30.06 Rifle Hunters

[skeets716]

What grain bullet do you use?  168 grains here with the Winchester Silver Tip Ballistic.  Just curious about bullet weight, I used the mentioned brand simply because it's what was available the day I bought the rifle, was itching to shoot it and I got upsold by the clerk.  I use it still (7 yrs and counting) since my gun is sighted dead on with it.  Again, interested in weight and why.

[mac]

for deer? 150 or 165 grain is fine for shots within few hundred yards. my 30.06 cant tell the difference and either can the deer

[Culvercreek hunt club]

165 grains and have taken deer and bear. I reload now and use the Sierra Gam Kings but when I shot factory, I shot Federal Premium in 165gr

[Al Bundy]

I am new to rifles. Always carried my 12 and got the job done, but.. times change. I carry my 30-06 mainly during deer season and shoot Federal Fusion 150 grain. My shots are not umpteen million yards away, pretty much 100, or less. Why this? I was new, I saw the box, and bought it. Readily available where I hunt as well, I have never not seen it on the shelf. My gun shoots well with it.  I am seriously contemplating changing to a low recoil shot, either purchased or hand reloading though now.  Fairly certain these are 125 grains. Why this? Shoulder issues and the way I shoot, no reason to shoot something that strong.

[eagle rider]

I have a handful of 06's. For some reason the 7400 and Browning A-Bolt shoot the Fusion 180's better than anything I've ever come across or loaded. The two bolts with 24" barrels (700 and Vanguard) will shoot the same hole all day long with 150's. The Rem 700 I use hand loaded Nosler BT's in. The Vanny is Fed Fusion again. It's just a super accurate round for a fair price.

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[Terry]

My Rem 7600 lives the Federal Fusion 165gr.

[ants]

150 grain core lokts work great out of my 700.

[Uncle Nicky]

165 grain, but I'm sure 150 or 180 would work just as well.

[dbHunterNY]

out of three 30-06s a Rem 7600 likes 150 gr core-lokts and the other two (Rem 742 Woodsmaster and Browning Abolt II) like Fed Fusion 150 gr.  MOA accuracy or better.

[NYbuck50]

My gun will stack 150 grain bullets and shoot a 5 inch group at 00 with 165's.   It seems to like the 150's,  and they are plenty for deer

[ATbuckhunter]

I shoot 180gr bullets. When i was doing my initial search of 30-06 I saw that the 180gr had the most kinetic energy then all the other grains. 

[YFKI1983]

I've been using 150 grain fed. Nosler ballistic tip with my a-bolt II forever. Shoot great but I am probably going to switch to the fusions. Every deer I shoot gets a lot of meat ruined. Anyone that shoots the fusions let me know if it has the same effect

[Pygmy]

I shoot 180gr bullets. When i was doing my initial search of 30-06 I saw that the 180gr had the most kinetic energy then all the other grains. 

 

Kinetic energy doesn't kill animals...Tissue destruction does., especially if it is in an area with a lot of blood vessels, like the lungs.

 

Your 180 grain bullet most likely blows through the deer most of the time, expending a good share of it's kinetic energy on the landscape beyond.

 

However, the path of destruction that it leaves kills the deer, and the exit hole aids any tracking that may be necessary. That, in my opinion, is a good thing.

 

The "kinetic energy" boys want a bullet that expands ALL it's energy inside the deer.  That works fine too, if the bullet hits in a vital area, like the ribcage. But the cause of death is STILL destruction of vital tissue.

 

Within reason, kinetic energy figures don't mean SQUAT, as long as the bullet has the ability to penetrate and disrupt vital organs at any reasonable angle.

[Dinsdale]

180 gr Trophy Bonded Bearclaws....

I like 2 holes, have been accused of taking unconventional angles for shots and breaking bones.

Gun likes them too;<)

[Jeremy K]

Im shooting the same rounds as the OP.I tried a few diffrent rounds once i had the scope adjusted and the winchester 168s are by far the round my 06 likes the best.

[HuntOrBeHunted]

If I use or let a freind use my ought 6 its always with 150 grain rounds. Thats what I used.

[NFA-ADK]

My Savage 110 likes 165 gr Federal Sierra Boat-tail, any type of point.    

[bkln]

Standard core-lokt 165 gr does all what I need... why change it...?

[nyantler]

180 for me usually... but I've killed a few bucks with 240's... a little overkill maybe but they literally knock a buck right of their feet... and hit like a Mack Truck... not as flat shooting, but they pack a mean punch to 100 yards

[ny hunter]

My winchester and browning love the 165 BTSP..my T/C shoots a 150 .........I have a friend that tried the fusions and he did not like them at all on deer.....Shot good in his rifle just not happy with the wound channel...................

[Lawdwaz]

180 for me usually... but I've killed a few bucks with 240's... a little overkill maybe but they literally knock a buck right of their feet... and hit like a Mack Truck... not as flat shooting, but they pack a mean punch to 100 yards

 

Ahhhhh.....wow!  I didn't know they had 240gr bullets.  Who's do you load?

[Dinsdale]

 

Ahhhhh.....wow!  I didn't know they had 240gr bullets.  Who's do you load?

I want to find a 220 load for my barrel at some point.....

240 must be extra heavy for caliber.LOL

[YFKI1983]

240 grain?? That sounds like fighter pilot ammunition

[ants]

Never heard of 240's

[wolc123]

I used what YFK uses on this old boy. Next spring I will hike up and get an exact range, but it looks to be between 300 and 400 yards based on "google maps". The buck was quartering away. The 150 gr Federal bullet struck centered on second last rib and traveled diagonally thru chest, lodging inside lower shoulder on opposite side. Both lungs were destroyed. The bullet mushroomed good and remained intact. The, old 8-point buck field dressed over 200 lbs and fell dead about where he stood when hit. I did not see him fall, but found him lying under the tree he stood near when I fired.

When I found him, laying on about 6" of fresh snow, there was not a mark, or a drop of blood on him or the snow. It reminded me of lots of Woodchucks I have shot with my 22/250 using those "ballistic" plastic tipped bullets. No marks on the outside but big mess on the inside. After skinning, the entry hole thru the hide looked just a little over .30" dia.

On a Western trip a few years ago, I bumped it up to Hornady "light magnums" in 165 gr, which were new at the time. Elk was our primary target, but I never saw a bull on the self-guided hunt. The performance on a mule deer buck was very impressive however, as the bullet literally knocked him off his feet from a range of approximately 100 yards. I would say those are a bit overkill for deer of either variety.