30-06 Hunting Bullet

ycastane · September 30, 2013, 02:30 PM

Just trying to see what is the preference of everyone when it comes to .30 cal bullets for hunting on the 30-06.

Doyle · September 30, 2013, 02:33 PM

One of my rifles is partial to 165 Fusions. Another is partial or Federal 180s. Bottom line is any good .308 bullet will do fine on deer sized game - select the bullet by what your rifle likes.

boondocker385 · September 30, 2013, 02:41 PM

I have tried and used a bunch on deer with no issues. My '06 likes Sierras in 180 grains....and the deer die quickly so that is a win win for me.

schmellba99 · September 30, 2013, 02:49 PM

Combined Technologies 168 BST did a wonderful job on my elk a few years ago. That's the only game I've taken with a .30 cal, so my experience is limited.

As the poster above said though - with a .30 cal and good shooting, anything from Core-Lokt on up will do the job very well.

steve4102 · September 30, 2013, 02:56 PM

Depend on what you are hunting and how far you are shooting.
What are you hunting, where and how far?

BuckRub · September 30, 2013, 03:25 PM

165 grain SSTs with Varget powder (Handloads) or 150 grain Core Loks (commercial load) back 15 years ago when I use to shoot them.

BumbleBug · September 30, 2013, 04:13 PM

I'll make an assumption here that you are a deer hunter. From personal experience as well as from family experience with the .30-06.

Factory Loads: 150 gr. Remington Core-loks
Handloads: 150 gr. Sierra SPT - PH

...bug

ycastane · September 30, 2013, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve4102

Depend on what you are hunting and how far you are shooting.
What are you hunting, where and how far?

South Fla, 100 yds with the rare 200-300yd shot small white tail and hogs!!

Doyle · September 30, 2013, 05:04 PM

Quote:

South Fla, 100 yds with the rare 200-300yd shot small white tail and hogs!!

Our deer are small and the ranges you are expecting are very reasonable. I go back to my original post. ANY decent .308 bullet will do the job on our FL whitetails (as well as the bigger ones up north). Try a few flavors to see what your gun likes and stick with it.

If you want to go cheap, I have had extremely good results with plain old Federal blue-box Power Shok ammo. Every thing I've shot them through shot well and they are just as effective on game as the high-dollar stuff.

Mike / Tx · September 30, 2013, 06:23 PM

If your loading your own, there are plenty of choices and plenty of them will shoot great with a little work. Just about anything in the 150 - 165gr range will do double duty on feral hogs and deer.

If your picking up factory, again plenty of choices, try a few and see what your rifle likes the best. Don't get hung up in the game if it cost more it has to be better. I normally shoot Remington, Federal, and Hornady 150gr loads in as cheap as I can find them. I shoot plenty of hogs year round and every once in a while I even pick out a nice deer. Most of my 30 cal shooting is with a .308 so I know if the same bullets work for it they will work for the '06 as well.

ycastane · September 30, 2013, 06:28 PM

Yeah i will be loading my own, yeah what i wanted to know was the grains i guess. I'll het a few different grains and brands and see what the rifle prefers and as you guys mentioned stick with that! Thanks fellas!

MJFlores · September 30, 2013, 08:16 PM

180 grain Nosler Partitions....I cant ever see myself loading or shooting anything else in my .30/06.

reynolds357 · September 30, 2013, 08:26 PM

168 Ballistic Silver Tip for deer-Elk.

BuckRub · September 30, 2013, 09:01 PM

Google "Lilja twist rate"
Find your gun and it'll have your twist rate. That'll give the the grains of bullets you should shoot for ultimate accuracy.

dmazur · September 30, 2013, 10:40 PM

150gr SST's with Varget

Jbotto · October 1, 2013, 12:04 AM

I found a nice pleasant load of Varget under a 165gr SST was a good shooting round in my rifle last year. This year is a 165gr Sierra Gameking with IMR4064.

FrankenMauser · October 1, 2013, 12:46 AM

Quote:

South Fla, 100 yds with the rare 200-300yd shot small white tail and hogs!!

Use anything you can get your hands on, other than FMJs and Winchester Power Points (the most ridiculously inconsistent bullets I've ever had the displeasure of testing).

I'd prefer just a bit more for hogs, but I never felt "under-gunned" when I hunted coastal whitetails with a .380 handgun.

(It was legal at the time. - Don't know if it is now.)

NWPilgrim · October 1, 2013, 05:21 AM

Plain old Remington CoreLokts have always been accurate and done the job on deer and elk in .308 and .30-06 for our family anyway. Most NA game is thin skinned and does not require a premium bullet unless driven to magnum velocities at close range.

On the other hand, it does not take many bullets for actual field use for a season so why not use the best bullet possible just in case? I have found the Barnes bullets to be very accurate and of course tough. In factory ammo it seems easier to find Federal ammo with Nosler Partions than other premium bullet types. But the Remington bonded Ultra CoreLokt, Nosler Accubond, Hornady Interbond, should all be accurate and tough as well.

Rifleman1776 · October 1, 2013, 08:48 AM

In my 30-06 Nosler Patitions and Ballistic Tips give great performance on deer at all ranges. Can't ask for better.
However, we are fortunate to have a choice of several brands of premium bullets these days.

TimSr · October 1, 2013, 10:07 AM

Quote:

180 grain Nosler Partitions....I cant ever see myself loading or shooting anything else in my .30/06.

x2

many work fine for deer, but I would stay away from flat nose bullets made for 30-30 or other low velocity bullets made for 7.62x39 or similar.

hooligan1 · October 1, 2013, 05:02 PM

150 grain Ballistic Tips from Nosler have always done a fine job on whitetails in that range, for my family..

ChasingWhitetail91 · October 1, 2013, 05:52 PM

the 150 gr Remington Corelokts have always dropped them in their prints for me, my father, and his father.

hgmeyer · October 1, 2013, 06:12 PM

150 grain Gamekings, 150 gr Ballistic Tips, 150 gr Corelokts for deer. I would go up to 165+ gr Gamekings, 165 gr Accubonds or Partitions for hogs ( a tougher critter) amd then more solids from Barnes and similar bullets, again for hogs.

There are lots of other bullets available from other manufacturers, these are just some of my routine .308 choices.

ycastane · October 1, 2013, 07:41 PM

Problem with having different ammo for different game is that like this past saturday i hunted both at the same time so i couldnt or wont be able to change ammo in between.

I think 150-165 would be good. This past weekend i took down 2 bucks with a 223 75gr on my AR15 Hornady TAP both dropped on their tracks! People all over dont recommend it because its inhumane but so far i have been lucky, one i shot not to long ago ran about 30 ft and dropped as well.

Im sure in 30-06 platform 150-165gr should do even better, probable lots of meat damage compared to the 223 which you can barely see the entry and exit point.

Thanks for the input gents!!

hgmeyer · October 1, 2013, 08:25 PM

"Problem with having different ammo for different game is that like this past saturday i hunted both at the same time so i couldnt or wont be able to change ammo in between.

I think 150-165 would be good. This past weekend i took down 2 bucks with a 223 75gr on my AR15 Hornady TAP both dropped on their tracks! People all over dont recommend it because its inhumane but so far i have been lucky, one i shot not to long ago ran about 30 ft and dropped as well.

Im sure in 30-06 platform 150-165gr should do even better, probable lots of meat damage compared to the 223 which you can barely see the entry and exit point."

If hunting both I would reluctantly use Partitions at 160+ grains at 2600+ fps. It should take down a whitetail with some meat loss and will definitely drop a hog.

September 30, 2013, 02:30 PM	#1
ycastane Member Join Date: April 24, 2012 Posts: 69	30-06 Hunting Bullet Just trying to see what is the preference of everyone when it comes to .30 cal bullets for hunting on the 30-06.

September 30, 2013, 06:23 PM	#10
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	If your loading your own, there are plenty of choices and plenty of them will shoot great with a little work. Just about anything in the 150 - 165gr range will do double duty on feral hogs and deer. If your picking up factory, again plenty of choices, try a few and see what your rifle likes the best. Don't get hung up in the game if it cost more it has to be better. I normally shoot Remington, Federal, and Hornady 150gr loads in as cheap as I can find them. I shoot plenty of hogs year round and every once in a while I even pick out a nice deer. Most of my 30 cal shooting is with a .308 so I know if the same bullets work for it they will work for the '06 as well. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

September 30, 2013, 10:40 PM	#15
dmazur Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Location: Pacific NW Posts: 1,310	150gr SST's with Varget __________________ .30-06 Springfield: 100 yrs + and still going strong

October 1, 2013, 05:21 AM	#18
NWPilgrim Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,346	Plain old Remington CoreLokts have always been accurate and done the job on deer and elk in .308 and .30-06 for our family anyway. Most NA game is thin skinned and does not require a premium bullet unless driven to magnum velocities at close range. On the other hand, it does not take many bullets for actual field use for a season so why not use the best bullet possible just in case? I have found the Barnes bullets to be very accurate and of course tough. In factory ammo it seems easier to find Federal ammo with Nosler Partions than other premium bullet types. But the Remington bonded Ultra CoreLokt, Nosler Accubond, Hornady Interbond, should all be accurate and tough as well. __________________ "The ultimate authority ... resides in the people alone. ... The advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation ... forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition." - James Madison

October 1, 2013, 05:02 PM	#21
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,586	150 grain Ballistic Tips from Nosler have always done a fine job on whitetails in that range, for my family.. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

September 30, 2013, 02:33 PM	#2
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	One of my rifles is partial to 165 Fusions. Another is partial or Federal 180s. Bottom line is any good .308 bullet will do fine on deer sized game - select the bullet by what your rifle likes.

September 30, 2013, 02:41 PM	#3
boondocker385 Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2013 Posts: 640	I have tried and used a bunch on deer with no issues. My '06 likes Sierras in 180 grains....and the deer die quickly so that is a win win for me.

September 30, 2013, 02:49 PM	#4
schmellba99 Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 803	Combined Technologies 168 BST did a wonderful job on my elk a few years ago. That's the only game I've taken with a .30 cal, so my experience is limited. As the poster above said though - with a .30 cal and good shooting, anything from Core-Lokt on up will do the job very well.

September 30, 2013, 02:56 PM	#5
steve4102 Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,955	Depend on what you are hunting and how far you are shooting. What are you hunting, where and how far?

September 30, 2013, 03:25 PM	#6
BuckRub Junior member Join Date: October 3, 2012 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,046	165 grain SSTs with Varget powder (Handloads) or 150 grain Core Loks (commercial load) back 15 years ago when I use to shoot them.

September 30, 2013, 04:13 PM	#7
BumbleBug Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2013 Location: Near Heart of Texas Posts: 870	I'll make an assumption here that you are a deer hunter. From personal experience as well as from family experience with the .30-06. Factory Loads: 150 gr. Remington Core-loks Handloads: 150 gr. Sierra SPT - PH ...bug

September 30, 2013, 06:28 PM	#11
ycastane Member Join Date: April 24, 2012 Posts: 69	Yeah i will be loading my own, yeah what i wanted to know was the grains i guess. I'll het a few different grains and brands and see what the rifle prefers and as you guys mentioned stick with that! Thanks fellas!

September 30, 2013, 08:16 PM	#12
MJFlores Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2013 Posts: 539	180 grain Nosler Partitions....I cant ever see myself loading or shooting anything else in my .30/06.

September 30, 2013, 08:26 PM	#13
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	168 Ballistic Silver Tip for deer-Elk.

September 30, 2013, 09:01 PM	#14
BuckRub Junior member Join Date: October 3, 2012 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,046	Google "Lilja twist rate" Find your gun and it'll have your twist rate. That'll give the the grains of bullets you should shoot for ultimate accuracy.

October 1, 2013, 12:04 AM	#16
Jbotto Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2010 Location: MN Posts: 437	I found a nice pleasant load of Varget under a 165gr SST was a good shooting round in my rifle last year. This year is a 165gr Sierra Gameking with IMR4064.

October 1, 2013, 08:48 AM	#19
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	In my 30-06 Nosler Patitions and Ballistic Tips give great performance on deer at all ranges. Can't ask for better. However, we are fortunate to have a choice of several brands of premium bullets these days.

October 1, 2013, 05:52 PM	#22
ChasingWhitetail91 Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 336	the 150 gr Remington Corelokts have always dropped them in their prints for me, my father, and his father. __________________ Abraham Lincoln made all men free, Samuel Colt made them equal.

October 1, 2013, 06:12 PM	#23
hgmeyer Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2013 Location: Elgin, IL Posts: 147	150 grain Gamekings, 150 gr Ballistic Tips, 150 gr Corelokts for deer. I would go up to 165+ gr Gamekings, 165 gr Accubonds or Partitions for hogs ( a tougher critter) amd then more solids from Barnes and similar bullets, again for hogs. There are lots of other bullets available from other manufacturers, these are just some of my routine .308 choices.

October 1, 2013, 07:41 PM	#24
ycastane Member Join Date: April 24, 2012 Posts: 69	Problem with having different ammo for different game is that like this past saturday i hunted both at the same time so i couldnt or wont be able to change ammo in between. I think 150-165 would be good. This past weekend i took down 2 bucks with a 223 75gr on my AR15 Hornady TAP both dropped on their tracks! People all over dont recommend it because its inhumane but so far i have been lucky, one i shot not to long ago ran about 30 ft and dropped as well. Im sure in 30-06 platform 150-165gr should do even better, probable lots of meat damage compared to the 223 which you can barely see the entry and exit point. Thanks for the input gents!!

October 1, 2013, 08:25 PM	#25
hgmeyer Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2013 Location: Elgin, IL Posts: 147	"Problem with having different ammo for different game is that like this past saturday i hunted both at the same time so i couldnt or wont be able to change ammo in between. I think 150-165 would be good. This past weekend i took down 2 bucks with a 223 75gr on my AR15 Hornady TAP both dropped on their tracks! People all over dont recommend it because its inhumane but so far i have been lucky, one i shot not to long ago ran about 30 ft and dropped as well. Im sure in 30-06 platform 150-165gr should do even better, probable lots of meat damage compared to the 223 which you can barely see the entry and exit point." If hunting both I would reluctantly use Partitions at 160+ grains at 2600+ fps. It should take down a whitetail with some meat loss and will definitely drop a hog.