Need a good hunting bullet for 30 06

[30calyooper]

What I do know, is that this site is Long Range Hunting. Your generalization of reloaders is inaccurate, IMO.

Sorry, not meant to be, and not a generalization. Lots of good guys out there who know what they are doing! Just pointing out that there are also a few hacks who do stupid things...juice up rounds then when they shoot 6" groups it's not them it's the rifle! The guys who you cannot tell anything 'cuz they know it all. Believe me, I have been loading for a long time and I've seen people do enough stupid things...anyway, I've heard more than one reloader spout off about how bullet X is so much more reliable than bullet Y, and all you can do is shake your head. Proper placement of a bullet reasonably suited to the target species, and avoid high-risk shots...the basics, right? Load carefully and practice your shooting skills...that's all I was saying. Sometimes it's just not meant to be...but some people will try an impossible shot. And barring equipment failure like a bad scope or whatever...usually when someone misses it's that loose screw behind the trigger that caused it.

 

[Sflutes]

I've always liked federal. nosler ballistic tips. I shoot nbt with a 150 gr for whitetail. I like federal premium vital shock in sierra game king too.

 

[memtb]

Loading for a hunting buddy. Rem 700, 30 06, 24 inch barrel 1:10. Most shots will be 200 yds and under on deer. I'm thinking something in the 165 range that won't break the bank. He's a good shot so DRT would be nice. Not going to go with Bergers. I'de like an exit .I have on hand 180g Barnes TSX and maybe Sierra GK hollow points. Was never happy with Game Kings close in. Looked like they were shot with an ice pick. Mostly want to see them print well at 100yds. Powders i'm flexible on. Remember this isn't your custom rifle.

With your criteria in mind, with zero hesitation, I'd go with a 150 grain Barnes TTSX! You'll easily have enough velocity for full expansion. And with, always near 100% weight retention, you should get an exit wound from any angle....even with a "Texas Heartshot"! memtb

 

[memtb]

I'll also make another comment! Many have "big" reservations about spending a few extra dollars on premium bullets. Very likely, most of us will spend far more money on fuel, to and from our hunting locations..... than we will on premium bullets! memtb

 

[arch408]

Wow! Somebody sure opened up a bucket of worms! We did find out one thing. Opinions are like elbows, everybody has one(or two).I thought we were talking about shooting deer inside 200 yards with a 30-06. There are a lot of people touting a lot of bullets. A few people touched on something that is really important. That was bullet placement. Somebody even mentioned the Texas heart shot. I will not take that shot. It has the ability to ruin the pelvis and spread the digestive juices to the carcass. Both ruin the meat. Heart lung shots ruin very little meat if you don't count the heart which is mighty tasty. I aim for right behind the shoulder. A high hit might hit the spine; Low, if you miss the lungs could hit the heart or the aorta; forward could hit the shoulder which will cripple it; Too far back could take out the liver. All insure a harvest. Those hits don't require a "premium" bullet. A proven "cheap" 150 grain bullet is more than adequate. Cross canyon or Senduro 300 plus yard shots definately could use a higher quality high performance bullet for retaining velocity and also insure expansion. And once again we're going to have a lot of varied opinions. Here's mine. Anything heavier than 165 grains for deer is almost pointless. The only deer I've shot that took multiple hits was with a Hornady 190 grain boat tail spire point. The first two were broadside through the lungs at about a hundred and fifty yards. Little or no expansion. The deer was dead on his feet, but neither one of us knew it. I was afraid of losing him so I shot him again. Unfortunately he was facing away from me. I was aiming for his head and shot a little low. The bullet entered just above the tail, traveled along the entire spine and exited through the throat. Way too much bullet. I would bet dollars to donuts that a 150 grain Core Lokt would have put him down with the first shot. I say again, everybody has an opinion. I know some one who emphatically states that he will not own a rifle that won't shoot less than 1/2 inch groups with maximum loads. Yet he had to shoot multiple times to kill an cow elk with a .338 Rum. The furthest was less than 200 yards and none of shots was at a run. Not one of the shots was in the heart lung area. The tender loins were ruined as well as part of the back straps. One bullet was a gut shot. So much for 1/2 inch groups! Again, I would bet that if he would have shot it through the lungs with 30-06 (or .308W), one 150 grain bullet would have been sufficient. If I would have been hunting with a 30-06, I would have been shooting a high performance 180 to 190 grain bullet. My son killed an elk at 200 yards with a 30-06 shooting a 150 grain bullet when he was less than twelve years old. He was using a light bullet to lessen recoil. The bullet was either Sierra or Core Lokt spitzer. He also killed a nice muley buck that year using that same load. Both only took one shot and no tracking was needed. Nough said!

 

[Will D]

Nosler Partitions are the hunting bullets that all others have been compared for years. They perform well on everything from coyotes to elk and moose. Loading a batch for your buddy will make him a happy hunter.

 

[Dry Heat?]

Holy cow, lots of guys who like to spend money on premium bullets! I have hunted deer in the Michigan woods since the 1970's and my longest shot here (other than crop damage deer control on bean farms) was about 175 yards. Did it with the 30-06 I got when I was 15. IMO there is no need for a premium performance bullet here or in Florida, where (from what I've seen on trips down there) the deer are generally smaller than our northern subspecies. So, my advice...Hornady makes several different but very affordable bullets that will work fine. You don't need a bonded-core bullet or a super high BC to kill a whitetail at 200 yards or less. Just tune a load to that rifle that consistently shoots under 1 MOA at 100 yards and you're all set. BTW with any kind of careful loading practices you can get that down to 1/2 MOA at 100 yds, and if it opens up to 1 full MOA at 200 you're still going to kill lots of deer!

I respect everyone's opinion on what bullet works best...just speaking my mind here. The majority of the deer we kill here in the woods are taken at 60 yards or less, and if someone misses it's probably not the bullet's fault. I usually see guys who THINK they are good at shooting come up with excuses, and guys who think they are expert reloaders blame the rifle. But of course they know more than me, right?

Most people here are not Woods Hunters. Sounds like you need a good Slug Gun or Muzzle Loader. One of the things I didn't sign up for is advice from a Woods Hunter pertaining to LR Hunting. I personally know of no reloaders that "blame the gun", unless they can get NOTHING to shoot well through it. I know plenty of Factory Fodder shooters that do though. Think before you type.

 

[Larry Jones]

Accubonds....without doubt.

 

[John Klingenberg]

Loading for a hunting buddy. Rem 700, 30 06, 24 inch barrel 1:10. Most shots will be 200 yds and under on deer. I'm thinking something in the 165 range that won't break the bank. He's a good shot so DRT would be nice. Not going to go with Bergers. I'de like an exit .I have on hand 180g Barnes TSX and maybe Sierra GK hollow points. Was never happy with Game Kings close in. Looked like they were shot with an ice pick. Mostly want to see them print well at 100yds. Powders i'm flexible on. Remember this isn't your custom rifle.

No sense i

 

[John Klingenberg]

People over answer this question a lot. Just about any lead core bullet other than a varmint type will do the job you're asking and not break the bank. My go to for general hunting on under 250lbs is the hornady 130gr i think its #3020 behind blc2 or 4895. Itll run nearly 2900fps and it stays together well. I've shot a semi load of hogs with that load and maybe 40 deer.

 

[Chuckkiller]

Loading for a hunting buddy. Rem 700, 30 06, 24 inch barrel 1:10. Most shots will be 200 yds and under on deer. I'm thinking something in the 165 range that won't break the bank. He's a good shot so DRT would be nice. Not going to go with Bergers. I'de like an exit .I have on hand 180g Barnes TSX and maybe Sierra GK hollow points. Was never happy with Game Kings close in. Looked like they were shot with an ice pick. Mostly want to see them print well at 100yds. Powders i'm flexible on. Remember this isn't your custom rifle.

I reload for me and a lot of 06 shooters. Imr 3031, 165gr Sierra's HP for one guy. Me & buddy & wife shoot 150 gr. Spbt . 165 only drop 2" more but hit harder 400+ yrds

 

[Chuckkiller]

Buddy shot offhand 485 yrds 1 shot kill, 150gr nosler bt. This was his 2nd deer killed with my rifle. Rem 78 Sportsman, aka rem 700.

 

[Don A Parsons]

I like the mid weigth 180 ish grain boolitz for the 30/06,,, of course this is due to going after Moose, Elk and Bears,,, Deer fore sure.

I find that they fly Soooooo nice,,, good consistency and the benefit of a extra critter impact.

If I was planning on Deer size with some larger and smaller,,, then I'd mostly go with the 165/68 boolitz,,, not saying that the 150's wouldn't be in the mix either.

The trick for me is finding the boolit that shoots the best out of that rifle,,,, tighten it up the best I can with reloading ,,,, then go Kill $4!¥,,, Ha.

Just a me thing,,, good luck finding what works,,, the old school Ought-6 normally shoot most boolitz good .

 

[Chuckkiller]

My 78 Sportsman shoots ,1/4-3/8" at 100yrds 3 shot group. Deer in Michigan's season, dead is dead. 150 gr all you need. I like nosler, speer, Sierra even Hornady bullets. Been loading since 1978.