinstall the 30-06 barrel on the Savage LA.

I bought a 30-06, Weatherby Vanguard about 15 years ago. It had a 24”, 4-groove barrel. Action was smooth as glass, but the trigger was terrible, never could adjust the gritty let off out of it. It was used to take a nice Mulie buck in northern Colorado one year at about 75 yards. I can’t remember the specifics of the load used but I do remember the reaction of the deer, it was nothing like the strike of a 270 Winchester which is what I had become accustomed to.

The impression factor was just not there at the time.

The Side Piece

Remington ran a short run of what they called the Model 798. The wife purchased me one in 308 Winchester. The cartridge has always held me in awe, especially in an old Savage 99, which was dad’s favorite “poachin’ gun,” as he called it.

Some spectacular shots were made with that Model 798. One of which included a 170-yard running head shot on an antelope the wife clipped while trying to fill a tag. More dumb luck than anything but it was meat in the freezer.

I’ve always had a thing with 30 calibers via the 308 Winchester.

With some 168 grain BTHP Match projectiles on hand, research began with comparisons of the 308 vs. 30-06 load data. With this bullet the 30-06 is capable of 2900 fps whereas the 308 will get you 2700 fps. The Ballistic Coefficient (BC) is only .451 which isn’t great but not terrible either, it’ll reach out to my 1200 yd steel easily. So began my relationship with the 30-06, again.

Recollections

While tooling around out in the desert one time dad wanted to do demonstrate some caliber comparison for me.

“Take a poke at that rock. Hold on the top edge, right in the middle.”

The rock was on a hill side about 600 yds away. I bailed out and thumbed a 270 round into the magazine, leaned over the hood, tucked it into my shoulder, and squeezed one off.

BOOM…PLOWACK!!

A poof of dust rose up revealing a very visible white pock mark the size of a golf ball where the bullet struck. I was surprised at how flat it shot as it hit pretty much dead center of the rock.

Thumbing an “Oh-six” cartridge into the magazine dad ran the bolt forward and closed. Taking position over the hood, he took aim and squeezed.

KABOOM…THUWHACK!!

A big plume of dust boiled up from the spot where my bullet struck enlarging the pock mark to the size of a softball. Clearly a harder impact both audibly and visibly. Aside from the authority with which it struck what amazed me even more was, he hit the same spot on the rock that I did.

Nodding his head and with a sly grin on his face he said, “The 30-06, not a bad idea.”

Mature Audiences Only

Dad had paraphrased Colonel Whelen’s quote concerning the 30-06. When considering a once in a lifetime dream hunt or opportunity in an exotic faraway land, what would you take? There are a plethora of cartridges to choose from, perhaps you have a safe full of guns to choose from, what do you choose? “The 30-06 is never a mistake.”

In hunting camps, cabins, and lodges around the world the one who brings a 30-06 at least won’t be made fun of for their rifle choice, they may not be able to shoot for beans, but that’s not the cartridge’s fault. One is hard pressed to encounter someone who has a harsh word or talks shit about the 30-06. For one, to do so would be a mistake and two, “the 30-06 is never a mistake.”

The 30-06 reaches its 125^th year this year. So, I’m taking time to get to know this finest of mistresses, the “Oh-six.”