Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Highest velocity 165gr 30/06

Nosler list a 3000 fps load with their 165g for the '06 in their manual. I think the powder was R-19 or R-22.

just checked the Nosler #6 manual.

63.0 RL-22 with a 165/8 gr bullet at 3002.

Surprised me.

Steve

Strangely enough, they show 3002fps for the highest velocity in a standard 30-06, but only 2940fps with an Ackley, both with 24" Lilja's.

Steve: I tried that load in a pre 64 M70 FW with 22" barrel and it clocked on the mid 2700's(!?).....I subsequently found that I could go almost as high with RL19 and wound up around 61 gr R19 for vels of about 2950.....that was as close as I could come.

Don't know how others have made out.

Bob,
Interesting info.
I've been pretty satisfied with about 2850fps with a 165 in my NULA 30-06. So I really don't have a dog in this hunt.

But the 3002fps in the Nosler manual surprised the hell out of me.
Your getting 2700 + seems more realistic.

Steve

Yeah, I too have seen the Nosler #6 load with R22, but no rifle I've tried it in got anywhere near 3000fps. And @ 62grs it is a highly compressed load, more importantly accuracy was never good. If I wanted to reach 3000fps I'd go with a 26" barrel and R19 then lean on the powder measure hard.

The old Hornady Light Mags clock an advertised 3015 fps out of a 24" barrel.At 40 degree's they clock 2975 fps(my 24") and my hand loaded 165 Sierra's do 2915 fps,at 40 degree's.




Jayco

Logcutter that's about what I got from the Fed Prem as well.

A lot might play on how your rifle is chambered and your barrel.
How many groves, how long it is. Free bore if any.

Happy Hunting

I was getting 2950+fps out of my 22" A-Bolt .30-06 with the Nosler load before I swapped it off. Same load in a Mauser 3000 in .30-06 got about 2700+fps go figure.

There you go.
Guns, they are each to there own.

I don't remember exactly right off the top of my head, but on an average day that 63 gr RL22 w/ Hornady SSTs got me about 2700 fps w/ a 23.6" barrel.

In that rifle I've gotten nearest (and I mean VERY near) 3k w/ 165 gr SSTs & RL19 & RS-Hunter.

As others have said, while I like to tinker as much as any rifle loony, there isn't a darned thing that 3k will do that 2900 won't.

Not in the 06 mind you and just a side journey for a second but...friend Mac was shooting some 165 Fed HE's one day in his 308 and I can't recall the speed for sure but it seems to me it was in the 2900 range in his 22" tube...wowsa

Dober

Anyone with a 308 win ought to try out the 2000MR powder from Alliant. It is exceeding their listed max in my 23" 308 win right now. Looks like quite a bit of room as well. 2850-2900 fps with this powder and 165 gr bullets looks very safely obtainable. My numbers with other powders in this gun (ie, Varget, TAC, etc) look very consistent with many others here, and with listed data. So I am believing what I am seeing. It is also doing great with 150 gr bullets and in the wife's 7-08ai. This 2000MR looks to be even faster than their already fast listed loads on their website. Worth a check IMO.

Thanks for the tip on the new powder.

Out of a 24" barrel, I get 2930 fps with 165 Accubonds and 58 gr of H4350. Pretty accurate, too.

as a side note i got 2880 with fed HE 180s out of my 22 inch rem 700ti. i new when it went off out of that light gun. i only got 2980 with fed 180 tsx out of my 300 wm 26".

I just did a search of a bunch of recent data, and the highest velocity with 165's in a .30-06 is still Nosler's 63-Reloder 22 for 3002. They must have had an exceptional lot of powder, though Partitions do develop somewhat more velocity (and pressure) than most other bullets. I've even given them a little cheerful grief about their "magic" RL-22, though some lots of 22 have varied noticeably. Alliant, by the way, lists 62 grains a max, for 2725 fps with the 165 Speer Hot-Cor, also a bullet that develops more pressure than average.

The next highest velocity was from Hodgdon: 2938 fps from 59.0 H4350. They don't list barrel length but no doubt it was a 24", the standard SAAMI length for pressure-testing these days.

Most manuals top out at 2880-2920 in a 24" barrel, with 760, Accurate 4350 and Ramshot Big Game the most common powders. I suspect, however, that Ramshot Hunter might get 3000 in a 24" barrel. Ramshot lists it at slightly lower velocities than Big Game, but the pressure of their maximum Hunter load (62.5 grains) is only 55,700 psi.

Like all the Ramshot rifle powders, Hunter is a very dense ball powder, so more than 62.5 grains would fit in a .30-06 case. I might try it with a lead-core bullet like the Partition or Hot-Cor that develops a little more pressure, and see what happens in my 24" barreled NULA--very carefully, of course.

59g of H4350 and a 165g hornady interbond does almost 3000 from my 24" broughton 5c but it is showing pressure signs so I usually back it down a grain for that gun and run em about 2950. That broughton barrel runs faster and generates pressure with lower charges than my other 30-06's.

I usually run 56g H4350 and a 180 AB and it clocks 2775. I tried 57g with the 180 and it was a bit too hot and clocking 2840.

I've got an 8# can of Hunter I'll have to play with.

Bb

What makes you think that 3000fps is high velocity????????????