30-06 - What bullet?

Jimbo69 said:
Strange, I tough ballistic tips were the explosive piece of s**t
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They are, and the Game kings make massive holes too!

Shot my Antelope at 420 paced step w/150 ballistic tips, looked like I hit it with a mortar. They are very accurate but don't hit bone!

Shot a whitetail w/ 250gr GK in my 338-06, about 80 yards out, broadside through both lungs. I knicked a rib on entry and you could have pushed a softball into the exit hole with no effort at all. Sure left a good blood trail.
These bullets were very accurate too. They seem to go a bit faster since the jacket is thinner than the 250 Hornadys I loaded.

I like to stoke my Husky with H414 or IMR 4350, generally with a 180 pill.:)
 
Jimbo69 said:
Strange, I tough ballistic tips were the explosive piece of s**t

I just discovered how well the TSX performed last year. It's very accurate but it's a tough indestructible bullet. Not sure it will open on deer like they advertise.

Never could get accuracy (MOA or less) with hornadys SST or interbonds. It was a choice between ballistic tip and SGK. I was shooting the SMK at the range so i choose the SGK.

Maybe i'll give a try to TSX this year or wait for a 165gr accubond. I just contacted Nosler to ask why no 165gr accubond.
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have you tried stepping up to a 180gr? a lot of .30-06 rifle will shoot these fine, and I wouldn;t hesitate to use a standard 180gr Innerlock on Deer , moose or bear. or if you like premium offerings try the 180gr Innerbond or Accubond. you're not giving up anything going from a 165 to a 180. do the down range math and you'll see :D it;s 15 etra grains of insurance and general has a higher SD & BC. I just loaded 150rnd of 180gr Innerbonds for my buddy's .30-06 in Calgary. he'll be using them on everything from deer to Elk. I have little doubt they will handle it all just fine.

I avoid SST's, Balistic Tips and the evil Gameking at all costs.
 
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I have shot about a dozen deer with the 180 BT in a 30-06. I have never recovered a bullet and have never seen any more meat damage using them than any other cup & core bullet.

The stories of their explosive nature are usually over-stated and most opinions are hearsay from people who have never used them. I have also been involved with several deer shot with the Hornady Interbond and to tell the truth they have caused a lot more wasted meat than I have ever seen using the heavier Ballistic Tips.
 
never shot anything with the BT's. but have personally seen the mess they make when a shot strikes bone.

shot 3 animals with the Gameking. what a mess.
 
I've shot a deer and a wolf with Nosler BT (7mm 150 & 30 cal 165), both instances produced rapid death and exit holes.

For deer in a 30-06, Id shoot the 165 Nosler BT with no hesitation, and accept any trimmed waste in exchange for rapid expansion and sufficient penetration.
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I've used 180gr BT on deer and a wolf, and 150gr BT on a deer out of a .300 WM. The latter was my longest shot. I hit the buck twice behind the shoulder. Both shots were almost perfect broadside. Both were recovered under the off side hide.
 
.30-06

I've had excellent results using the 180 grain Hornady. A few years ago a fellow gave me several boxes of 190 Hornady BTSP and I tried them even though I'm not a boat tail fan. They have worked great at the 06 velocity and I have also taken two moose with them in my .300 H&H. They actually held up very well and shoot very flat at distance.

I have always used IMR 4350 in the .30-06 but last fall I loaded some rounds for a friend using IMR 4831 and it gave good results as well. I always used Winchester brass but a few years ago bought some Federal match brass to try and now it is a favorite.

Outdoors
 
I like to use the same bullet for everything, so I don;t have to worry about different trajectories. That in mind, I think the '06 pairs nicely with a 180 grain-er.

I've beena big Partition fan, but I've been meaning to try out more modern bullets. The Scirocco II looks promising
 
It is very interesting to see the myriad of bullets/weights used by 30-06 users out there. It goes to show a few things

That a decent bullet at moderate velocity will effectively kill all the game encountered

That the 30-06 is one very versatile cartridge, one that can be used on a variety of hunts

That there are many differebt combinations that work, depending on the typical range encountered and game hunted

That the 30-06 if very much alive and well out there and at 100 years old has a lot of relevance to the game hunted in Canada.

Regardsa

br
 
well Ive found my 30-06 load

I wanted one load that could handle both deer & moose

ended with 168 grain Barnes Triple Shock X-BT @ 2835 fps

:cool:
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I have always owned at least one 30-06, and at times, up to 4. The amount of game I have shot with the 30-06 would fill a fill a large moving Van. It has always been dependable and up to any task I put it to, including big bear. [Grizz] I have been a Partition "slut" for about 4 decades, but have always experimented with other designs to get an idea of how they perform on game. The 30-06 with the 180 grain bullet makes for velocities that do not commonly cause bullets to come apart. Even most 165 grain designs will stand up at '06 Velocities. When you drop down to 150 grain projectiles, the scene changes. At 3100 fps, some 150 grain designs are too fragile to trust, and at this weight a better bullet is a good idea. If I shoot 150's [seldom], I opt for the Partition or some bonded bullet that shoots well. At 165 grains, I still prefer a good bullet like the Partition, but there are many bullets that work well in this weight. In 180 grains, the Hornady, Speer or Sierra designs are fine for most non-dangerous game, but if you are thinking of chasing big bruins with your '06, then a premium bullet is still the best choice. My personal preference for this application [big bears] is the 200 Partition at 2650 or so. Penetrates very well, and is accurate in most '06 rifles I have tried them in. The Ballistic Tips in the heavier weights work Ok on lighter game , but from 150 grains down, my personal experience has been a lot of bloodshot meat, and lousy bullet integrity. If I had to choose one bullet for everything huntable in North America, it would be a premium 180 of some sort, probably the Partition, but the Accubond, Interbond and some others would be fine, I'm sure. If your rifle shoots the Barnes TSX well, then a 165-168 grain bullet would suffice for all. I had one bad experience with the Scirocco in 180 grain out of my 30-06, so have reservations about it, but could have been a poor bullet out of the lot. Regards, Eagleye.
 
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Hi,

Apparently Nosler is following this tread. Here's the reply from my question about the 165 accubond. I was also thinking that 165TSX was the best bullet for deer and moose, but now there's another option now...

________________________________________________________________
From Nosler:

There is a 30cal 165gr AccuBond. It is new to the product line this
year. You should see it at your local retail shop by the end of the
month.
Regards,
Nosler Staff
_________________________________________________________________
 
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Just remember folks, this is the year that the 30/06 becomes a venerable antique. One hundred years of just plain reliable and downright effective on every big game animal in North America.

In fact an African lion that was running loose on the streets of Spirit River, AB in the late 1950's was shot by Herb Cobb with a 30/06.
Rather a sad ending for a tame lion and the circus it "escaped" from, or was more likely let loose by some local wags (read drunks) looking to raise some excitement in town.
 
i know i am far more ignorant than you that have given their opinion but i have to argue ... my 270 in winchester fail safe way out performed my brothers rem. 7mm mag ( boat tail) in wet sand penetration. come on... a 270 against at rm7mm?
 
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cambo said:
my 270 in winchester fail safe way out performed my brothers rem. 7mm mag ( boat tail) in wet sand penetration. come on... a 270 against at rm7mm?
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Just not tell your brother to use a Failsafe 160gr in his 7mm or he will outperform your 270.

Failsafe is known for being very low in deformation dept. (read small wound chanel) but it penetrates very well.
 
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