Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 30-06 150 or 165 grain?

My son used 165gr. Trophy bonded tipped ammo in his 30-06 last year in Namibia. Had absolutely no problem knocking down Wildebeest, Kudu, Gemsbok, and even a Zebra.

I feel confident in venturing a guess that it would work on Elk...

I know I can give it another grain of IMR, even though most manuals I have around the house place 57 as max. I started loading for the 06 and 165's about 1979 or so and back then I worked up to 59 and called it a day. As the years went I found I could work with 57 and in my guns it wasn't what I would call a pretty "mild load" but was within a grain of what these days I would call sane max.

But, like you say another 60 fps or so just don't mean much to me anymore, although there was a time that it did and I ran everything to the nutz. I think that a 100 fps diff results in something like 2.5" diff @ 400 if both are sighted the same @ 100 and with 60 fps the diff is down to something like 1.5" at 400 yds.

Pre dotz I cared a bit more about the extra 60-100 fps, even though I knew real world that it didn't mean a thing. With dotz I can set up any load from 2500 on up to work to 500 yds and so once again the extra bit of gas just doesn't mean much to me.

The group I texted you/Sam/and Bob today is another load that's no speed demon (60/I4350, 9.5M, and a 150 Horn sp), the loads no rock star when it comes to speed (2904) but it shoots well and the groups I shot with it @ 300 and 400 were both MOA. Would it be nice to have it running 3K or so, yeah, could I get it there yeah, but my Dad and I have used the load for a couple decades and it's worked well for us so I don't think I'll be changin it soon.

Back in the 90's I ran a 165 Sierra HPBT a fair bit with R19 as I really wanted speed. The load shot well and ran in the 2900-3K range but it didn't do any better than any other 06 load I've used. It did kill elk/deer/lopes really well though.

Bottom line, not all the time but for the most part my new method is to go to max and then drop off 100 fps. It's appeared to me that different lots of powder can and do swing 100 fps from time to time and I got to the point where running absolute top max can get me to a bit more gas than is smart. Course I could just buy several pounds of one lot but, and this is a big but to me if I don't work up to the max load during the summer and do it in the cooler weather times then.

Long and the short, backing off 100 fps or so from max has worked well for me although I didn't always do it this way... And you never know stick around a bit and I may go back to my ways of youth as I change my mind about as much as any other loony...grin

Chao Po Ahora

Dober

I always thought the 165 ballistic tip was the only bullet needed for the 06, from ground squirrels to mule deer. Then I used it on one cow elk.

One bullet struck a rib dead center and left an entrance hole I could put my fist through. The cow went less than forty yards. Bullet and bone fragments had shredded her heart and lungs.

But I went home and bought a couple hundred Hornady 190 gr BTSP for any future elk hunts.

I am fairly sure the AB is more solidly constructed than the ballistic tip of fifteen years ago, but still my personal choice would be a bullet of 180 or 190 gr for anything larger than mule deer.

IS-what do you run for a load with your 190's?

Dober

My last 30-06 went down the road about ten years ago, as I had done everything I could think of in the way of load development with that cartridge.

But, to answer your question. The rifle was a Win 670 22 inch.
I got about 2700 fps with 62.5 gr H4831 and a CCI 250 in Rem Ni brass.

My preference is the 165/168's running about 2900fps, antelope to elk. For elk beyond 400 I'd prefer my .300WM with a 180g, but would use a .30-06 well beyond 400 if one was in hand.

Don't you run 180's from your .30's, Brad? You sure ain't running 150's...

You should be paying more attention to his "20" number, not the 150, 165, or 180..

You should pay attention to the extra capital letters below.

But anyway, I've alwayS given what Brad says credance.

But I know for a facT he's always pimped 180's in his .30-cal riFles, the Partition in particular, in his 30's. Aside from some "lost years" with the TSX <grin>. So he's confUsed me as to what he's trying to say; it's contradictory to what he's said in the past.

Are you ever not confused?

To me, that is your most important statement. You will kill all critters mentioned just fine with the 150 grain, and most likely be more precise in your shot placement.

I would use a 150 grain monometal such as a Nosler Etip or Barnes TSX for an all-around load myself.

Went to the range this morn, shot 165 Horns with 59 of H4350, R-P cases, BR2's and they clocked @ 2943 fps.

Then I ran some 190 Horns that Sam gave me with the same case, same primer and 56 of H4350 and it clocked @ 2749 fps.

Both shot well from 100-400 and it was a lot nice this morn than it was yesterday.

Dober

Mark, it sounds like things are good for you at the range.

Didn't it take Brad like 4 shots to kill an elk, whilst scoping himself in the process? (that ought to get him back! haha)

Been impressed with 165gr Trophy Bonded in my '06.

What works for me is:
150gr no moly Nosler Partition Golds/Varget for my .308's
165gr Deep Shocks/H4350 for my .30-06's
180gr Deep Shocks/Hunter for my 300wsm
All are loaded about 2900 fps
All depends how much wallop I'm looking for.

When it came to choosing one load for the 30-06, I went with the 180gr Nosler Partition (I'm experimenting with the 180gr Accubond). I have an M70 Classic Sporter with 24 inch barrel and was able to get close to 3000 with 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tip and I used these for deer with good results. I would then have to re-zero with 180gr loads for elk. I thought of using the 165 as a tweener and got decent-but-not-great groups with 165gr Swift A-Frames. In the end, I figured that I'm not a long range shooter and might as well stick to the 180gr load for everything.

I like 165's at 2900

Actually, just FYI that 180-gn load actually would be your best long-range load, given equal accuracy, from what you mention. And short range. Heavier bullets are just generally better.

I'm with him. If 15 grains makes that big a difference, you're shooting too small of a caliber.

Cup 'n cores, < 3,000 fps, get a knife.

And never sell a true .5" shooter!

FC