20in 30-06 bullet weight

[WhelanLad]

hey fellas, wont be long an me fluted chopped abolt barrel will be home, wondering whats the go for bullet weight ya rekon ?

im going to use woodleighs , but have 130, 150,165 ,180 and 200gr options...........

its a general all purpose go to day hunting rifle for the Deer, sambar, is mostly what it will encounter, an the odd fallow.


wise to go light an push em faster to gain some velocity an traj for 300m ?

or is it likely to like the 180gr heavier end being shorter?

an which powder ya rekon? varget? or faster or slower?

whattya say?
Thanks

 

[obsessed1b]

I know what I would do my hunting area....200-220gr....but I live in N alberta not Aus...you won't ever run into big mean critters...I'd probably stick to the 150-165gr range with higher bc and MV

 

[Bare]

I’m a heavy for a caliber guy. My choice would be the 180-200gr bullet. I’ve had good luck with Ramshot Big game powder in 30-06.

 

[wannabe]

depends on your game....deer size 150gr, elk/moose 180, claws and teeth over 500 pounds 180-220 premium constructed bullets...points of impact vary greatly....

 

[bunny]

I have a 20' Ruger ultra light that shoots the Hornady 220 RN sub MOA with IMR 4831.

 

[broadhead67]

This will be determined by the B Twist , your rifle will let you know what it likes to shoot .shortened barrel will drop a few fps but will be stiffer and should produce tighter groups

 

[mikeyb]

hey fellas, wont be long an me fluted chopped abolt barrel will be home, wondering whats the go for bullet weight ya rekon ?

im going to use woodleighs , but have 130, 150,165 ,180 and 200gr options...........

its a general all purpose go to day hunting rifle for the Deer, sambar, is mostly what it will encounter, an the odd fallow.


wise to go light an push em faster to gain some velocity an traj for 300m ?

or is it likely to like the 180gr heavier end being shorter?

an which powder ya rekon? varget? or faster or slower?

whattya say?
Thanks

I like 180's for everything, I would focus more on the powder than bullet - find a load that burns as much of the powder as possible in 20" barrel which might mean something on the faster side of the .30-06 load tables

 

[Dogleg]

I have a 20" 30-06 fitted with 10 shot detachable mags that saw some barrel burning time in Oz. Or maybe stock melting is a more accurate description. I used 165s and Varget to good effect; though that was largely due to shooting up an existing stockpile of loaded ammo.

Velocity took a real hit, but few shots were over 300 meters so I didn't worry much. I'd give the 150 Woodleighs a fair chance, and get the speed up.

 

[Snowy Owl]

I have a 20" 30-06 ... I used 165s ... Velocity took a real hit, ...

Could you tell us how much the velocity took a real hit with your 165s ?

I happen to have a 18½" .30-06 rifle and velocity IS taking a real hit - up to 300 fts/s with W-W 760 and 150 grain bullets.

 

[Mik123]

That sounds like dandy rig, what make of rifle was it?

I have a 20" 30-06 fitted with 10 shot detachable mags that saw some barrel burning time in Oz. Or maybe stock melting is a more accurate description. I used 165s and Varget to good effect; though that was largely due to shooting up an existing stockpile of loaded ammo.

Velocity took a real hit, but few shots were over 300 meters so I didn't worry much. I'd give the 150 Woodleighs a fair chance, and get the speed up.

 

[obsessed1b]

3031 or 4064 should get a 165gr up to 2700fps in a 18" barrel 30-06

 

[todbartell]

20 inch 30-06? Barely beats a 22" 7.62x39

 

[B]

I did some load development for my brother's newly inherited 20" bolt somethingorother. Superformance powder was pushing 165 SSTs past 2800fps with another grain or more of room before max. I was pretty impressed.

 

[Gatehouse]

20 inch 30-06? Barely beats a 22" 7.62x39

 

[coiloil37]

With a 165 accubond IMR 4064 gives me 2850 FPS from an 18” barrel and 3k FPS from a 24” barrel. I was 0.5 grain under max per hodgdon’s load data.

 

[Rick]

hey fellas, wont be long an me fluted chopped abolt barrel will be home, wondering whats the go for bullet weight ya rekon ?

Might as well have asked "what's the best oil for my motorcycle?" You'll definitely get some opinions..

Two 30/06 rifles in the family armoury with 20" (or nearly) barrels: Husqvarna Husky and a BSA Majestic Featherweight (the factory dragon call on the BSA does nothing for recoil, everything to damage your eardrums). Both 1960's rifles. Walking out the front door through the 60's, 70's, and 80's, and you could be hunting grizzly bear, moose, woodland caribou, elk, bighorn, goats, whitetails, mule deer, etc within an hour and a half.

After about 50 years, some rifles and calibers and weights (and hunting opportunities) have changed a bit. But as far as those two '06's go, I've honed down to 165-168 grain bullets to do everything, and ever since Barnes brought out the 168 gr. TTSX, that's what I've settled on. My brothers have wobbled around a bit with both lighter and heavier weights in their '06s, but they're now in the 165 gr. camp is well.

When we're hunting elk up in the dense alder slides, I do stick some of the original Barnes 220 grain RN bullets up the spout. The grumbly bears use the trails through the alders as well, and since our regressive progressive Marxist government has stopped all grumbly bear hunting, they aren't as skittish of people as they used to be. It's not a joke that they increasingly act like a rifle shot is the dinner bell.

I'd suggest you consider paying more attention to bullet performance over the range of velocities and ranges you'll be hunting at, as well as the size of the game you're hunting. Whether it's a moose or a deer, there's no guarantee you'll get your shot at either 15 yards or 300 yards. The best bullet is the one that provides the best expansion performance over the biggest envelope of impact velocities.

I'd also suggest a good rule of thumb is to first pick your bullet/weight and after that look at what your powder options are.

 

[mike t]

I've used 165 and 180 grainers in a few 30-06 20 inch barrels. All factory ammo and the 165s worked great

 

[regulate34]

I had good results with Varget and 150/165g. H4350 for 180 and up works well.

 

[WhelanLad]

Might as well have asked "what's the best oil for my motorcycle?" You'll definitely get some opinions..

ha ha where have you popped up from! ive not noticed your cheeky post replies before until recently!

i do like the discussion an opinions esp with the different game an scenerios these guys shoot in an at.

hooroo mate

 

[Rick]

I'm getting too old to spend much of the time I have left on forums when I could be doing something else like flyfishing, hunting, or just plain old shooting if the weather makes it worthwhile.

Anyways, some questions are like trying to nail jello to the wall if you're hoping for definitive answers.

The best bullet weight in a 30-06/.308/etc is right up there with asking that famous one in the motorcycle world: what's the best oil for my motorcycle?

I'll still stick with saying the best choice that gives the best terminal performance over the range of distances you're likely to shoot game at. If you're hunting at the extremes of either thick brush where a 75 yard shot is a long one or alternately you're hunting pronghorns on the prairie, then the choices can get whittled down quite a bit. Around here, it can be anything from 25 yards or less to longer than 300 yards (if you actually practice enough to have the skill to take shots at that range).

Anyways, speaking only from the experiences of my brothers and myself, the Barnes TTSX 168 grainer in the 30 calibers has performed exactly as it's supposed to on moose, elk, and deer. Both out of the 20" bbl'd 30-06's up to longer barreled 30 Newton and .308 Norma Magnums. Haven't shot a sheep or mountain goat in quit a while, but I wouldn't expect anything different with them.