Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting '06 load for whitetails

I just took a look at my big game hunting notes, which go back 47 years now, and found I've taken more whitetails with the .30-06 using the 200-grain Nosler Partition. The first deer taken with that bullet, in fact, was a whitetail shot with the old lathe-turned semi-spitzer 200, used because back then I was doing most of my elk hunting in the thick, steep Montana mountains along the Idaho Panhandle. There were plenty of deer, too, many of them whitetails, and the 200 handled them just fine too, with little meat loss.

Have used a bunch of the usual suspects too, including the 150 Silvertip and 165 Speer Hot-Cor, plus a bunch of fancier stuff. But wouldn't feel handicapped using the 200 Partition for any whitetail hunting, anywhere.

Back here in PA my favorite load of the 06 always have been the Sierra 180gr round nose with 57 grs of IMR 4350. It just kills them dead, not a long range bullet but I have taken 300 yards shots on deer and knocked them off there feet. Killed quite a few pigs to with that load too.

Right on Deacon Bob.

Gunner

Last one so hit with that combo by me was a nice 18.5" 8 point WT, center punched both shoulders at about 60 yards, two feet, straight down, maybe a handful of fajita meat lost, not bad at all.

I love hunting with that old pre-64 and it's steel tubed Weaver 3-9x40 AO scope.

Gunner

For whitetails with a 30-06, one can never go wrong with a 165 cup and core with H4350. In fact, it's my all time favorite deer load.

180 gr Partition for everything out of my -06's

setch with all the good stuff out there today,and all the good advise available it is easy to "overthink" sometimes and we work up a sweat, trying for the "perfect" load for this and that.

Your Dad is right; doesn't take an 06 to kill a deer but OTOH it does kill them very nicely.

I got SO tired,years ago,of jumping from this bullet to that bullet,that I just adopted the practice of using one weight in any given cartridge for everything;and have not loaded anything the past 20+ years in a 30/06 for hunting except a stout 165 gr at about 2900 fps.

This has worked so well, I sometimes wonder why I bother with any other rifles and loads.And if I had to empty the safe of everything except one, I would be hard pressed to choose between this and a 270 with a good 130 gr bullet.

All very good advice on here. Get a 165 or 180 that shoots well out of your rifle and load some up. Then shoot everything you encounter and be happy. Just so you know a 165 bullet out of an 06 will kill elk just fine also. Just my .02

I've shot deer with handloaded 165gr Core Lokts, Bal Tips, and Interlocks and could be happy with any of the three with the rest of my deer hunting career.

My custom 30-06 really likes Federal Fusion 150gr.s,it shot 3-3shot groups under 1/2in.I don't reload for it because they shot so good.I bought 10 boxes of the same run number form Natchez for $22.08 a box and free shipping.I'M 1 happy camper.

150 BTSP Interlock and 60 gr IMR-4350 has done nicely through my straight-pull Mauser.

No reason you can't run yer elk load though. I am sure the deer won't know its fer their bigger cousins...

47gr of 4064 & 165 Sierra BTSP is the most accurate in my old Win 54 but can do some damage. On one, right as I shot the deer spooked & the bullet hit the elbow first and damn near cut the poor bastid in half.

180gr core lokt... /thread lol

180 grain Hornady Interlock Spire Point. Nice crimping groove for my BAR.

Bill

I all ways like the 180 gr round nose bullet knocks em down like a hot date on prom night

Q: Will [fill in] work on deer?

A: Well, it sure as heck ain't gonna bounce off.

Just about any reasonable 30-06 load will probably do a fairly good job on deer.

My recipes are as follows:

150 or 165 grain Hornady Interlock SP or BTSP or REM PSPCL
5% off-MAX load of H4895 and CCI Lg rifle primers.

All told, the tribe probably shoots one variation or the other in 8 rifles. Of all of the possibilities, I have killed the most with the 165 Hornady SP, but none of us have ever lost a deer that was hit well with any of the options mentioned.

My #2 son accidentally gut shot a buck a number of years ago with a 150 grainer out of the M1 Garand. It was about 60 yards out and he hit a few inches farther back than ideal. The abdominal cavity ruptured and the buck took off with his intestines winding around his hooves. 50 yards later, he piled up. There was nothing left to gut, but the stomach was still intact.

Basic truths:
1) You do not NEED premium bullets to bag a whitetail with 30-06. You may want them, but you do need them
2) The same bullet that works at 150 yards will generally work at 10 feet.
3) At the range most hunters encounter Eastern Whitetail Deer (inside 80 yards) the majority of the difference between a 30-30 and a 30-06 is wasted in the dirt on the far side of the deer.
4) 150-180 grain bullets CAN go end-to-end on a whitetail. That is not a good strategy, but if you are worried about making it through the chest, don't worry.
5) Whitetail deer are not hard to kill. If you lay a round of '06 into the chest inside 150 yards, you will probably find the animal where you shot him, or see the carcass if you stand where you shot him.

I shoot a 165 grain Sierra Game King with 49 grains of IMR 4064. What a great, accutate load that is in my gun. The deer hate it!

I use a 210 berger out of my 06 makes a big hole not what I really wanted I use a 168 barns bullet for deer works great

+1 on the 165gr. bullet and IMR4064, the combination works great for me.

180 gr. speer hot cor and 59 grs. of reloader 22. Also 180 gr. corelokt's. Preferably the round nose.