Had an idea that working up a 30-06 load with a 190-210gr high BC like an ABLR, could give a single load for everything from antelope to bears, from 0-WAAAY out there, even if started mild around 2650-2500, respective. Could even be tolerable on recoil, blast, and range life. One and done loading. It's probably been done plenty, but I couldn't find much about either in the '06.

Just use a 150- 180. 165 is a good compromise, any game, any range. If the gun shoots them well. . My preference for under 300 yards for anything is 180, but I'm currently using 150s on caribou to 500 yards.

That's in plain-janes- I've gotten back away from premiums, which may or may not work better for you.

I would be tempted to look at the 180 grain weight, but what you are thinking about is good.

It's easier to make a short-range shot with a long-range load than the other way around.

168TTSX

180 grain Partition. No doubt about it.

Yup.

So simple it's stupid.

LOL....I guess any of my old 150-180 loads can do fine to typical hunting ranges, but I figured it'd be cool to have a load that'd do that AND stretch my practical practice out into the 600-1k range, as a load. Not necessarily needed, as I generally have 2-3 loads for most stuff, based on use. The longer/higher BC fad just opens up some practical angles a bit farther.

150 or 165 TTSX

I had such a load for years, a 180 Nosler Solid Base loaded with MR3100 to 2730 fps. Worked from elk on down to coyotes.

Leaning towards the 190 at 2650-ish.

If you believe in the Berger, try this.






If you're a Partition fan, try this.










P

I am currently considering doing something along the same lines only I'm going to use the 7X57 and the 168 Berger. I'm thinking I can get about 2650 ish give or take.

A fire member named Stick I believe uses this philosophy often along with quite a few others. ☺


Trystan

When I started handloading in the early 70's most hunters I knew were loading 180gr. RN bullets in .308/.30-06. I killed the biggest whitetail of my hunting career with a .308/180gr. Hornady RN. Not long after that I started shooting metallic sihouete, most shooters were using 168gr. HP for everything except the rams which they used 190gr. HP. Seeing how well the 168gr. bullets performed, my go to hunting load became 165gr.. I have been doing some load development recently with that bullet and have found that IMR 4350 is the powder most used by the majority of .30-06 reloaders. Other powders that show promise are IMR 4064, RL-15 and Varget.

I could do about anything in NA with a 165 TTSX or a 165 HIB, for that matter. My 06 likes both over IMR4064.

I set my 30-06 up for (my vision of) this purpose. I don't hand load myself so I went with the Nosler 165gr Accubond factory load.

If I hand loaded like yourself I would look at the 168gr ABLR. Not giving up much in terms of B.C. to the 190gr.
Gaining Velocity
Gaining Flatter Trajectory
Gain Milder Recoil

Sufficient for all but the great bears.
Antelope - Moose Covered!

I could see that on the 168. I can't get on board with anything Berger for hunting...and (though I load some Barnes stuff) I'm not really looking at monos here.

180 RN core-lokt @ 2800

My 06 is a custom on an FN action, 24" Douglas 1 in12" twist barrel and bedded in a McMillan stock. I shoot a lot of cast bullets and the 1 in 12 works well with them. Turns runs out I can't push a 180 gr. bullet fast enough to stabilize but it's a tack driver with 165 gr. Accubonds. So it's the 165 gr. bullet at about 2880 FPS. Kills elk quite nicely BTW.
Paul B.

165 Partition at 2880 fps via H4350

165 or 180 grain Hornandy and 4350.

In my experience, the latest fad or craze is a bit misguided.

Today there are LOTS of long range target bullets made in various calibers, with the largest number of them being 30 calibers.
However they are TARGET bullets.

Unfortunately some of the target bullets are sold as hunting bullets, but they are extremely poor choices for that job. Burger making the worst ones of all. There are others too,but any bullet that shatters into fragments at ANY range is a poor hunting bullet. Some will hold together about 40% at long range, but shatter at 300 yards and closer. Bad choices.

Some like the Barnes X an the Hornady GMX will expand at close range perfectly and do super well, until the striking velocity goes below 1900FPS. Super accurate at long range, but poor killers as they can make a very narrow wound if they only turn into a round nose instead of a mushroom.

In my 30-06s the only bullets I know of that will expand well at 900-1000 yards and still hold up on a shoulder shot at 15 yards are the Nosler partitions. They are accurate enough to use at loooong range too. So I agree with elkhunternm and gundog57. A Partition bullet of 180 is probably the best "One load/all game/all range bullet you can get today. The only other one that may cover the ground as well would be the new Accubond, also from Nosler, or Inner-bond from Hornady but I can't say from personal experience yet. I CAN say the 180 gr Partition does it all.
I know about them from about 45 years of use from game kills at 25 yards out to about 700 yards.
I have yet to find anything as good, let alone better.

Agreed. But,I have 4 pounds of it on hand. RL17 in reserve.

....and that's why I don't mention Bergers or monos. It's why I DID start out about using ABLRs....just seems you can launch a slippery bullet slower, and give it a better expansion window.

150gr NP's in my 270 win. for any and all events. I have never been disappointed. And you can bet your bottom dollar when I was using my 06' that it had a 180r NP ready for anything I pointed it at.

I've run 125-180s, of various Nosler and Sierra types, for 30 years. The partitions, BTs, and SGKs have always worked....just intrigued to experiment with my 30s and the same new bullet advantages being given to the 6 and 6.5 stuff. There's plenty of tried and true hunting bullets in 30, but some of these new pills do all that AND hold velocity/energy past 500, and drop and drift less, if one is inclined to practice out there....even 180 NPs can't compete with BC