What load combo for a Remington 740 .30-06

[evster]

Hey all,

I have a Remington 740 .30-06 and I am interested in trying out some reloads. I was just wondering what people found worked well for them and what didn't, this way I may be able to find a good load without putting too much money into it .

Also, I have heard this isn't a very accurate rifle but it's all I got and I am not in the possition for a new one for a while (unless someone wants to trade me ), but what kind of accuracy can I expect after taking all the human errors out? I find that factory 150 and 180 grain Federal and Winchester loads seem to wander, but that could be me since I don't get out shooting it enough.

Thanks for all the help!
Evan

 

[todbartell]

a pump should be able to shoot 3 shot groups of 1.5" with proper ammo, but anything less than 3" is good enough for moderate range hunting.

Id try Varget and 165 gr. bullets.
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[evster]

The 740 is a semi, not a pump. Will it be worse for accuracy?

 

[todbartell]

should be about the same. a friend used to own a semi Rem 30-06, it would shoot 2" groups or so with handloads
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[Rick Teal]

Remington autos tend to work better with medium burnrate powders such as IMR 4320, H4064, IMR 4895, etc. Slower powders generally tend to rip rims and cause jams when loaded near maximum pressures.

My deer load with a Remington 742 in 30-06 was 47.2 grains of IMR 4320 under a 180 grain Ballistic tip. The velocity of this load was 2470 fps, but would consistently produce bang/flop results on Ontario whitetails at medium to short ranges.

 

[JohnC]

What Rick said. The rifle is designed to operate at pressure curves which approximate those of factory ammo. I used IMR 4064 and IMR 4895 when I loaded for my 742.