Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Hunting bullet experience with a 180 grain in a 30-06?

Gentleman, changed stands in Canada for next year. I won't have a shot over 100 yards due to thick swamp and woods. I have a 30-06 and am wondering what you guys would suggest for me to reload. I have Sierra Pro Hunter, Hornady Interlock, Speer Deep Curl (bonded)? I really don,t think I need a Barnes or Partition. Maybe I am wrong. These are 250 lb. deer or I don't shoot. Looking for experience on game with 30-06 and which 180 Grain bullet. Thanks for sharing you in field experience.
Buckfever1

With the bullets you mentioned, I would let the rifle decide. All three are excellent choices for the '06. I would simply choose the one that shoots the best.

You mentioned a max of 100 yards, so if confidence in bullet integrity were to be my choice, I would have a hard time deciding between the Hornady and Speer as a first choice, but the Sierra is plenty tough enough at '06 speeds.

Hornady Interlock....

This!

I don't know about a 250 pound deer, but it breaks a 1000 pound moose down right quick like. I shot a cow with the Hornady Interlock at close to 225 yards. Through the onside shoulder, ribs, lungs, ribs, off side shoulder blade, and I found the bullet in the shoulder roast next spring. Weighed it after I cleaned it up and it retained 154 graisn, so 85.5% weight retained. Cow dropped where she stood.

Shot a bull couple years later at close to 100 yards through both shoulders, and the bullet didn't exit, but the moose -- a young bull, so maybe 900 pounds -- dropped right where he stood.

It's lots of bullet in an economical package.

My experience has been that the roundnose bullets seem to be more reliable, as far as integrity, than the spitzers.

Better expansion, more retained weight, and surprisingly accurate.

Blue box Federal PSP 180-grain Hi-Shok (Speer Bullets) have killed several 200+ lb Northern Wisconsin deer for me with complete pass throughs at broadside and quartering to and away angles. I think you will be fine. Another option is to skip the 180 totally and go right to the 200 or 220. With a 100 yard max shot opportunity, you won't give up any trajectory and would have the added comfort of additional bullet mass.

My dad put a 350-400 pound elk down "right now" with a 180 gr. RN Core-lokt at about 80 yards. Probably would work perfectly on a 250 pound deer with minimal meat loss.

Every animal I killed with my '06 has been with the 180 Nosler Solid Base or Winchester Power Point RN bullet at 2750. The list goes from coyotes to my biggest bull elk and I never had a complaint and never recovered a bullet.

This. I've seen too many rifles that think it is a target bullet and at -06 speeds, you get great performance.

I'll take the Sierra Pro Hunter over the others. Load it over 57.5-58.0 H4350 and you're set.

I harvested a 254# northern whitetail in Maine several years ago, I used a 180gr. Hornady RN. The buck was facing me and I shot him in the neck, he went about 30yds. I like the looks of that Speer 180gr. RN, I'm sure 180's will perform fine for the kind of hunting you plan to do.

Load the one that shoots the best. You're only talking deer here. I'm really liking the results I've seen to date from Fusion bullets and the Deep Curl uses the same bonding process. The other two are proven WT slayers.

For me it was the 180 RN Core Lokt back when I could get them in bulk. Then I went to the 180 RN Hornady. Both over a goodly amount of IMR 4350. I pushed them pretty hard and they seemed to like it that way. Your mileage may vary. Since those days (the 80s and 90s),I've moved on to the 165gr Partition. I will say this. The deer here in western PA didn't put up any struggle when smacked with those 180s. Either brand. Accuracy was quit good. Granted,I never went long with them. Woods yardages. 100yds was a stretch. When I picture the old Otter6 in my mind,it's the old 180 Core Lokt RN that comes to mind. Just my romantic carry over from the magazine ads of my youth. For what you have in mind I see no reason not to stoke up with some 180s and go to it.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/57...308-diameter-200-grain-spitzer-box-of-50

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/56...08-diameter-180-grain-spitzer-box-of-100

I can,t remember loading anything but speer 200 grain 30 cal in a 30/06 in decades, usually over a 215 fed primer, and usually 49 grains of ww760, its worked exceptionally well on both big mule deer and elk.
yes I,m aware its not exactly what you asked about but I doubt theres any huge difference on deer between the speer 200 grain and the similar 180 grain version, either should devastate a deer if placed thru the arteries above the heart


http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/d...;type=Rifle&Order=Powder&Source=

Damn, do I have to agree..... ....Dang good bullet choice right there but you didn't specify BT or BTSP or RN. Either will work very well in my experience but you may find one shoots a little better in your rifle and that's usually the one I go with...However, I have 700 Winchester 180 gr. powerpoints that I think would work almost as well and are mucho cheaper too...

Nice shooting. Don't see too many target pics here where you are actually in the bulls eye.....Hell, even when guys preach 1.5 to 2" high, you still see their group pics way out in left field....

Any of the bullets you have will perform fine on deer. Whichever shoots best in your rifle.