The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - 30-06 180 gr. vs. 150 gr. (distance question)

300magman · September 11, 2009, 07:41 AM

I agree that either the 150gr or 180gr will be excellent for your choice of distance and you will see very little difference in trajectory (though you should check your zero) But I HEAVILY disagree with the two posters who said the 180gr round is a poor choice. I LOVE IT! The 30.06 is my choice for short to medium range whitetail (10-300yards) and I have used the cheapest ammo possible (Federal PowerShok Softpoints) for nearly 10 years now. It gives me expectional accuracy from my particular 30.06 and absolutely hammers deer (from 140-280lbs).
Some bullets have heavy jackets, some do not, it depends more on the bullet than the weight 150 vs 180..pick a soft bullet like the one I favor and it will not over-penetrate. I've always found the round I shoot to do an exceptional job of transfering energy, it does often exit through smaller or shorter ranged deer...but just barely. I actually prefer a bullet that exist (with a decent sized hole and most of its velocity expended) over a bullet that stays inside, you get more blood to follow if the deer runs...which seldom happens with this round and good shot placement. My one issue with this bullet, in 30.06, is that its a bit too soft or lacks the energy to punch through large deer or longer range deer (I often find it just inside the rib cage or sometimes through the ribs but still stuck on the inside of the fur)...but now that I handload perhaps I can get a bit more energy out of it for those longer shots. Regardless you won't have to worry about that at less than 100 yards.
I say load the Federal 180 softpoints and hammer away

Btw, I've once shot a 165lb buck at 75 yards, the bullet went straight through a rib on the way in and on the way out it broke 2 ribs...the exit hole was big enough for a 12 year old to put One first through...not excessive to me, infact thats just about pefect in my book. I can't speek for others experiences. The only negative experience I had with this round was shooting a 150lb buck in the shoulder at 5 yards (I know, how could I miss at 5 yards, Long story) anyway the bullet turned to powder, and so did the bucks shoulder, he ran 70 yards (on 3 legs) then dropped dead, the bullet did not penetrate much beyond the shoulder as it literally turned to powder, but the impact was so fierce it caused significant internal trauma...all the "good eating meat" was still unharmed, but that shoulder was a bloody, crushed, write off.

September 11, 2009, 07:41 AM	#7
300magman Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2008 Posts: 714	I agree that either the 150gr or 180gr will be excellent for your choice of distance and you will see very little difference in trajectory (though you should check your zero) But I HEAVILY disagree with the two posters who said the 180gr round is a poor choice. I LOVE IT! The 30.06 is my choice for short to medium range whitetail (10-300yards) and I have used the cheapest ammo possible (Federal PowerShok Softpoints) for nearly 10 years now. It gives me expectional accuracy from my particular 30.06 and absolutely hammers deer (from 140-280lbs). Some bullets have heavy jackets, some do not, it depends more on the bullet than the weight 150 vs 180..pick a soft bullet like the one I favor and it will not over-penetrate. I've always found the round I shoot to do an exceptional job of transfering energy, it does often exit through smaller or shorter ranged deer...but just barely. I actually prefer a bullet that exist (with a decent sized hole and most of its velocity expended) over a bullet that stays inside, you get more blood to follow if the deer runs...which seldom happens with this round and good shot placement. My one issue with this bullet, in 30.06, is that its a bit too soft or lacks the energy to punch through large deer or longer range deer (I often find it just inside the rib cage or sometimes through the ribs but still stuck on the inside of the fur)...but now that I handload perhaps I can get a bit more energy out of it for those longer shots. Regardless you won't have to worry about that at less than 100 yards. I say load the Federal 180 softpoints and hammer away Btw, I've once shot a 165lb buck at 75 yards, the bullet went straight through a rib on the way in and on the way out it broke 2 ribs...the exit hole was big enough for a 12 year old to put One first through...not excessive to me, infact thats just about pefect in my book. I can't speek for others experiences. The only negative experience I had with this round was shooting a 150lb buck in the shoulder at 5 yards (I know, how could I miss at 5 yards, Long story) anyway the bullet turned to powder, and so did the bucks shoulder, he ran 70 yards (on 3 legs) then dropped dead, the bullet did not penetrate much beyond the shoulder as it literally turned to powder, but the impact was so fierce it caused significant internal trauma...all the "good eating meat" was still unharmed, but that shoulder was a bloody, crushed, write off. Last edited by 300magman; September 11, 2009 at 07:52 AM.