30-06 Hunting Ammunition Options

[Highbrass]

This should be interesting.
I have been tasked with helping a young man (17) who is about to embark on his first Elk hunt.
He is being gifted with an older but pristine Browning BAR in 30-06. I have secured a nice scope and mount that should work well.
Now I need to make a good handload that would work well for Elk. I have several good bullet options on hand.
Sierra 165 Game Changer
Sierra 180 TGK
Swift 180 Scirocco
Berger 168 Hunting

I think I have good loads worked up for all of these that would work quite well. My issue is I personally have never hunted Elk and would be open to suggestions from those with more experience than myself. As soon as I have everything ready I will take him to my local range and we will get him shooting to 200 yds (farthest available) with a good ammo selection. The young man is an experienced hunter and has done quite well on whitetail to 125 yds.
What would your suggestions be ?

 

[Chadp82]

In 30-06, my go to is 165gr Hornady interbond.

30-06 for elk would be very capable from 140 and above at the ranges you mention. Possibly even lower grain bullets. Get him a good group and confident at 200, any choices you mentioned are capable. I would stay on the lighter bullets you mentioned for flatter trajectory. Just make sure he is confident and comfortable with the setup.

With limited experience on elk, get him close if you can and I hope he fills a tag! Keep the wind on you favor!

 

[338 dude]

The bullet used is a 150 grain Nosler partition

 

[338 dude]

 

[med358-boise]

The only bullet in your list I would shy aa=way from is the 168 Berger it has the least penetration capability. They are designed to penetrate a limited amount and then fragment. IMO, penetration is the most important attribute. Of the bullets you listed the Swift Sirocco would me my first choice unless it shoots measurably worst.

Don't know where he will be hunting but get him too practice and not from the bench. Many times prone is not an option in elk country so get him practicing shooting from sitting or kneeling from sticks with his strong side elbow suppoerted by his day pack.

 

[FEENIX]

This should be interesting.
I have been tasked with helping a young man (17) who is about to embark on his first Elk hunt.
He is being gifted with an older but pristine Browning BAR in 30-06. I have secured a nice scope and mount that should work well.
Now I need to make a good handload that would work well for Elk. I have several good bullet options on hand.
Sierra 165 Game Changer
Sierra 180 TGK
Swift 180 Scirocco
Berger 168 Hunting

I think I have good loads worked up for all of these that would work quite well. My issue is I personally have never hunted Elk and would be open to suggestions from those with more experience than myself. As soon as I have everything ready I will take him to my local range and we will get him shooting to 200 yds (farthest available) with a good ammo selection. The young man is an experienced hunter and has done quite well on whitetail to 125 yds.
What would your suggestions be ?

"My" choice from your list would be the 168 Berger.

 

[azarcher10x]

Having taken quite a few elk with an '06, I'd stay with 180's on regular cup and core bullets. If you go mono's, a 165 is the ticket. That's what I'd opt for. You'll get better velocity, (typically) plus good penetration.

 

[73driver]

My experience with Elk is with 165 Sierra, 180 Sierra and 180 Hornady Partition. The Sierras were loaded with H4350 in Model 70 06 and the partition was factory ammo in the same rifle. All worked out fine The Partition best the Sierra 180 next best and 165, well why bother when you can load up 180's.

 

[khmplus]

In my opinion, while the BAR is a great weapon, the accuracy to be gained with hand loads vs. factory ammunition is pretty minimal for the distances you are talking about, and there are many readily available 30-06 rounds at reasonable prices. But if you enjoy the experience of reloading, then that's just fine too.

 

[Moondoggie]

I have a Browning BAR chambered in 30.06, and it does a fine job on whitetails paired With 180 grain Remington Corelok. But, the longest shot I've taken with it is 220 yards DRT

I do load for it and a Browning A-bolt in the same caliber. use Nosler Partition 180 grain.

 

[xsn10s]

This should be interesting.
I have been tasked with helping a young man (17) who is about to embark on his first Elk hunt.
He is being gifted with an older but pristine Browning BAR in 30-06. I have secured a nice scope and mount that should work well.
Now I need to make a good handload that would work well for Elk. I have several good bullet options on hand.
Sierra 165 Game Changer
Sierra 180 TGK
Swift 180 Scirocco
Berger 168 Hunting

I think I have good loads worked up for all of these that would work quite well. My issue is I personally have never hunted Elk and would be open to suggestions from those with more experience than myself. As soon as I have everything ready I will take him to my local range and we will get him shooting to 200 yds (farthest available) with a good ammo selection. The young man is an experienced hunter and has done quite well on whitetail to 125 yds.
What would your suggestions be ?

I'd research the powder burn rates you'd want to use in the BAR. I think you'll be safer in the faster burn rates with moderate charges. My buddy's go to load is a 308 win with 165 Partition (0-300 yards). I think any of those bullets will work but the 30-06 BAR might be better off in the 150gr-165gr weight.

 

[mnoland30]

If the recoil is an issue for a young shooter (and it almost always is), go with the 165 gr. Game Changer. I sighted in my dad's 30-06 for an oryx hunt, and shooting 180 gr. bullets with a 50 year old buttpad was worse than shooting my 7mm Mag. You didn't say how old the gun was, but check to make sure the pad is doing its job. Limbsavers are good.

I'm an advocate of heavy bullets. I shot my first elk with at about 250 yards with a 140 gr. Barnes bullet from my 7mm Rem Mag. It killed fine, but did not exit. I switched to 160 gr. bullets after that. A comparable bullet in .308 dia. is 180 gr. I use 168 gr. Berger bullets now, To get that same sectional density in .308 would require a 200 gr. bullet.

 

[Roughrice]

My buddy shot a factory 165 CoreLokt on a quartering in bull @ 50 yards that went scapula of front shoulder and exited the hind quarter with a hole the size of a golf ball.
Just to say any tough factory load can do the job at that distance.

 

[Rosebud]

Game king, best of the bunch. IMO