Here is some information that I copied from a Beartooth Bullets website awhile back. I cannot vouch for any of the information, as I have not tried it yet. The article is found in the "Tech Notes" section, entitled "Selecting that First Rifle" by Marshall Stanton. It's a pleasant read.
"Lead bullets are the answer here!
In familiarizing my daughters with their introduction to the .30-06 I gave them loads using 00 Buckshot loaded over 4.0 grains of Red Dot with a tuft of polyester fiber filler over the powder to hold it against the primer. These loads have zero recoil, shoot pretty much to point of aim out to fifty yards, and have a report about like a .22LR. They are also very economical, and easy to load. Simply use an "M" type neck expanding die as you would on cast bullet loads for bottleneck cases, and seat the buckshot in the case (which is now flared) until the widest point of the buckshot is contained in the neck of the case. Buckshot is inexpensive, usually around five dollars for five pounds, or Lee Precision sells a .311 two cavity round ball mold for around seventeen dollars. When loading the 4.0 grains of Red Dot, you get 1750 rounds of ammo for every pound of powder. That roughly equates to a penny per round for powder, a penny and a half for primer and two cents for the buckshot, making a grand total of under a nickel per shot for plinking ammo! These loads are surprisingly accurate, and make first class grouse and rabbit medicine when walking about the woods. The new shooter can shoot VOLUMES of these loads and never wear the barrel or cause the slightest hint of throat erosion.
The next cartridge adaptation that comes to mind is any of the bullets of 100-120 grains that are designed for the .32-20 or .32 H&R. These are relatively inexpensive, and make great light loads for shooting in the .30-06 at 75-100 yard ranges. The recoil is mild to non-existent and again there is no barrel wear from these loads in any way! They too are very inexpensive, and if loaded with very light charges of fast burning pistol powders are easy on the pocketbook in all aspects, but offering more versatility than the buckshot loads over wider ranges of effectiveness. These little inexpensive bullets moving along at 1100-1250 fps roughly duplicate the .32-20's performance, and are appropriate for anything one would use the .32-20. These are delightfully fun loads to shoot, and encourage the new shooter to burn more ammo in his "first rifle".
Now, for more practice, comes a wide variety of cast bullets ranging from 115 grains to nearly 200 grains, in flat point, spitzer or round nose configurations, mostly with gas checks to allow higher velocities without leading, and at the same time enhancing accuracy. It is with these, that you can get that shooter used to his new rifle, and introduce an ever slightly increasing recoil level and noise level as well. Volumes of these loads may be fired without undue wear on the barrel, and with each shot, instilling confidence and pleasure from using the new "first rifle".
With loads like the ones outlined above, that "first rifle" can be taken afield to shoot ground hogs, fox squirrels, rabbits, coyotes, or just about anything you would use a .22 rimfire for, through anything a .30-30 would be appropriate to use. All the time the rifle is afield after smaller game using these reduced type loads, that confidence level is growing, and user familiarity being achieved by leaps and bounds.
Now, you ask about loading data for these loads? It is literally everywhere! Every cast bullet manual printed has volumes of reduced velocity loads for the .30-06, as well as online resources such as
www.LoadSwap.com . Lyman has an excellent cast bullet manual that costs less than a box of factory loaded .30-06 ammo, as well as an out of print book from RCBS and the new Accurate Reloading manual has a number of reduced velocity cast bullet loads."
