Anyone else using a 30-06 for long range?

[teddy12b]

Hello,
I'm still new ot long range shooting, but I've been at it pretty steadily for about a year now. I started shooting long range with my 110FP 30-06. It's a great shooter, but I'm starting to rethink my choice of bullets. I've been using 168gr sierra matchkings, imr 4350 with lapua brass and lately I've been wondering if I shouldn't be using something heavier to get the full benefit of shooting a 30-06. I am leaning towards the 190gr sierra matchkings and the 200gr sierra gamekings.
If anyone else is shooting a 30-06 long range I'd like to know what bullets you're using.

 

[James Jones]

If your planning to shoot out past 800 then I'd certainly step up to a bigger bullet , the 190gr SMK is a good one as is the 208 A-max , stepping up to the 200gr class bullets woulden't be a problem for the 30-06.

 

[teddy12b]

I've been using the 168gr bullets at 26000fps for out to 1000 yards. Is there a particular fps range I should try to stay in if I'm going to try to reach out to 1000 yards?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Teddy,

Did some calculating for you. I used muzzle velocities from the Hogdon web site. MOA drop, MOA windage, and impact velocity @ 1000 yrds. BC values come from manufactures, and ballistic calculations done on JBM calculations. I used a 100yrd zero, and 10 mph cross wind. I can not claim real world experience on any of these bullets. I have done some shooting of the GS bullets from an '06, but not enough to validate the #'s shown here. I found all of this very interesting.

Steve

Berger 168vld: MV 2800fps, 36.2 moa drop, 8.5 moa windage, 1320 fps

Berger 190vld: MV 2600fps, 35.5 moa drop, 7.9 moa windage, 1335 fps

Berger 210vld: MV 2475fps, 37.7 moa drop, 7.5 moa windage, 1340fps

SMK 200g: MV 2500fps, 39.8 moa drop, 8.8 moa windage, 1245fps

SMK 220g: MV 2450fps, 39.1 moa drop, 7.9 moa windage, 1298fps

SMK 240g: MV 2200fps, 46.9 moa drop, 8.0 moa windage, 1237fps

Nosler 180 E-tip: MV 2700fps, 34.9 moa drop, 8.7 moa windage, 1290fps

GS Custom 150 HV: MV 3150fps, 21.2 moa drop, 5.1 moa windage, 1806 fps

GS Custom 160 HV: MV 3100fps, 21.2 moa drop, 4.7 moa windage, 1861 fps

 

[teddy12b]

I'm not familiar with GS custom bullets, but I sure liked the numbers they came up with on your calculations. Thanks for all the effort! Could explain a little more about the GS Custom bullets?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Type GS Custom bullets in your search engine. They can explain better than I can. So far what I have done w/ them, I am very happy. It is too cold here now, but I plan to do a lot more long range shooting w/ them if it warms up, or when spring gets here.

There bc's look poor, but they claim that they are done on a G5 drag profile. That is what I used in the ballistic calculations.

Steve

 

[James Jones]

a 168gr bullet out of a 30-06 is a pretty mild load , I'm impressed that they ae getting to 1000yds and not starting to tumble yet , I guess higher elevation and the possible 1-10 twist in the barrel.

If it were me I'd get some 190grVLD Bergers and a pound of R-22 , start at 56grs with the bullet touching the lands and work up , with a factory 24" barrel you should be able to get 59grs or so and the velocity should be in the 2700+fps range. That will shoot plenty flat to get you well past 1000yds.

OR

168gr Berger VLD seated to touch the lands over 55grs of H4350 and work up , you will likely run out of space in the case befroe the pressures get to high to flatten primers , at 58gr range you should be getting close to 2900fps , again this will be a flat shooting load with a little less recoil and possibly less muzzel blast from a 24" barrel.

NOTE : start low and work your way up , the loads I mention starting at are around mid range for the average reload but seing that your seating the beullets into the lands the pressures will seem a bit higher , so start low and work your way up

 

[greenejc]

Hello,
I'm still new ot long range shooting, but I've been at it pretty steadily for about a year now. I started shooting long range with my 110FP 30-06. It's a great shooter, but I'm starting to rethink my choice of bullets. I've been using 168gr sierra matchkings, imr 4350 with lapua brass and lately I've been wondering if I shouldn't be using something heavier to get the full benefit of shooting a 30-06. I am leaning towards the 190gr sierra matchkings and the 200gr sierra gamekings.
If anyone else is shooting a 30-06 long range I'd like to know what bullets you're using.

I have some questions: What barrel length is your rifle, how far are you shooting it, and what are the prevailing wind conditions?

 

[JMW67]

You might not get an answer on this one its 13 years old

 

[greenejc]

A thing to remember is that as long as the bullet arrives at your target accurately, it doesn't matter how fast its going. What does matter is that it gets there with consistency. The 45-110/120 Sharps would shoot to 1,000 yards and was sufficiently consistent to win matches all over the world in the 1800's, along with the Remington Rolling Block in various black powder cartridges. The 06 has a reputation for inaccuracy at distance, but that is more a function of the powders first used in it and the use of the M1 Garand as a sniping rifle, most of which of the rack weapons which were modified, and not selected for accuracy. The powders for the -06 cartridge were selected with the M1 in mind, and were fast burning. They didn't fill the casing. Using H4350 or Imr4350 solves that problem, and so do the H and IMR 4831 powders. You can get very good performance and accuracy out of your 30-06 with these and Superperformance using the 180 grain Nosler, Sierra or Speer hunting boat tails for practice, or the 200 grain Sierra and Speer bullets if you want to use them, and they'll work. They'll easily stay supersonic out to 1200 yards even in a 22" barrel, and are all capable of less than MOA accuracy in a good 30-06. That'll get you started. By the way, the load you're shooting seems to be a little anemic. I generally chronograph that 168gr bullet at 2780 to 2820 fps out of my Ruger with a 22" barrel, depending on casing, powder charge, and bullet brand. I get about 70 fps faster from the -03-a3, all with loads well within maximum charges with the powders mentioned above.

 

[greenejc]

You might not get an answer on this one its 13 years old

Didn't look at the date.