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30-06 Hunting Bullet Choice

choprzrul

choprzrul

Please reference the list of bullets below. These are my choices that I have on hand. There are a lot of great bullets out there, but finding them in stock right now is difficult.

I picked up a used Browning X Bolt long range hunter in 30-06. It has a 26" heavy shorter barrel and I dropped it into a Boyd's At One stock with their factory installed front pillar. I have installed an Mcarbo trigger spring and measured trigger pull at 2.25lbs. The rifle is getting bedded tomorrow.

My goal is to use this rifle as a backup for out of state mule and whitetail deer hunting. Most shots are 100-200 yards, but in ideal conditions, my limit is 500 yards.

Given the above platform and parameters, which of the following projectiles that I have on hand should I use? I'm looking for proven performance on deer, inherent accuracy, and easy load development. I will be using once fired Norma brass and I have a wide variety of both primers and powder to choose from.

180gr Swift Scirocco
180gr Sierra TGK Gamechanger
168gr Speer Gold Dot
165gr Hornady Interlock
168gr Barnes TTSX
150gr Barnes TTSX, but have only 100 of these
152gr Hammer Hunters, but only 50 of them
180gr Speer BTSP

So what says the community? Which bullet is gonna get me to sub MOA groups first and effectively kill deer from 50 to 500 yards?

I'm leaning towards the Gold Dots, but I'd sure like to hear opinions
 
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They are all good bullets. I wouldn’t ask us I would ask the gun. It will show a preference. Some rifles like Barnes and some puke them, at least that’s been my experience, if your rifle likes the TTSX it’s a good choice. I know Gold Dots don’t get the spotlight some get but they are great bullets, especially on mule deer. I haven’t joined in the Hammer Hunters craze I see some going crazy over but the rest of those bullets are all good choices, see what your rifle likes. A quick search for “favorite 30-06 loads” will yield you a mountain of load data and opinions.
 
No deer that I have shot with anything from my 30-06 has survived very long and it's a Parker Hale from the 1960's. 22in barrel. Likes 165g Hornady's and 4350, or Norma factory ammo. Scope is a Simmons ( dont laugh) 6x. I always suggest that finding deer is harder than killing them.
 
Thank you for all of the replies.

I realize there are a lot of great field proven bullet choices out there, but given the current component availability challenges, I'm kinda limited to the choices I have on hand.

I think that any of the bullets I have on hand, as listed in OP, will effectively kill deer. The Sciroccos and TGK might be too toughly built for deer at the lower fps at longer ranges?

What I'd really like to know, based on my on hand bullets choices, is which one(s) are easiest to quickly find a load for?

.
 
500 Yards....hummm....

All of my '06 kills were shorter range from 15-250 yards:

165g Speer BTSP
165g Sierra BTSP
165g Hornady BTSP

180g Nosler ballistic tip
180g Sierra BTSP

I shoot IMR 4350 with all the above with the exception of the 180g Nosler where I shot a HOT load of H4350.

Finding bullets right now is almost a pipe dream. I can help you out with some 165g Hornady btsp.

Powder is another issue, if you would wish, R#23 with the 165's, in good tough brass would give you some fantastic speed, same with the 180's with R#26.

Berger 175g vld hunting would be a good bullet, if they exist to be purchased.
 
AckleymanII said:
500 Yards....hummm....

All of my '06 kills were shorter range from 15-250 yards:

165g Speer BTSP
165g Sierra BTSP
165g Hornady BTSP

180g Nosler ballistic tip
180g Sierra BTSP

I shoot IMR 4350 with all the above with the exception of the 180g Nosler where I shot a HOT load of H4350.

Finding bullets right now is almost a pipe dream. I can help you out with some 165g Hornady btsp.

Powder is another issue, if you would wish, R#23 with the 165's, in good tough brass would give you some fantastic speed, same with the 180's with R#26.

Berger 175g vld hunting would be a good bullet, if they exist to be purchased.
Click to expand...
I have all of the bullets I listed in OP on hand. I also have RL23 on hand. Is GM215M a good primer choice, or should I stay with GM210M standard primers?
 
choprzrul said:
I picked up a used Browning X Bolt long range hunter in 30-06. It has a 26" heavy shorter barrel and I dropped it into a Boyd's At One stock with their factory installed front pillar. I have installed an Mcarbo trigger spring and measured trigger pull at 2.25lbs. The rifle is getting bedded tomorrow.

My goal is to use this rifle as a backup for out of state mule and whitetail deer hunting. Most shots are 100-200 yards, but in ideal conditions, my limit is 500 yards.

Given the above platform and parameters, which of the following projectiles that I have on hand should I use? I'm looking for proven performance on deer, inherent accuracy, and easy load development. I will be using once fired Norma brass and I have a wide variety of both primers and powder to choose from.

180gr Swift Scirocco
180gr Sierra TGK Gamechanger
168gr Speer Gold Dot
165gr Hornady Interlock
168gr Barnes TTSX
150gr Barnes TTSX, but have only 100 of these
152gr Hammer Hunters, but only 50 of them

So what says the community? Which bullet is gonna get me to sub MOA groups first and effectively kill deer from 50 to 500 yards?

I'm leaning towards the Gold Dots, but I'd sure like to hear opinions
Click to expand...
I've had good experiences with the 165 Hornady in flat base and BTHP. I recommend you see what the rifle shoots well. I down loaded some Hornady RN 150 to about 2,600 FPS for a small woman and short range work and was really surprised. Decent accuracy out to 300 yards and great expansion on deer in the field.
 
Anyone of those, along with a Nosler Partition, would do the job. You just have find the one that groups and shoots best in your rifle, then use it and place it in the proper spot on the animal and make a good clean, fast and proper kill.
 
choprzrul, I have been pondering the same question as you, but just for whitetails 250 yards and less. I'm slowly putting together a '06 R700 gift rifle for my brother. From what I have read, it seems that many feel that 168gr bullets are an accuracy sweet spot for 30 caliber rifles such as the .308 & '06. In my estimation, an '06 is plenty powerful enough for whitetail deer, and as others said, it knocks them down, DRT. In addition to the plethora of information from this forum, there is the article in Neil's Ballistic Studies, which you would likely enjoy. With the shortage or supply issues of reloading stuff, I ended up with some 150's for my brother which should work well on deer, but I have not been able to accuracy test them because his rifle is unfinished. In any case, below is the aforementioned link.

Best of luck in your quest, Peter.

 
choprzrul said:
I have all of the bullets I listed in OP on hand. I also have RL23 on hand. Is GM215M a good primer choice, or should I stay with GM210M standtterard primers?
Click to expand...
I have always had better accuracy with the 210m and a higher sd with 215s
 
I would take a charge of an appropriate powder that you have on hand that is a grain or two under maximum and then try it with a few of those different 165/168 grain bullets that you have on hand. One of them will probably show promise.
I use H4350 or IMR 4350 in my 30-06s
Gary
 
choprzrul said:
I picked up a used Browning X Bolt long range hunter in 30-06. It has a 26" heavy shorter barrel and I dropped it into a Boyd's At One stock with their factory installed front pillar. I have installed an Mcarbo trigger spring and measured trigger pull at 2.25lbs. The rifle is getting bedded tomorrow.

My goal is to use this rifle as a backup for out of state mule and whitetail deer hunting. Most shots are 100-200 yards, but in ideal conditions, my limit is 500 yards.

Given the above platform and parameters, which of the following projectiles that I have on hand should I use? I'm looking for proven performance on deer, inherent accuracy, and easy load development. I will be using once fired Norma brass and I have a wide variety of both primers and powder to choose from.

180gr Swift Scirocco
180gr Sierra TGK Gamechanger
168gr Speer Gold Dot
165gr Hornady Interlock
168gr Barnes TTSX
150gr Barnes TTSX, but have only 100 of these
152gr Hammer Hunters, but only 50 of them

So what says the community? Which bullet is gonna get me to sub MOA groups first and effectively kill deer from 50 to 500 yards?

I'm leaning towards the Gold Dots, but I'd sure like to hear opinions
Click to expand...
My buddy shoots Hammers,their like laser beams!
 
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