Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles All around 30-06 load

180 Partition
59 grains Hunter
Winchester Large Rifle Magnum primer

Close to max, start low and work up.

If you can't kill it with this load it don't need killin'.






P

57 grains of H4350 and a 180 grain bullet is a standard around here. It has been a top performer in any 06 I've owned,and a couple others I load for. Second place goes to 56 grains of RL 17 and a 165 grain pill. So far in four different Otter Sixes,it's been an easy sub MOA recipe.

I recently put together a load using the 168 gr TSX over 57 gr H4350, Federal brass and CCI-200's for my FN Supreme Mauser. I am loading to an OAL of 3.260" and they are grouping very well. The combo will head to Namibia in June. This will be the first time I have hunted with a 30-06.

168 TSX or 165 AB over 58-59 gr of H4350 never don't work.

MM

Another vote for 58gr H-4350 and a Barnes 168gr TSX.

Ed

Yep, even with el cheapo bullets...:

all around load in an 06 for me involves IMR 4064 and pick your bullet weight desired....

or you can substitute IMR 4895 or 3031....

I have used this load in 3 rifles and all shot very accurate. Used it to take 2 Moose both with 1 shot kills.

30-06 168 ttsx
58.5 H4350
Fed 210m
lapau brass

You bet Jim, as has been mentioned, I'm a one load per rifle for everything kinda guy too, and 'this load' will cleanly dispatch ANY game animal a sane hunter would point a 30-06 at.

+1 on IMR 4064 it is a very versatile powder, in addition to my .30-06 I also load it in .257 Roberts and it is my go to powder in .35 Whelen with 225 gr. Nosler or Sierra bullets.

Thirty years of hunting with a 30'06... (When I knew everything, and it was too boring) I have had three totally successful hand loads, Alaska to Kansas.
220 Partition and RE22 for 2600 fps
125 X bullet (discontinued) W748 3100 fps
150 TSX Varget 2900 fps (about 25 Kansas WhiteTails...) to 400 yards, still exit, and leave behind shock and awe.
No room for improvement... if you can stand the boredom...

I was once, forced to use factory loads on a Dall's sheep 165 BT 235 yards one shot..And one Aframe 180 gr on a Black Bear. All excellent! A friend killed a few caribou with the remaining part box of 165s he is a poor marksman and still did well!.

Yeah, I've had 30 years with the 30-06 too... nothing I've seen convinces me I need more than a 165 or, at most, 180 for anything the round should be considered for.

This will one of the few threads where everyone is correct and offering genuine advise.
Won't see that again for a while.
John

I have used the 200 gr. Partiton some but my all around loads are the 180 gr. Ballistic Tips and the 180 gr. Partition on top of a max charge of H4831. I use them as I see fit, both bullets give excellent penetration.

A 150 partition loaded with 59 grains of IMR 4350.

I totally agree. There are so many damn good loads for the old war horse, its hard to pick the "best" one. At one time i settled on the 165, then it was the 180, now im dabbling with the 200. What i find funny is the guy snivveling about why his 180 is the best for everything and the rest of us must be wrong. Ha ha. Its obvious that guy has not spent his fair share behind the butt of an 06

The 30-06 is still one of the best. I used to keep two, one sighted in for a 150 grain bullet and the other sighted in for a 180 grain bullet. Nowadays I keep my 308's loaded with the 150's but the '06 gets the 180's.

There is nothing that 165/168/180/200 grain cup and core bullets can provide that a 130 grain TSX/TTSX cannot. There are however speed and penetration that the TTSX provides which the cup and cores cannot.

Over the years, I have pretty much stuck with 165 grain bullets--either Partitions (or lately) ABs--in my 57-year-old Model 70. However, I have shot a fair number of 150 Partitions at deer over the years. I have used 180- and 200-grain ABs hunting elk, but have only taken one bull with each of them. When I was in grad school almost 50 years ago and owned only one rifle, I loaded 130 Sierras for collecting whitetails. With high neck shots, I never lost an animal.

One of JB's recent posts persuaded me to try some 168-grain Hunting VLDs with IMR 4451, and they do shoot lights out in my rifle. Out of curiosity, I also have loaded some 130 TTSXs to try, as well, once the wind quits blowing. Based on over 50 years of hand loading and shooting the cartridge, I believe that you would have to look pretty hard to find a bullet that won't work in a .30-06.

What the C&C does provide that the130 TSX,etc does not is less wind drift with heavier bullets