ovenpaa wrote:Paul, I have read Laurie and Vince's comments regarding the 30-06 and yes, there are more accurate rounds available, certainly you are going to have to work hard to beat the new high BC bullets. Having said that, the 30-06 is a very effective cartridge and if you could get a Berger 185 Juggernaut down the range at say 3050fps or even 3100fps via a 32" barrel...... The important thing is wind reading and consistency, get those right first.
My view is we are going to see a few 30Cal Open shooters starting to show up at the range, if any choose 30-06 remains to be seen however the .30 will certainly be there.
My obsole4scent version of QuickLOAD doesn't have the Hybrids in its bullets database, but using the 185gn Berger LRBT 'Juggernaut' will likely give similar MVs as the same weight Hybrid. In fact, the Juggernaut will likely give higher safe MVs as it has a shorter bearing surface length than the Hybrid, but no matter as any effect on overall results will be marginal. With optimally throated barrel again and an over-SAAMI Max COAL, QuickLOAD predicts highest possible MVs from a 32-inch barrel as peaking at 2,980 fps assuming one sticks to the SAAMI PMax of 60,000 psi (CIP is 1300 psi lower). Persanally, although modern '06 brass is good, it's not a cartridge I'd look to 'overload' to any extent. Do so, and it'll be a casde of two firings and toss the case due to case-head / primer pocket expansion.
However, that 2,980 fpsd is only achievable with max pressure loads from double-base ball powders or nitroglycerine enhanced extruded high-energy types - Ramshot Hunter, Alliant Re17 and Re19, H414/W760, Viht N550/560 etc. The best MV predicted for a single-base powder is Accurate-4350 at 2,925 fps and most of the '4350' class equivalents barely break 2,900 fps. Running 60,000 psi with Re17 / Elcho 17 or N550 with a 185gn bullet will kill the barrel in pretty short order. I can confirm this having done just that to an excellent Broughton in an F/TR rifle with the 185 Juggernaut over N550 at 2,800 fps, and that of course if with the 308's considerably smaller powder charges and hence reduced energy inputs.
So, prudently sticking to the best of the single-base jobs and somehow getting that top MV of 2,925 fps, the 185gn Hybrid's 1,000 yard ballistics run at 1,532 fps retained velocity and 6.65-MOA drift in the 10 mph wind, so in real terms no difference from a good 210gn VLD at 2,775 fps MV.
Yes, we are seeing heavy .308 Hybrids appearing in F/O, but they'll be in the .300 Rem SAUM or WSM short magnums or similar size, even larger capacity magnums. Whether they will offer a ballistic advantage in UK range conditions over the 'sevens' remains to be proven in practice - many top F/O shooters are dubious. The recoil will be greater than with the 7SAUM/WSM and that won't help either. The 300 short magnums are making their mark in major Southern US F-Class matches, but Texas and Arizona semi-desert ranges can and do produce wind changes like we can only barely imagine here. Moreover, a lot of 7mm shooters are well aware that Berger Bullets has done all of the design and testing work on a 195gn 7mm Hybrid with a promised mouth-watering BC. Its 'productionising' has been put on hold until Berger has overcome the order backlogs it and all other US bullet makers are currently living with.