.30-06 bullet recommendations for deer

B

bdbrown66

Handloader
May 16, 2016
998
718
Hello, all. I'm getting the itch to work up a new load for my .30-06 for deer this fall, and looking for some bullet recommendations. Some caveats:

1. The property where I hunt is heavily wooded. A 100 yd. shot is pushing it. Most shots are 50-75 yards.

2. The mature bucks in this area tend to be in the 175-200 lb. range. The 9-pt. that I shot last fall dressed out right at 175. Does tend to be about 50 lbs. less.

I have the following bullets on-hand to work with. Given the conditions above, how would you rank these in order from best to worst:

Nosler BT 125gr - I killed a doe with one of these a couple of years ago. Hit her broadside at about 70 yards. Small entry, no exit, looked like she swallowed a grenade inside. Seeing that last year's buck was taken with a 95gr. BT in my .243, I know this is more than enough bullet.

Nosler BT 165gr - I have not used these at all. My uncle who lives in Vegas swears by them. If my shots were more like 200+ yards, I'd load them up in a heartbeat. Given the short range and relatively small size of the deer, I'm afraid they might be "too much."

Nosler Partition 150gr - I have not used the Partitions at all. I got a couple boxes on sale for eventual use.

Sierra Pro-Hunter 150gr SP - I've used the Sierra 150gr. GameKings for years. Good bullet, always seemed to do the job. I would expect these to perform similarly.

Hornady Interlock 150gr SP - I've shot a few of these at paper, but they didn't seem to be overly accurate to me.

So there you have it. Give me your recommendations from best to worst.

Thanks in advance,
Brian
 
bdbrown66":35k3mu35 said:
Hello, all. I'm getting the itch to work up a new load for my .30-06 for deer this fall, and looking for some bullet recommendations. Some caveats:

1. The property where I hunt is heavily wooded. A 100 yd. shot is pushing it. Most shots are 50-75 yards.

2. The mature bucks in this area tend to be in the 175-200 lb. range. The 9-pt. that I shot last fall dressed out right at 175. Does tend to be about 50 lbs. less.

I have the following bullets on-hand to work with. Given the conditions above, how would you rank these in order from best to worst:

Nosler BT 125gr - I killed a doe with one of these a couple of years ago. Hit her broadside at about 70 yards. Small entry, no exit, looked like she swallowed a grenade inside. Seeing that last year's buck was taken with a 95gr. BT in my .243, I know this is more than enough bullet.

Nosler BT 165gr - I have not used these at all. My uncle who lives in Vegas swears by them. If my shots were more like 200+ yards, I'd load them up in a heartbeat. Given the short range and relatively small size of the deer, I'm afraid they might be "too much."

Nosler Partition 150gr - I have not used the Partitions at all. I got a couple boxes on sale for eventual use.

Sierra Pro-Hunter 150gr SP - I've used the Sierra 150gr. GameKings for years. Good bullet, always seemed to do the job. I would expect these to perform similarly.

Hornady Interlock 150gr SP - I've shot a few of these at paper, but they didn't seem to be overly accurate to me.

So there you have it. Give me your recommendations from best to worst.

Thanks in advance,
Brian
Click to expand...


Brian,
My 2 cents worth....go with the 150 NP, really hard to beat. Then with the Sierra 150 Gamekings. I've used both. I like the Partition better. It won't come apart sometimes like the Gamekings can.

HawkeyeSATX a.k.a. Bryce
 
All but that 125NBT. It does super good on smaller deer downrange a bit, but for deer your sized and that close, no Bueno! :)
 
I wouldn't hesitate to use the 165 Ballistic Tips either. They dump almost all their energy in the animal, and would leave a good size hole on the off side to leave a blood trail if needed.

HawkeyeSATX a.k.a. Bryce
 
I'll be using 165-168 grain BT's in my .308 down here in Texas. The deer run small here too, but I might whack a wild hog while deer hunting too. It'll be a good in between bullet.

HawkeyeSATX a.k.a. Bryce
 
Whichever shoots best. All of your selections are appropriate for your application. Let the rifle decide.

I'd try the Partitions first, but I'm biased.




P
 
wisconsinteacher":13t7624q said:
Which ever gives the best groups. If they were all equal, I would take the 165 Btip or the 150 Partition.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I don't have time to work up groups for all of them, so I'm trying to hedge my bets. Figured I could take advantage of others' experiences.
 
For deer any of those bullets would work.

At the ranges you are shooting any accuracy is fine, so no need to select for "most accurate" or anything like that. If your rifle will shoot 4 MOA groups at less than 100 yards you are good to go.

In your shoes I would probably stick with the Sierras as you mention you've used them for quite a while with good results.

In my shoes I would pick 150 PTs loaded to a modest velocity. For the ranges you are shooting 2700 or 2800 fps would be about perfect.
 
At those ranges I would be shooting Partitions :wink: they have never failed me in over 40 years of shooting Whitetail.
But as others have stated what ever your rifle likes is the bullet to use (y).

Blessings,
Dan
 
Here in Northern MN, I have very similar deer and cover to what you're after. My wife shoots a .308, and the Speer 150 "mag tip" essentially a toughened up soft point, has been outstanding. I've also taken a few with the .300 Sav and speer or Hornady soft points over the years. Her .308 load is reduced to .300 Sav factory velocities.

In 30-06, given your conditions, I would go with a conventional soft point in 165 grains. The maker doesn't really matter, they will all do pretty much the same thing. The Partition will also work fine, but you won't really gain much with it over the soft points other than a lighter wallet. With shots under 100 yards, you could even go up to the old 180 grain round nose slug. You'll get positive expansion and plenty of mass to drive through on tough angles. You'll pay for it in recoil.

At full 30-06 velocities, IMHO the 150s are best for smaller deer. They are more suitable to .308 or slower speeds. If you're shooting a bit reduced, they're great. They will work, but 15 or 30 grains more lead will give you a bit more penetration. The exception would be the 150 Partition. These should drive in well, although a friend had one not entirely pass through on a broadside shot with a .300 savage on a 165 pound buck.
 
I shot a small whitetail buck at modest range a few years ago, using my .308 Win & 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip at about 2750 fps muzzle velocity. It did a mighty fine job! Instant drop & death, complete penetration. Large exit wound. Looked like great expansion.

I'd highly recommend the 165 gr Ballistic Tip for the .30-06 or .308 Winchester on deer. No problem. Mighty accurate too.

Regards, Guy
 
I'd think pretty much any soft-point bullet, from 150 - 180 grains would do just fine...

Guy
 
Well if you have an itch I guess it must be scratched. I would feel confident behind any one of the bullets listed above. Happy hunting!
 
To hedge your bet.....58gr H4350/165NBT; 59gr IMR 4350/150PT (or 52gr IMR 4064/Sierra 150PH) standard primers.
 
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