Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 30-06 bullets for Pa. woods deer ?

168gr Nosler Ballistic Tip

I've never bothered with anything other than cup and core bullets. Not for deer. Not for Bear. Not for Moose. I'm told if I use premium bullets I can get by with a smaller gun? But I like doing things the way we did it in my youth.

Back in the 50's and 60's a box of twenty rounds usually lasted 8-10 years. My father shot a 38-40 and only ever had 1 box of 50 that I remember.There was none of this practicing,, sighting in for 3 shot groups and such. Most likely you might fire one round before the hunt to see if the gun still shot true,but more than likely not. It was common to see 8-10 deer hanging in deer camp though.Now it is big deal to see one.

We didn't know what we didn't know I guess

yeah and it DIDN'T work did it ? (sarcasm)


Jerry

One other thing I'll add to this. Have you ever tried to eat a phone book? That's almost like comparing apples to oranges. Deer flesh or any flesh isn't the same as a phone book. When I was a kid or at least in my 20s a lot of people shot round nose ammo. And it killed as well or better than about anything else. The only draw back with round nose bullets is long distance. And that's not as limited as one would imagine. Nothing wrong with round nose for hunting. They work.

Almost any 180 grain bullet. My choice would be the Winchester Power Point of the Hornady Spire point.

I have had that chart stuck on my gun safe for at least the last 20 years. I retired in 2003 and it was up several years before that.Lot of good info there.

I don't use it often, but when I carry my remington 7600 in 308 I use 180 grain round nose core lokts. Lets the air right out of them.

Deer die easy. Whatever is the cheapest box of ammo at Walmart and shoots 2" groups or better at 100 yards is your huckleberry.

If reloading...……...….throw some 4350 under a 180 grain Speer Grand Slam and hunt your PA deer and whatever ELSE walks North America.

I grew up hunting in the PA deer woods and never used anything other than the 150 gr. Remington Core-Lokt out of my 06. The 06, the 30-30 and the 300 Savage were the most common calibers in our camp back then.

Nice rifle looks great!

RN is a great choice; I ran 180 GR RN Interlocks for years and they’re awesome!

PA is a great state for deer hunting beet of luck!

No doubt at all
Nosler Bonded Performance 308-168. Very blunt nosed semi spritzer. Really great bullets for shots inside 225-250.

I found myself last fall in a situation where none of the rifles I was fooling with all summer shot the way I wanted them to for deer hunting. For a fall back I decided to pull one of my Remington 700 308's out of the safe and check it out at the range with some Hornady 180 grain round nose reloads sitting on the shelf. It shot 5 shots consistently into 1.25" groups and fed smoothly and reliably. I checked the ballistics. Sighted in at 1.25" high at 100 yards it was 1.25" low at 175. No need to touch the scope at any range I would have a shot.

I took it hunting in November.

I shot a doe out of several in an open field in the morning. She dropped in her tracks. She was perhaps 80 yards away. I don't think she was 100 yards away. The Hornady round nose shredded the heart and part of the lungs.

I shot a buck in the afternoon. He walked out of the woods, down to a road and down the road in front of the blind. He was less than 25 yards away, the closest I have shot a deer with a scope set at 6x, which was not an issue (no time to fool with the scope anyway). At the shot he bounded away for about 50 yards then veered off the road and collapsed in a heap. The bulled shredded the lungs.

My host looked at the evidence as the deer were field dressed and said, "That bullet really does its job!"

Then I have to confront my rifle looniness. There is no rational reason to mess with my other rifles. For the deer hunting I have left (assuming I don't win a lottery) I only need this rifle and the Hornady 180 grain round nose loads.

The only reason to mess with some of my other rifles, changing stocks for chassis, changing scopes, trying out different bullets and loads, is that I want to.

GrimJim

That’ll work. Is that the best you have ?

Are your other rifles INcapable of accuracy ?

If so..... down the road.

Jerry

Jerry,

Its a matter of consistency, Some days the other rifles shoot into half an inch to three quarters of an inch at 100 yards. Other days they shoot into two inches. I am working on their consistency more than their accuracy. However, if they are a lot more accurate, they become useful at longer ranges than the shots I have. So I am fretting about accuracy I will probably never need. I will probably continue to fret.

I did identify at the end of the summer that action screws were working loose on a couple of rifles, but I ran out of range time to verify the results of tightening them. Since then I replaced the stocks with a chassis. This summer I see what effect this has. They might now be very accurate.

GrimJim

Good Luck


Jerry