At that there are several choices between 150 and 180gr in 30cal too so find something that shoots well. Smaller lighter faster works too. Big thump is not always the call of the day. My deer rifle is a 308 Savage 99c loaded with 150gr Sierras. Accurate well out past 200m. Got some 125s to play with too.
Best cartridge for hunting deer with 30-06
- Thread starter MXZ500
- Start date
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
Im in love with Winchester Powermax. Entry level bonded bullet w/ rapid expansion for a great price. Very accurate out of most rifles. Its a deer bullet through and through
- Location
- Eastern Edge of the Foothills
The destruction of meat is not a bullet construction issue, but a bullet placement issue. Put the bullet behind the shoulder into the lungs and it will die. Not much, if any, meat is lost. But if you're hitting the deer in the hind quarters or something, then there will be extensive meat loss.
Now, before I get accused of being too high atop my horse, I'll admit that last year I did shoot a deer in the hind quarters. It was at a dead run at about 300 yards. I didn't lead it far enough and I nailed it in the hip. Dislocated both rear legs, the deer piled up instantly, and then it was an easy finishing shot in the head. I was shooting my .280 with 140 gr hornady interbonds. There was no jellified meat, and you could pretty well eat right up to the bullet hole. This year one of the deer I've put down so far was a textbook shot. I was using a 7mm WSM with 150 gr federal fusion factory loads, and the whitetail buck was about 150 yards away. It was standing broadside to me, and I gave it a perfect shot right behind the shoulder. Double lung hit, the buck dropped instantly, and was dead before I walked up to it. No meat was hit, so no meat was damaged. So, from the first example, I'd say your best bet with a 30-06 would be a 150 gr BONDED bullet, so the bullet doesn't fragment so much and fill the meat with the blood-jelly, but, like the second example shows, if you hit it in the lungs behind the shoulder like you're supposed to, then it won't matter so much.
Now, before I get accused of being too high atop my horse, I'll admit that last year I did shoot a deer in the hind quarters. It was at a dead run at about 300 yards. I didn't lead it far enough and I nailed it in the hip. Dislocated both rear legs, the deer piled up instantly, and then it was an easy finishing shot in the head. I was shooting my .280 with 140 gr hornady interbonds. There was no jellified meat, and you could pretty well eat right up to the bullet hole. This year one of the deer I've put down so far was a textbook shot. I was using a 7mm WSM with 150 gr federal fusion factory loads, and the whitetail buck was about 150 yards away. It was standing broadside to me, and I gave it a perfect shot right behind the shoulder. Double lung hit, the buck dropped instantly, and was dead before I walked up to it. No meat was hit, so no meat was damaged. So, from the first example, I'd say your best bet with a 30-06 would be a 150 gr BONDED bullet, so the bullet doesn't fragment so much and fill the meat with the blood-jelly, but, like the second example shows, if you hit it in the lungs behind the shoulder like you're supposed to, then it won't matter so much.
- Location
- Dah Soo,ON
Bullet fragments=blood shot meat. Keepng the bullets from fragmenting means avoiding bone,using premium bullets, or both.
You can hit the deer perfectly behind the shoulder, but if you're not using a premium bullet and you hit a rib there is going to be fragmentation and wasted meat. Avoiding the loss of meat is shot placement AND bullet choice.
- Location
- Eastern Edge of the Foothills
Yes, if you hit a rib with a nosler ballistic tip or something, there will be loss of meat, but only RIB meat, and that ain't much. The meat on the front shoulders will be fine if the hit is only in the ribs, and doesn't hit the shoulder.
I don't usually do much with the rib meat anyway. Deer fat congeals at too low of a temperature, and so bbq deer ribs is not very palatable to me!
I think it's kind of funny how people complain about a certain bullet or a certain cartridge causing wasted meat when they're the ones that keep hitting the deer in the rear end! A properly hit deer loses very little meat, no matter what bullet is used.
- Location
- Dah Soo,ON
No its not only rib meat. A thin jacketed bullet fragments. So you also destroy alot of meat with the "shrapnel". I've seen it alot since my entire party uses cheap ammunition. I've cut lots of blood shot meat out of moose/deer/bears because of shrapnel taking out meat other than the immediate area it was hit.
- Location
- Eastern Edge of the Foothills
I've shot deer with the sierra gamekings, speer hotcor, nolser ballistic tips, and the federal power-shok factory loads, as well as the more expensive bonded bullets and mono-metals. When I have bloodshot meat, it is because I hit the shoulder, or the back [spine shot], or the south end of a north-bound deer. When I hit it right: double lung shot hitting only the rib-cage and not hitting either of the shoulder blades at all, then the ribs are all bloody for sure, but both shoulders are perfectly edible with no blood-jelly, and so is the backstrap meat. That's what I've seen on the deer I've hit, so that's what I'll speak to.
However, if the deer is slightly quartering away, then when I put the bullet behind near shoulder, then the far shoulder is likely to get pounded. This will definately cause blood-shot meat, even though the hit was a good, proper hit. Conversely, if the deer is quartering toward me, then when I put the bullet in front of the leg [in the chest] then it is likely that the bullet will blast the far rear quarter. I don't like taking that shot, but I have more than once. This shot will certainly waste a fair bit of the best meat.
But when it is clean rib-penetrating and rib-exiting shot, even the cheapest bullets don't damage much, if any, meat on a deer. Maybe on a moose because the rib bones are more dense and thicker, but not so much on even a good sized muley buck.
If you've had other experiences, then who am I to say you didn't. But my experiences support my comments.
However, if the deer is slightly quartering away, then when I put the bullet behind near shoulder, then the far shoulder is likely to get pounded. This will definately cause blood-shot meat, even though the hit was a good, proper hit. Conversely, if the deer is quartering toward me, then when I put the bullet in front of the leg [in the chest] then it is likely that the bullet will blast the far rear quarter. I don't like taking that shot, but I have more than once. This shot will certainly waste a fair bit of the best meat.
But when it is clean rib-penetrating and rib-exiting shot, even the cheapest bullets don't damage much, if any, meat on a deer. Maybe on a moose because the rib bones are more dense and thicker, but not so much on even a good sized muley buck.
If you've had other experiences, then who am I to say you didn't. But my experiences support my comments.
powder burner
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
a 150gr will do a better job than the 180gr.
superlooper
New member
- Location
- Asquith, SK
I took my first deer with 150 grns in a 30-06, then I took the next with 150 grns in a 308. I have since taken lots of deer with 130 grns in a 270. I really love the 270, I recently got a 243 and a 22-250, but I do love that 270.
