.30-06 bullet recommendations for deer

[bdbrown66]

Guys (and gals)...an important lesson here. And that is, don't be impatient and pull the trigger too soon. I settled for the buck above because I hadn't been seeing much activity in the area. Wouldn't you know it...the very next morning my target buck that I had seen on my trail cam walked up within 20 yards and stayed there for a full 5 minutes. I could have hit him with a rock. Still kicking myself this morning, and will be for some time to come. Going to try to get my son a shot at him later in the week. If that doesn't work out, I'll just hope and pray that he doesn't wander off the property and get shot elsewhere. He'll be an absolute monster next year.

Here's the first 30 seconds of the 5-minute video I took of him.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5q1lwRowuoab2Z4VWRnakdKUFE

 

[DrMike]

Agreed. The buck you didn't shoot will be a great motivator to be in the same place next year.

 

[bianchise]

I'm "an old fart". So take this for what it's worth. I load 165 ballistic tips for both deer and elk with great success... but if I were "brush hunting" I would go with a 180 grain bullet. When your typical shot is 100 yards you don't need to worry about 1" groups... you have to worry about punching through a small window without worrying about a branch deflecting a lighter bullet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DrMike]

Welcome aboard, bianchise. Always glad to see new people contributing to the discussions. Interesting take. No doubt 180 grain bullets will work well on game. I wonder how much difference nine percent mass would actually make in avoiding deflection of the bullet. I don't actually hunt heavy brush that much any more, so 165/168 grain bullets work well for me.

 

[jason.wells.5811]

I like Nosler and Bergers. But if you like SGK's stick with em. They are fine bullets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[35 Whelen]

I have not messed around with these new Aliant powders
In my 30/06, but i bet if I did they would likely bring more
Velocity to the table than my favorite load.
For us a 165gr SST or Nosler BT perched above 52grs of
4064 will show right at 2900fps all day long. I get shocking
Instant kills a high percentage of the time with high shoulder placement from either bullet. So after 35 years of
Proven performance; why even mess with it
From 50/400 yds, for deer sized game, this combo yields stellar performance!
I am not in camp with this big heavy bullet theory,
On animals under 300 lbs,If for any reason the shot isnt correct, the big heavy bullets Pass thru so easily they actually transfer very little of their potental energy into the deer....
The energy is wasted into the trees behind the deer, you ususually have very small exit holes because the bullets
Dont expand rapidly enough in game as small as deer.....
Simple as that. Magnum calibers and heavy projectiles with bonded cores and heavy jackets just dont really fit a deers profile..........
So what is a fantastic bullet for Moose and Elk turns out to usually be a poor choice for animals with 1/4 of their mass.... :wink:

 

[DrMike]

I like Nosler and Bergers. But if you like SGK's stick with em. They are fine bullets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome aboard, Jason. Good to see another shooter/hunter joining in the discussion. What is your hunting load?

 

[TenMileHunter]

Nosler 165 gr. Accubonds, Partitions, or E-tips. IMR4350 or H4350 powder.

Really difficult to find those two powders.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TXbaldhunter]

I've been using Accurate Arms 4350 for about four years now.I load it the same as IMR-4350,it's that close.I've tried H-4350,IMR-4350 and AA-4350,I have to say I like the AA-4350 the best.

 

[salmonchaser]

I like the 150 grain bullets for deer. My preference is the ballistic tip. But would happily use the Partition.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fightthenoise]

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

This is the correct answer. The 125s will be too explosive at 30-06 velocities. You may give up some penetration with them, and if you hit shoulder you can kiss that quarter goodbye. Lean towards the 150+. Anything that ends with Partition is a high quality proposition.

 

[bdbrown66]

Having only used 1 shot of the 20 that I loaded up last fall, I think I will keep the 150gr PT's as my .30-06 load for a while. However, I'm planning to switch gears for next deer season. I got a Henry .45-70 last fall, and took a doe up in Ohio with the Hornady LE's. Now I'm ready to test out some reloads using the 300gr. Nosler BT's and Speer Plinker Uni-core's. If all goes well, I'll probably use the .45-70 this fall.

As they say, variety is the spice of life. :grin:

 

[pharmseller]

Guys (and gals)...an important lesson here. And that is, don't be impatient and pull the trigger too soon. I settled for the buck above because I hadn't been seeing much activity in the area. Wouldn't you know it...the very next morning my target buck that I had seen on my trail cam walked up within 20 yards and stayed there for a full 5 minutes. I could have hit him with a rock. Still kicking myself this morning, and will be for some time to come. Going to try to get my son a shot at him later in the week. If that doesn't work out, I'll just hope and pray that he doesn't wander off the property and get shot elsewhere. He'll be an absolute monster next year.

Here's the first 30 seconds of the 5-minute video I took of him.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5q1lwRowuoab2Z4VWRnakdKUFE

Don't kick yourself. If you had done something different, he'd have done something different. To think otherwise invites madness.





P

 

[Alaska]

I have always liked the old WW 150gr Silvertip in the 30-06 for deer.

Today a good 150gr Nosler AccuBond would be excellent with IMR 4350 for deer in the 30-06.

 

[SJB358]

Hmmmm, lots of great options for the old 06...