The 30-06 and 7mm Mauser are two war horses of cartridges. They have both been through two world wars fighting on opposing sides. But which one is better today? Which one is better at hunting? Why is one better than the other? Let’s find out!
Here is the short answer:
The 30-06, when compared to the 7mm Mauser, has 500 more foot-pounds of energy at 200 yards and 2 less inches of drop at 300 yards. So if you need some extra energy then you will want the 30-06. But a 30-06 will be a heavier rifle and have more recoil.
So we know that the 30-06 has more energy and slightly less drop, but which one is a better rifle caliber overall? Why would you want the 7mm Mauser if the 30-06 has more energy? Which one does better at long range? Let’s take a deeper dive into these cartridges and find out.
30-06
The 30-06 was invented in 1903 and is still used to hunt big game today. The 30-06 was adopted by the military in 1906 and was used in infantry and sniper rifles. After serving in both world wars, the 30-06 was used to hunt big game as it was almost completely retired by other rifles such as the AR-15.
Today the 30-06 is used to hunt all big game animals in North America. The 30-06 is a high-energy cartridge that is great for hunting the biggest of big game. The 30-06 is great for hunting elk and moose as it can shoot 180-200-grain bullets which have a ton of energy and momentum.
The 30-06’s main trait is the fact that it can shoot bullets from a weight of 110-220 grains. This means that you can hunt a wide variety of game. You can use a 110-grain bullet for varmints and use 220-grain bullets for big game like elk and moose.
7mm Mauser
The 7mm Mauser was made in 1892 and was adopted by the Spanish military in 1893. Much like the 30-06, the 7mm Mauser was used in both world wars by many countries in Europe and Latin America.
The 7mm Mauser can be found in many military surplus rifles as it was adopted by many countries. It is an excellent deer hunting cartridge and can be used to hunt elk at close range.
Which one is better and why
Now that you know the differences between each cartridge, we can take a closer look at which one is truly better.
Energy-wise, the 30-06 is better than the 7mm Mauser as it has 500 more foot-pounds at 200 yards. For comparison, the 30-06 has enough energy to kill deer out to 600 yards, vs. the 7mm Mauser can only kill deer out to 450 yards. So if you need the extra energy, then you will want the 30-06. However, for most deer hunts, the 7mm Mauser will work fine.
When it comes to long-range trajectory, the 30-06 is better than the 7mm Mauser. It has 20 inches of less drop at 500 yards. The 30-06 has more power than the 7mm Mauser, so it’s going to have less drop and more energy. So if you need a flatter shooting cartridge, then you will want the 30-06.
So it sounds like the 30-06 is the better cartridge, right? But there are some downsides to it. The 30-06, for most deer hunting situations, is overkill. The 30-06 will cause a lot of bloodshot meat, so if you are just hunting deer or pronghorn, then you will want the 7mm Mauser. The 7mm Mauser is lighter, smaller, and will cause less bloodshot meat. So unless you are hunting an animal like elk, moose, or caribou, then you will be fine with the 7mm Mauser.
The biggest problem with the 7mm Mauser is availability. The 7mm Mauser is not a very popular cartridge nowadays. So you will have a harder time finding 7mm than 30-06. If you want a cartridge that you will be able to find in an SHTF situation you will want 30-06.
Conclusion
I like the 30-06 more than the 7mm Mauser; it has better energy, less drop, more versatility, and is easier to find. But the 7mm Mauser does have more history being one of, if not, the first smokeless powder cartridge.
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