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Old July 10, 2016, 01:39 PM   #1
AlphaHunter88
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How Much Difference in Shot Patterning???

I have an Interarms .30-06 and it loves 150 gr bullets. I'm buying a back-up/alternate .30-06 (Marlin X7S) and have heard many people that own them say that their gun performs well with 165 gr. I have a decent little stock of 150s, but at least want to try 165s. I'll be buying factory ammo until I get the means to get into reloading (which I plan on doing within the next few years.) I like the idea of the added energy of a heavier bullet along with the negligible velocity loss out to 200 yds. My question is how much difference should I expect in trajectory between the two bullet weights from realistic hardwood/small green field hunting distances (from inside 50 to over 150 yds?) Maybe I'm over thinking it, but little details like these can lead to bad results. I want to change to 165, but don't want to have to resight my scopes every time I switch between the two loads. It may be as simple as having to choose between one or the other, or settle on a load for each individual gun. Granted it would be a dream if they both shot well mixed in a magazine. I know the deer can't tell the difference, but I do like choices if the store is out of my bread and butter load. Any and all insight into this is greatly appreciated. I could use the added knowledge.
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Old July 10, 2016, 01:54 PM   #2
hoghunting
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Since you haven't fired the Marlin, why not try the 150s and see how it shoots? If it groups well, just stay with the 150s. You won't know how much the point of impact is different between the 150s and 165s in your rifles without shooting.
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Old July 10, 2016, 02:39 PM   #3
T. O'Heir
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Absolutely shoot the 150's. You will find your Interarms like the 165's too though.
The 165's are what amounts to the 'generic' bullet weight for the .30-06 and .308. A 165 will kill any game in North America. 150's are more deer sized game bullets. Mind you, deer ammo will kill black bear and elk with no fuss.
However, the difference between the two weights will have to do with the load and barrel length. There will be a very slight difference in velocity. Hornady factory, for example, the difference is only 120 FPS at the muzzle. 60 fps at 300 yards. With a 200 yard zero, a 150 GMX Superformance(chosen because I could find a 165 too) will drop 6.4" at 300. The 165 Interbond, also zeroed at 200, will drop 6.9". Always been partial to sighting in any .30-06 about 3.5" high at 100 and being able to hold 'on' out to about 300 though. 300 is far enough. Any bullet out of an '06 drops like a brick between 300 and 400.
That means you can use both loads without re-zeroing.
"...be a dream if..." They just might. Buy a box of each and try it. Not exactly cheap though.
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Old July 10, 2016, 04:54 PM   #4
AlphaHunter88
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Nice. Yeah I've shot the Superformance SST in a Savage Axis .270 I used to have and they impressed me. They problem is they're on the expensive side of factory ammo, and not nearly as easy to find as say Core Lokts. I've also had a lot of success with Academy's Monarch soft points, but the only weight I've ever seen them in is 150. I may just stick with them as long as I can find them for $15/box of 20. I've tested them shooting through a heavily pressure treated 6x6 post and they held together brilliantly with a nice sized exit hole (had a dirt bank backstop.) But for an alternative I may buy a box of 165 Winny power points or Remmy Core Lokts and shoot a couple magazines of each to compare trajectory at a few chozen distances.
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Old July 10, 2016, 08:16 PM   #5
Art Eatman
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A 150-grain load in the '06 is plenty good for any game in the SE US.

I'd try that load in my backup rifle. After all, if deer and hogs are the primary use, anything under two MOA is plenty good at your short distances.

It's common that when changing bullet weight, the change in barrel harmonics can move the point of impact some amount in any direction. It's not just a change in trajectory. You'll never be sure until you test.
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Old July 14, 2016, 04:35 AM   #6
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for the record

The ability of a rifle to place its projectiles into tiny clusters is typically referred to its ability to shoot " groups", not patterns. ie, that rifle will shoot a group of 1 MOA all day long."

The term pattern, is applied to shotguns and how they throw their shot loads, ie, "that gun shoots a tight , (or open) pattern.
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Old July 14, 2016, 09:19 AM   #7
Sure Shot Mc Gee
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Have a 06 but not a bolt one. (a Semi.)
Since the 06 is a military development we all know the military did extensive testing on bullet weight. Tip: Buy cartridges as close to the bullet weight the military testings found most accurate. (147 gr.)
When you get into reloading than you can experiment with the rainbow of other after market weights available for the 06 purpose. Personally I've never liked the 165-168s. Most are Boat Tailed based and promoted for use beyond the 4-500 yard mark to see its best accuracy. Reality is most of us hunt and shoot 200 yards or less. The preferred by many bullet for the purpose is: >a plain jane Flat Base.
If still wanting to jump between two different cartridge bullet weights. My suggestion would be 150s & 180gr. Able to kill anything & everything in the lower 48. Sure you'll see some loss of velocity with the 180. But the 180 makes up the difference having more down range Energy dump than either of the two others. 150 or 165 gr.
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Old July 14, 2016, 11:17 AM   #8
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I agree with Art Eatman, your going to be between 50/150yds.
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Old July 14, 2016, 11:27 AM   #9
Jim Watson
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The last guy I cautioned about point of impact differences with different bullet weights came back and showed me his target. His rifle shot two or three different loads into the same hunting rifle group. Not a benchrest or XC group, but it would do just fine on game.
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Old July 14, 2016, 12:00 PM   #10
SRH78
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Different loads shoot differently, even different lot numbers of the same ammo can shoot very differently, especially out of a lightweight hunting rifle. ALWAYS check your zero when switching ammo. The difference in bullet drop between 150 and 165 grain bullets will be negligible inside 200 yards but the POI difference could be a lot.

Years ago, I was shooting a rile that was zeroed with a 150 grain load. I tried some 180's and they were somewhere around 6-8" higher at 100 yards.
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