Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Fav 30-06 bullet

Great story.

You've posted that pic before, haven't you, Klik? It seems almost iconic, with that well-used knife and well-used Partition! I have the suspicion that when you say "moose" I should think "passenger vehicle" in comparative bulk.

I hunt with 165-180gr. Hornady or Partitions. May not be flashy or hip but they get the job done every time...ScottyO.

Hard to argue with that. For bigger game (Moose, elk etc) 200's are more better.

For deer I've never had a 30-06 that didn't love 165 Gamekings over 57g IMR 4350. Very accurate and has produced several bangflops for me.

If you want to reliably extend the 30-06's useful range look at the ballistics of a 200gr AccuBond at 2650-2700fps mv. This bullet performs well ballisticaly out to 500yds and terminal performance is excellent.

as has been posted so many times for a '06: 56-58grs of 4350 and the 165gr bullet of your choice. And it doesn't have to be any sort of magic bullet neither; just whichever plain jane that shoots best in your rifle.
I've shot most of the various bullets (no monos)through a 30-06 and settled on a plain jane core lokt. I've never sent one after anything that it didn't fetch. But then, so did the other bullets.

I have shot many different bullets out of my 30-06. For years a favorite was the Speer 180 gr. flat based bullet. I shot everything in the ribs and all was well but until the mid eighties I mostly hunted in the open country and even the 150 grain cup and cores worked well on elk. Then I moved to western Washington and I began hunting where seeing 50 yards was tough. I took the scope off my rifle and mounted a peep sight. Immediattly I noticed just how destructive a 150 gr. Speer spitzer pushed to nearly 3000 fps was on the Blacktails I was now hunting! I lowered my velocities a bit (around 2400 fps) and began using the 200 gr. Speer flat base and the 180 gr. Partition. Could not have asked for more on those big Washington elk and the deer were not so damaged either! This is when I really started to like the Partition.

For deer, I like a fairly mild load with the Barnes 130 gr. Triple shock at a little over 3000 fps from a short barreled '06 and Nosler's 180 Accubond for elk (from 23 yards to 475).

It's a damn good thing I have about 400 of those then... I was also going to say 180 partition because I've used them on deer and elk and they work great. The 200's are just sitting there waiting for me to work up a good load..

Good points. I had a bull elk catch a 180 gr. nosler partition in the offside hide once. The bull was DRT. so the bullet did it's job nicely. No need to track it. To be honest, the bullet did clip the shoulder blade and it probably tumbled a bit. I was still surprised it didn't exit. But this is how it is sometimes. I guess I'm going to have to load up some of those 200's I have laying around..

ARNS9, nowhere did I "smear" the Partition only relayed my experience. You take it for what it's worth?

Esox, I didn't think you were trying to smear the partition name. I appreciate you bringing up valid personal experience with that particular bullet. I also had 1 experience that mirrors yours with that bullet, but it was on a bigger animal. I also used to love the 165 gr. Nosler solid base because it was so damn accurate in my 30-06's. Every 30-06 I ever had loved that bullet, but after I shot a few deer with it I changed my mind about it. I ended up going to the 165gr. Hornady SP interlock because I ultimately got much better penetration and results from the Hornady. Accuracy was top notch with the interlock as well...

No problem BSA. It was never my intention to talk trash about the bullet. Heck that was why I was using it. I heard great things about them. Still ready to try out the 200 grain Partitions this upcoming season!

Good luck with your hunting. I always appreciate the guys here who are honest with us and themselves. Your input is appreciated..

A Partition is generally a good and reliable penetrator....but like any bullet you are more likely to recover them at close range and under high impact velocity than at longer distances where velocity has slowed down somewhat.I have even seen Barnes bullets recovered under such circumstances,so nothing is really exempt if it's an expanding bullet.

None of this is really worth worrying about and IME amounts to maybe a 50-50 proposition. Usually you will find them balled up under the off side hide after having busted up everything on the way. So long as I chose a reasonable caliber and bullet, I have never seen them fail to break heavy shoulder bones,i.e. humerus and upper leg bones on elk sized animals...... But I'm not talking about shooting elk with a 100 gr from a 243 either.

I have recovered 165 gr from elk, fired from a 30/06. Nothing less seems to stop these including those 300 pound whitetails and mule deer, and black bears; and 180 gr from 300 magnums...but not many of each.

Once, I know a 200 gr from a 300 Weatherby was stopped in the off side of a bull elk,but did not dig around for it. But it went from the last ribs on the right, quartering away,aimed to angle into the off side shoulder of a mature 6x6. A long ways but the bullet made it and smashed the heavy off side bones at the end of the wound channel. That's a long ways on a bull elk and you can't ask for much more.

Have a handful of 270-130's I've recovered. On the northern deer I hunt, and black bear they mostly exit even at woods ranges and through heavy bones; ditto the 140 and 160 7mm's.I've used the partition from 25-100 gr to 270 gr 375 on a variety of animals from brown bear down. Few bullets give more consistent and reliable performance in penetration and expansion....seems they all look the same on recovery...when you recover them that is.


When I hear someone say a Partition "failed", I suspect there was something funky going on. "Really? Tell me all about it."

First load up the spout in any 30/06 for me is a 165 Partition and 58-59 gr H4350. I figure I am on safe footing for about anything in the lower 48 and maybe more.I'd shoot a grizzly with it with no hesitation.