Precision target suppressed 30-06

[JR1]

I have been looking for a precision, target 30-06 and it seems like no one makes one.

I have thousands of rounds of M72 collecting dust in my garage, and I thought it was time to shoot it up.

I already have a heavy barrel .308 bolt, .308 gas gun, and an M1A that I reload for. I don't own a 30-06.

Barrel: 24", 1:10, threaded heavy barrel.
Why? Since I plan to use this for high-volume target shooting, I think I would need a heavy barrel so I won't see stringing as bad on a hot barrel. Since I intend to hang my AAC 762SD off the end of it, a stiffer barrel would also be good to minimize POI shift. AAC told me I need to have at least 24" of barrel to use the can on a 30-06, so that's that. I figure a 1:10 twist will be good for the old 173 grain rounds I have.

I intend to use this rifle for paper punching out to 1000 yards. I already shoot out to 800 with my .308s, but I don't have cases of free ammo that fits in their chambers.

If I can get 1 to 1.5 MOA with this set up, I'll be happy (for now). That would easily keep me on steel at 1000.

An interesting note: I shot some M72 in a friend's Savage 110 and it wouldn't chamber. It's loaded to 2.34 OAL, so maybe I'll need a custom chamber? It did fire in an older Mauser, however.

I shoot standing, kneeling, and sitting on a regular basis. So, I don't want it to be a full-on bench gun, but I know it won't be light either.

I thought about just buying an off-the-shelf 30-06, and putting a bull barrel on it, but I don't know if the OEM stock would fit.

So...is there any off-the-shelf answer, or an I squarely in "custom" territory? If I go the custom route, what are some tips to being economical? I don't want to break the bank just because I have surplus ammo sitting around, but I sure would like to shoot it up.

Thanks for the help!

 

[cyberpuppy42]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JR1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">An interesting note: I shot some M72 in a friend's Savage 110 and it wouldn't chamber. It's loaded to 2.34 OAL, so maybe I'll need a custom chamber? It did fire in an older Mauser, however.</div></div>

I think Savage 110 is your best bet for a precision 30-06. I just got one and it shoots .4 groups at 100 with factory ammo. When you say your M72 won't feed in your friend's 110, are you sure it's not just a matter of the bullet hitting the grooving and you don't want to force it in? I get resistance when I shoot Black Hills ammo, but I just feed it in a bit more forcefully and it chambers/shoots just fine. If it's 30-06 it should fit no problem.

Hope this helps. Cheers!

 

[JR1]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

CyberP,

It would have taken more force than I would want to apply to close the bolt. If the ogive was jamming into the rifling that much, I don't think I would want to shoot it that way. Even if that would work, it would be next to impossible to cycle the bolt prone. You'd have to get on your knees and put your weight into it to get the bolt closed. Something must be amiss.

I should add that the Tikka T3 Varmint looks like a good option. I'd just have to get the barrel threaded. I'd also have to find one for sale. No luck so far.

 

[105amatt]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

I say do it. The 06 is not new or sexy, but damn it, its a great caliber.

 

[billyburl2]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

You could always re-chamber the 308 bolt gun.

 

[excess]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: billyburl2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You could always re-chamber the 308 bolt gun.</div></div>

The 308 is probably a short action and the 30-06 would need a long action, right?

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

Rechambering the .308 to .30-'06 is not just a matter of running in the .30-'06 reamer. The .308's shoulder is wider than the .30-'06 sidewall diameter at that same depth, so the barrel needs to be set back a fair bit before it can be reamed successfully.

A .30-'06 can be fed, fired, and the empty case can be ejected in a short action, but an unfired round won't eject, it's too long overall.

Unless you need to do that often, it's not really that much of a bother. All you really need to do is trip the bolt release and pull the bolt a bit further rearward.

Personally, I believe the .30-'06 is totally unsuited to suppressed shooting.

It needs to be downloaded severely to get it down to subsonic velocity, and that's not really much of an option for bunches of M72 onhand. Shooting a Mach 2-3 round out of a suppressor is counterproducrtive, the round itself generates enough of a shockwave to completely cancel out any benefit from the suppressor. You'd need that kind of velocity to get to 1000yd, and anyone within several hundred yards of your muzzle would know instantly where the fire was coming from. Even at 1000yd, a supersonic round makes a lot of noise going past, as pit service folks would know.

This is undoubtedly the reason why your investigation failed to uncover any examples.

I seriously doubt that even a .30cal carbine round is small enough to be suitible for a suppressed system.

I think the M72 is a great round for 1000yd target shooting. I just don't think using it with suppression is going to work out the way you're expecting.

Greg

 

[Twitch2120]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

So why are there suppressed 300 win mags, 338 lapuas and 50 bmgs again? The sonic crack is only one part of the equation. Suppressed 3006 sounds awesome to me!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

I think that's an excellent question.

IMHO, the only real benefit to suppressing high velocity rounds is to relieve the shooter of stresses accompanying such a loud muzzle report.

Working the pits at the other end of the trajectory, I can tell you that everyone involved in the pits can hear the rounds arriving, and knows they are being subjected to incoming fire, suppressed or not.

Pit personnel would not hear the pop/thud of the rife's report that follows the crack of the arriving round, true; but all that can give an unaided ear is a general impression of the shooter's direction.

Supersonic but suppressed firearms are not going to fake out any acoustic triangulation/location systems.

Greg

 

[Layton]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Twitch2120</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So why are there suppressed 300 win mags, 338 lapuas and 50 bmgs again? The sonic crack is only one part of the equation. Suppressed 3006 sounds awesome to me! </div></div>

+1 I was about to ask the same.

 

[cruizer]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

I just did a 30-06 on a old 700 long action.
I used a new take off 308 PSS barrel. I ran a 30-06 improved reamer in the chamber and it cleaned up.
I am shooting 60.5gr or H4350, 180gr Sierra game king avg velocity is 2937.

I am using a AAC cyclone and it sounds as good or better than a 308

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

Well, I learn something new every day....

 

[JR1]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

Cruizer,

Is the PSS a bull barrel profile? Do you get much vertical stringing with a warm barrel? I have a heavy, fluted, 24" barrel on my .308 and it starts dropping even after a few strings when the can is on.

I would go for a shorter, stiffer barrel, but I need it to be 24" according to AAC. How has the PSS barrel worked for you?

 

[cruizer]

Re: Precision target suppressed 30-06

The pss barrel is working great. 26" standard remingon varmint contour. Never shoot it without a can. Sub moa all the time and occasionally better than 3/4. Better driver could do 1/2"