Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 250 grain factory .30-06

Overkill is right. If one needs more than a tough bullet of 220 grains, the 30-06 is not the right cartridge. The extra drag of the larger bullet inside the barrel cuts velocity significantly.

2600 fps is not achieveable with normal pressures with bullets of these weights in a 30-06. I'm not doubting that these were achieved, but it must be at unacceptable pressures. There's the rub. Further, one is really tempting fate to take these cartridges on a hunt after dangerous game...that's the last place to stick a bolt, have a case separation, etc.

A stoutly constructed bullet of 200 grains is a tremendous combination for penetration in the 30-06 - and 2600 fps is achieveable in this weight. 220s should give about 2500 fps.

Par for the course.

Shane is one fella that I'd never want mad at me and in the same time zone. He might could just hit that far away........

Yep, Shane definitely knows how to pull a trigger.

My 250 grain loads were in the 2400-2410 range.

I loaded them in my early years of guiding. They would stabilize in a 1:12 twist 30-06 Husqvarna Model 4100, as well as in my old Rem 725 with 1:10 twist.

They certainly had no problem penetrating big game, and did so with little or no deflection. Just the ticket for our 2500 pound wood bison.

Ted

I have played with the 250 Barnes and later with the 240 gr Woodleighs. Shot some game with them..The old Barnes bullet was pretty thick right up front in the ogive area and if you tried to streatch it passed 150 or 200 yards it wouldn't open much or thats the impression I got...

The 240 Woodleighs at about 2400 work really well, kill very well and are accurate in my 06 and they really shine in my 300 H&H with its long neck... I shot a few Kudu and Eland cows with the woodleighs and they worked fine in both calibers, but better in the 300 H&H was my impression...I also shot some stuff with the old Speer 170 gr. bullet in my 270, and they worked like a charm and killed very well indeed at about 2800 FPS as I recall...

Are these bullets needed? Well I doubt that one needs anything more than a 180 or 200 gr. Nosler in an 06 or a 300 whatever, but its nice to have them available if you want to give them a try and they work very well....After all its all fun and games and interesting experimentation, it increasing your knowledge and adds to your personal experience, how can that hurt..I love hunting with new calibers and new bullets and have practiced that my whole hunting career, it's "my thang"

Thanks Ray. I really enjoy your posts. Odviously lots of experience speaking there.
I must admit I find the long 240 gr. Woodleighs fascinating. Might have to try a few in the 760 remington I'm getting. E

That was my experience as well, but I never used them other than at very close range. They certainly opened up well at 25 yds or less, and kept on truckin'!

Those Woodleighs have a much more streamlined nose than the Barnes did. The Barnes 250s had a nose that was almost a hemisphere, very much like the 170 gr Speer you used. They were probably shorter than than the 240 Woodleighs.

Ted

Seem like just the thing for big bears in an '06.