The 30-06 150 Grain Softpoints and Deer

Hitzy said:
I'm going to try some 125gr accubonds in the '06 this year for whitetails....3250-3300fps range, should be interesting....
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I found a rather nice formula for this weight of Accubond in my 30-06.

51.0 grains of Viht N-140. I my short barreled rifle should be just about 3000.
Shot a three shot group at a hair under one inch @100 meters a few days ago.

BTW, a recommended accuracy load from the latest Nosler book.

just info
 
yes. I think many folks choose too heavy a bullet for the '06. A Barnes 165 driven fast will do any Plains work in Africa, and should work here with aplomb.

Personally, for deer, I have experienced catastrophic bullet failure with SGK's but the deer was 12' off my muzzle. Simple cup and core loads from Olin and Remington have been sucessful.

Good luck.,
 
I use 180 gr accubonds in both aught six and .308...... Before reloading I used good old rem core lokt....... Never had a bullet failure after a few dozen whitetail a dozen or so black bear and 10 moose.....
 
I was, and still am, a great proponent of the 165 gr. Sierra Game Kings and in fact killed most of my deer with them. I think 180 gr. are too heavy and result in too much spoiled meat. That said, I nailed a nice little 6 pt. buck 2 yrs. ago with my 123 Hornady Interlocks out of my SKS. Was that an eye opener!!! I nailed him with a clean heart shot at about 40-50 yds. and he didn't go more than 4 yds. and fell over. In the thread, I'm reading a lot about "shoulder shots". I've never aimed at the shoulder because of the potential for blood spoiled meat. I was taught to aim back of the foreleg and a little low to hit the heart and try for the lungs if the heart shot isn't viable. Neither myself nor any of my fellow hunters were ever taught to use the shoulder as a drop shot, though I see how it would work. Who teaches that for taking deer? Just curious.
 
The "high shoulder" shot is popular among LR shooters and hunters because you hit the spine/neck which results in fairly spectacular "bang-flops". Also, the high shoulder shot has the greatest vertical margin of error. A couple of inches high and it's a flesh would that the animal recovers from. A few low and it's still a shoulder hit which is fatal. Too far back gives you a good high lung hit. Still, I prefer to put the bullet behind the front shoulder and through the top of the heart. It's worth a little tracking to save the meat. If you absolutely have to anchor the animal where it stands then the high shoulder shot s a good choice. Otherwise, avoid it.
 
Coolhand_Luke said:
Question for you guys that have used this obviously classic combo. Can the 30-06 with regular cup and core 150 gr soft points defeat big buck shoulder bones on a shoulder shot? Let's say 175-250 lb deer and at normal hunting ranges say out to 300 yards.

The reason I ask is I have usually used my 30-06 with 180 grain bullets of various types, but on doing some reading on Nathan Foster's Terminal Ballistics site, I think I could actually get better performance switching to 150's for deer instead of trying to use 180's for everything. I have two 30-06 anyways so I can set them up for different loads. But my last deer I shot with a 30-06 was hard quartering toward me at around 60 yards I was using a Barnes TSX 180 gr handload over kill I know but that's why ask about the 150 gr bullets. I have both Sierra pro hunters and Win power points in 150 gr that I can try.
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Can't comment on the Sierra's, as I've never used them. Before I handloaded, my .30-06 shot decently with 150 grain power points and they killed deer admirably. I ended up shooting 180 grain power points because they admittedly shot noticeably better and held together better on tougher shots. Like others have posted I prefer behind the shoulder and avoiding large bones as much as possible. I'd load up both of those bullets and pick whichever shot best. For general deer hunting inside 300 yards I can think of worse projectiles than 150 grain cup and core bullets from the .30-06.
 
So I thought I ought to look through my reloading supplies and do an actual inventory of what I have for bullets. Turns out I have an unopened box of both Barnes 150 gr tsx and Hornady 165 gr interlocks on top 3 boxes of Sierra and Win 150 gr bullets lol. Now I don't know what I should try next. I guess I'll load some of each and see what's most accurate.
 
Go into a gun store that has lots of variety in 30-06 ammunition.
Pick out a box of ammunition that you consider, or you have heard, is the worst bullet there is for hunting. Make a descent hit on a deer with it and you have a dead deer.
 
H4831 said:
Go into a gun store that has lots of variety in 30-06 ammunition.
Pick out a box of ammunition that you consider, or you have heard, is the worst bullet there is for hunting. Make a descent hit on a deer with it and you have a dead deer.
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Gotta say I agree with this for the most part.

Today we have the luxury of option anxiety. Many types of bullets will get the job done and fairly well. Heck, even FMJ with certain types of shots can easily kill if it were legal to use.

Many are chasing their tails looking for the perfect bullet, for the perfect kill. All part of the process I guess.
 
I must have missed when deer got armour plating.

Yes, a 150gr soft point fired by a 3006 will kill a deer. Remarkably, ive even seen them kill moose. :rolleyes:

I really, REALLY, think some people overthink things
 
blasted_saber said:
I must have missed when deer got armour plating.

Yes, a 150gr soft point fired by a 3006 will kill a deer. Remarkably, ive even seen them kill moose. :rolleyes:

I really, REALLY, think some people overthink things
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Oh yeah, some deer are running around lately with ceramic plates .... some have even gotten hip to camp !! Tactical deer !

I like reading the odd story of hunters from poorer nations, using what they have (guns & ammo) to feed their families. They get it done with real basic stuff because they have too.

It's inspiring. Makes me think with all this "luxury" we can get soft and forgetful.
 
H4831 said:
Go into a gun store that has lots of variety in 30-06 ammunition.
Pick out a box of ammunition that you consider, or you have heard, is the worst bullet there is for hunting. Make a descent hit on a deer with it and you have a dead deer.
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Make a decent hit on a deer, cougar or black bear with a Cooey .22 and ye get meat, pelts & parts fer trinkets.

Just gotta shoot 'em in tight.;)
 
I like finding boxes of bullets in my reloading stash that I forgot I even had, it's like a mini Christmas in June :) Although it can be depressing sometimes looking at older price stickers compared to now. Like a box of Nosler Partitions for $39.99 and that isn't from that long ago, i probably bought those in the early 2000s. Now partitions are well over a dollar a pop!
 
Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
Are they wearing armor or something?
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Yes. Haven't been to the gun store in a while? Or talked to any fudd hunters lately?

If you had you would have heard you need at least a 300 win mag to kill a deer at 150 yards. Anything smaller will just bounce off.

Funny story this guy I knew was 200 yards from a pretty nice white tail a few years ago. He had his 7mm-08 with him and his dad his 300 win mag. So before the stalk happened he turned to his dad and whispered "Dad I need your 300 my 7mm doesn't have enough power to kill that far away."
He made the stalk and the shot. Was a neck shot and as asouvenir he got a scope in the eye
 
This armoured deer thing is getting so bad these days, Chris Costa now offers a training course for tactical deer !

They are organizing folks ! Be afraid.



300 win mag on an f'in deer ??? People are losing their minds.
 
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