One of the problems I'm encountering at 58 is that things that have been settled for 20 years or more are now becoming unsettled. These are not particularly big things. At least not so far. I have not begun questioning my political affiliation. I still harbor an irrational dislike for the 270 Winchester, and my equally irrational affection for the 35 Whelen has not waned.
That brings me to my attitudes towards 30-06. You have to understand that '06 has held sway in my firmament since my earliest days in the barbershop. When I picked my first rifle, it just had to be in 30-06. All my friends were egging me on as well. For the first 15 years of my hunting career, 180 grain 30-06 was all I considered fit for whitetail.
Then I started reloading. By then, I was online, and some y'all over at shooters.com encouraged me to try 165 grain Hornadys and my first results shot so well out of my deer rifles, I never gave it a second thought. The load I'll be flinging at the deer this year is pretty much the same load that I made up back in 2000.
When my sons came online, I substituted a 150 grain Rem PSPCL, and that did just fine for them. They're both still shooting it.
My problems are as follows:
1) I had been working off the same load data for over a decade. That was because I was using the same jug of H4895.
I received a new 8 lb jug of H4895 and verified everything was still cool. It wasn't. What was a safe no-brainer is now a few grains over the published MAX. I'm not going to go pulling any bullets, because I've never seen pressure signs, but when I go to the new jug, I'll definitely knock a few grains off.
2) That got me to thinking about the decision process that led me to this pet load. I remember some of what went into it, but not all. It's been over 15 years.
Let me give you the things I know that went into the recipe and we'll go from there:
1) I had saved every round of brass I'd ever fired. When it came time to cook up my first 30-06 handload, I had oodles of RP Brass. That's what I used. That's what I'm using now.
2) CCI Large Rifle Primers were all they had at the store in 2000.
3) I originally picked IMR 4895 for a powder, because I was going to load for my M1 Garand. I switched to H4895 about 5 years later. I did not substitute 1:1; I worked back up. I stuck with this powder, because I got good accuracy with moderate recoil. I was also cooking up Yute loads in those days for my 2 sons.
Bullet choice: As I stated earlier, my hunting buddies all steered me towards 180 grainers. I spent the first 15 years of my hunting career lobbing them at the deer without really thinking about it. When the time came to do my own reloading, I picked 165 grain Hornady Interlock SP's with the kind help of folks at shooters.com and never looked back. I have shot lots of deer with this bullet, and have never found them wanting.
My reason for posting is that I'd like to start back over and explore how I got where I am, and possibly take a new path. I've never had reason to question this load. Now that something must change, I figure now is a good time to look at it afresh.
