Lindcott Armory Rifle · SAAMI
.30-06 Springfield
US Army standard rifle cartridge from 1906 to 1954, when 7.62x51mm NATO replaced it.
- Caliber
- 0.308″ · 7.823 mm
- Introduced
- 1906
- Case
- Rimless
- Parent
- .30-03 Springfield
- Primary use
- Hunting, Target, Military
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1906
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- U.S. Army Ordnance Department
- Manufacturer
- U.S. Military
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Abundant
- Case capacity
- 68 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:10
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 60,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 1000 yd
- Max range
- 4200 yd
- Recoil
- 18–25 ft·lb
Ballistics
Real trajectory computed from a representative load — Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X 212 gr, 2,550 fps, BC 0.350 G7 · 100 yd zero.
| Range | Velocity | Energy | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 yd | 2549 | 3059 | -1.5″ | — |
| 100 yd | 2426 | 2769 | 0.0″ | 0.0 |
| 200 yd | 2305 | 2501 | -4.4″ | -2.1 |
| 300 yd | 2188 | 2253 | -15.4″ | -4.9 |
| 400 yd | 2074 | 2025 | -33.6″ | -8.0 |
| 500 yd | 1963 | 1813 | -59.9″ | -11.4 |
| 600 yd | 1854 | 1619 | -95.2″ | -15.2 |
Point-mass G7/G1 drag model, standard atmosphere — within ~2% of reference solvers to 1000 yd; real barrels and conditions vary. Open in Ballistic Compare →
Performance
Buy links open .30-06 Springfield ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
SAAMI · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 7.82 | 0.308 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 8.63 | 0.340 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 11.24 | 0.443 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 17.5° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 11.93 | 0.470 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 12.01 | 0.473 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.24 | 0.049 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 9.79 | 0.385 | ≈ |
| Case length | 63.35 | 2.494 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 84.84 | 3.340 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .30-06 Springfield is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 816 active loads across 55 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 871 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | Power-Shok SP | 125 | SP | 3,140 | 2,736 | 0.376 G1 |
| Remington | Express | 125 | PSP | 3,140 | 2,736 | 0.298 G1 |
| Remington | Core-Lokt PSP | 125 | Core-Lokt PSP | 3,140 | 2,736 | 0.298 G1 |
| Hornady | GMX Superformance | 150 | GMX | 3,100 | 3,200 | 0.389 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance | 150 | SST | 3,080 | 3,159 | 0.415 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance GMX | 150 | GMX Solid Copper | 3,080 | 3,159 | 0.389 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance SST | 150 | SST Polymer Tip | 3,080 | 3,159 | 0.415 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance SST | 150 | SST | 3,080 | 3,159 | 0.415 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance | 150 | GMX | 3,080 | 3,159 | 0.422 G1 |
| Hornady | Black GMX | 150 | GMX Solid Copper | 3,000 | 2,997 | 0.389 G1 |
| Federal | Premium Trophy Bonded Tip | 150 | Trophy Bonded Tip | 3,000 | 2,997 | 0.450 G1 |
| Barnes | VOR-TX TTSX BT | 150 | TTSX BT | 3,000 | 2,997 | 0.198 G7 |
| Barnes | VOR-TX | 150 | TSX | 2,975 | 2,947 | 0.198 G7 |
| Hornady | GMX Superformance | 165 | GMX | 2,975 | 3,242 | 0.440 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance | 165 | SST | 2,960 | 3,209 | 0.425 G1 |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Suitable powders
64 reloading powders listed for .30-06 Springfield, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .30-06 Springfield
12 models in the database chamber .30-06 Springfield. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Adopted by US Army in 1906 (hence '06') as improvement over .30-03. Served in both World Wars, Korea, and early Vietnam. Replaced by 7.62 NATO in 1954 but remains incredibly popular for hunting.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .30-06 Springfield use?
- .30-06 Springfield typically uses a 1:10 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .30-06 Springfield?
- .30-06 Springfield uses a 0.308″ (7.823 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .30-06 Springfield still in production?
- .30-06 Springfield is active; typical availability is abundant.
- What is .30-06 Springfield used for?
- .30-06 Springfield is primarily used for hunting, target, military.
- What is .30-06 Springfield based on?
- .30-06 Springfield is derived from the .30-03 Springfield case.
- What are the best powders for .30-06 Springfield?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .30-06 Springfield include Winchester 748, N530, 5744, H205, among 64 suitable options.
Sources & provenance
- StandardSAAMI — SAAMI cartridge & chamber drawing — .30-06 Springfieldarchived
- StandardSAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299 — Cartridge & Chamber Drawingsarchived
Manufacturer sources for verified factory-load figures on this page:
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 816 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →