30-06 Load for a 22" Winchester

Blastattack

Blastattack

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Howdy all. I am looking for some input on some loads for my a new Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in 30-06. My basic specs are I want to achieve 3000 fps out of my 22" barrel with 150gr bullets. I would like to know what loads (bullet or bullets and powder) you use for hunting all big game (likely deer, elk and moose). I will be using Redding FL die and bullet seater/crimp, CCI BR2 or S&B 5.3 LR primers, as well as 100 Federal once fired cases and another 170 mixed cases. I have a whole whackload of 150gr. Hornady FMJBTs I will be using for practice rounds, so a bullet that flies similarly would be great.

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
The Hornady Interbond has similar ballistics to the FMJ.

For hunting all game, I would prefer a 180 gr bullet. A 150 is rather explosive on deer and might not give you the penetration you need on moose.

Either flavour of the 4350 would give you 3000 fps, but you would have to work up to it. Start with 52gr.
 
That article refers to the Barnes bullets. They are solid copper. Excellent bullets, but rather expensive . Different (better) ballistics than a 150 FMJ.

I see you are in the west, where long shots are more common than here in the east. My deer kills are at 50 yards or less. Moose at 100 or less. The 180 gives me good all round performance.

If you want to use ordinary (cheap) soft point hunting bullets, the 165 would be a good choice. And 4350 would remain a first class choice.
 
if I wanted to use a 150 at 3000fps I would look at the swift 150 scrirocos. I use it in a 308 at 2900fps. tough and flat shooting. that said I like 180's in the 30 06. any decent 180 over 57 grns of imr 4350 gives me arround 2800fps out of a 22 inch barrel. either of the 4350 powders will work for all three weights of bullets.
 
I have a m70 fwt 30-06. 59.5gr, H4350, 150gr sst or interlock = 3000. I mostly shoot 165gr sst, interlock, gmx with 57gr of h4350 to around 2835fps. 165gr partitions with 57.5gr of h4350 for 2820fps.
 
hometownhero said:
I have a m70 fwt 30-06. 59.5gr, H4350, 150gr sst or interlock = 3000. I mostly shoot 165gr sst, interlock, gmx with 57gr of h4350 to around 2835fps. 165gr partitions with 57.5gr of h4350 for 2820fps.[/QUO
In my Savage 116 I use 59gr H4350 with 150SST and 57 gr with 150GMX. Gives me 3023ish chronoed mv.
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I have had no problem achieving 3000 fps with a 150 grain bullet in 22" 30-06 rifles.

IMR or H 4350 work.
Higginson's 47N does it.
H414/W760 will do it.
Vihtavuori N550 will also do it.
Another great powder with that weight bullet is Ramshot Big Game.

Plenty of good choices out there. Dave.
 
Accuracy kills deer better than velocity. The best all round propellants for a 150gr bullet in a .30-06 are IMR4064, IMR4895, H4895 or Varget. IMR4350 works best with a 180gr bullet. It can work with a 150gr bullet, but you will expend more powder than the faster burning ones to gain the same velocity.
 
purple said:
Accuracy kills deer better than velocity. The best all round propellants for a 150gr bullet in a .30-06 are IMR4064, IMR4895, H4895 or Varget. IMR4350 works best with a 180gr bullet. It can work with a 150gr bullet, but you will expend more powder than the faster burning ones to gain the same velocity.
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The powders you list are great powders, but do their best work in 308 Winchester capacity cases, not the 30-06. The slower powders will invariably give higher velocities, even though more will be required.

Load density is also better in the 30-06 case with slower powders, since there is less space in the case with full loads than with 4064, etc.

For the 180 grain bullet, the 4350's work very well, but higher velocities will be seen with yet slower powders. [Norma MRP, IMR 4831, VV N560, etc]

Regards, Dave.
 
Theoretically the higher load density that is achieved in the .30-06 with slower burning propellants will yield higher accuracy, but the accuracy advantages of the quicker burning powders with 150-168gr bullets show up in various reloading manuals and on my targets with predictable regularity. I'm always amazed at how accurate a 150gr bullet can be with that big empty case and 23/24 gr of SR4759.

The military discovered the advantages of using 150-168gr bullets in the shorter 7.62/.308 case with more modern powders which left a lot of the space in the longer .30-06 case unused. The net result was equal performance in a smaller case that allowed a shorter action and more ammo to be carried for the same bulk and weight.

I'd always advise people to work up their own loads to see what works best for their components in their particular rifles. 48gr IMR4064 is always a great starting point for a 150 gr bullet in the .30-06.
 
Well, I have been loading the 30-06 since 1963 in about 40 different 30-06 rifles, and have not observed the "accuracy advantage" with the faster
powders that you allude to. It is true, once in a while a given rifle will favor a faster powder with the 150, but overall, the advantage is negligible.
The slower numbers always trump the faster ones, velocity wise, though.

I have a Remington 700 SSDM at home right now that shoots the 150, using IMR 4350, at 3050 fps, and will normally make a ragged hole at 100M
and about 1¼" at 200. My Lazerguard does the same with RL 17 and the 150 GMX, but it is a bit faster. [both 24" barrels]

Certainly, if you are achieving excellent results using the faster numbers.....carry on! I was just drawing on extended personal experience with the 30-06,
my alltime favorite non-magnum chambering.

Regards, Dave.
 
Eagleye said:
Well, I have been loading the 30-06 since 1963 in about 40 different 30-06 rifles, and have not observed the "accuracy advantage" with the faster
powders that you allude to. It is true, once in a while a given rifle will favor a faster powder with the 150, but overall, the advantage is negligible.
The slower numbers always trump the faster ones, velocity wise, though.

I have a Remington 700 SSDM at home right now that shoots the 150, using IMR 4350, at 3050 fps, and will normally make a ragged hole at 100M
and about 1¼" at 200. My Lazerguard does the same with RL 17 and the 150 GMX, but it is a bit faster. [both 24" barrels]

Certainly, if you are achieving excellent results using the faster numbers.....carry on! I was just drawing on extended personal experience with the 30-06,
my alltime favorite non-magnum chambering.

Regards, Dave.
Click to expand...

This^^. If I am going to take load advice from someone on the internet this is one of the few guys. He knows his stuff. In fact I have taken lots of the advice/knowledge he posts and used it in my own reloading.
 
Eagleye said:
Well, I have been loading the 30-06 since 1963 in about 40 different 30-06 rifles, and have not observed the "accuracy advantage" with the faster
powders that you allude to. It is true, once in a while a given rifle will favor a faster powder with the 150, but overall, the advantage is negligible.
The slower numbers always trump the faster ones, velocity wise, though.

I have a Remington 700 SSDM at home right now that shoots the 150, using IMR 4350, at 3050 fps, and will normally make a ragged hole at 100M
and about 1¼" at 200. My Lazerguard does the same with RL 17 and the 150 GMX, but it is a bit faster. [both 24" barrels]

Certainly, if you are achieving excellent results using the faster numbers.....carry on! I was just drawing on extended personal experience with the 30-06,
my alltime favorite non-magnum chambering.

Regards, Dave.
Click to expand...

I to Agree with this ^^. I have also taking info from Dave for my 30-06, 338-06 and 6.5x55 Swede. Not saying you are wrong Purple as i have used Varget with Excellent Results in 30-06 but found after Daves Advice that a slower powder was best for both accuracy and velocity.

That being said.. the Load i settled on for the 30-06 in my Winchester Featherweight was IMR4007SSC with 56gr under a 165gr Swift Scirocco 2/ Sierra HPBT Gameking lit by a Rem 9 1/2 primer and all packed in a Lapua brass. This load Yielded me 2980fps(5 shot average) in the 22" tube. 2850(game kings)

To each there own and only playing will tell you what your boom stick likes.

Play safe and have fun
Josh
 
sawzall said:
I am far more concerned with accuracy vs. velocity. 50-100 fps don't mean squat if the load isn't accurate.
Click to expand...

This statement about accuracy being the ultimate feature in hunting conditions is completely over done.
For normal hunting, where 400 yards is a heck of a long shot, a rifle/cartridge combination that will shoot two inch groups at 100 yards is more than adequate.
Besides, if the rifle is properly bedded, it will most likely shoot its best accuracy at full velocity loads, probably a bit higher than loads from modern loading books.
 
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