What are the ballistic properties of a 3006 bullet?
Executive summary
The .30-06 Springfield fires bullets ranging commonly from about 110 to 220 grains with published muzzle velocities roughly between 3,400 fps (light bullets) and 2,400 fps (heavy bullets), giving it broad use from varmints to moose and a typical hunting effective range near 650 yards; sample factory loads show velocities around 2,700–2,900 fps for common 150–165 gr rounds [1] [2] [3] [4]. Trajectory varies by bullet weight and BC—examples show roughly 3.6" drop at 200 yd for some 165‑gr match bullets and about 30" drop at 400 yd for certain hunting loads [5] [3].
1. Cartridge fundamentals — why the .30-06 covers such a wide envelope
The .30-06 case holds about 68–70 grains of water and was designed to launch bullets from roughly 110 to 220 grains; that physical case capacity and operating pressures (reported up to ~60,000 psi in one technical review) produce muzzle velocities that span ~3,400 fps down to ~2,400 fps depending on bullet mass and loading, which explains why the cartridge is used for everything from light-match shooting to big-game hunting [1].
2. Typical muzzle velocities and energies — rule‑of‑thumb numbers
Contemporary factory offerings illustrate the spread: many 150–165 grain hunting loads list muzzle velocities in the ~2,700–2,910 fps neighborhood (Federal shows a 150‑gr Power‑Shok at 2,910 fps), while technical literature gives a 110‑gr high‑speed end near 3,400 fps and 220‑gr heavy bullets closer to 2,400 fps; those velocity ranges produce the cartridge’s characteristic mix of flat shooting with significant retained energy at medium ranges [4] [1] [2].
3. Trajectory and practical range — what shooters report
Factory and user charts give different but consistent practical guidance: some ballistics tables and calculators for a 165‑gr boat‑tail match bullet show a very flat flight with about 3.6" drop at 200 yards; hunting‑oriented charts and aggregated ammo examples commonly state a roughly 30" drop at 400 yards, and hunting writers often call ~650 yards the practical maximum for taking game with conventional 30‑06 loads [5] [3].
4. Ballistic coefficient, bullet design, and real‑world variance
Bullet shape matters: high‑BC bullets (e.g., polymer‑tipped boat‑tail match or hunting bullets) hold velocity and resist wind better than round‑nose softpoints, extending effective range and flattening trajectory. Ammo manufacturers’ charts and independent calculators may disagree because BC, barrel length, ammunition lot, atmospheric conditions and rifle velocity all change the real trajectory—several sources stress that manufacturer ballistics are examples and should be treated as starting points, not absolute predictions [3] [5] [6].
5. Comparisons — how .30‑06 stacks up vs similar rounds
Compared with the shorter .308, the .30‑06 generally gives a small velocity and energy edge because of its larger case volume, typically adding on the order of ~100 fps with similar bullets in many factory load comparisons. Analysts and shooters note the advantage exists but call it modest; practical differences in terminal and external ballistics are often subtle and load‑dependent [2] [7].
6. Manufacturer data vs field reality — why your rifle may disagree with charts
Forums and shooters repeatedly warn that actual rifle performance often diverges from box or web ballistics: factory numbers are measured from test barrels and ideal conditions; barrel length, chambering, atmospheric density, and even lot‑to‑lot ammo variability change muzzle velocity and BC in practice. Shooters’ threads report differences in drop at 300 yards depending on zero choice and real chronographed velocity [6] [3].
7. What the provided sources do not cover
Available sources do not mention specific measured chronograph tables from your rifle, detailed terminal ballistic modeling for every bullet type at various impact velocities, nor do they provide a single authoritative trajectory chart that fits every .30‑06 load; those specifics require either the manufacturer’s load data or on‑rifle chronographing/testing (not found in current reporting).
8. Practical takeaways for a shooter or hunter
Use manufacturer tables and reputable ballistic calculators as starting points, choose bullets with the BC and weight matched to your mission (match bullets for long flat groups, boat‑tail hunting bullets for extended effective range), chronograph your ammo in your rifle to get true muzzle velocity, and expect meaningful drop at 300–400 yards unless you use a high‑BC bullet and appropriate zeroing. Sources repeatedly emphasize variability and recommend treating published charts as guides, not guarantees [3] [5] [6].