30-06 Bullets for Deer and maybe a Moose

Fox

Fox

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We were chatting at the camp about reloads for my dads 30-06 rifle. I mentioned to him that you cannot simply have someone make you reloads, even if you trust them, that the rifle needs to be involved and shot to determine a safe load and an accurate load. He thought with the cost of ammo going up like crazy that developing a load for his rifle may not be a bad one. His main hunt with this rifle is deer but he has been bugged to go moose hunting and he is not sure if he ever will but would want the option if he chose to without going out and buying new ammo.

He likes 180gr, so that is what will be loaded, not even thinking about going lighter or heavier, he is sort of set on this.

If I were going to load for moose then the Nosler Partition, old school and works, no problem there, but the partition is overkill for sure on deer but should I be concerned at all about over penetration or not opening up enough with a 180gr partition at 50 yards on a deer?

I was also thinking about the bonded bullets, Accubond LR 168gr or 190gr (just less expensive for some reason than the Accubond) or maybe the Interbond.

I know that cup and core will work just fine on a deer, 180gr Interlock is a fine bullet but would there be any concerns for moose in Ontario?

My thoughts on the partition are to do what I did with my 30-06 project, essentially have a bullet in my mind and get NOS at a gun show that matches, I ended up with 220gr RN and 200gr Partitions for my big boy 30-06 project but dad does not want to go so heavy when he is going to hunt deer.

Thanks in advance for your input.
 
In truth the 180 grain partition is as close to a do it all round in the 30-06 as exists. It opens easy so the deer are no problem and the moose will get the penetration needed for a clean kill. I have shot this bullet with enough IMR4350 to get 2700 fps for almost 35 years and it has never left me wanting. I have used the 200 grain partition on moose enough to know it works well but is no better than the 180. I have also used a lot of "normal" 150 grain bullets on deer and they work very well too. If I had to pare it down to one gun, one load for anything and everything, give me the 06 with a 180 partition.
 
So the partition does open up quick for thin game, perfect, I have used them in the 30-30 but that big flat nose helps them opening up.

I went 200gr partition with my project because I am odd and want different, plus I have other guns for lighter bullets. I ideally wanted 220gr partitions but I found these 200gr ones for $35/50, I thought for 50% of the cost of a premium I could go with the 200gr ones.

I think I will load up some interlock 180gr as well though for him, have the gun sighted in for 180gr partitions and then shoot the 180gr interlocks as a range plinker to get used to the gun every year, a lot cheaper than plinking with premium bullets.

As you can tell at this point in time we are budget minded.
 
The nose section of the 180 Partition is soft lead. It will open up just fine on deer.

Just about any expanding 180 will work fine on Ontario moose. And a 180 will spoil less meat on a deer than a 150.
 
yomomma said:
You ever wonder how store bought ammo will shoot in any gun? Just saying.
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Loads below max with no care for individual accuracy.

No way would I trust reloaded ammo that was not built with my gun there to build it. If I am building ammo for multiple guns I am shooting them all along the way to be sure I am in the safe zone for pressure and have decent accuracy in both guns.
 
If loads weren't reasonably accurate people wouldn't buy them. Not saying that people should shoot some unknown persons reloads. Personally I have shot my reloads in multiple firearms without developing loads for each. Mind you I don't load at or past max.
 
yomomma said:
If loads weren't reasonably accurate people wouldn't buy them. Not saying that people should shoot some unknown persons reloads. Personally I have shot my reloads in multiple firearms without developing loads for each. Mind you I don't load at or past max.
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There are lots of factory loads that are horribly inaccurate in many factory guns and they still sell, heck, there are tons of people who when asked what they shoot only give the round or the weight and not the manufacturer, the brand or the bullet type. I know of guys who shot their last factory ammo before going hunting and needed a box so bought the same weight in their caliber and headed to the camp, 180gr is 180gr is 180gr to them, but I know for a fact that the POI would not be the same from brand to brand.
 
I knew one guy,after missing several deer from near the muzzle to 150 yards said, My gun should still be on ,I sighted it in 3 years ago! Shells are too expensive to shoot at targets.
 
A guy showed up with his shotgun as a dogging gun, no worries, I asked him how it shot. His response was "I have not shot it but the guy at the gun shop says these shoot well". He then handed me a box of Federal sabot slugs, the problem was that his gun was a fixed full choke smooth bore shotgun, he had no clue.
 
Use the 180 Accubond, those LR ones may open up too much at close range, they are made to open easily at long range when the velocity has dropped off.
 
I like the advice on this topic given by gun writer John Barsness, He suggest a load developed with Sierra .308 flat base SP 180 grain Pro-Hunter #2150, and the same powder/primer/case with the Nosler 180 partition. They develop almost the same pressure, give close to the same accuracy and point of impact in most rifles, and allow relatively cheap practise / deer loads and effective moose loads with only one switch in components. If hunting both deer and moose on the same hunt just use the partitions. Works for me.
 
I suggest the Barnes 180 gr TSX type. I have taken deer and two moose with this and it was flawless let alone the most accurate from my rifle. I was using at the time the original Barnes X bullet and still have some and I can say they WORK!!!!!!

Most people over estimate bullet weigh ton moose. Moose will come off their feet easier than deer if hit in the vitals. TRUE!!! Elk...different story I hear.

Many a Moose has been dropped with a Brit 303. I personally took mine with a 300 Win Mag but the moose literally blew over sideways on a vitals shot. All the old timers in my area hunted, and got their moose every year, with a Win 30-30...True story!!! Most moose and deer are shot withing 100 yards in Ontario and 150 gr 30-30 will do the trick no problem.
I shoot 300 Win Mag and 303 Brit and going forward am going to go 165 gr Barnes X for 300 win mag and 150 gr 303 Brit. 180 Gr Barnes hunting bullets just plain accurate, hit hard, and do their job!

Moose drop easy guys.....when hit in the vitals a moose will drop so fast it will make you wonder!
 
Varmit said:
Use the 180 Accubond, those LR ones may open up too much at close range, they are made to open easily at long range when the velocity has dropped off.
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They are designed though to not grenade and close range, the variable jacket thickness is supposed to stop the expansion at close range but allow them to open up at long range. I have been looking at them for my long range 6.5x55 project but I am starting out with the ELD-X first. The operating velocity on both of those bullets is very good.

I like the idea of that Sierra flat base and the Nosler partition, both readily available and depending on POI it may work out that he just have to do a small adjustment to go after moose if he chooses to.
 
There are not many .30-06's that won't shoot a 180 grain bullet. Buying three boxes of factory ammo and testing them for accuracy is cheap insurance. Buying the best ammo for your hunting application is better.

A number of years ago, a man fired one shot with his 300 Winchester Magnum at 100 yards. I spotted for him and said he missed the target. He had to walk to the 100 yard line and check for himself. He fired a second shot, and it was one inch high. I then asked if he was going to shoot at 200 yards, and was informed, "This is the 300 Winchester Magnum, the flattest shooting gun ever. It is one inch high at 100, 1 inch high at 200 and dead on at 300. Last year I shot a deer in the head at 500 yards. I held on the tip of the nose, raised up to the top of his head, and fired".

He then fired one shot with his father's .30-06 and announced "That's good enough for dad"!
 
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