Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Win 70 FW 30-06: Need heavyweight factory load recommendation

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The 200 AB should be in the conversation.

Is there. Factory 200 AB load?

My limited experience with 180 Gr core lokt went like this....wife shoots a 190 lb whitetail Broadside at 75 yards. Entry about 6” behind shoulder and a little low.....probably just behind the heart. No exit. 2 hours and 200 yards later we find the buck alive. She gets positioned to shoot at point blank range and despite me telling her to keep raising the barrel she pulls the trigger and sends 180gr core lokt #2 within 2” of the first entry hole. Buck dies. I roll him over and nary a hole on the opposite side.

Okay, the second shot at PB range I kinda understand, but no exit On the first shot told me what I needed to know. My 7-08s with 140 NP would have exited, I’m most certain. Not trying to start a CL conversation or bashing them. Just giving 1 real world experience. I have seen them exit on smaller deer just fine with a 50cent piece size hole.

Going to look for and shoot some 180NP, 200 AB and maybe 200 TBBC and go from there. Thanks for the suggestions

My first three bulls went into the freezer courtesy of the 180 Core-Lokt. Branch bulls, a 5x5 and 2 4x4s, I believe. Model 70 Winchester XTR, .30-06.






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180gr Partition, 180gr Accubond. Either or, two peas in a pod. Accubonds are very Partition like.

Federal makes some good stuff using Nosler partition bullets, I also like the stuff they load with the trophy bonded bear claws.

That being said, I don’t load either of those when I do my reloading.

My first inclination would be to recommend a Federal 180 grain NPT load. It runs slow, as others have said, around 2550 -2600 fps depending on barrel length. I used it for a couple of elk and it worked fine. My problem with it was it didn't shoot to the same point of impact as other factory ammo I usually bought as they run faster, closer to 2700 fps. If that doen't bother you I beleive it to be an excellent load.

I still use the 180 NPT but I handload it to match 180 CorLokt factory loads for velocity and luckily point of impact..

Been watching this thread for a couple of days and nobody has asked the question so here goes, Why do you want to use heavy bullets????
In the cup and core days heavy bullets were used because they regularly separated so heavier meant better chance of penetration especially on larger game. With today's premium bullets from Nosler, Swift, etc the separation problem is solved and monometals out penetrate everything else because they always hold together and typically open up to a smaller frontal area so pass throughs are almost a given.
There is nothing in NA that needs more than a 180 in 30 cal and monometals could arguably take that down to 165's.
With the current trend being using a 243 for deer and a 6.5 Creepmore for elk, why use heavy bullets in an -06?
Just askin'.