Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game off the shelf bullet selection - 30-06

I've been running 150 gr Remington Corelok for a couple years, worked well on antelope/deer. for the first time I will be carrying an elk tag.

My own shooting skills will keep me to 200 yards, maybe 300 on perfect conditions.

any recommendations for off the shelf to try? I am looking to change off the 150 core lok for 2 reasons:
1) A bit more weight for elk
2) Accuracy, may be me, but groups aren't what I'd expect

gun is a remington model 700

What does your local stores normally stock? I’d look for a 165gr/180gr Accubonds or if you want lead free I’d try the Barnes 150TTSX.
Shoot whatever your rifle groups well.

Just about any bullet will work. Use one that shoots well in your rifle. In my .30-06 rifles I've used 150g AccuBond and 165g North Fork.

My first choices for factory ammo would be loaded with one of these:
Nosler AccuBond,Partition, Ballistic Tip
Barnes TTSX, LRX
Federal Edge TLR, Trophy Bonded Tip


But like I said, almost anything will work.

The 30-06 was my favorite elk rifle and I used one to take most of the elk I have shot. Factory ammo cheap Winchester's 180 gr. Power point. Spare no expense Federal Premium Nosler Partition either 165 or 180 grain. The latter can be gotten from Sportsman's guide for around $30. bucks a box, a true bargain.

I also have seen wonderful results with the Winchester 180 grain power-points.

If you don't mind spending the cash the Federal loads with the 180 grain Partitions are probably as good as you can buy as a factory elk round.

You say "bullets" but from what I read I am assuming you are speaking of loaded ammo. Am I correct?
If not and you are indeed speaking of bullets (as in hand-loaded ammo) I would say any bonded bullets of 165 grains or more, any Solid Expanding bullet (Like Barnes or Hornady GMX) or A partition bullet like Nosler or swift would all be excellent.

But the above mentioned 180 grain Power Points continue to amaze me as to how well they work on elk even when I hand load them.

If you can get a straight wound channel and an exit, all the rest of the facts really don't matter much. 100%----- in and out---- is as deep as any bullet can go, and if you get a good diameter wound channel in a fairly straight line you'll have a dead elk.
It's the hole that actually kills, not the bullet per-se.

Mine shoots the Federal 165 Trophy Copper really well and 180 Partitions pretty well. I think both are elk appropriate

I've tried many bullets in quite a few .30-06 rifles since I began handloading in the mid-'60s. Almost all the bullets have been in the 150 -180 grain range. The bullet I've worked with most recently has been the Barnes 150 TTSX BT. It shoots quite accurately in three old Model 70s, one of which is a Featherweight that has given pretty much mediocre accuracy with a lot of other bullets.

I've never used the bullet on elk, but see no reason why the 150 TTSX BT would perform any differently from other Barnes bullets I've used for that purpose. For a long time, I used a 4350 powder (H4350 for the last fifteen years or so) for 150-180 grain bullet loads in the .30-06. A 4350 is still a good choice, but I tried H4895 with the 150 Barnes and saw an overall accuracy improvement and about the same muzzle velocity I was getting with H4350 loads. However, for bullets heavier than 150s, a 4350 would probably be a better choice.

The 150 TTSX BT has proven accurate for me in other .30 caliber rifles including a couple of .308s, a .300 Winchester Magnum and a .300 H&H.

I use the 150 Barnes TTSX in my 30-06’s. They are accurate, whack em, stack em.

With a 300yd max range, a lot of offerings should work well. The inexpensive 180gr Interlock Hornady American Whitetail ammo would be a good one to try. That line of ammo has shot well in most everything I've tried it in.

My Remington 700 doesn't seem to like 150 grain bullets either. It likes 180 grain bullets. I've used mostly factory ammunition, Remington or Winchester. Killed a bunch of elk since moving here in 1977. I've seemed to have settled on Winchester 180 grain Power Points. I use to change to 150 grain bullets for antelope but now I use the 180 grain bullets for everything. I sight in 2" high & go hunt.

A 180 Partition is the classic choice for elk in any .30-caliber cartridge, but I've found that the Federal factory load runs on the slow side in several rifles. You won't have that problem in a handload.


Okie John

I have used the 165 TSX Federal load for deer and 168 TTSX for elk. My ‘06 shoots the 165 TSX very well and would not hesitate to use it for elk. Happy Trails

Barnes VorTX in the 150 grain.

I head to the Bear Lodge Mountains in Wyoming for elk whenever I get drawn for a non-resident license. My longest shot so far has been about 225 yards but most of the time my shooting is much closer. My rifle is a Savage 99 in .308 and I typically shoot 180 grain FEDERAL ammo. I always shoot the animal twice because two quick shots into the chest organs will down the animal quickly. That's why my choice is a fast handling lever action.

Good hunting to you.

Sherwood

I also noted the Federal factory 180 NPT in .30-06 were slow enough I never bought any more. Theu shot well blow my handloads at 100 yads as well.

My handload is right at 2725 out of a 22" barrel. I have killed elk, mule deer, black bear, whitetails, blacktails and bighorn sheep just fine. Various varmintstoo.

165 to 180 grain Federal Fusions.

I just returned from my annual trip to africa and was extremely impressed with the 165 grain Federal Trophy copper 165 grain offering out of my 30-06. Superior to all other offerings over a large number of animals (up to eland size). Second most effective was barnes ttsx offering but definitely preferred the trophy copper. Highly recommended for those looking for a 30-06 factory load.

Barnes 168ttsx.
Hammers elk. I Have not recovered a bullet yet.
Elk are not hard to kill, but a bad shot will cost you dearly.

I've been really impressed with them. I've used them quite a bit on everything from blackbuck to large plains game. I think they expand quicker and wider than Barnes, while sacrificing a little penetration.

165 grain Hornady of any kind.

168 ttsx ,IMO Best of both worlds speed and weight.
The federal trophy bonded tip looks awesome
Cheaper plinking ammo, I’d look at fusions