The 30-06 150 Grain Softpoints and Deer

[Coolhand_Luke]

It's shocking that anyone is wondering what a 30-06 with a 150gr bullet will do to a deer. It will kill it dead!

I never asked if a 30-06 can kill a deer with 150 grain bullets, of course it can! It's been doing it for over a 110 years. I usually use a 30-30 with regular 'cheap' bullets and it works fantastic respecting the range of the 30-30. I simply wanted to know if at 30-06 velocities whether the 150 gr cup and core bullet is reliable in getting to the vitals if you hit the shoulder bone. At ~2900-3000 fps that's getting to the velocity where un-bonded, regular lead jacketed bullets can start to behave erratically, hence the popularity of monometal bullets, bonded bullets etc.

Like I said, I'm a mostly a 30-30 guy, I have no problems hunting within limitations if there are any. I just like to know what they are.

 

[Coolhand_Luke]

Go into a gun store that has lots of variety in 30-06 ammunition.
Pick out a box of ammunition that you consider, or you have heard, is the worst bullet there is for hunting. Make a descent hit on a deer with it and you have a dead deer.

I have done that already and have a stash of factory Win PP/Rem core locks and Fed Blue Box for both the 30-06 and the 30-30 I've even used them on game . I have my sight in data recorded so if I'm feeling lazy come hunting season I can just shoot the factory loads... but I'm a reloader so why go from A to B the easy way when you can at greater effort, time and expense accomplish the exact same thing by hand loading? This past winter I even went to the trouble to do some bullet testing to prove what I and everyone else already knew, that the 30-06 penetrates and performs very well with 165, 180 and 220 grain bullets both regular and premium. So does the 30-30 as well. But even still, just doing some shooting you can learn a few interesting (to me) things. Like the fact that the Remington 220 grain core lokt factory load has a very well deserved reputation, it was just behind the 180 grain Barnes tsx for penetration and held together extremely well. I was also impressed by the regular Win PP in the 30-30 it was just a little behind most of the 30-06 loads for penetration.

So even though I could very easily just shoot some of my factory 150 gr loads, I want to go to greater effort and additional expense to accomplish the same thing with hand loads... Since my Sierra 150 gr bullets are round noses I mistakenly bought for my 30-30 , I could have easily exchanged them for the correct flat points, but I came up with an even better plan. I'm going try to get a dual load for both the round nose and the Sierra game kings to shoot to the same point of impact. Then I can choose either the RN for close in timber hunting or the boat tail for more open country hunting of deer... or just shoot the factory load when I'm feeling lazy That seems like a good plan to me, after all that's why I got into reloading to be efficient like that!

 

[heavyBullet]

As others, 165gr Sierra SBT, dead deer every time, no shoulder shots for me, I want as much meat in my freezer as I can.

 

[Doc Rainbow]

Know it's not the best option but I used Hornady 150 grain SST's because my rifle likes them, aimed for heart, and worked great! He dropped like a stone.

 

[hometownhero]

Know it's not the best option but I used Hornady 150 grain SST's because my rifle likes them, aimed for heart, and worked great! He dropped like a stone.

I like those bullets. I load 150's and 165's in my 30-06

 

[Mike Webb]

I never asked if a 30-06 can kill a deer with 150 grain bullets, of course it can! It's been doing it for over a 110 years. I usually use a 30-30 with regular 'cheap' bullets and it works fantastic respecting the range of the 30-30. I simply wanted to know if at 30-06 velocities whether the 150 gr cup and core bullet is reliable in getting to the vitals if you hit the shoulder bone. At ~2900-3000 fps that's getting to the velocity where un-bonded, regular lead jacketed bullets can start to behave erratically, hence the popularity of monometal bullets, bonded bullets etc.

Like I said, I'm a mostly a 30-30 guy, I have no problems hunting within limitations if there are any. I just like to know what they are.

I have shot several with the .30/06 but none with the 150 grain load. In the .30/06 I favour a 165 grain load due to the fact that it starts out slower then the 150 grain(less bloodshot meat) but at 300 yards the 165 grain load actually has a higher velocity. I have skinned a couple shot with 150 grain loads at less than 100 yards and on both the area around the entrance hole was like black jelly about the size of a dinner plate.

 

[sharp shooter]

Maybe don't shoot them through the shoulders? That's just a good way to waste good meat. There's no such thing as "overkill". Keep shooting the 180gr load you have now. It works now and will continue to work. Keep it simple.

I like this post.

 

[C23]

I use the 180's for moose,deer,caribou, black bear.

I hate jumping up and down in bullet weights it's pointless.

No POI change.

Most .30-06 rifles have a 1:10 twist that prefers them.

 

[bogie]

I use both a 308 and 30-06 for hunting and have found my Xbolts really like boattails in 165gr. Apparently there is something special about the BC of these bullets in this weight. I have a target that I kept for some 165s stuffed with BLC2 that gave me a group of 4 rounds with 3 touching at 200m and a 1/4in flyer. Yowza and I shot it myself. Needless to say I stopped trying loads at that point. While I have me '06 currently loaded with 180gr bts I am reading a number or articles that indicate I should try the 165s in that gun too. Next time Im out at the range...