Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles reduced 30-06 loads for a new shooter

If you want to punch paper and milk jugs, try a 150 grain cast bullet with 10 grains of Unique. BTW, .243 is not an adequate cartridge for elk no matter what others here may say. Develop a .30-06 load with a bullet suited for thick skinned, heavy boned game like elk. Practice with that load at distances you think you'll encounter on your hunt. When I was preparing for my first elk hunt I purchased some elk silhouete targets and went to the range as early and as late as possible to simulate shots under those conditions.

OP,
If I understand this correctly, the lad is 10 and you are going elk hunting when he is 12 years old. That's smart planning. I think I would have opted for something in the 7 mm to get higher sectional density than in the same weight .308 bullet. That said you have a 30-06 for him so simply "Google" the "reduced loads for .30-06". The bullets listed will likely be too lightly constructed (IMHO) for elk hunting but you have two years to work up to something in the 165 grain bullet or more in the 2500 fps range. You never know how much a kid of 10-12 might grow so its hard to make any firm decisions now. I started my grand-kids younger and took them to Texas by 10 with bolt action 30-30 rifles and modest hunting loads. All but one of the girls took to shooting and hunting nicely. They all had fun and got their animals. Have Fun, that's important.

I started several kids out on a Remington Sportsman 78, Plain Jane Remington 700, that I cut the barrel back to 18.5", and cut a couple inches off the stock and installed a soft recoil pad. I loaded 110 grain M1 Carbine bullets down to about 2200 fps. Very little recoil but kind of noisy, so I always made sure they used good hearing protection.

XMP 5744 and IMR SR4759ares made specifically for reduced loads.

I used IMR 4895 as I had a bunch on hand. Speer shows loads for their 110 grain Varminter bullet that is not supposed to be loaded faster than 2800 fps, starting load is 44 grains @ 2500 fps, instant reduced load. Most any fast to medium IMR powder will work, just pick a starting load.

Curiously, lots of folks are killing deer these days with .300 Blackouts shooting 110 grain bullets to about the same muzzle speed.

Michael

Thanks I was thinking 110-130 grains and a very light load to start him off - my thinking on the elk load is 165 grain TTSX if it shoots well but might drop to 150's if needed. I have had vey good luck with my 7mm RM on elk with that grain bullet in TTSX so that wouldn't be the worst thing.

Eventually I'd probably load him up 180s if the 165's wont shoot - but I'm ahead of myself. Right now it is a steady diet of 22 and 17 with the mild load 30-06 in a few weeks. I've got the cases in the tumbler right now. We hunt public land near a ranch boundary so anchoring the elk is important - not that you can't kill elk with a 243 but not what you want to keep them from travelling very far or any shots at a challenging angle.

My nephew's dad and grandpa took him elk hunting with a .243, took four shots to anchor the elk. My choice would be the 165 grain bullet in .30-06, they shot very well for me in .308. I took the .308 on a couple of combination deer/elk hunts, only had the opportunity to harvest mule deer though. When hunting elk in areas where they may cross onto land we don't have permission to hunt I used my .338 WM with 275 grain bullets. It never failed to anchor an elk, but it was definately not a rifle/load suitable for a youth or the recoil sensitive.

For elk, any of the Barnes TTSX will work fine at ranges out to 300 yards or so.

You could run the 110 grain and do just fine, but the sweet spot is the 130TTSX over 53/54 grains of Varget.

I have used SR 4759 for reduced loads on occasion, it can be hard to find due to the fact it is not produced on a continuous basis. I now use Unique, Red Dot and 2400 for cast and pistol bullet loads. Very economical using Unique, 10 grains with a 150 cast bullet in .30-06 and 15 grains with 200-225 grain cast in .35 Whelen. Also I always thought 110 grain bullets were plinking and varmint bullets, not heavy enough jacketed to be used on big game. Are there 110 grain bullets with heavy enough construction to be used for big game?

The Barnes 110 TTSX-FB would certainly be a big game bullet. I don't know about elk because I've never hunted them but for deer they would be lightning in a bottle. I wouldn't run them at reduced speeds though.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/65...-110-grain-flat-base-lead-free-box-of-50

130 TTSX...that's the route I would go for an Elk load.

You can drive it fast out of an '06 and it will still be very easy on the shoulder. Some pretty big guys I know like this combo as an all-around load, because it's a knock-down laser inside 400 yards.

Another good choice is the 125 Nosler BT...it's a lot tougher bullet than it might appear at first glance to those who have never tried it.

I didn't know any better back then, but the '06 was my first rifle. I bought it used at 12yo. I guess I was a tough kid at 12 but so were my friends, and we all shot '06 and 8mm mil surplus loads just fine. 30-30s actually kicked a lot more from the bench.

Factory 180gr was no problem. We shot Win Super-X when we could afford it for the brass, but my reloads with Hornady 180 and 4064 kicked more. Since the RAR is a couple of pounds lighter than our rifles were, the 130 gr will tone it way down.

In a reduced load, I would use 4895, as it's more consistent than Varget at reduced pressure.

Actually, as I am remembering it now many years later, the blast and kick of the big bores was part of the thrill for us, and probably why I am still here!

I started my son at 12 with a 30-06. I think its a good choice for a rifle as he can grow with it. If your boy is already shooting a 20 ga, even better start to centerfire. So, the load I started him out was 46grs H4895 and 150 Hornady RN. He had absoloutely no problem with it offhand!
For his first moose trip later that year we switched to a 150NPT. I would think a 130 gr load in a BAR would be even easier!!

Moosey