Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Getting the most out of my .30-06: Ammunition Selection

Well, here goes nothing. First-timer posting here. I actually joined this forum because I stumbled across it while I was researching the things I am going to ask about in this post. I am a classic central Minnesota whitetail hunter. All of my life I hunted whitetails with a bow, shotgun and muzzleloader. I don't pretend to know a great deal about rifles as I didn't grow up hunting with them. However, over the past couple years I've read a lot about them and tried to educate myself on the matter.

I ended up buying a Browning A-Bolt .30-06 with a Vortex 4-18X scope. I bought this setup as its a very versatile caliber, of which I can put to use here in MN for whitetails as well as use it in the future for moose and elk. And its the latter that I am going to ask my questions around. I am headed to Colorado this coming fall on an elk hunt. I will be using my .30-06 and am curious about 3 specific bullets and the ammunition that they come factory loaded in.

I have narrowed down my selections to the below for my gun. Any comments are appreciated:

1. 180 grain Nosler Accubonds - Nosler Trophy Grade (BC .507)
2. 180 grain TTSX - Barnes VOR-TX (BC .484)
3. 185 grain Berger Hunter - HSM (BC .549)

I know these are suitable, well constructed bullets for elk. My question is mostly around how important is Ballistic Coefficient in my .30-06. Knowing that my .30-06 is no 6.5 CM, I want to get the best performance out of it as possible.

If I intend on keeping my shots within 500 yards, is a high BC bullet (Berger, Accubond) as important? Will my 06 be more accurate at 300-500 yards with a BC of .549 than .484?

Lastly, I've heard that in order to get best performance out of the Berger the bullet needs to hit bone..."you need to hit the shoulder to get performance, otherwise the bullet will pencil through the body cavity and won't expand." Is this true?

I just want to make sure that since I have this opportunity to get on a hunt I've been dreaming about I have the proper bullets. Certainly I will need to see if any of these three will shoot well out of my Browning A-Bolt.

You will be fine with all mentioned.

Please define "performance" first. In hunting it DOES NOT mean how well it flies and bucks wind. It means WAY more about how well it expands and yet doesn't come apart so you can get an exit wound. Oddly it's more important in elk hunting then deer OR moose hunting. Moose don't often run full out when shot,and deer fall to the old 06 very very well. It's actually more power then needed for deer.....but so what?


For the issue you mention (elk, moose and deer too) BC is nearly meaningless. If you can judge the range or measure it, you simply hold for the drift and drop of your round and forget all the hoopla about one bullet shooting flatter or bucking wind better. It's 98% about you the shooter, and 2% about the round you shoot.

The 30-06 is the standard by which all others cartridges are measured and it's been doing a wonderful job making meat out of all 3 animals you named since 1906.

If you want to make a choice from the 3 you listed only, I would flip a coin between #1 and #2 and leave #3 out of the race.

For target shooting or varmint shooting, the issue of BC makes some small difference, but not in hunting and especially not in hunting game as large as elk and moose. If you are looking for long range shooting on targets or varmints you should look hard at the Burger too, but it's not going to be as good all-around for hunting elk and moose as the X or the Accubond.

First, welcome to the Fire...This place is full of talented hunters and shooters, as well as funny dudes with a wild streak of smart-ass and piss and vinegar mixed in. Hope you enjoy it here...There isn’t any place like it for good information and pure entertainment.

Don’t feel bad if at some point some members want to give you schit over what you’ve posted if you decide to stick around. For some hazing is their specialty...As for the 06 and the above bullets you’re asking about.

All 3 will do nicely. I’ve hunted both the 180g AB and TSX bullets in the same weight, different chambering. The AB have been very impressive on deer and elk mushrooming properly, and retaining their weight. Nasty suckers when they hit bone. I’ve had more pass through an animal then catch one even out to 600 yards.

The Barnes TSSX bullet is stout and will hold its core intact a little better with good penetration. I used to use them exclusively, until I tried the NAB’s. I changed to AB because all my big fur rifles showed better accuracy with them then the TSX.

Your choice of scope may be more important to you if you are dialing up 500 yards for a shot on a bull with an 06. Drop with a 180g 30-06 will be 46” inches with a 200 yard zero. Energy at 500 yards is in the neighborhood of 1483. Which IMO isn’t very much unless you punch the heart. Could make for a long track on a hit elk otherwise. Just my opinion. 😎

Welcome to the fire. I probably have more questions than answers. Im curious how youve "educated yourself" with a rifle in the last few years, as you state, you havent used a rifle much. To make consistent 1 shot kills at your proposed 500 yard distance, you are going to need a lot of trigger time, shooting at that distance and beyond. I have no idea what type of terrain you will be hunting in, but generally a big percentage of elk are shot inside of 100 yards. How much hunting have you actually done with your 06? The reason i ask is because shooting at an animal with the intent to cleanly put its lights out with 1 shot is different than punching paper or ringing steel. Ive seen guys fu ck up a 30 yard shot, because of lack of experience. My best advice to you is to find out which factory round shoots the best in your rifle, get it dialed in and properly zeroed and practice field positions. Practice shooting off of your pack too. I see you list the bc of those bullets, which isnt a bad thing, but its not the most important part of the equation. All of those loads will suffice, unless they dont shoot well in your rifle. Even the highest bc bullet you can find for the 06, wont save your bacon, if you or your rifle arent dialed in. That doesnt just apply to shooting longrange either. You have to be able to bring your A game at short range too. Id worry less about the bc of the bullet and make sure you and your rifle are up to the task. Dont let all the longrange gak here convince you that all of your shots are going to be from one county line to the next, because the majority of elk are shot up close. Yes, even here "out west".

I'd pick the Accubond first every time out of those 3, OP. There will be no worries about bullet performance out to 500 at least.

Go shoot them and let your rifle tell you which one it likes. Any of those will do the job on elk. But pick the one that is most likely to go where you want it to, if the others don't shoot worth a crap then you don't have much choice.

Good Luck,

1) IMO any 180 gr hunting bullet at -06 velocity will do the job on deer, elk or moose. Yes, even common cup and core bullets, that said, your choices of ammo are very good indeed. Use which ever shoots best in your rifle.

2) Pay careful attention to what szihn and bsa1917hunter have said there is much truth to their opinions. They are experienced hunters and often offer good advice here on the 'fire. Despite all the LR hoopla on TV and the IN, most game, including elk even out west are shot at much closer ranges. You are the biggest variable.

3) Good luck on your CO hunt in the fall.

I appreciate the feedback from all of you, as well as the welcoming comments from some of you. I am going to do more exploring with the NAB as it's one I haven't shot and am curious to see how it groups out of my rifle. Seems like a very well constructed bullet and like many have been happy with it's performance on elk.

I am also curious to see how the Hornady EDL-X 178 grain bullet shoot.

bsa1917hunter - looks like you're a Hornady guy from your profile display. Do you have thoughts on the EDL-X and if they're suited well for elk hunting? Anyone have experience with the EDL-X on Elk? Does the bullet stay together? Decent weight retention? Let say it shoots like a dream from my rifle.....do I use it for elk? Can I trust that even if it hits a shoulder it'll get into the vitals?

I’d lean towards the Accubond and TTSX myself but I have 0 experience with the Berger, so its my tendency to use what has worked well for me in the past. The other nailed it. Once the rifle is on paper at 100 with a good zero, I’d wanna check them all out at distance to see how they hold up. As BSA mentioned you’ll have to spend some trigger time just getting good yourself out to the extended distances.

Unlike BSA though I’d bet my average elk ranges have been in the 250 yard mark.. maybe I need to get better at tracking though..

I think you’ve got a solid plan, I’d address the trigger and make sure it’s light enough to shoot well off of a pack and get to shooting. I think you’ll find with some dedicated time it’ll work just fine for everything you mentioned.

Shots to 500yds on elk...I hear a lot of guys from the east talk of such things. Generally it is guys that have never hunted elk, and don't really know how far 500yds is. Elk are big, and thus have a big vital zone to hit, but bad shots I've seen (and done) at elk have been largely because of nerves (elk fever). Elk aren't hard to kill if you hit them right, but they will run for miles up and down mountains and valleys if you hit them poorly.

My advice: don't plan on taking a 500yd shot, particularly if you are fairly new to rifles. Plan on taking a maximum-point-blank-range shot (for the 30-06, about 300yds, if sighted in for a 260-270yd zero). Don't shoot farther; get closer. The time to start shooting that far at animals isn't on elk in unfamiliar country. Plan to hunt, and enjoy the hunt. Elk hunting is addictive!

Regarding your ammo choices, I've used the Berger 185's in a 30-06 quite a bit with a MV of 2730, and have never failed to have an exit on deer or elk broadside and quartering from 70-450+yds. I'm confident in that bullet (and many others) to handily do what is required. I've been around elk killed with a few various 30 cal Barnes bullets and with several weights of Accubond from the 150's in a 308 to the 200's out of a SAUM. They all seemed to work well without failure. I personally prefer "softer" bullets of heavy-for-caliber weights when hunting where elk are a possibility. Some guys prefer the opposite.

My young nephew killed his elk this year with a 243 (in a Savage Axis!) and Hornady 105 BTHP, an old cow at 300yds, off sticks. The first bullet squared her shoulder on a slightly quartering shot, busted the humerus, and didn't get into the ribs. Shot two passed through the ribs and out, and was likely the clincher. He finished her in the neck because she was still on her feet. It doesn't take a cannon, but you have to know your limitations. She was the second-largest cow I've ever seen killed. I suggest that in whatever situation you find yourself when the shooting starts, keep shooting until the elk is down. Admiring a shot is for TV shows.

More good stuff for this greenhorn! I’m sure you’re exactly right, HuntnShoot; I don’t really know what it’s like to shoot at 500 nor shoot an animal at 500. I’ve never done it! However, I’m going to push my limits at the range and take your advice to keep the shot around 300 on the real thing when I’m out in CO this fall. I currently have my rifle zero at 200, putting me 8” low at 300 and 22” low at 400. Again, I need to spend more time at the range working on getting comfortable at those longer distances.

I'll second the "you have to practice" voices. I recently got a range to shoot to 400. Been shooting at 200 prior. All I can say is the first time at 400, same gun, bullet, scope, rest everything, was an eye opener, those 3 inch groups at 200 blow WAY UP. Heck between a 24 inch drop, add a small wind and we had trouble hitting an 8 inch gong.

Not sure if it was the bullet just sort of drifted at that distance, or the trigger puller, but groups opened up WAY MORE than what I thought.

Given that, I'm happy to shoot animals at 200 but would even try an elk at 400.

its not the rifle or ammo thats critical, its your physical condition,
your persistence and ability to locate game and get into reasonable range,and your knowledge of the game and its terrain,
that will make or break most hunt success
.a good shot with any decent center fire rifle from a 257 Roberts to a 458 win mag can kill elk,
if they get into decent range and can accurately place shots in the games vitals,
thats not the hard part, its finding the elk and getting into range,
and making that accurate shot rapidly from a field position thats the difficult part.
ask the guys that were not successful, youll find it was not having the opportunity,
not seeing elk in range,never seeing game,and lack of physical endurance,
that kept them from checking the next canyon, or walking too the next bunch of aspen on the next ridge,
to make the shot or for a few missing, not the rifles lethality that was the problem.

(1) most people can,t hit crap shooting from field positions ,
bench rests are great for setting your scope zero and sighting in,
but if you don,t spend the vast majority of your time learning to shoot accurately from field positions,
your drastically reducing your chances
you need to practice with a sling , and a decent bi-pod, and sitting as thats how youll make a great many shots




HB25CS 25C Model S -13.5-27" Swivel Bipod
by Harris Engineering
(2) in 50 plus years of hunting elk , I've spent a respectable time in the field,
I've shot and seen shot, a good deal of deer and elk, the vast majority were killed at under 250 yards,

(3) most people can't judge range accurately, in fact most people are terrible at it at distances over 300 yards

(4) your 30/06 with any of the bullets you listed, is fully capable of killing any elk at the ranges your likely to actually see elk in the field.

Welcome to the fire.

I only have experience with the Accubonds. But you'd be fine with any of them. I do have a good friend that likes the Bergers but in 168gr. He's used them on elk plenty out of a .308 and he has the dead elk to speak for them. I wouldn't hesitate to use them at all if they shot out of my rifle.


Good luck on your hunt.

As a fellow MN hunter who hunted west for the first time this year. 500 yds is a loooooooong ways compared to what we're used to. I practiced a lot, or what I'd consider a lot at 300 yards. It wasn't enough. A deer at 300 yds is a small target. An elk isn't but thats still a long ways when you're used to shooting 10-100 at a 200 pound animal. I need more practice, so do you.

With 30-06 velocities with a 180gr bullet, just about any bullet on the market designed for big game hunting will do the job.I am surprised the Nolser Partition wasn't in the original group.

My pick would be the accubond out of those three but if it doesn’t shoot well then maybe another. Winchester and federal also probably load an acuubknd load of 180gr in 06’. I know Winchester does and federal should in their premium line. Try all three and see which load the gun likes. Keep shooting distance reasonable and within your skill level. No bullet is magic. I shoot lots of begers and I think your research mislead you. It’s a rather lightly constructed bullet and I actually would avoid bone unless you needed to anchor the animal right there due to terrain and recovery. Don’t focus on BC for your purposes. Won’t matter much at 400 or so yards and closer. Beaver stated the core on the Barnes will stay together better than the others. This is a false statement as well. The barnes have NO core. They are a monolithic bullet. Some good advice and some people talking above their pay grade. About on par with life. Sort through the advice here as you would anywhere else. A lot of so called experts that don’t know [bleep]. Have fun and enjoy your hunt. Your weapon choice is perfectly fine for your hunt. Start practicing and get in shape. The shot is the easy part in an elk hunt. As a guide I much prefer a client with an 06’ and in shape to a fat know it all with the newest magical cartridge.

Saddlescore - I agree a lots of fine bullets left of the list but it appears the OP is chasing that magical BC. Partition should not be overlooked.

What ever groups the best. I am partial to the AB but all will do fine.

Spend time shooting a bunch. Once you pick a factory load, buy 5-6 boxes of it and get comfortable shooting it over the summer. Then buy 3 more boxes and start adding challenges to your shots. Off hand, coming down on the rifle after running gassers behind the range, etc. All of these are directly applicable to elk hunting and making it part of the routine is probably more important than 1 vs. 2 MOA.