CALIBER WIKI

What is .30-06 Springfield?

7.62×63mm — A legendary full-power rifle cartridge.

.30-06 Springfield is a full-power rifle cartridge adopted by the US military in 1906 and beloved by hunters ever since. It shoots flat and hits hard at long range.

In India it appears in sporting bolt-action rifles such as the IOF .30-06 and imports like the Benelli Lupo and Browning AB3.

Quick facts

  • Bullet diameter: 7.62 mm
  • Typical bullet: 150–180 grain
  • Famous guns: IOF .30-06, Benelli Lupo, Browning AB3
  • Use: big-game hunting where legal, long-range sport
Licensed firearm caliber in India. You need a valid arms license issued anywhere in India to purchase and use it.

Technical specifications

Representative standard loading: Standard 150 gr soft point. Figures from Wikipedia.

Bullet diameter7.82 mm (.308 in)
Case length63.3 mm (2.494 in)
Bullet weight150 gr SP (9.7 g)
Muzzle velocity887 m/s (2,910 ft/s)
Muzzle energy3,823 J (2,820 ft·lbf)
OriginUnited States
DesignerSpringfield Armory
Test barrel24 in (61 cm) test barrel

.30-06 Springfield vs other well-known calibers

Typical muzzle energy — bars to scale. A .177 airgun pellet hits with roughly 1/25th the energy of a 9mm round.

Caliber.30-06 Springfield12-Bore7.62×25mm Tokarev.357 Magnum
Bullet Ø7.82 mm (.308 in)18.53 mm (.729 in)7.85 mm9.07 mm (.357 in)
Bullet weight150 gr SP (9.7 g)9-pellet 00 buck (31 g)5.8 g FMJ (90 gr)158 gr JHP (10.2 g)
Velocity887 m/s (2,910 ft/s)404 m/s (1,325 ft/s)409 m/s378 m/s (1,240 ft/s)
Energy3,823 J (2,820 ft·lbf)≈2,560 J (≈1,890 ft·lbf)488 J731 J (539 ft·lbf)

Bullet size, to scale

Front view of each bullet at true relative size.

.30-06 Springfield 7.82 mm
12-Bore 18.53 mm
7.62×25mm Tokarev 7.85 mm
.357 Magnum 9.07 mm