I have a 30-06 custom that was originally intended for cast bullet work, so was barreled with a 1 in 12" Douglas. At the time I was shooting more cast than jacketed.
For a while I got off the cast thing and tried to work up a load with a 180 gr. bullets and never could get decent groups. I thought it might be the stock so after several tries at bedding the thing it still wouldn't shoot.
I went up to Deer park and got a stock from McMillan. Was lucky enough to pick up a proper stock for a Mauser action that had been a cancellation. No waiting. After bedding it in the new stock circumstances prevented me from even shooting the rifle for a couple of years and when I finally got around to it it still wouldn't group with 180 gr. bullets.
It sat in the safe for quite a few years after that until one day while having a conversation with a shooting buddy, he suggested trying 165 gr. bullets. I'd been using 165 gr. bullets for years in a .308 so a couple of years ago I loaded up a test series with some 165 gr. Accubonds I have with W760 and went to the range. Of the Crony the top load showed 2800+ FPS and tiny clusters, some as small as 1/2 inch.
I never tried to find full out max for the load but all I can say is two years ago a nice fat cow elk laid down and turned toes up after being hit with that AB bullet. Bullet hit just behind the short ribs and blew up the left lung. The elk moved about 30 feet. collapsed and expired.
I was thinking that bullet might be too light for elk but it did work that time. Near as we could tell it never exited but was not recovered. My thoughts are it was buried in the mess that was her left lung.
The was a sticky over on Accurate Reloading where some guy had done some pressure work with Re17 and 165 and 180 gr. bullets. He used a Pressure trace as I recall. I always meant to print it out if I got hold of some Re17 but by the time I did it had been removed. IIRC, he had some interesting results. Oh well. I'll probably try to figure it out on my own.
Paul B.
