Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Best loads for 3006 180gr Bullet

On the week-end i bought a rem 700 in 3006, this is a 70's vintage rifle with 1/2 a box of cartridges through it. asked the guy what he paid for it new and he said 225 dollars so I offered $250 and the deal was made.
Will use 180gr TSX and Rem bulk bullets for plinking etc. I would like to run this bullet 2700 fps out of 22" bbl. What powders and charge weights work for U, thanks for any help.

I've had a number of 30-06's and have experimented fairly extensively with a variety of powders... my hand's-down favorite remains H4350.

My last three 22" bbl'd 30-06's achieved 2,745, 2,770 and 2,800 respectively with the book load of 57.5gr's H4350 (180 Partition's). I use WW bras and Fed 210 Primers.

I've found you'll use .5 to 1 grain less powder with a TSX than a standard cup/core bullet.

Brad

Don't know about the TSX as I've been shooting the 180gr Partition out of my '06's for 20+ years. 57 grains of H4350 gets me real close to 2750 fps mv from my 24" barrel. Accurate and consistent.

I was using 180 Hornady BTSP Interlocks with CCI 200 primers and 55 gr of IMR4350, and it worked real good on moose and bear. Also used 54 gr of H414 and a CCI 250 primer with Winchester bulk 180 PP and got exceptional accuracy. Those loads are all in the 2700 fps mark in my 22" Tikka.

While IMR4350 and H4350 have been long-time favorites with the 180 in the .30-06, in the past year or so I have been using Ramshot Hunter. Around 58.0 grains has gotten extremely good accuracy in three of my own .30-06's so far, and also in the rifles of several Campfire people who tried it. It seems to be a real winner with this round and bullet weight. Velocity should be 2700+, as this normally runs around 2800 in 24" barrels.

Ramshot maximum is 58-60 grains, depending on bullet.

JB

60 grains of Reloder 22 in a Remington case under a 180 grain Scirocco gives me very close to 2800 fps out of one of my 22" barreled 30-06's


As well as being fast it is a very accurate load.

Furprick-I commend you for looking for 2700, from my experience that is one very good and intelligent speed to run a 180.

I'd take a run at the 4350's (I've beat up on a lot of game using IMR 4350 and a 180 Horn and or Noz), I'd also give R22 a run and the Ramshot that JB is talking about makes a lot of sense as well.

I've always thought that if a 06 wouldn't shoot 55 or 56 of IMR 4350 and a 180 Horn flat base then it was a lot less intelligent of a rig that I wanted to run...

I've never run a 180 TSX in a 06 as of yet but from all the reports I hear it is on scarry accurate bullet.

Good luck to ya.

Dober

FWIW:

A max load of H4350 in the 30-06 is phenomenal with the 150 TSX (3000 fps, chrono).

I use 180 Accubnds for the 30-06 agin with a max load of h4350.

Both are great loads.

BMT

I'm getting 2720 fps out of a Rem 700 using 57 grains of H4350, 180 gr. Partitions, WW cases and CCI 200s.

All I can say about Hunter is that so far it has shot better than any 4350, 4831 or Reloder powder I have tried with 180's in the .30-06, and not just in one rifle. I know it doesn't take cloverleaf groups to kill game, but when a pre-64 M70 with a 4 scope starts shooting them, I tend to take notice.

JB

Good to know. I was wondering what powders to try on a 180 grain load myself. Put that combo at the top of the list since the last load you gave me worked so well.... A man with a 180 grain bullet he likes, in a 30-06 load that is accurate and moving 2800 fps, might figure he's got all he needs. Go the extra step from being a one gun hunter to a one load hunter.

Will

I was just out shootin mine yesterday. It seemed to like 55 grs of AA2700 with a Hornady flat base. In case I break my 35 Whelen somehow this can be my back up rifle.
whelennut

John, Hunter gave the same accuracy and velocity as H4350 in my last 30-06 but had REALLY BIG ES's compared to H4350 (ditto in my 300 WSM). I also don't like how fine it is so I went back to H4350. Obviously a big ES doesn't mean much if the groups are small but I really couldn't find any benefit using a more obscure powder over one commonly available anywhere (H4350).

My .02...

I'd add that,IME,using Hunter required the use of magnum primers at cold temps to avoid slightly delayed firings as in you�d hear the firing pin hit, then bang occasionally. I�d call cold temps 15 degrees and under. I noticed this in my 25-285 and 300 WSM.
I buy Hunter buy the 8 pound jugs and have had good results with it in quite a few cartridges. I last worked up some loads for my boy�s 260 and they had narrow ES�s FWIW.

What was your COL when using the RamShot?

Furprick,

Because you're "only" trying to reach 2700 fps in your 22" barrel, you might also consider some faster powders such as IMR 4064, Reloader 15 or even IMR 4895. These powders should be able to get the TSX close to (or over) 2,700 with a little less noise and recoil than the slower powders (and get great accuracy as well). E.G. Barnes lists 47.5 grains of 4064 for the X (not TSX)@ 2720, I've not used that particular load but have had good accuracy with 4064. I do have a pressure tested load of 50.0 gr. RL15, 180 TSX, 3.395 OAL, Federal Brass, WLR primer, 22" barrel at 55K psi and 2677fps. Another 0.5 grain of of RL15 would probably hit 2700 fps and still be under 60K

Like Mule Deer says, 58 gr. of Hunter with a good 180 gr. bullet works. I tried it in my '06 with 180 Ballistic Tips. Four 3 shot groups were well under 1" and FAST. I seated my bullets .030" off the lands, and used WLR primers.

Steve

The best for 3006 for me by far is the 165gr Nosler it has more down range energy than the 180 and shoots mighty tight groups
Rem 700 BDL 22' barrel Lots of reloader 19 and you have enough to kill anything in NA try it you will be impressed [img]http://[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c326/manitou210/P1040081.jpg[/img][/img]

That group is actually .328"

When measuring targets, the group needs to be measured center to center. You have two choices, you can deduct the bullet diameter, .308", or set the calipers to .308" then rezero it so that the group is measured in net size only.

Either way, I would keep that .30/06. Any rifle that can head shoot sparrows should make a reasoinably good hunting rifle.

AGW

I worked up to about 58gr of RL 19 in my '06 with Nosler 180gr Partitions. It will do an inch or a little better most of the time at 100 yards.