Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game ...And One Bullet to Kill Them All

My answer to that same requirement in an -06 is a 150 mono at over 3k.

If a 130 grain cup and core in a .270 will kill elk, then a 130 mono (TSX/TTSX/GMX/E-Tip) is going to kill them at the very least just as well.

If a .270 mono will kill elk, the a 130 mono in 30-06 will kill elk just as well.

A 25-06 with a 100 or 115 grain mono will kill elk every bit as well as a .270.

Obviously, the antelope and deer will die just fine with either. You might go the rest of your life killing them with monos and never recover a bullet. I've put a lot of monos through big deer and never recovered the first one yet, including the ones shot with .223 and .243 rifles, and not a one of them lacked for hole size and tissue damage in any way, shape or form. The worst that can be said of them is that BC is a little less than cup and cores and they work better when the velocity is still high. That limit's range a little, mostly to inside 400 yards. That said, in fifty odd years of hunting, I have yet to even seriously consider shooting a deer at over 300 yards.

Not one of my half dozen BG rifles shoots the a Partition as accurately as they do some other- mostly C&C. None of which have ever "failed" me.

If the Partition provided best accuracy, I'd use it. Actually, the only "failure" I've ever had was a 210 gr partition in .338WM. at 100 yards. It blew up on the shoulder blade of a moose, peppering the nearside lung with bb bits of bone and lead, but failing to reach the far lung. Never found the rear half, which I think must have ricochetted ourt the entry wound. Never used that round again.

Although the second 210 virtually up the nose of the moose as it lurched to it's feet when I was 10 feet out, did the job.... then I sat down on a log and shook for 5 minutes. Fk Partitions. Accuracy counts, and so does (even one of) experiences! Even if I know it ain't exactly logical....

I'm prejudiced. Sue me.

Some dude in the Northwest designed a bullet in the 1940's that some claim is pretty good for most everything. Some government deal came up with with a cartridge in 1903-1906, that has became very popular worldwide as a general big game cartridge. Many people combine the two, in about 180 grain bullet weight, and claim success.

GTS9, I just reread your OP, and noticed you are a new member. I apologize for the smartass post. I thought you were just trolling. The 30-06 and a 165 or 180 gr Partition would be a great choice.

Welcome to the 'Fire, fasten your seat belt, it does get a little rough here occasionally. There is an amazing wealth of knowledge floating around this here, you just need to learn how to sift it out.


PS, don't buy a yellow Avalanche.

Before the turn of the century, kind folks over at shooters.com suggested the 165 grain Hornady Interlock as the best all-around bullet for a 30-06. I've stuck with it all these years and I followed those people here, because they gave such good advice.

The title sounds very Metallica. A Blend of the .....And Justice For All and Kill 'Em All albums.

The 180's ain't half-bad, either.... . But that's just me. JJHack has been in on many times the kills I have, and concurs that the 165 is the go-to weight for the "06.

When did Nosler start putting steel shanks in their Partitions? All of the Partitions that I've shot and seen had lead both in front of and behind the partition.

As to the OP's original question, back when the only rifle that I had was a .30-06 I would load Hornady 150 grain Spire Point bullets for mule deer and pronghorns, and Sierra 180 grain GameKings for elk. In the 10 or so years that I hunted with that rifle, I killed deer, elk, and antelope with the 150 grain Hornadys and I killed deer, elk, and antelope with the 180 grain Sierras.

Today if I was wanting one bullet in a .30-06 for all of those critters, I would look at the Barnes 168 grain TSX or TTSX bullets. I've used both of those bullets in my .300 Weatherby to take quite a few African, New Zealand, and western US animals varying in size from a 20 pound Klipspringer to a couple of Montana bull elk.

Steel shanks in a Partition? Seems like I recall some years back a bullet with a steel cup in a rear section but don't believe it was a Partition and don't know if the design survives.

Partitions have always provided decent accuracy for me but other bullets that I feel are equally as good or better provide better accuracy as well.

Yes; but, to be honest, I use, and have used, many different '06 bullets for multiple species. I guess that's a major appeal of the '06 or the .308.


It would be an excellent choice.

150TTSX VORTX factory loading is the do-all in my -06. I have only taken 1 elk with it but my intentions are to use it on my WY mule deer hunt and NM Oryx hunt this year. After seeing the performance on my elk I have no reservations using it on any hooved game in NA. Not sure if it's enough for a big grizz but that's not on my list right now anyhow.

Winchester Fail Safe had the steel cup and I believe were made by Nosler. Some Norma and Kynoch bullets had steel jackets or sometimes a secondary jackets of steel.

In the 06 it would be harder to find a bullet that didn't perform well. There will always be trade offs for expansion vs penetration. Jack O'Conner wrote that if you fed enough information into a computer it might just spit out that the 165 grain bullet was the best for the 06. I'm with Jack on this one.

In the 25-06 I would be choosier especially if used on Elk and would lean towards a premium bullet in the 115-120 grain weight. But what I usually do is get two loads to shoot to the same sight setting with one hard one and one soft one that is also a less expensive bullet too.

130 Barnes TTSX driven fast from the 30-06. Best choice for most of North America.

115 Nosler BTip driven fast from the 25-06 will get it done on front-end shots.

Barns TTSX are the best!! Eat right up to the hole!!!

The CT Partition Gold bullets have a steel cup in the base kinda-sorta like the Fail-Safes. I picked up 5 boxes of the .308 150s years ago for about $8 a box. Suspect it's a gimmick as I've never heard of the base of a NP failing.

SPS has had the regular 150 overruns for $20 for a while, btw.

I use 200gr part in my 325 wsm and 180gr part in my 06.... So I guess it partitions for me.. now my 338 wsm I use 200gr a bombs

Yep that's what I shoot exclusively in my 06 for that purpose (anything in lower 48).

200 gr Partitions at 2700 fps with RL-17 or RL-22.

H-4831 SC if you want 2800.

I have hunting friends who use 243/100TSx; 270 w/150 Fusion factory loads; 308/150 Corlokts; 30-06/Vortex 168TTSX; 25-06/120 factory CorLokt and 6mm Remington/100 factory corlokts for everything out here! A 150 anything will do very well in your '06 as will any decently made 100-120 in your 25-06. Myself, I'm going Old School for awhile with a 7x57 and whatever it ends up shooting well, ha. Have a ball friend!