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

At one time, in my first "rebarreled semi custom" ( I chose 30-06) a 23" Douglas Premium, Mod 70 FWT PF I used only two factory loads. The Hornady "Light Magnum" 180SP was available to me first. It clocked 2910fps ( 300 H&H territory) into 1 1/4" 3 shot groups. I killed my first cow elk with it. The 2nd one ( and settled on) was the Federal High Energy with 180 partition.It clocked an amazing 2970fps ( "good" 300WM speeds!) into 1" for 3 shots! Events were such that I ended up giving that rifle and 100rds of the Federal's to a missionary friend in South Africa. He ( and as a loaner to other missionaries over there) used it on Plains Game, including Cape Eland!

Now we don't see those loads ( heavy sigh) but with better bullets, we don't need them going that fast, though I "want" them to go fast, ha! In every 30-06 since ( more than a few!) for a heavy game load, I hedge my bet, so to speak, and load that 200 partition over a case full of R22...I haven't seen it use don elk, but it is one mean "hog thumper"!

Whoops, typo. The old Federal 165 load is a TSX not TTSX and it clocks 2,810 fps in my rifle. Down to my last box. My 168 TTSX handloads are 2,800+ and still trying to fine tune them.

for me, the 06' (and 308win) shooting 180gr partitions works perfectly. of the 3 the op mentioned, i'd go with the accubond. if willing to try other brands, i'd suggest factory loaded hornady interbonds or fed premium 180gr partitions. while some are confident taking longer shots, i can't remember shooting an elk past around 325yds, and the vast majority have been under 200. ymmv.

Heavy bullet for caliber plus reliable expansion and weight retention equals elk on the ground. If i shot a 30-06, I would try every way possible to make a 180 PT shoot. For that cartridge, the small bc advantage comes at a cost of case capacity. I’ll take the faster 180 PT over the “longer”, and slower high bc round. The minor bc advantage probably doesn’t even show itself until you get past 400 yds. I didn’t bother to calculate, but it’s probably 2” hold difference at 500 yds

True that.