Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .30-06 Loads

Something almost everyone can chime in on! Lol- what loads do you guys like to hunt deer with? A buddy gave me a Remington 742 to play with, and I want to work up a load for it. In the past I’ve used 165-grain Ballistic Tips and 150-grain Sierra Game Kings, I would like to try something different, though.

TTSX, TSX, Accubond, Partition, Gameking

What else are you looking for?

Actually whatever load you use for deer hunting in your .30-06, not just what bullet.

59 grains IMR 4350 and a 150 Partition, kills deer and pigs dead!!!

+1 on the Nosler Ballistic Tips and Sierra Game Kings in both 150 & 165 grains, IMR 4064 & IMR 4350 would be my choice of powders. Load them in the primer/case combination of your choice, I have always used Winchester primers and Winchester cases. My suggestion would be to load ten of each load combination and see which your rifle likes best.

CAUTION do not OVERLOAD the 742 action ! A little search will give you a good idea about pressures & semi autos actions.
I personally would NOT go above MID range loads. Right or Wrong that's what I would do.


Jerry

If it was me,I'd stick to powders toward the middle and faster as well, such as 4064 and 4895, with 4350 only for heavies. But that'd just be what I'd do.

4064 and 150gr Bts will work fine in your 742. The 742 is not as bad as some think. If you have one that has been taken care of it will last thousands of rounds. The frame rails wear out over time. But it takes awhile and you can smooth out the chatter marks at least once. I have gotten many 742s cheap because they jammed. A little work and they ran fine

This seems easier.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3216390/good-30-06-loads#Post3216390

Been shooting a lightish load of a 150 grain Hornady SP and 55 Grains of Hunter. It kills stuff.

Yes it does.

IMO there's too much pressure there for semi auto action.

Jerry

My dad bought a 30-06 742 ADL in the 60s and a 3 to 9 redfield scope when I was a little kid. It was the rifle he used the rest of his life. He killed animals here at home and several Mountain states with it and just used factory ammo. 150s for deer and antelope. 180s for elk and mule deer. It would shoot 1" groups with either he never cleaned it and it never jammed until the last year of his life. I took it apart and cleaned it good and fixed it. I know you were asking for loads but I am telling you this because they can be good rifles. I went with him a couple of times to check the sight in when I was little. He would walk off a 100 yards put up a paper with a 1" circle stand offhand with the military sling wrapped around his arm and shoot once or twice. He would send me to get the target and there would be holes right together about an 1" over the circle.

My 742 liked 165 grain Hornady SP's over a H4895, about 5% off MAX. It cycled the action reliably and knocked the snot out of deer. My sons use 150 grain Hornady SP's and Remmie Corelokt PSPCL's over H4895.

I agree w/ 5% below max.

Jerry

I don't really see a downside to loading any 30-06 with 4895 or 4064 but rifles like the 742 and the Browning BAR are not Garands. They are designed to shoot factory ammo and are chambered in higher pressure cartridges than 30-06. You can get the BAR in magnums and the 742 in .270 win. I doubt factory ammo in those rounds are loaded with 4064 and its not loaded light.

Any bullet of 150 grains or more will kill deer from a 30-06, but I do recommend you don't use those that brake up easily if you like to eat venison. Almost any 165 or 180 grain bullet running in the 2500 to 2600 FPS range will do fine. Faster speeds will blow up a bullet worse if that bullet has a thin jacket, so faster is not always what you want.

A more important issue for you is the powder. Rem 742s do not often tolerate real slow burning powders as well as they will use the mid range powders. I would not try powders like 4831, 3100, RL21, 4350 and H414 to start. (4350 can be good if you load at the bottom of the powder charges listed) RL15 is often good too.

I would start with IMR4895 or H4895 and IMR4064. These will give you port pressures more in line with what the 742 likes.

Max loads are not usually your friend in a 742. Try some load in the mid range of those listed. This is most often the best way to load for 742s in both accuracy and in rifle function.

A 30-06 has power to spare for any deer, so load for accuracy and good reliability. Don't get sucked into chasing speed. A "week" 30-06 is still more powerful than it needs to be for any deer, even big western mule deer, so you need not try to max it out.

I am my dad both killed a lot of big deer with a 300 Savage and never had the slightest problem or complaint, and your 30-06 will beat the 300 Savage.

150 Grain Hornady flat bases...lead tip

Loaded to 300 Savage levels.....same for me too...

Pulled data from Lymans 48th >>>the bible<<< is all I use in my 06....Easy on the brass, Easy on the shoulder, Easy on the powder supply, ...Joy to shoot...

as long as the action cycles and your not beating it to death then.....perfect!!

Dead is....well...dead......what more does one need.


Heavy

Killed three deer this fall, a buck and two does, with my .30-06, and 165 gr. Barnes TSX bullets, shot from my Browning X-Bolt. Worked just fine, like it always does. I handload the Barnes ahead of IMR4350 bullets, MV 2800 fps.

Indeed the BAR is chambered in magnums but, I don't believe the 742 was ever chambered for the .270. The .280 was loaded to lower pressure than the .270 because of the 742.

It's been awhile, but I use to load some .06 for my neighbor's 742. I had to buy a set of small base dies for that gun.My notes show H4895 and 180 gr Sierra Game Kings.I worked up that load so he could use the same for elk or deer.I always preferred the heavier bullets in the .06 as lighter C&C bullets tend to come apart at .06 velocities. I' d stick to Nolser Partitions if using 150gr bullets..

I still have those small base RCBS dies if needed. Will sell at a very good price

Keep checking Shooters Pro shop for good deals.I picked up 4 boxes of 180 partitions last year for $13/box