Sorry I meant what powder would you recomment that might give me more speed but take up less space, I'm already compressing the RL-22 but would like a bit more speed.
In the past couple of years I've been using Ramshot Hunter with 180-grain bullets in the .30-06. 58 grains normally gives top velocities and great accuracy.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
In the past couple of years I've been using Ramshot Hunter with 180-grain bullets in the .30-06. 58 grains normally gives top velocities and great accuracy.
John, does this load or Hunter in general show velocity loss in cold weather? Also, do you think that the 1-12 my 06 has could be the reason why 165's are more accurate than 180's?
Dear Mr. Barsness....First of all, I enjoyed that Amer Rifleman Article on the Model 70 immensely...My pre 64 30/06 serial#653xx from 1947 (?) is exactly as you have described in that article...I adj. the trigger to 3lb...tightened the front action screw to 40lb...rear screw to 30lb and the middle screw to 25lb.....when I can hold steady, groups rarely exceed 3/4" with Nosler 150gr Ballistic Tips and IMR 4350 powder...OK....Is Ramshot Hunter temp insensitive..??? I noticed in the article photos you used a CCI 250 MAG primer....Ramshot powders need magnum primers..??? I want to switch over to the Ramshot powders for their clean burning.... ALSO, I am having a devil of a time trying to get Nosler 150gr. Partitions to shoot well in both the Model 70 AND my Ed Brown Marine Sniper 308Win.....150gr Ballistic tips shoot into one hole from both rifles....???? The partitions sort of fly all over the place..????? 1 to 2 inches...?? Have tried IMR4350 in the '06 and RL 15 & Varget in the .308......I CAN'T get the Partitions to group well..???? Whad'dya think..??? Thanks Pete
Often Ramshot powders will shoot best with magnum primers. It's certainly one of the things I try if standard primers don't get the results I want.
Sometimes Partitions don't shoot as well as Ballistic Tips int the same rifle, though often they do, or close to it. Hard to beat RL-15 and Varget in the .308, and usually IMR4350 is pretty good in the .30-06 as well. You might try Ramshot Big Game with 150's in the .30-06, or 165 Partitions and IMR4350.
What are you planning to hunt with the 150's?
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
Dear Mr. Barsness...Thank you for the help....I'll give the magnum primers a try with the Ramshot Powders.....I live in New York City and hunt in the Catskill Mountains....mainly deer and bear....we have, lately, quite a few bears.....their population in southern NY and northern NJ is growing the last 10-12years...and they go 200 to 400 lbs.....My hunting partner bagged one last month...black bear close to 300lbs dressed out.....he used a Marlin 45/70 with Hornady lever-revolution 350grain...the range was only 30yards in dense woods and the bear absorbed FOUR shots...ALL thru the chest/shoulder....one bullet was recovered..the front half was gone....the other three completely penetrated thru the bear...broadside shots thru chest/shoulder.....that's wht I want to use the partitions...the chances of running into a fairly large black bear are VERY high here.....
I just purchased a used hunting BAR in 30-06 and would like some suggestions on ideal loads for this gun. It is a Belguim made gun and I would prefer 110gr to 150gr bullet weights.
I would look at either of the 4895's (IMR or Hodgdon) for that range of bullet weights. 4895 was developed for 150-grain loads in the .30-06, and works very well for lighter bullet weights.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
Dear Mr. Barsness.....As far as distance....some parts of the woods are dense and the shots are from 25 to 75yards max...B U T....there a LOT of open areas where you can get a shot out to 250-300 yards....that is why I will not use a traditional "woods" rifle.....30/30....35Rem....MANY times I have shot deer there out to 250yds..the ballistic tips work well....BUT...now with all these bears running around....and there are quite a few here in southern NY and northern NJ...NJ hasn't had a bear season in a LONG time and the population is spilling over into NY....That is why I'd like to go to the Nosler Partition Bullet.....
One option would be to try the 165 Partition and IMR4350 or H4350 in the .30-06. For all practical purposes this will shoot as flat as the 150 at the ranges you are shooting, and will be plenty for bears. I have also found the 165 easier to get to shoot accurately than the 150 Partition.
I also wouldn't worry too much if you don't get sub-inch accuracy. Three shots inside 1-1/2" at 100, on average, is plenty accurate enough for 350-yard big game hunting, believe me.
If you really want fine accuracy and a great compromise bullet for deer and bear, I would look at the 180 Ballistic Tip. This has a very heavy base on the jacket these days, and will retain just almost as much weight as a 180 Partition. But the front end will also expand very violently and put deer down quickly.
A lot of deer hunters think a 180 in the .30-06 is too much for deer, or won't shoot flat enough at ranges past 250 yards, but neither is true, especially with a 180 with a high ballistic coefficient like the Ballistic Tip. Any powder in the IMR4350 to H4831/RL-22 burn rate range will work well, but I have gotten great accuracy and velocities with Ramshot Hunter in a number of .30-06's.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
Dear Mr. Barsness.... OK...will try the 165 Partition/4350/Big Game AND the 180 Ballistic Tip/Hunter combos......to be honest,I wanted to stay with 150grain re RECOIL....those 180grain slam back hard in my relatively light pre '64 M70 with its STEEL buttplate..... Ya know...just when ya thought ya had it all woked out...the 150 ballistic tips work FINE for deer in my 30/06 & 308...BUT..now with all these bears runnin' around..... Thank you again.... Pete
Gotcha on the recoil. You could try some 150-grain Nosler AccuBonds, which work like Partitions on game but are normally as accurate as Ballistic Tips. I use them myself in my .308 with Varget. They shoot great and penetrate very well. They would probably work with the same loads you're using with BT's, as essentially they are just bonded Ballistic Tips.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
Dear Mr. Barsness....AHHHH...OK...I never thought of the accubonds....150's in BOTH the 30/06 and .308..?? The 4350's and Big Game with the 150 accubonds in the '06..??? I'm gonna switch to TAC for the .308 with the 150 accubonds...
