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Common uses: Hunting, Big Game
The representative cataloged load on this page — a 180 gr bullet — leaves the muzzle at 2,700 fps with 2,913 ft-lb of energy. Loads cataloged on this page range from 123 to 220 grains; velocity and energy vary by load.
With a 100-yard zero under standard conditions, the representative load prints about 4.2 inches low at 200 yards and about 64.9 inches low at 500 yards. The trajectory table on this page shows every distance, and the range card builder can re-zero it for your rifle.
60,000 psi, per the SAAMI standard cited in the sources on this page.
There is no single effective range — it depends on the load, the rifle, the shooter, and the job. The trajectory and retained-energy references on this page show how velocity and energy fall off with distance; treat published figures as references to verify, not limits.
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 180gr Federal Power-Shok JSP |
| Muzzle velocity | 2700 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 2913 ft-lb |
| Stored G1 ballistic coefficient (source unresolved) | 0.385 |
| Case length | 63.3 mm |
| Overall length | 84.8 mm |
| Listed maximum pressure | 60000 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:10" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2700 | 2913 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2467 | 2431 | 0 |
| 200 | 2246 | 2015 | -4.2 |
| 300 | 2036 | 1656 | -15.4 |
| 400 | 1838 | 1350 | -35 |
| 500 | 1654 | 1094 | -64.9 |
At 1,000 yards, .30-06 (180gr at 2700 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 45.4 MOA / 13.2 MIL, retaining 1039 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 2036 | Supersonic | -15.4 | 4.9 | 1.42 |
| 400 | 1839 | Supersonic | -34.9 | 8.3 | 2.43 |
| 500 | 1655 | Supersonic | -64.8 | 12.4 | 3.60 |
| 600 | 1487 | Supersonic | -107.5 | 17.1 | 4.97 |
| 700 | 1338 | Transonic | -165.9 | 22.6 | 6.58 |
| 800 | 1212 | Transonic | -243.7 | 29.1 | 8.46 |
| 900 | 1113 | Subsonic | -345.3 | 36.6 | 10.66 |
| 1000 | 1039 | Subsonic | -475.0 | 45.4 | 13.19 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Published BCs depend on a reference drag model and stated velocity conditions. A source review does not independently measure a BC. Understanding BC sources
Manufacturer item 3006B · Sources checked
Federal lists 180 gr jacketed soft point, 2,700 fps and 2,913 ft-lb. Its 2024 catalog gives a 24-inch test barrel. The published coefficient 0.385 has no explicit G1/G7 label in the reviewed sources.
Still unresolved: The stored coefficient model and sectional-density attribution remain unresolved.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .30-06 is the benchmark all-around North American big-game cartridge, capable of taking everything from pronghorn and deer to elk, moose, and black bear with appropriate bullet selection. Its long-standing popularity means factory ammunition is available in an unusually wide range of bullet weights — commonly from around 150 to 220 grains — making it one of the most versatile and adaptable rounds a hunter can own. It delivers flat-enough trajectory and heavy retained energy for reliable performance across typical hunting ranges, at the cost of noticeable recoil in lighter rifles. Though newer short magnums and 6.5mm cartridges have eroded some of its dominance, it remains a standard against which other hunting cartridges are measured, and rifles and ammunition for it are stocked essentially everywhere. Its blend of power, versatility, and ubiquity keeps it a default recommendation for a do-everything hunting rifle.
Adopted by the U.S. military in 1906 as the .30-caliber, Model of 1906 — the source of the "-06" designation — the .30-06 Springfield refined the earlier .30-03 cartridge with a lighter, higher-velocity spitzer bullet and a shortened case neck. It served as the standard American service round through both World Wars and Korea, chambered in the M1903 Springfield, M1 Garand, and the M1917 and BAR, before the military transitioned to the 7.62x51mm NATO in the late 1950s. After leaving front-line service, it moved wholesale into the civilian market and became one of the defining hunting cartridges of the twentieth century.
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