Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles New 30 06 owner, need bullet advice

I just got a Savage Trophy Hunter XP rifle in 30 06 and have heard that picking the right bullet weight is crucial. I started by getting a box of 150, 165, 180 and will shoot them all.
What is the best way to do it. Just shoot groups with each box I know but is there a big different in performance when I give more time between shots? should I let the barrel cool after each round or should I stay consistant and shoot 3 with one and then cool the barrel. 3 more with others, etc...

does that barrel heating up make a huge different in performance and how much?

just looking to figure this out and want to know what routince most use.

Thanks .

Barrel heat on light sporter barrels will usually move the point of impact and potentially affect accuracy. If it's intended as a hunting gun just let it cool all the way down between shots, that way you are simulating the first shot which in hunting is the one that counts.

30-06 isn't usually picky bout bullets. since velocities are moderate non premium bullets are generally fine. If elk or moose are the plan partitions or some other premium bullet may be a good insurance policy, but for cross lung shots, non premium bullets will do it.

165, super versatile, 150, great deer bullet, 180 for larger game, keep to simple, no need to hot rod the 30-06, it'll do it all with standard loading data.

If you can hold your hand on the barrel comfortably it ain't too hot. Just shoot 'em. (I bet 165's get the nod.)

Jarhead, I would bet your Savage will shoot multiple bullet weights very well. I also wouldn't worry about bullet weight that much. A well constructed 150 grain bullet (Partition, Accubond, TTSX, etc.) will kill deer or elk cleanly, and a 165 or 180 grain will also.

If I wanted to keep my life simple with a 30-06, I would shoot 165 grain Nosler Partition, Accubond, or E-Tip, or Barnes TTSX for the rest of the life of the rifle. Aim well and it will kill anything you point it at.

A 150 grain bullet might get you 3000 fps, but also maybe just 2900 fps. You should get 2850 or 2900 with 165s, and 2700 to 2800 with 180s. Not much difference.

I'm starting to come to the realization that part of the equation is the nut behind the butt. If you are a mediocre shot, shoot 3 shot groups and let the barrel cool. If you are decent, shoot 5 shot groups. No need to shoot 10 in a row, atlease around here. Judging by your question, it sounds like you may be an inexperienced shooter. I'd just shoot 3 shot groups and see what the rifle likes. As far as picking the right bullet weight for a 30-06. None of mine have ever cared what weight the bullet was. However, personal preference usually sways me to the 165 and 180gr. pills..

165g is the all-around weight. 180's and up for bigger game beyond deer. 150's for speed/varmints. IMR4350 and 165's has always worked for me in the -06.

Thank you for the help 1917hunter... I ask the questions because this is my first rifle I have for hunting and was curious how most guys on here sight in their bolt action rifle. I am a bowhunter. Like most of us on here I own many rifles but most are .223/556, I was in the US Marine Corps. I qualified 5 times expert so I do know how to shoot but just wondered if because it single shot in hunting, should I wait on the barrel to cool down to be more similar to hunting. When I'm shooting ARs we don't care to wait and shoot magazines at a time. That's all.

I got Remmington Core Lokt rounds for now. I know it is not the best ammo but figure it can be a good way to start. Many of my friends tell me they shoot them and get good results.

It's plenty good enough. What weight did you get?

The good old .30-06 can handle any game in North America with good shot placement and good bullets.

Guy

A 165 grain Sierra Gameking is hard to beat.

I just picked up an 06. Not my first, but the first I'll load for.

First up are 155 Scenars and 165 Sierra BTHP's. Apparently there is a metric schit ton of good powders for the 06 and mid weight bullets. I'm going to start with H4350, mainly because I have it and powder ain't exactly falling off the shelves.

Nothing wrong with corlocks they have killed a lot of game and are affordable so are the federal fusion.

My Interarms isn't fussy with any bullet weight but I tend to shoot Federal Blue Box 150s and 180s the most.

Federal blue box is good stuff.

It's what I use.

Is the OP reloading?

Lot of good advice so far. My preference too is the 165 grain for the all around set it and forget it round. If you'll only ever point it at whitetails, I might go 150 grain.

Ask for opinions, & you'll get 'em. Ask for opinions about '06 bullets, and you'll get LOTS of opinions.

Here's mine:

1) See if your rifle seems to prefer one bullet weight over others
2) Try a few quality bullets in that weight, and pick the one that shoots best
3) Go shoot everything you want to, and never, EVER go back to the interweb, 'cause you'll only find out that you chose poorly.

At '06 speeds, Interlocks have a well-earned reputation for working very well. TSX, TTSX, E-tips, GMX would also be bullets I'd explore.

Also, I concur with the idea of a "cool" barrel being one you can keep your hand on for 3 or 4 seconds. Go ahead and take your next shot.

And be sure to post pictures of your groups & the stuff you kill!

Good Luck,

FC

A guy could hunt the world and then some with an '06 and 165's, but we still try to outsmart ourselves. As for your barrel heating up, change in POA, yada, yada, the only way to figure it out is yanking the trigger and seeing whats what.

Heating first. As others have pointed out, if you can hold the barrel comfortably, it is not too hot. On the other hand, you can burn the throat in 100 shots or less if you shoot them quickly. I prefer to err on the conservative side.

Group size. The first shot is the money shot. After that you�re playing catch-up, either because you missed, the animal isn�t down or, worse, the animal is on the move and maybe wounded or maybe not. As a result I prefer 3-shot groups. I generally load single rounds at the range so getting them off may take a while. Rapid fire isn�t my goal but I don�t let the barrel cool significantly between shots, either. The goal is to more or less simulate what would happen in the field, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Some folks argue for 5-shot groups but I feel if I get consistent results with 3-shot groups there is no need for more. 3-shot groups save ammo costs, too.

Bullet weight. I use 165�s as my all-around weight. One of my .30-06 rifles had a short throat and wouldn�t take the 165g handloads I use in the others. As a result, and to avoid ammo confusion, I developed 150g AccuBond loads for that rifle. It has since been used to take antelope and elk with that load, the elk (262 yards) dropping so fast it was on the ground before I recovered from the recoil. The throat on that rifle has since been reamed to accept longer loads but I now have a short-throated Ruger American Dad gave me in 2012. The Ruger American will be my elk rifle this fall and the ammo is in question. Along with the rifle Dad gave me 5 boxes of Federal 165g GameKings and 1 box of Federal 165g Trophy Bonded. Although not a fan of cup-and-core bullets for hunting, I was considering using the GameKings for elk this fall until I did a water jug test last weekend. ( see here: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth..._101_Water_Jugs_No_Survivors#Post8833546 )

Now I�m thinking I�ll either use the Federal Trophy Bonded , the 150g AccuBond handloads or develop a 180g AccuBond load for use in The Ruger American. In any case, I�m less worried about the bullet weight than bullet construction. My normal .30-06 loads are handloads that use 168g Barnes TTSX and 165g North Fork SS, but they only work in the longer-throated rifles. Since you do not appear to be a handloader, I�d consider the Winchester White Box 180g Power Point loads. My son-in-law took an elk with one and his .300WM at 360+ yards (about 260 yards equivalent for the .30-06 in terms of velocity) and it went straight down at the shot. For deer and smaller a 180g is generally not needed but won�t hurt anything, either.

Whatever you choose, good luck!

Good hunting bullet. Just keep it out of the steaks, 'cause even at .308 velocities, it soups stuff up pretty good.

Sounds like you're talking about factory ammo, but by all means, get a simple reloading setup, even if it's a Lee Loader. For $100, you can get a loader, electronic scale, hand trimmer, funnel, etc. It'll fit in a shoebox (if your feet are as big as mine), and will load great ammo for practice and hunting. It may be all you ever need, unless you get the "sickness" from hanging out on gun forums.