Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Gentle 30/06 loads

You could always slip on a Limbsaver shoulder pad. It adds a touch to LOP, but not much, and it makes a BIG difference in comfort with hard buttplates!

I've found that somewhere around 46 grains of IMR 4895 will push a 125 Ballistic Tip around 2700 fps. This load REALLY cuts down on the recoil and is plenty to kill deer within several hundred yards.

46gr. H4895 with 150gr NPs has been accurate in every '06 I've tried it in (at least 4) and kills well. Didn't really think about the recoil aspect, more about brass life. Used a Lee Loader, sometimes with a RCBS Competition .308 seater die, because that's what I have. Easy-peasy.

I don't have my notes, but that's close to what I cooked up for my sons when they first went to the '06. They're still using that load on whitetails.

H4895 gets tame in a hurry as you get further away from MAX.

There is significant reduction in recoil going from 180 grain down to 150 grain.

Gosh, it seems as if everyone has been looking at my reloading notes. Probably 5 years ago I settled on 46 grains of H-4895, 48 gr. of IMR-4895, and 49 gr. of IMR-4320 with 150 grain bullets in all my '06 loads, that is if I'm not shooting cast bullets in them.

put me in this camp

I use the 130 in a 300 Savage 99. I haven’t killed a deer yet but it sure doesn’t have a problem with 200 lb pigs

This^^^^

I was just following my standard practice of looking for powders that give good usable velocity at the starting level. One and done, at least with powders that work well at varying pressure levels, aka Old Stuff.

This going back a few years, but the 125 Sierra Spitzer & 50 to 54 gr of crunchy old IMR3031 is a good combination in every 06 I've ever had.

I used it in a bolt gun when shooting NRA hi-power at shorter distances. It shot much smaller groups to the same POI as military ball at 100 yds. in my rifle. Felt recoil was noticeably less.

I'd be looking at a 150gr bullet and a 4895 powder, like others have mentioned. Find your 2,700fps charge, try a few cup/core hunting bullets to find an reasonably accurate one, zero at 200yds, and have at it.

Pretty much ^ ^ ^ that for one thing

Myself, I will use my PAST pad that straps
on with velcro fasteners for hard kickers
at the bench. I don't use it for hunting. I
never seem to notice recoil at all with a
hunting shot.
I think it's Browning that offers vests and
clothing with a pocket for their proprietary
slip in recoil reducing pad.
If nothing else, wear layers of clothing
as you would when you're hunting. You
can always wash up when you get home
if you get sweaty.

I'd sure try one of the lesser troublesome
fixes before I'd toss away a proven load.

Why 2700? The .30-30 slays deer with 2400, and with spitzers you'll get better trajectory than the classic FN bullets, although 250 would be a stretch. A relatively small charge of 3031 or maybe even 4198 ought to do the job.

Because I plan to take a scoped rifle as backup or for days I decide to hunt the high country where shots may stretch to 400 yards. Due to no other reason than pure loonyism, I plan to try to get one load for both rifles.

48gr of IMR 4320 with any 150gr spitzer bullet. Or use 150gr Speer "30/30" flat nose and 43.5gr of the same powder. I've killed deer with both loads.

I have always liked to have a light load for every rifle; for practice with less recoil. For the 30/06, 30 grains of 4198 behind a 150 works real well. I've never chronographed it but guess its doing around 2300-2400. In the 308, I use 25 grains. GD

Just my opinion;
If you are contemplating 400 yard shots, you might consider at least 2,700 fps in a fairly high BC bullet of 165-168 gr. The lighter mono bullets might have a good enough BC but get kicked around by the wind in the high country. A Limbsaver slip on pad will cure the flinch and metal butt issue. I dare say most can’t discern the difference in one or two ft pounds of recoil.

Good luck on finding a load that shoots well in 3 rifles, especially when one is a Winchester. I had to dink around quite a bit to get a preferred load to shoot well in two 7mm Weatherby Mark Vs.

Based on Lyman's cast bullet data and on QuickLoad's guess, it's probably 200 fps slower than that, and a practice load I'd enjoy shooting, so I'll copy it down.

Me too. And that 30 grains of IMR4198 works well with bullets from 110-220 grains in the 30-06. Using a 215 grain cast bullet, I have produced several 100yd 1/4" and smaller groups. I think it chrono'd just below 2000fps. With the Hornady Short Jacketed 110's, I got a great "varminter" using the same charge. Don't recall the velocity. Recoil seemed like a 223. Always great accuracy, with every bullet I've tried, both jacketed and cast.

In fact, that 30 grains of IMR4198 is my SSSS (Super Secret Squirrel Schitt) in 30-06. With the right bullets, I'm sure it would work to hunt everything from mice to moose.

This is a really good and educational thread. Thanks all.