Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 165 grain 30-06 for Antelope

I'm looking for a do-all load for my 30-06 for anything from antelope to elk and I would like know if you think a 165 grain Nosler Partition or Accubond would work well on antelope? I have heard that since antelope are even more thin-skinned then deer you should only use 150 grain bullets, because a heavier bullet supposedly might penetrate too much without doing much damage, due to it penetrating so quickly, and then the antelope might run off. So I'd like hear your take on it and I would like to know whether you would prefer the 165 grain Nosler Partition or the 165 grain Nosler Accubond for antelope?

The 165 Noslers will work fine on antelope. They are also flat shooting enough for antelope.
What you are trying to do, use the 165 grain bullet for everything is something that makes a ton of sense. Get another cheaper 165 that shoots to the same place as the Noslers to use for practice.
Something makes me think you are an old poster under a new name. New posters and/or new Montanans usuallly ask questions like "What scope should I put on my 300 Masberry Improved magnum for no more than $5000 and is 45 power enough for shots to 800 yards with factory ammo?"

30-06 is more than you need for elk. get a .243 and not worry about it! anything more is over compensating

It will way over penetrate...

MT2000,

I actually prefer bullets heavier than 150-grain in the .30-06 for pronghorn. They shoot up less meat and drift less in the wind. Usually I've gone with 165's but have also used 180's, and due to an ammo mix-up a long time ago shot a doe with a 200-grain Nosler Partition. The range was about 200 yards, and she went less than 50 yards before tipping over. The bullet opened up fine on a broadside rib shot.

A bullet can't "penetrate too quickly" to do damage
In fact, more speed generally equates to MORE damage.

Use a bullet that is accurate, and the weight won't really matter that much

Snyper
Read Mule Deer's post- Bulet weight does matter, as a light fast expanding bullet can be very destructive on antelope, ruining what is some of the best game meat one can get. After you get accuracy down under 1 1/2 moa, it's pretty academic for big game hunting at ranges most people are capable of.

I've grown fond of the 168 gr ballistic tip, which has a stout jacket that holds together on larger game but opens up nicely on medium-sized game, too. Great BC, enough weight and structural integrity to keep things controlled and avoid wasting meat.

The NPT or NAB could be no worse as an all-around projectile.

There isn't a whole lot that I wouldn't shoot with a Hornady 165 BTSP. Hornady has seem to be easier for me to get to shoot over Nosler. Either one will work.

I can't say I've got experience with shooting 165's at antelope, but the 165 gr. Sierra Game King BTSP has been my go-to load for years out of my '06 Mauser. I run factory ammo, and if Federal ever stops making that load in their Premium line, I'll be looking for a new load. My 98 really likes them, and I've never had any trouble putting a deer down quickly with them.

165 and 30-06 go together like 30-06 and 4350.

It's a good choice in bullet weight.

That is an excellent choice. If your gun shoots them well, that load will kill deer, elk, and antelope all day long. NPs are great because they need very little resistance to open, but will also hold together on bone etc.

Over-penetration is a non-issue and usually nonsense. It is not over-penetration, but a failure of a bullet to open. Every decent bullet will generally go completely through a deer or antelope unless it is all bone.

Meat damage is also nonsense. If you shoot them in the ribs, it plain does not matter. If you hit them in the shoulder with any bullet, you will lose a good share of it. There is relatively little meat on the front shoulder anyway. As long as you don't hit back strap or hind quarters, it is totally an irrelevant issue.

I will take a dead animal with some meat damage over a wounded one any day.

Sounds like the 165 Accubond will be your friend..

You should tell whoever you heard that from to get off the couch and actually go shoot something.

I used to hear crap like that and for a while I believed it. Then I actually shot something with a 180 Partition. Kills little bitty Oklahoma deer plumb dead. I mean right now.

(Kills big ones too)

Smart man. If I remember correctly loading a little over book using IMR 4350 was a VERY accurate loading out my ancient Model 70 30/06

Mr.B ???

I have a friend who shoots everything with a 30-06. He uses the 190 hornady interlock for everything. Of the antelope I've seen him hit with it, one fell down, got up and fell down again. The other one went maybe 10 yards. He shot ribs, so there wouldn't have been much lost meat anyway, but the entrance and exit holes were of reasonable size. I've not seen anything that leads me to believe that the bullet will open up much wider on a big animal than a smaller one. Cup and core, I'd go heavier. All copper, I'd go lighter.

Should be fine...but I would prefer something a little heavier for the Wapiti. And as said above by Colorado, a .243 will work.
I am a member of the "got an Elk with the .243 club..." Lucky shot though...85 yards, down in a ravine. Enjoy the thrill of the hunt.

haven't shot and antelope up close with a 165 in the 30-06, but i did shoot one at a good distance, 590 yrds. worked well. i shoot the 165 gr ballistic tip in mine. works well on big pigs, deer and antelope.

I've shot a couple of small whitetail does in the 80-90 lb range with a 165 gr Hornady bullets. They both died where they stood. I would imagine the effect would be about the same on a similar sized antelope.