I'm headed to Prince of Wales in September for Deer and Black Bear. I am taking my .30-06 and that is not up for debate. What bullet would you choose (brand and grains)?

180 gr partition

Congrats on drawing your tag. Use whatever your rifle shoots well.

180 partition would be a good one. 168 ttsx or even 150 ttsx might be my choice. If going cup and core, no less than 165 IMHO and some type of bonded.

But I"m a bit over anal about making 2 holes regardless and of having the right bullet if i have to make a longer shot, due to BC/wind drift issues...

That would be my first thought as well. I've watched so many things shot in 30 calibers with the bullet, and none that I can recall ever ended in drama. The 180 Partition is to the 30-06 like real butter is to fresh, warm bread. Lots of other ways that aren't wrong either though.

Side note, I have had less than best results with 180 partition in 300 mags... then JB told me... nope 300 mags means 200 partition!

I often have wondered, in the real world though, and not having to make extreme shots, there really isn't much that an 06 and 180 partitions would not work just great on. I would have no qualms on a Brownie even. I might prefer larger by choice, but wouldn't bother me if thats all I had either. Of course I'd still like to take one with an arrow.... so I may be biased about what it takes to work...

Have a couple of boxes of 180 gr sitting on the shelf ready to go. Glad to hear a consensus...pretty much

I always ran the 200 gr NPT in my '06. Don't think a single 180 NPT ever went down the spout.

165 accubond

That's my thinking too, and been trying to convert one of my buddies when I load for him. He's always shot 180s in his WinMag though, and trusts them a lot…..and I've been along a time or three. Makes it hard to argue when things are as boring as that. (But he's just a hunter and a guide, never a gacker, so what does he really know? )

LOL, when a 180 can't make it through a small whitetail lengthwise, its being driven beyond its design parameters IMHO. Talking 100 pound dressed deer...

Doctb: what part of the island are you hunting?

THis^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

LostArra we will be hunting with Kurt Whitehead in guide area 02-02 & 03

Good luck on your hunt Doctb. You can't ask for better folks to hunt with then Kurt d Trina. I'm sure that ya will fill your tags

I have seen a 165 trophy bonded bear claw out of an o6 not make 2 holes on a nice black bear so large frontal area and 06 velocity made for a very.... hard blood trail. 165 interbond out of an 06 on a close range elk pretty soft. Opened well with poor penetration. So like they said 180 partition or my choice 168 ttsx. Two holes is a pretty big deal on the long haired fat bears.

Kurt finds some really big bears. I revise my statement a bit to a more stout bullet.

I's love to hear how the hunt goes. I've got a cousin that lives on the island in Craig and I've wanted to go hunting with them for years. Maybe one of these years...

I'm with Rost and would go with a 168 Tttx. I do believe you can step down in weight with monos. My choice is not so much based on the worry of a big bear, but of breaking a shoulder and making two holes, and better yet to anchor him quickly so as to not have to track one in a possible wet, thick mess.

Oh, and shoot him until he stops moving.

Hey you are actually going to be hunting very close to where I live, cool.

Almost any bullet would work but I would be partial to a bullet like the 180 gr Accubond or Partition. Like I said almost any bullet will work fine.

You'll have a great hunt; I've hunted bears with Kurt 3 times. Be sure and bring your appetite for fresh-caught crab, shrimp, and fish.

Before Kurt became a black bear guide, he guided for brown bears on the Peninsula. He is opinionated, hard-working, and likes big guns, but dislikes Noslers. You will get a big bear with your .30-06 and 180 gr NPTs, a recipe that one of our party used on my last trip to hunt with Kurt and Trina.

If you send me a PM, I'll be happy to visit with you on the phone.

180gr or 200gr NP would do the trick.

I took my Alaska black bear with a .30-06 shooting 180-gr Speer Grand Slams. That is as tough as any bullet needs to be. Worked like a charm. Made good chili and roasts....