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

IMHO...

Used to hunt with a 30.06 back in the day. If I were to go that route again these days for the deer and elk around here, I'd be going with Fusion 150s. Excellent quality bullet that won't break up, and that provides, at least in the half dozen guns I've used it, consistently good accuracy. For the relatively inexpensive price tag, hard to beat.

Thing is, 150 gr. boattail bullets shoot considerably flatter out to 300 to 350 yards, which addresses the one minor weakness of that caliber. And with the quality of modern bullets, one gives up nothing regarding reliable DRT capability.

For deer Sierra Gamekings are terrific in every regard, but I think for larger game with big bones and thick hides like elk, a premium bonded (like Fusion) or monolithic bullet is the order of the day.

Fire 3 shot groups allowing barrel to "cool" between firings usually 15-20 minutes if cool outside then considerably less time will be needed to allow the barrel to cool.

Heating up the barrel causes the rifle to shoot differently, sometimes for the "better" but usually not the case.

Why three shots? That is usually the most you will get to shoot in a hunting situation if your fast on the "bolt". 2 shots is the norm for different situations.

Find the bullet weight your rifle likes. Forget premium bullets they are not really needed for the 06 and get costly quick. Moose, Brown Bear, ect is where a premium would be a good idea for a hunt of a lifetime ect but not needed for a whitetail deer.

Do you reload? Do you have plans to learn to reload? I have used Winchester Silvertips, Corelokts, Hornady Boat Tailed Spire Points, ect. Never had an issue with any of them. These are the most common bullets you will find at approximately 20-30 dollars a box range per 20 rds? Save your brass.

I would recommend you learn to reload when time/money allows.

That Savage should shoot very well and put meat on the table for years to come!

Good advice.
Good post.

JJ Hack here uses nothing but 168gr Barnes TTSX for all game here and in Africa every year. This is the bullet that I load for a few guys in my church who hunt with 30/06's. It can be driven pretty fast and penetrates exceedingly well, wreaking havoc all along the way through whatever animal it is pointed at. Exceptionaly accurate, too.

I would avoid at all costs the Sierra bullets, I have had them come unglued more often than not, even on game as small and light as a 2 and 1/2 year old, 100lb Coastal Blacktail buck. They can be used for practicing and coyote shooting, though.

Good posts, good advice. But, don't forget 130 gr. projectiles.

For WT deer I like the 130 gr. Horn SP. It is just about perfect for our Southern WT's, bucks weighing around 160-180#'s, does around 120-140#'s. Chest shots leave blood pouring from entrance and exit wounds with lots of damage in between. And, DRT deer. The 130 gr. bullets can be pushed to around 3,100 fps and with this size game, more penetration is not needed. The extra velocity seems to make this load especially deadly.

My '06 Husky project: http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/7722726/3

DF

I've loaded for at least 15 '06s in the last 20 years. All pretty much liked anything I tried.

The big lesson to e was that most '06s will shoot different loads (bullet weights, powder) to slightly different points of impact. Not a big deal, but you do have to know where those differences are if switching loads with the size of game. I did find the various 180 grain bullet weights to be a bit more consistent in POI than with the lighter weights.

All that said, my favorite bullet weight in the 06 is the 165/168. My favorite bullet is the Barnes TSX/TTSX. Powder is H4350. Cases and primers don't seem to make much difference in my rifles, but I use lots of Federal 210M and Winchester WLR, mainly because I have lots of them. Most of my case lots are Remington. They have proven to be the most consistent and least defective of those from Rem, Win, and Federal. Although, the Nosler cases are proving to be extremely high quality and quick to the die right from the box.

As far as loaded ammo, I have always used Federal Blue box,mostly 180s, for breaking and checking out a new to me rifle. They are cheap, but very consistent across the screens and usually extremely accurate. I've found that a rifle that won't shoot blue box, isn't worth messing around with any further. Two of y hunting pards use only Rem coreloks and always bring home the elk with one or two hits. The stuff does work.

I've beenshooting a 30-06 most of my 63 years, well, for the last 50 of them anyway. I have killed deer, moose, bear, wolves, and skunks with a 30-06. When I was using commercial ammo, I used 180 grainers of some sort or the other. During those years, I was a tolerablle shot, and never really shot groups on paper much.

When I started reloading, I started eating up a lot more ammo, and I also started shooting at paper a lot more. I started with Winchester PP 180 grainers, because that is what my reloading mentor used. My groups were under 2" usually. As I listened more and shot more, the groups shrunk to about an inch and a quarter. I shot three shot groups, and usually just shot as the cross hairs were on target. Didn't let the barrel cool, but it never got real hot.

As time has gone on, I started using 165 grain bullets, even tried some 150 grainers, and then I eventually settled on 168 grain Barnes TSX. I tried many different powders, and like someone said before, IMR4350 seemed to work as well as any. Right now, I am using mostly H414 and RL-19. I am getting 2900 ft/sec out of the 168 TSX. It kills very well, and mostly the rifle I use for them shoots about 3/4".

I let my barrel cool when I am on the range. In the field, I am so used to one shot kills, I don't worry about barrel heat. Those TSX bullets are real killers. When my stock wears down a bit, I'll probably try the TTSX.

I also have some 200 grain Accubonds that I intend to try soon, loaded with H4831sc. Expect they will shoot just fine.

My Browning X-Bolt '06 shoots Barnes TSX 165 grain bullets into very tiny groups.
It's difficult to imagine that I will ever use any other bullet, for any game, in this rifle.
Boring........

This, although I will add, after you find the ammo your rifle likes, pay close attention to where your first shot hits in relation to the other two, that's the most important one, sight in your rifle to accommodate the first shot from a DIRTY barrel.

After you get it sighted in, DON'T clean your rifle barrel until your start losing significant accuracy, (usually hundreds of rounds) if you do, you're going to have to shoot a couple of fouling shots to get back on track again.

Factory ammo for deer, anything between 150-180 gr as long as it's NOT MATCH or FMJ ammo, i.e., Hornady American Whitetail, Remington Core-Lokt, Winchester Power Points or Pointed Soft Points, Federal Power-Shok, etc.

Factory ammo for elk and moose, Federal Vital Shok Partitions, 165 or 180 gr.

If you reload, or plan to, here's what I'd recommend:

Deer

Brass - Winchester
Bullet - Nosler 168 gr Ballistic Tip
Primer - Federal 210M, 210, CCI 200, or BR-2
Powder - H-4350 (53 - 59 gr maximum) start at 53 gr
______________________________________________________________

Elk and Moose

Brass - Winchester
Bullet - Barnes 168 gr TTSX
Primer - Federal 210M, 210, CCI 200, or BR-2
Powder - H-4350 (52 - 55.5 gr maximum) start at 52 gr
_______________________________________________________________

can't tell what you are shooting at. out of my 30-06's, i mostly shoot 165, 167 and 168's.

I have read an awful lot of good about the 168 NBT; great BC, thick, stout jacket, and when charged with Ramshot Hunter very accurate & fast in my favorite rifle.

I call it "one load to kill them all" (them being NA big game).

As to the thin barrel/POI shift, when load testing I set my thin barreled rifles aside in between shots to most accurately (no pun intended) reflect field situations.

If I ever get a 30-06 it will shoot 180 Partitions.

I got 150, 165 and 180... so I can see if there is a difference. Seems like 165 is most popular.

3 shot group with each and let it cool between groups. rem corelokt 165's shoot the best out of my 06's.

I have considered reloading. But thought it would be $800 to 1000 all set up. Can you send me/post a link to it.
Thanks

I'm not pappy but this is a pretty good setup for $325:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/937051/rcbs-rock-chucker-supreme-master-single-stage-press-kit

You'll still want some things like a case trimmer and digital calipers, a chronograph and a few other things as you go along. You can buy most of what you need used for less than new. Don't know if they still do it but Shooting Chrony used to sell refurbished chronographs for about $50. Digital calipers can be had new for under $25.

I started out in 1982 with a RCBS Rock Chucker press. Last Christmas and thousands of rounds later I gave it to my brother because I had replaced it with the slightly larger Rock Chucker Supreme as is contained in the kit linked to above. Both presses will last longer than I will. If I was starting out today, the RCBS or Hornady single stage presses would be my first choice. Many times Iv'e looked at getting a progressive press and ended up buying another rifle or handgun instead.

Once you get rolling you will find that the cost of ammo rapidly pays for the equipment. You may not save any money at the end of the day, but you'll be able to do a LOT more shooting for your money. Just to give you an idea, you'll be able to build cheap 150g FMJ practice loads for about $10 per box of 20. If you want premium bullets for hunting you're looking at about $20 per box of handloads instead of about $35-$50 per box of factory loads. Last time I checked my hardcast plinking handloads for my .45-70 cost me under $3 per box of 20. You can do the same for about any cartridge using hardcast.

A caution - handloading is not for everyone. You need to be able to concentrate on what you are doing, follow directions and work undistracted by other factors. Reloading while upset or on medications or drugs or while simply tired is a good way to have things go bad. Also, instead of being tempted to exceed published data to get higher velocities, do yourself a favor and get a new rifle chambered for a faster cartridge. Eyes and fingers can't be replaced.

There is an incredible wealth of online resources available to handloaders, including load data from most of the powder manufacturers and many of the bullet manufacturers. You don't need to buy all the latest manuals to get the data.

If you decide to go the reloading route you may well find, as many do, that it extends your shooting pleasure.

Good luck and have fun with your new toy, whichever direction you choose.

Keep your brass!

Reloading is WAY less expensive than what you've been thinking, but it isn't necessarily a money saving venture. You can get increased precision from your ammo over factory and tweak things for specialized purposes but for me the potential savings was lost because my volume of shooting increased radically.

That Rockchucker kit referenced above is a great one, but when I got started I chose the Lee Anniversary Kit ($127 link below) thinking I'd have to upgrade if I liked reloading enough and I have replaced a few components, but the press and other essentials have lasted beautifully:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/42...-lock-single-stage-press-anniversary-kit

Once you have that you'll need dies & loading components and you'll be ready to get started. Other accessories can (and should) be added along the way.

Good luck,

Efw

I have been shooting a .30-06 for many years. Now have three. My favorite bolt gun is an early four digit custom FN. I have been shooting the Federal version of the high velocity 180 interlock in it for many years. I'm about out of them. I hope the Superformance does as well. A Custon Springfield and a BAR are both fed 150s. No complaints. I may go Interlbonds on the FN. My original volume purchase of the Federal is about gone. I liked th 180 for better penetration while chasing Mulies in the foothills a good many years ago. I am pickey about my shots these days, and lighter bullets are just fine.

Jack

I shoot 165 NP over IMR 4350. Accurate and deadly.

I shot several deer with 150 and 165 grain Remingtons before I started reloading. They worked fine. I have a friend who still shoots the 180s. They do fine as well. I would pick the one your rifle shoots well and go with it. I have found significant lot to lot variation with the old green box ammo, so if something shoots really well, get a few boxes.

For the record, I nor anyone I know has ever hit a deer in the right spot with a .30/06 regardless of bullet and not ended up with a dead deer in short order.

Whatever you shoot, save your brass. You are getting good advice about reloading.