Sako 85 grizzly 30-06. Accurate ammo.
- Thread starter Gks206
- Start date
There's only about a bazillion reload formulations for the 30/06 chambering. Pick one?
In 30/06, over the last 40+ years, my moose loads have been 180 grain Speer Hot Cor, then 180 grain Grand Slam, then 180 grain Partition, and now Barnes TTSX. I've never shot enough elk/moose each year to make some kind of reliable comparison. They all performed as expected, including the plain jane Hot Cor. The only real difference is when compared on the grouping ability in EACH rifle. No reloader will be surprised to hear that different bullets/different powders/different charge weights give different results in different rifles.
Once you've chosen your hunting bullet and weight, just for poop and giggles, see if it performs the same in ten rifles of the same make and model. Or if there are differences between rifles as far as accuracy goes. In other words, what gives best grouping ability in any of my 30/06 rifles may perform differently in yours. Or anybody else's rifle. Each rifle is unique.
Presumably, you already have a favorite bullet make, model, and weight that you've been moose hunting with using off the shelf ammo. You can ask your friend (assuming you can find the components/he has the components) to start assembling test loads of varying charge weights and then start testing if you're willing to spend the money and time to work on load development.
Or, if you're happy with the grouping ability and terminal performance of what you're hunting moose with now, keep buying that bullet off the shelf. I'll suggest your reloader buddy is not likely to give you much improvement on what you're buying off the shelf right now. That is, unless you get really serious about load development, using similar models and weights of bullets, a range of powders, etc. It's not hard to burn through $300+, buying premium hunting bullets and different powders for load development.
If you're happy with off the shelf performance and don't want to dive into the expense and time for load development, alternately, find the inexpensive bulk bullet of your choice, then ask your buddy to load you a bunch of those for shooting practice. Then head out to the nearest silhouette range or similar and put in some practice time with the inexpensive ammunition before you head out moose (or whatever) hunting.
In 30/06, over the last 40+ years, my moose loads have been 180 grain Speer Hot Cor, then 180 grain Grand Slam, then 180 grain Partition, and now Barnes TTSX. I've never shot enough elk/moose each year to make some kind of reliable comparison. They all performed as expected, including the plain jane Hot Cor. The only real difference is when compared on the grouping ability in EACH rifle. No reloader will be surprised to hear that different bullets/different powders/different charge weights give different results in different rifles.
Once you've chosen your hunting bullet and weight, just for poop and giggles, see if it performs the same in ten rifles of the same make and model. Or if there are differences between rifles as far as accuracy goes. In other words, what gives best grouping ability in any of my 30/06 rifles may perform differently in yours. Or anybody else's rifle. Each rifle is unique.
Presumably, you already have a favorite bullet make, model, and weight that you've been moose hunting with using off the shelf ammo. You can ask your friend (assuming you can find the components/he has the components) to start assembling test loads of varying charge weights and then start testing if you're willing to spend the money and time to work on load development.
Or, if you're happy with the grouping ability and terminal performance of what you're hunting moose with now, keep buying that bullet off the shelf. I'll suggest your reloader buddy is not likely to give you much improvement on what you're buying off the shelf right now. That is, unless you get really serious about load development, using similar models and weights of bullets, a range of powders, etc. It's not hard to burn through $300+, buying premium hunting bullets and different powders for load development.
If you're happy with off the shelf performance and don't want to dive into the expense and time for load development, alternately, find the inexpensive bulk bullet of your choice, then ask your buddy to load you a bunch of those for shooting practice. Then head out to the nearest silhouette range or similar and put in some practice time with the inexpensive ammunition before you head out moose (or whatever) hunting.
Totally agree with Rick’s last little bit there, so much choices in 30-06 that I wouldn’t bother reloading for it unless you plan on shooting lots and lots! I started reloading last year because I bought a rifle chambered in a not so common caliber and was hard to find good ammo locally! Until then I used 30-06 exclusively and always bought premium factory ammo and never had a problem on moose caribou etc!
Thanks for your advice. I understand that what shoots well in one rifle won't necessarily shoot well in another. That is why I included the make and model of rifle. I suspect there would still be some difference between two sako 85 3006 grizzly rifles but that difference would be far less than that between my sako and a random 3006
Doesn't matter what make and model of rifle. Each rifle is unique. If you're retired, curious, and have money and time to burn, buy ten rifles of that make and model; then start testing each load combination in each rifle. There will be a variation in grouping results, whether big or small. (I did something like this once: buying 10 rifle lots of Long Branch No.4 Mk1, cleaning them up and then shooting them for group, looking for the one of all the examples that grouped the best with Mk VII ball ammo)
The only relevance is whether that make/model of rifle has developed a reputation for better than average grouping ability or not.
I have a Sako 30/06 Forester I bought somewhere around 1974; first new in the box rifle I ever bought. It groups very well with most, but not all, hunting bullets I have trialed in it. I'm sure your rifle model (that I have no familiarity with) will group very well with most of the premium hunting bullets that are available off the shelf. Meaning your rifle MIGHT group a little bit better if you spend a bunch of money having your reloader friend put together loads using different powders and different weights of those powders with the exact same (or similar) premium hunting bullets.
These days, as far as moose hunting accuracy goes, I suspect it is hard to buy a hunting rifle that doesn't group extremely well. Look at all the entry level plain jane 30/06 rifles being offered by some manufacturers who guarantee 1" accuracy with factory ammunition. That is definitely Minute Of Moose. Would still be Minute of Moose if they "only" managed 1.5 MOA. Differences in velocity between factory and reloads with the same bullet will be meaningless in the real hunting world.
I have happily spent a lot of money and time over the years developing the best load possible with premium hunting bullets for each of my rifles. But I enjoy (less as the decades go by) reloading and developing loads in my hunting rifles. That is a hobby all by itself, apart from hunting. With my standard caliber rifles, I could probably go buy a box of factory ammunition of the bullet model and weight of my choice, and I would lose little to nothing hunting with factory ammunition in the real world versus by hand assembled and tested reloads.
If you're willing to invest the money for the components and your friend has the time to assemble a range of loads for ladder testing, AND you're well enough practiced off the bench to do that testing at 200 - 300 yards so that the different grouping ability is due to the loads, not variations in your shooting off the bench, then go for it. Shoot some exemplar groups with factory premium hunting ammunition to get a baseline for comparison to see if handloads are giving you any benefit.
Otherwise, I'd suggest you use your friends offer to reload for you by having him reload a whole bunch of practice ammunition for you to use practicing and improving your field shooting skills. I would bet a small chunk of change that not even 5% of big game hunters fire even 10 rounds from a variety of field shooting positions each year. They shoot off the bench at 100 yards, maybe a couple offhand while they're standing beside the bench, then they go hunting.
Whatever the actual percentage of hunters who do some meaningful practice is, as far as best return on money spent by you and time by your friend to reload, you're probably far more ahead if he's reloading practice ammo while you're buying premium hunting ammunition off the shelf.
Homesteader
CGN Regular
- Location
- In a Wallow West of Edmonton.
One of my favourite all around loads that has taken truckloads of game for my group is 56g IMR 4350 with a 180g Hornady Interlock. Pure vanilla git er dun load, it just flat out works.
That said I now use a 150g TTSX and 51g of H4895, which is a powder I'd of never considered in an 06. Fortunately for me, the guy I bought my new to me rifle from had the recipe already.
These are safe in my rifles, as always work up, you will also need to find the OAL appropriate to your chamber.
Good luck and safe shooting.
That said I now use a 150g TTSX and 51g of H4895, which is a powder I'd of never considered in an 06. Fortunately for me, the guy I bought my new to me rifle from had the recipe already.
These are safe in my rifles, as always work up, you will also need to find the OAL appropriate to your chamber.
Good luck and safe shooting.
Thanks Rick, I am not retired and I don't have 20k lying around to buy 10 sako 85 grizzlies. I get that it would be interesting but unfortunately I don't have the time or the money for that (not on priest's budget).
That said, I will perhaps just shoot more I typically 165 grain hornady sst superformance. I use them for deer and I think they would work on moose, I just figure that going with a 180 grain accubond or something similar might give me a little more wiggle room incase I accidentally hit a shoulder blade.
That said, I will perhaps just shoot more I typically 165 grain hornady sst superformance. I use them for deer and I think they would work on moose, I just figure that going with a 180 grain accubond or something similar might give me a little more wiggle room incase I accidentally hit a shoulder blade.
- Location
- Vancouver Island, BC
Sako guarantees 1 MOA accuracy with Sako ammo. I'd give that a whirl first. Maybe if you're lucky there will be a black Friday promo. Last year there was 20$ off per box. They recently had 10$ off per box.
I have a SAKO 75 in 30.06 which took a bit of time to find anything that it liked.
As I should have expected, its MOA only with the most expensive pre-rolled ammo. I handload too, and now make up my own which is cheaper, but still not cheap .
I would suggest you try out a couple of boxes of SAKO / Nosler Trophy / Barnes VOR-TX / Hornady Precision Hunter and see how they group. Once you find a consistently accurate one, buy 5 boxes and you are set for several seasons. (Or longer in my case!)
Candocad.
As I should have expected, its MOA only with the most expensive pre-rolled ammo. I handload too, and now make up my own which is cheaper, but still not cheap .
I would suggest you try out a couple of boxes of SAKO / Nosler Trophy / Barnes VOR-TX / Hornady Precision Hunter and see how they group. Once you find a consistently accurate one, buy 5 boxes and you are set for several seasons. (Or longer in my case!)
Candocad.
I agree with all Rick said
I will also say the Sako’s I have had were all good shooters. That being said if you pick your bullet and go to nosler.com and find what they found to be the most accurate loads I have found it to pretty close in most of my rifles.
Good luck.
I will also say the Sako’s I have had were all good shooters. That being said if you pick your bullet and go to nosler.com and find what they found to be the most accurate loads I have found it to pretty close in most of my rifles.
Good luck.
168gr TSX, 51.2gr IMR4064, Win brass, fed 210 primer. I'd have to check my load book for seating depth, but 4 different tikkas (m695, T3, T3X) and a Sako 75 have all grouped this consistently at 3/4" at 100m. OP, let me know if you want me to dig up seating depth, etc. It makes for a mild-ish load at 2800 fps, but the critters don't seem to notice. I cannot see why this loading would not work for you as well.
- Location
- Steel Town
Sako Super Hammerhead 180gr (bonded SP) works for me in 308. I wait for them to go on sale, then scoop up a few boxes.
My Bavarian 30-06 and my buddy's Black Bear 308 have the same twist as your Grizzly. Both of our rifles handle any shelf load from 140 to 190 grain very well with everything under an inch. As far as tightest groups, the Bavarian does extremely well with Winchester 190 Accubonds and the Black Bear favours the Federal 165 Fusion. No need to reload.
I have been loading for numerous 30-06 rifles over the past 5 decades.
I have owned at least 2 at any given time, with more being the norm, lol.
My test load to try out an unknown rifle has always been: CCI 200, 56 grains of IMR 4350, 180 Hornady IL.
If this does not shoot well, there is generally something amiss.
Other loads that have proven to be universally accurate in my rifles are:
180 grain Sierra Pro-Hunter, CCI 200, 60 grains of Reloder 22
180 grain Accubond, WLR, 61 grains of Norma MRP
165 grain Accubond, R-P 9½M, 59 grains of W760 [or H414]
200 grain Partition, CCI 250, 58.5 grains of Norma MRP
CAVEAT: Any of these should be approached from 2 grains below
Dave.
I have owned at least 2 at any given time, with more being the norm, lol.
My test load to try out an unknown rifle has always been: CCI 200, 56 grains of IMR 4350, 180 Hornady IL.
If this does not shoot well, there is generally something amiss.
Other loads that have proven to be universally accurate in my rifles are:
180 grain Sierra Pro-Hunter, CCI 200, 60 grains of Reloder 22
180 grain Accubond, WLR, 61 grains of Norma MRP
165 grain Accubond, R-P 9½M, 59 grains of W760 [or H414]
200 grain Partition, CCI 250, 58.5 grains of Norma MRP
CAVEAT: Any of these should be approached from 2 grains below
Dave.
I bought a bulk lot of 1000 Remington Corelokt 180 grain bullets in the early 1980's Still have a bunch left. My pet load with this bullet is a Federal case, Winchester Large Rifle primer and 55 grains of IMR4350. It is also pure vanilla. It shoots well in both my M70 and my FN Mauser. Not target grade accuracy but 1 inch to 1.5 inch groups at 100 yards. My rifles are hunting rifles, not bench rest target guns so I don't expect 1 hole groups at 100 yards. Good enough for moose and deer anywhere.
Some folks have good luck with generic Winchester, Remington or Federal ammo.
You could buy a box of each and see which one groups best with your rifle.
If you want to go the hand-load route, many hunters have given solid endorsements for Nosler Accubond and Nosler Partiton bullets. You could work up a good accurate load with either of these bullets and call it a day.
