Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 30 caliber 180's

Way back in the last century around 1988, I bought my first ever .30'06. I scored about 400 Nosler Solid Base 180 grain a few weeks later and worked up a load. Killed my biggest bull elk, one of my best W/T bucks, and a number of coyotes using that prescription. As a matter of fact, I can't recall killing anything with my '06 that hasn't been with a 180 grain bullet.

I guess if you wanted one load for deer and elk, the 180s would be the way to go, for me, the 165s seem to be the best compromise for SD and BC.

Normally I use 165's from my 30-06, and they've done well for me on bear, elk, antelope & mule deer.

Last fall I tried the 180 gr Berger Elite Hunter handloaded to 2730 fps. One shot drop on a muley buck at 350 yards. No exit. Did have to finish the buck with another shot when I got up to him. High shoulder shot dropped him instantly, but didn't kill him. I felt bad about that.

No problem with 180's and the 30-06, pretty much a classic combination.

Regards, Guy

I think the 200 might even perform better longer range?

I don’t shoot that far, but I like the 180 and 200 and 165.

Angus + 1. RZ.

Might look at ballistic tables.Take two bullets, same configuration, but a heavy one and light one. See which has more retained velocity at 400 yards or so

I'm still pissed off at Remington for dropping the 180 gr round nose CoreLokt load for the 300 Savage.
I use 165s in my .308, but would go to 180s before 150s.

Of course, I also use 170s in my 30/30.

My dad, grandpa, myself, and several others I know have always used the 180 Partition or Core-lokt (300 savage) . The majority of our elk and deer have been taken with the 180 Partition. In the last few years I switched to a lightweight 280 AI and feel undergunned with the 160 AB, but that's just me.

I've never used 180's but, loaded up some .30-06 with 180 gr. Interlocks and H380 awhile back, and will probably hunt this Fall with them.

I would like to find a 30 cal. 180 gr. round nose bullet . Are there any at all for reloading? My dad seemed to like them with his 300 sav.

Another 180 fan here. Used Hornady spire and RN, Nosler part, corelokt RN. You should be able to get Hornady in the RN for reloading but the spire points also always performed well for me for deer and bear.

About any hunting bullet from 150-220 will work great from a 30-06. I know this is Earth shattering/break through info….but ya heard it hear first!

Just found some 220 RN this year. We'll be loading them soon and see how they shoot. 180s have always been my go to for 30-06. Always fun to try something new.

In my experience180s are better for saving meat than lighter bullets. And they kill the deer. I shoot 180s. I load 165s in my sons 06. And they tear up more meat. But they shoot small groups in his rifle. The only reason I see for using lighter is for less recoil or if the rifle is more accurate with the lighter bullets.

I have so many Nosler partitions in 338 ,308 , 270 , 257 bullets given to me in many different grains , but my favorite bullet is still just a 165 gr. 308 caliber Nosler Partition bullet for my 30-06 or my 300 Win.mag or my 300 WSM. all 3 cartridges shoot this bullet very well .

You can kill dinosaurs with 180gr bullets out of the 30-06, using a full case of RL26 at 2950 fps.

That’s my opinion of the Hornady 165gr Interlock as well

I use 150, 165, 180, 200 and 220 grain bullets in various 30 calibers I own.

In my Savage M99 in 300 savage, my Mauser 30-06 scout and my M1 Garand I use 150s. Used mostly for der and antelope
In my wife's 30-06 Mauser I used 165. Partitions for elk, Interlocks for deer and antelope.
In my 303 Brit, (tight bore and yes I use .308"s) my Remington M81 300 savage, my AR10 type 308, my Browning m95 in 30-06 and my Mossberg MVP in 308 I use 180s Used for all game up to elk.
In my Mauser 300 H&H I use 200s. Used for all game up to elk.

In the above 30-06 M95 Browning and in my M1 Garand I also re-zero some times for use with 220 grain RN bullets for hunting elk in timber. especially where we have a LOT of grizzlies.

That's the way I like to load my ammo, but in the last few years I have run out of all my 165s 180s and 220s.
I do have some ammo loaded with them, but for any component bullets I don't have even one left.

180’s were the deer hunting standard in our and most northern WI. deer camps growing up hunting in the 60’s. Complete penetration and their supposedly better resistance to brush deflection was the reasoning back in those days. We never lost a deer hit anywhere when the guys used that Remington round nose Core-Lokt with that big, faster opening exposed lead tip. It is still my favorite bullet for deer out of my .300 Savage, but alas, no longer available factory loaded in that cartridge. That same 180 was the preferred load for the Benoit tracking guys back then too, before they went to pointed bullets later on.

I agree. I’m running 2900 FPS with 180 partitions into tiny little groups from my 24” 30-06. What more can you ask for out of the old girl!!!