[Bart B.]

The .30-06 hasn't been a serious target cartridge for 50ish years. I agree.

And never with hunting bullets? I disagree.

Sierra's 30 caliber 165, 180 and even 200 grain spitzer boattail soft point hunting ones oft times shot more accurate from .30-06 cases than arsenal M72 match ammo; winning matches and occasionally setting records. They were only surpassed in the accuracy games when Sierra started making FMJBT match bullets, but not by much. It was the better uniformity of the heel dimensions on soft point spitzers that did that and convinced Sierra to make their 168 hollow point match bullets that way for the US International Team's free rifles.

Western Cartridge Company's 197-gr. open point expanding hunting bulllet was another favorite in the .30-06 in its heyday. Again, typically more accurate than arsenal match bullets.

Both these company's hunting bullets were usually as accurate as Winchester and Western 180-gr. FMJBT match bullets loaded in their .30-06 and .300 H&H match ammo. And cost a lot less, too.

That Tikka's rifling twist is 1:11 so it's quite optimum for a .30-06. That twist was a favorite in .30-06 match rifles with 150 to 200 grain bullets; much better than a 1:10. Some used 1:12 twists with excellent results.