Favourite 30-06 ammo for a Winchester Model 70?

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Herpderp86

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Hi everyone,

I'm borrowing a friend's model 70 for a fall black bear season and I'm wondering if anyone would have some ammo recommendations for it. Only have 1 weekend to sight it in before I go hunting so any tips would help. Cheers and thank you in advance!
 
I doubt anyone can really help you with information given. 165 grain and 180 grain 30-06 - just standard Winchester or Federal factory shells - have killed a bazillion black bears. You don't mention if you plan to hunt from a stand with 25 yard shots at the long end, or if you are doing "spot and stalk" with 300 yard plus as possibility. With a week to go, you want something that gets you 2 inches or so 5 shot groups at 100 yards. 300 yard shot that groups 6" will take that bear, with 165 or 180 grain bullets of most brands. You do not have time to get all fancy and fine tune to 1/2" MOA, even if your friend's rifle is capable of such precision. What does he use, and what results has he had?
 
You’re right. I should give some more info. I’m doing spot and stalk in an area where I’d be shooting max 300 yards. The last time I shot this rifle we were getting 3/4” 3-shot groups at 100 yards with 165 grain super X, but I just tried a box of it that was absolute trash. Just wondering if anyone would have suggestions for a decent, affordable ammo choice. Thanks!
 
Having been in your boots, you need to go with what you can get - borrowed rifle, factory shells that only do 4" groups at 100 yards have killed literally tons of game - you, the shooter, just need to know what you are working with and how close you have to be to be sure of a hit into, say, a 8" to 10" kill zone; and then it is all on you, not your gear. Once you can "own" the shot and the results, then you can be a very successful hunter, and not blame your gear for a missed shot. You decided when to touch off the trigger...
 
Potashminer said:
Having been in your boots, you need to go with what you can get - borrowed rifle, factory shells that only do 4" groups at 100 yards have killed literally tons of game - you, the shooter, juist need to know what you are working with and how close you have to be to be sure of a hit into, say, a 8" to 10" kill zone; and then it is all on you, not your gear. Once you can "own" the shot and the results, then you can be a very successful hunter, and not blame your gear for a missed shot. You decided when to touch off the trigger...
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I guess I’m just paranoid after trying to finish half a box of super X with it and not being able to touch a gong at 300yds
 
It would not totally surprise me if several of my own rifles would miss a 300 yard gong with 10 shots - especially the ones that haven't been fired by me in last several years. Wooden stocks warp, bedding goes wonky, scope got smacked really good last time out without me knowing, a paper wasp built a nest in the bore, the bore may have been scrubbed clean and oiled, or not, and so on. Doubly so with a borrowed rifle. For better part of forty years, I had always fired some shots on paper to re-verify the sighting in, before I take a rifle hunting.

Start sighting in at 25 yards - shoot pairs - holes should be touching or very close. Adjust windage to get perfect left/right. Adjust elevation - 1/2" high or low is okay. No point going any further unless you can get touching or nearly touching pairs at 25 yards - that would mean something very wrong, probably mechanically. Than back off to 100 yards - shoot threes - want to get centre of the three shot group about 2" high at 100 yards. You will then be very close at 200 yards and about a foot low at 300 yards - plus whatever you have to allow for wind. Shoot those distances to verify. Very difficult to assess precision of the rifle or the quality of the ammunition without getting some holes in paper. I use sandbags and a shooting table for sighting in - reduces (but doesn't eliminate) the affect that the shooter has on the results. Then shoot from hunting positions after sighting in - within the now known precision of the rifle and ammunition, those results are all on the shooter, not the gear.
 
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You're in the GTA so head over to Flaherty's and they'll have plenty in stock. Quick browse on their site shows 28 types in stock, Hornady precision hunter(eldx) or winchester expedition (nosler ab lr) are around $40 a box and have no excuse for a lack of accuracy. Under 300yds you could get away with just about anything and may be better suited by something with a partition or a-frame. Maybe the bore just needs a good scrub?
 
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