Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting What is the best 30-06 bullet weight???

Well then I'm sure he has his area of expertise but it sure ain't the 30-30, 45-70, or 30-06. But that doesn't stop him.

What I like is that this is a 13 year old that has chosen of all things, a .30-06. He must not succumb to peer pressure or he would have a 6.5 CM. Anyway it is hard to go wrong with a .30-06 and the handloading has already been figured out. Just be careful about max loads. I have two .30-06s that don't like stiff loads at all. One takes only 49 grains of IMR4064 with a 150 or 155 grain bullet and the other only wants 56 grains of IMR 4350. I was using 150 SST and 155 Scenar on deer but with our influx of some very large Russian cross hogs I started having a few take a pretty long hike after being shot and not leaving any blood to follow. Switched to 180 round nose Speer Hot-cor and they go down quicker and bleed pretty freely. As I type this I'm doing brass prep on about 200 .30-06 cases.

I'll add a couple to that...

You are wise beyond your years. It was written that the 165gr bullet was made for the 30-06. That bullet weight offers the best ballistics for the old war horse. For many years, that's all I used and it worked as advertised. However, oddly enough, I've since made a switch to the 200gr nosler partition and have had excellent results on critters, near and far. I'll be using that combo tomorrow, as a matter of fact.

My dad started me on a 30-06 at age 13. It worked out but I wish he would've started me on something milder like perhaps a 6mm. But Dad often said the 270 Winchester was nothing more than a groundhog cartridge so with that in mind I had no hope getting a 243 put in my hands.

The great thing about the 30-06 is it’s versatility. For deer a young hunter who reloads could shoot the Hornady 150 grain spire point at 2700 FPS (basically a .300 Savage loading) and kill every deer that walks at sane ranges. Then load up hotter and heavier as you become accustomed to the recoil and the critters get bigger.

Ive been using exactly that combo, and have taken Fallow, Axis,pigs and Aoudad with it...critters up to 300 pounds...no problemo! And pleasant to shoot!

A 30/06 was my only rifle for years. Even then I couldn't help but think that I didn't need that much for deer. Early ballistic tip bombs didn't help much. So I did exactly what you gents did.

When I started to get a little extra money I replaced it with a lighter 300 Savage. Unless I was around big bears or moose hunting, I'm not likely to us one.

I don't think I have fired one in anger since 2003.

270 a ground hog ctg.

I think that’s hilarious. Your Dad was no doubt from the old school. Same thinking that resulted in the ‘06 being our military round.

With the bullet technology in those days, guess I can understand their logic.

Still get a chuckle out of that statement. Probably wasn’t much wiggle room for negotiations.

Those were the days.

DF

Yeah, even E K gave it credit for 'coyotes'. L O L

Jerry

The .270 is hardly a varmint cartridge.

This is a varmint cartridge/rifle.

The part I could never wrap my head around was that he believed the 270 was a groundhog gun but he believed the 30-06 was good for all North America. He wasn't ballistically savvy.
One time he shot a nice buck at 90 yards in the neck because that was the only shot he had. He then proclaimed "there's no other cartridge I would've wanted for that shot than the 30-06". I just looked at him blankly.

A 223 Wby Mag ?

Close,it's a bigboomerforsmallcritters.

I've always thought the 165 was the perfect bullet weight for the 30-06. That said, I was raised in a part of the country that didn't really have bears or elk, till a few short years back. I'd not be afraid to shoot either of those species with a 165 grain Partition, but of course the 180 would hedge the bet. Regardless, if I owned a rifle chambered for the 30-06, and it was the only big game rifle I owned, I would probably shoot 165 grain Ballistic Tips for everything but bear and elk.

For those two, I'd load partitions.

Elk, share with us your special wabbit load for that thing...

Sounds like you're doing better.

Looks like Nurse Judy got you confined to the computer, no tractors, etc.

Ya BETTER do what she sez...

DF

The load I used for that bunny is: 400 grain Speer,101.grains IMR 4064,CCI 250 Mag primer. The average velocity is 2500 fps.

I have good and bad days.

No driving for 6 months,no hunting/shooting for at least a year. So I read books,do my exercises,ride around with my son on the farm and be a genuine PITA to everyone.

I do what she says.... on occasion.

Tuesday I got yelled at by my dad for having a shovel in my hand to help him out.

You better listen, could get another knot on yo head. That one would be yo fault...

DF

I don't need another smack on the noggin. So I will listen.