Best Elk, Moose and Bear load for 30-06

[Elkwonder]

I am looking for a Kick *** Moose, Elk, and Bear load for 30-06 with a max shot of about 300 yards. Is there anything that would hit harder or be a better choice than the 180 or 220 Round Nose? It seems to me the round nose would hit a lot harder than a High BC pointed nose at distances of 300 yards and in?
AM I wrong on that?
I can remember back in the early seventies when my uncle would shoot deer with his 30-06 with round nose bullets and they would just melt immediately. I watched many deer get shot at our lease with fast traveling 7mm and 300wm loads. However, it seemed many times that the faster traveling bullets would not do as much initial damage as the round nose 06. When animals were hit with the fast magnum loads, they would be dead all the same, but many times they would run fifty to a hundred yards before piling up. For the life of me, I can't remember ever seeing a deer get hit with a round nose 06 that didn't get knocked on his as with authority........lol
I know deer are small, but what would be the difference on larger game?
Thanks

 

[aj427ci]

I would vote for the 200g partition

 

[PGJPJ]

I've never played with round nose bullets, like the Hornady's. I have played with 220 grain Partitions in my 300 winnie, and they are hammers. A dude on the Nosler Forum has some test results with the 220 grain Partitions from a 30-06 in the link below.

Link

Personally however, I think the 180's out of a 30-06 would handle anything.

 

[matt_3479]

165 gr tipped tsx, 180 tsx,180 partition, 180 accubond is what I'd recommend. In my moose hunting group we have 4 people that shoot 30-06 and those are the 4 bullets that have done the best in our group.

 

[hypersonic]

I am looking for a Kick *** Moose, Elk, and Bear load for 30-06 with a max shot of about 300 yards. Is there anything that would hit harder or be a better choice than the 180 or 220 Round Nose? It seems to me the round nose would hit a lot harder than a High BC pointed nose at distances of 300 yards and in?
AM I wrong on that?
I can remember back in the early seventies when my uncle would shoot deer with his 30-06 with round nose bullets and they would just melt immediately. I watched many deer get shot at our lease with fast traveling 7mm and 300wm loads. However, it seemed many times that the faster traveling bullets would not do as much initial damage as the round nose 06. When animals were hit with the fast magnum loads, they would be dead all the same, but many times they would run fifty to a hundred yards before piling up. For the life of me, I can't remember ever seeing a deer get hit with a round nose 06 that didn't get knocked on his as with authority........lol
I know deer are small, but what would be the difference on larger game?
Thanks

I am guessing you are talking black bears?

Here is a "kick *** load" I used for years for moose and it also dropped a lot of deer and a black bear

180 Grain Nosler Partition
Winchester Brass
Winchester Large rifle primers
57-58 grains of H-4350 ( two different 06's)
Depending on your barrel length 2700-2800 fps
More than accurate enough for what you want to do but not a target load
You could also use the accubond in 180 with H-4350 which I switched to when I still had my 06's more accurate and just as good a killer as the partition.
Charge weights for me stayed the same with the AB for me after a load work up. As always use published data and work up from a starting load till you get what you require.

If you are going to use IMR-4350 you will be in the 55-56 grain range versus the H-4350
Rl-19 is also a good powder with 180's in the 06 as are numerous others....... a testament to how well rounded and unfussy the good old 06 can be in a good rifle.

At 06 speeds Hornady interlocks in the 180 weight will also work well as would Barnes TTSX which you can lighten up to a 165 and still get close to 180 performance penetration wise or you could still go 180 as at 300 you still have enough remaining velocity to open them up pretty good. I have not used any Ballistic tips for a long while but I hear Nosler has toughened them up a bit in the jacket so with 06 speeds you should also be good but I can't say for sure as I have not used them since. You have a huge number of bullet choices out there that will work with the 06 for what you want to do.

On moose and elk I like a hole in and a hole out on Black Bears I bust them in the shoulders so they don't go anywhere.

I think you are going to be doing a bit of loading and shooting in the near future that's the fun part.

 

[bigngreen]

After seeing what a 215 Berger does from a 300 win and after shooting mule deer and elk with a 308 and a 215 Berger there is simply no other bullet that would interest me in an 06.

 

[FEENIX]

After seeing what a 215 Berger does from a 300 win and after shooting mule deer and elk with a 308 and a 215 Berger there is simply no other bullet that would interest me in an 06.

Ditto!

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

I would stick to a hunting bullet designed to stay together in the lead cores get a partition or bonded and go heavy with the bullet weight in lead bullets weight is your friend. They will retain the most weight for the best penatration. If the copper bullets are your thing go mid weight and push them fast in copper speed is your friend. Copper bullets have around 100% weight retention all the time and will drive very deap but need speed to open reliably for maximum hydraulic shock/damage.

 

[HARPERC]

I would vote for the 200g partition

A good balance if range is to 300 yards.

As to the effectiveness of the 220 RN, in a 30-06, a friend put one in the hind end of a going away moose, bullet traveled full length, moose dead within it's length.

 

[gohring3006]

The 215 Beger has proven itself over and over on big game. It would be a good choice at 30-06 velocities. If you have time to wait on the 212 ELD it would be a good choice...

 

[Michael Eichele]

My 1st choice would be the 200 ACCUBOND. They are hell on even the largest arctic bull moose. Partitions are a great choice as well but I've had much better accuracy with the AB.

180 TTSX would be a good one too.

The 212 ELDX might be a good choice. It'd be nice to see someone try those on bigger game to know for sure.

 

[AKGuide]

I'd load either the 180 scirocco or a-frame. You should easily get 2700 with either bullet and both would penetrate well and also hold together. With R17 you might be able to get 2750-2800. Any 200 grain bullet at 2600 would also be a great choice.

Reuben

 

[excaliber]

I've seen how deadly the Nosler partition is out of a 30-06 on Elk many times. 165-180 gr Partitions are perfect for shots out to 300 yards.

 

[alaska]

180gr Nosler Part
180 Barnes TTSX

Fed Prem loads good
Barnes TTSX loads are good
Winchester Prem loads

A lot of good factory loads to chose from