Which .30-06

[gunner4391]

Which 30-06 load should I use for a whitetail hunt in Wisconsin...I was thinking about a 165 grain Hornady Custom load or possibly a Winchester Silver Tip in 180 grain or even the 165 Fusion load. Anyone got an opinion on which load is the best for my 30-06?

[sc928porsche]

150 to 165 gr should be sufficient. 180 to 200 for elk and 220 for bear.

[longranger]

You most likely will have to shoot a box of each and see which one your rifle likes.Whitetails in your part of the world are pretty good sized.The 165's(Nosler Partition) I like in my 30-06 they are the only bullet I have ever recovered from a deer ,just under the skin on the off side.Several bullets from distances 50-350 yds.The 180gr bullets tend to blow through and not expend their energy in the animal, save the 180's for bigger animals like elk and moose.If you reload push them(165's) 2700-2800 fps with some Varget,best deer load I have ever used and accurate.

[W. C. Quantrill]

+1 on trying out different loads. Your rifle barrel will have one load it likes best. Deer dont need 180 grains of killing. A 150 or 165 will do fine. It is my experience that I get a lot of meat damage with 150gr loads...They kill excellently, they just tear up a lot of meat, so shot placement is very important. I have the best luck with 165 gr loads. I usually recover the 165's especially if it is over 200 yard shot.

I reload my shells with 165 gr Hornady BTSP's. They are just as accurate, perform just as well, and are half or less of the price of the elite brands. One thing you might check is the twist rate of your barrel, and then compare to the length of the bullets you consider. My Remington has 10" twist. That twist prefers a longer bullet. I get OK accuracy from a 150 grain, but I get excellent accuracy from a 165. Your barrel will have a preference of what it likes. I load 59 gr of 4350 powder for a bit over 2900 fps. My bullet travels at high rpm and if I do my part will do MOA at 300.

There are lots of things to consider. Copper weighs less than lead. So if you go with a Barnes all copper bullet, and you want 165 grains, it is going to be longer than a 165 grain lead bullet. It will love a fast twist. If you have a slower twist, lets say 12" twist, then you might want to look at a lead bullet which will be shorter and love the slower twist. Lots of things to think about, aint there?

[Buzzcook]

Whatever shoots out of your rifle best.

[Art Eatman]

Anything from 150 to 180 oughtra do just fine. The difference is mostly in the mind of the beholder...

[BIGR]

165 to 180 grain bullets should do the trick. Federal Fusions (30.06) in 180 GR. will put them down like a sledge hammer.

[elkman06]

I would avoid anything in a silvertip. I've never had them penetrate as they should. 150gr works well on everything I've shot, up to and including moose but I can see where a 180gr would probably be a better choice.
elkman

[ZeroJunk]

Whatever shoots out of your rifle best

Yep. Buy a box and when you sight your rifle in see if they shoot well enough to suit you. If so, run with it. If not try something else. All of these bullets work fine 99 % of the time if you make a good shot.

[IDAHO83501]

Being on exactly on target is more impotant than bullet weight. I used to shoot 180gr in my '06 now I shoot more 165, but that is only because they shoot a little flatter and arrive a little faster. After shooting some of each, your gun will show you which one it likes best.

[Art Eatman]

From the FWIW department: I've only used the 150-grain bullets on my deer. Same for my father and uncle. I'd guess that during my father's hunting career he killed well over a hundred deer. My uncle; dunno; "a bunch". Me, only a couple of dozen, but I've alternated with a .243.

People seem to worry too much. :D

[thallub]

From the FWIW department: I've only used the 150-grain bullets on my deer. Same for my father and uncle.


Same here. I usually hunt deer with a .308 or a .30-06 using my reloads. I have used the Sierra .30 caliber 150 grain Game King and 150 grain Sierra BTSP bullets on deer for about 40 years. Have killed well over 100 deer with those bullets and they do a real good job. Have also killed a few deer with the .30 caliber Remington Core Lokt and that bullet also does a good job.

[gunner4391]

thanks alot, mods you can close it