Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ask John Barsness Questions About "GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR .30-06"

I sighted in useing the peep insert, then removed it for my practice shooting, I'm getting there slowly but surely. Thanks again.




Eric

Okay JB, I've been shooting the 57 gr. IMR 4350 and 165 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip load for 15 years now, never had any complaints. However, I'm tempted to use a 180 gr. on deer this fall, Ballistic Tip or Accubond, just to see if my rifle will shoot them well. It's a M70 FWT ss/walnut Classic that was finicky until I started with the load above. What are your powder recommendations for 180 gr. bullets in the .30-06?

Selmer,

Here is a link to the original article and he makes some great suggestions there:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/newsletters/May_2009.html

I hope that new home/congregation/loading bench are treating you well,

efw

efw - Thanks! And yes, yes, and yes!!! They have provided us with a beautiful parsonage near the school and swimming pool for the kids, 150 seconds from the local public gun range, complete with man cave room right across the hall from the wife's quilting room in the basement, both adjacent to the downstairs family room and large fenced in backyard for the beagle and weimaraner. We've never had it this good! Plus I'm within two hours of my favorite fishing holes in NE South Dakota.

BTW, I've read more than once on Mule Deer mentioning Ramshot's Big Game with 150s in 30-06...he ain't lying! Ran some today in my old (July 1918) Winchester made 1917 Enfield and two groups went inside 3/4" at 100 yards. This was 58gr of said powder (usual caution applies), 150gr Hornady Interlocks, Remington brass, WLR primers.

John,

You said you used magnum primers (Federal 215) with the 165gr loads that were pressure tested (165 gr partitions and 58.5 gr IMR4350). How much velocity boost does the magnum primers give you over non-magnum primers for the same load?

Aldeer

It depends on the powder, cartridge and bullet, but usually the increase is 25-50 fps.

Mule Deer- Don't know if you saw my posts elsewhere, but thought I'd post some info here as well. Due to time constraints I didn't have much time to work up a 165gr Partition load and I only had R-15 on hand. SO, I did some extrapolating from Nosler #6 and checked it here with data Aussiegunwriter has posted. Nosler lists 56gr as Max for a 125gr and similar powders showed a 2gr reduction for max at 150gr and 2gr more reduction for 165gr bullets. Aussie's data had loads, IIRC, of up to 54gr with not notes indicating pressure. I loaded up tests at 51.5, 52 and 52.5. In shooting them a month a go, the 52gr load shot the best, but I didn't get pressure indicators from each of them. Here's 8 rounds of the 52gr load I shot yesterday:


Don't know how fast their going, but 1.5" high at 100yds had them grouping just below zero at 200yds. Should be fast enough for me! Just thought I'd pass along that info.

With this load and your 65gr 338 Win Mag load shooting 200/210gr bullets, I'm not sure I need to keep too many powders on hand.

Thanks for the info! Rl-15 is one of the great powders, very flexible. In fact I've also used it with 165's with very good results in the .300 Savage.

Once I get settled 1700 miles from where I now sit, I plan on trying to make it work in a 30-30.

Yeah, it works there too! The load I use in my .30-30 drilling combines RL-15 and the 170-grain Nosler Partition. It gets about 2350 fps from the 28" barrel, and excellent accuracy.

I really like the 200 gr. Nosler partition and the 200 gr. woodleighs, all things equal in the gun I can get the same velocity with the 200 gr. bullets as I can with the 180s, that is the accepted 2700 FPS anyway..The really kill well..

I also love the 220 gr. Noslers and Woodleighs and I have shot some really big stuff such as Cape Buffalo, Eland, and joined in on a big Lion that was wanting to eat our group..It really is a killer at about 2500 FPS in my rifle with the old Milsurp 4831 I have on hand and I can actually get 2600 FPS with that old stuff but see no need.

Just some thought into the versatility of the grand old 06, Mostly I use the 180 gr. Nosler partition at 2700 FPS and regulate the 200s and 220s to my 300 H&H, but don't over look these heavy bullets in the 06, they are simply awesome on everything from deer to whatever and I would not hesitate to shoot an elephant with a 220 gr. solid under decent conditions for a brain shot and thats usually doable, it will do the job and has killed many an elephant.

The 30-06 is an unbelievable cartridge, and all one has to do is try it, and they will agree..You would have to be a real armchair bandit to not appreciate the versatility and killing power of the 06 IMO...

using RL 19 I get approximately 2800 out of a 24 inch pre-64 M70 and 200 NP and 200 BBC...Swift A Frames are slightly less...this is my Moose and Elk load...

I�ve (3) three seven pound canisters remaining of military surplus from the load shack at Quantico but I cannot make it work with the 220 Nosler at those speeds. I�ve not had much luck pushing the 220 much beyond 2400fps without the accuracy falling apart and/or the pressure running too high. Have you had success with any consistent commercial powders and components to run the 220 upwards towards 2600fps out of a 23-24 inch barrel with good accuracy?? Looks like that would really crank the �06 up a notch.

Thanks!

You can easily break 2500fps and usually around 2550fps with a 22 inch barrel using 760 powder and the accuracy is commonly a perfect triangle at around .5MOA in the several .30/06's I have tried this load.

JW

PS: That surplus powder (4831) is the best powder I ever tried in the .340 Weatherby.

JW

Thanks JW,

This with the Noslers? How many grains 760 are you talking to see 2550fps from your 22-inch barrel??

Even that very conservative and careful writer Ken Waters was able to get 2600 out of the 220 in the .30-06 (well, 2595 anyway). He used the Sierra and Norma MRP.

220gn Woodleigh
57gn H 4350 for 2551fps 3180 .508"

220gn Sierra RN
56gn Win 760 2560
57gn Win 760 2605 1.2 MOA
57gn H 4350 2524 .556"
59gn H 4350 2603 Warm
51gn IMR 4350 2393
52gn IMR 4350 2403
52gn Rel 19 2170 .7" Mild


I tried both of the above. I have only used Nosler's up to 200 grains in the .30/06.

John

In usually ignore these type of threads,but being a long time .06 shooter, I can add that one who has done any amount of competition shooting using an M1 or an M1A and has not had a hot case down thier back is mighty lucky,as they are hot. I addition I don't see many comments about 220n gr RN as I use them except for the fact that they are not good past 300yds.That is a wives tale that I have debunked years ago.

I have not tried many of the new powders as a few years ago I used up the 42 cents a pound 4831 and bought a few 8lb jugs of the newer stuff. 6.5 and .06 get stuffed with it and the.308 gets 4064. Many yeads ago I got past the "buy a new rifle to get the optimum killing machine syndrome" and remain with the.06,with the occasional foray with a 44 mag or muzzle loader. This year it is muzzle loader and a 30-30 carbine, and maybe the 6.5 for a deer,but the .06 will be along for every trip