30-06 help please

I only load for a 30-06. It has had 2 barrels now. I wouldn't hesitate to use the 200s. I don't think they are necessary, but if they shoot better than the 180s...

I have found Ramshot Hunter, CCI magnum primers, and 180s to play well together. Barsness's article is a good one! 58.0 grains is a good starting point.

For 165s, I have used IMR4350 with CCI200s with good results. One barrel preferred 57.5 gains, the other 56.0 grains. IMR4350 is supposedly not temp resistant, but an elk I shot in -5 degree weather died just the same.

I am still working on a load with H4350 and 150s, but 180s shoot better so far.
 
I loaded up some less-than-max loads with W 748 for my 110lb wife to shoot in a 30-06 Rem 700 that we got. She call it "her rifle" but the three shots she made could have been covered with a nickle. We were using 165s.

Short of playing with a whole punch of seating depths, I think you may simply have a barrel that doesn't like the 180s. If the most accurate bullets are 150s or 200s, so be it.

Now that Superformance loads for the -06 are out, you might want to check out what you can get from your rifle with the SF powder. I use it in my 150gn Sierra Game King loads in my 280 Rem and it has great accuracy at just over 3,100fps.
 
Horsethief":3bpqvd9b said:
I loaded up some less-than-max loads with W 748 for my 110lb wife to shoot in a 30-06 Rem 700 that we got. She call it "her rifle" but the three shots she made could have been covered with a nickle. We were using 165s.

Short of playing with a whole punch of seating depths, I think you may simply have a barrel that doesn't like the 180s. If the most accurate bullets are 150s or 200s, so be it.

Now that Superformance loads for the -06 are out, you might want to check out what you can get from your rifle with the SF powder. I use it in my 150gn Sierra Game King loads in my 280 Rem and it has great accuracy at just over 3,100fps.
Click to expand...



We were using 165s.
Click to expand...

The rumor is the 165's.....

are it.
 
Thanks for the tips. And yes, I have read everything I can find that Barsness has posted on the internet about the 30-06- including the toughness of 180 ballistic tips. That's part of the reason I wanted to shoot them.

Also, I went to the range today with a new batch of loads; this time with CCI 200 primers. I had purchased and loaded them the other day in hopes that I might find new luck. I like these primers. No flattening, no pinholes around the edges, and some of my previous groups have tightened up from the primer switch. There are no more Winchester primers in my future. I also had a couple fail-to-fires with Winchester's magnum primers in my 7mm RM today.

And if anyone is interested, a 180 Partition easily out-penetrates a 200 AccuBond when shot into a box of magazines...
 
About that Superformance powder in the 30-06...

I tried it...with Berger 175's...it don't work! Low speed, very poor ignition, pressure signs at only 2,600 fps...dirtiest powder I've ever used, left more junk in the barrel than black powder.

When Hodgden says it works with SOME bullets, and others it don't....they mean it!

I still have that whole jug of powder...exactly 5 rounds have been loaded out of it...I'm gonna try it in 243 sometime, hope it works better there.
 
I have no plans of ever using superformance powder, but did you use a magnum primer? It's a ball powder, isn't it? Also, it's rated pretty slow-burning. I have read that sometimes using too little of a slow-burning powder can create high pressure. Maybe try a magnum primer and run it up a little??? Poor ignition and soot makes me think weak primer/low pressure...

Obviously, I have to say that I don't condone this practice and I'm not liable for any damages, blah blah blah...
 
Hodgdon's data says 58.7 grains of that powder with a 175 sierra hpbt gets 2881 fps at 59,400 psi, and 59.7 grains with a 180 sierra spbt gets 2840 at 57,600 psi. Their starting loads are 53.0 and 54.0 grains.

If it were my rifle, I'd try a hotter primer and work up to more powder. A 175 berger should have a shorter bearing surface than either of those bullets, and therefore probably handle as much powder as, or more than, either.

Again, don't try this at home...
 
Bergers data is a bit more conservative (they use QuickLoad data)...they had not tested the SF powder...I decided on the start charge based on burn speed, figured 56 was enough without going overboard...you may be right about the mag primers, but I doubt I'll try it anymore in the 30-06...H4350 does everything I need.

Below is Bergers data on the 175...

Untitled-14.jpg
 
jason miller":21g6nybu said:
Also, I went to the range today with a new batch of loads; this time with CCI 200 primers. I had purchased and loaded them the other day in hopes that I might find new luck. I like these primers. No flattening, no pinholes around the edges, and some of my previous groups have tightened up from the primer switch.
Click to expand...

Man, I'm glad to hear that. When the seal on the chamber starts getting compromised, I start getting nervous...
 
I'm looking at your problem in a slightly different manner, I hope. One thing I can say is I've ver had a problem with Winchester primers, at least the ones with the nickel plated caps. I haven't tried the newer type with the unplated caps yet so they may be a problem.
I have two M70 Featherweights, the earlier push feed versions in .257 Roberts and 7x57 Mauser. The best I've been able to get out od the .257 is 1.25" with 100 gr. Sierra Pro-Hunters. So far, the 7x57 had shot just about everything I've tried under one inch except the brnes TSX bullets which I have loaded up but not tested yet.
However, as we are discussing the 30-06, the two most accurate loads I've shot in the several I've owned used the 180 gr. Sierra Pro-Hunter and the Nosler 180 gr. Partition. Powder was H4831 and IIRC, the charge was 57.0 gr., CCI 200 primer and Winchester brass. I haven't loaded for the 30-06 in years as I've been too busy playing with more esoteric cartidges so that data is going from memory.
Many years ago I came to the conclusion that if a load di 1.5" at 100 yards or better, that was good enough. Probably 90 percent of my rifles and loads do a lot better than that but I'm a realist. I know just how far I can accurately shoot from a bench and how that deteriorates to some degree out in the field where there are no benches. :roll: :lol:
I have been shoting the TSX in the .257 Robt. and wll be if I can get to the range using the 7x57. Not all that big a fan of monometal bullets but I can say that the 225 gr. TSX at 2720 FPS MV from my .35 Whelen sure put a cow elk down harder than any animal I've ever taken in over 50 years of hunting.
My suggestions are this. One the Feather weight is not a target rifle and any load that will do 1.50" or less is more than good enough for far past where anyone has a right to shoot. A speed of 2700 FPS+/- 50 FPS is more than adequate. Try the Sierra bullets as they have an excellent reputation for accuracy. The 150 gr. bullet have a tendency to blow up but the 180 gr. Pro-Hunters have taken quite a few deer for me in the past. I haven't tried the Game Kings in the 30-06 but the 150 gr. GK's are tack drivers in my ..243 and 270. Play with the seating depth as that can make a difference. You might take a close look at the tip of your firing pin. I have a Remington M700 BDL in 06 that did that. There was just the very slightest bit of rough spot on the tip that I polished out with crocus cloth. Didn't take a lot but no more pin holes. In fact, it was so small that I had to use a magnifying glass to even spot it. Be real careful if you have to do that. A small imperfection and relatively high pressure can be a problem.
I used to use CCI primers many years ago until one box of 1,000 had so many misfires that I quit using them. :(
Paul B.
 
Jason, if it was my rifle, and Elk were on the table, I'd sure like to get those 180gr BT's to shoot well. If not, I'd be happy to shoot the 165gr BT's.

My top power choices in no particular order would be:

W760 with a magnum/match primer
IMR4350 with CCI200
RL-17
Maybe Ramshot
and perhaps 4895.

This would give me a wide varity of burn characteristics, and a wider opportunity to find something the bullet liked.

Of course as a surplus powder user, I'd probably start with WC852, and a magnum primer, but that's not eexactly something I would expect you to have on the shelf.
 
That looks exactly like the same thing these primers are doing. Most of the time, especially in this 30-06, the little hole is even smaller and even less gas leaks out than the one in your pics.

I would add that my 30-06 brass doesn't have loose primer pockets. I even re-primed one of the cases that had leaked a bit of gas just because I was curious how it would feel, and it still felt tight(didn't load and shoot it, though). My .243, on the other hand, has had some fairly loose primer pockets. But then, I'm using soft Federal brass in that rifle and I have pushed a couple of loads hotter than I probably should...


One more thing- I had some loads with a new powder(IMR 7828) prepared for my .243 with those same CCI 200 primers yesterday. The top 3 charges ended up being way too hot- 95 vld @ 3228, 3276, and 3300. I realized that the 4th-to-highest was over my goal, but I wanted to see what those CCI primers would do. They held up just fine(one-time-occurance; I will NOT be trying anything like that again). And this is slightly loose Federal brass that I planned on loading with a low-pressure load once more and then throwing out...
 
After nearly 50 years of owning 3-5 different, .30-06 rifles, I have come to the conclusion to let the rifle seek what it likes for bullet weights. For general hunting it does no much matter what brand of bullet as long as it is a good performer. Bullet grain preference is mute also. Most -06's like either 165 gr, 180 grain or 200 grain and with today' powders, you can get great performance with any of thees weights and the right powder.

My favorite is 165 Partitions or Accubonds and IMR 4350 powder. I have never seen a .30-06 that would not shoot 165 gr bullets and 56.5 to 57.5 grains of IMR 4350 and a LR primer into bug sized groups. I have killed elk with this load and many deer. Try it, you may find it to be the magic bullet!
 
My 30/06's like:

180 NBT
WW Brass
CCI200
H4831 - 59.0-60.0grs

velocity has been 2700fps+ and accuracy well under MOA


165's like the same combo @ 62.0grs H4831 velocity is 2750fps, not fast but very very accurate. I shoot more of the 180's than anything else.
 
I know if I owned a 30-06, 4350 and a 165 PT or AB would be where I looked first. Seems too good not to try. Most rifles that won't shoot that combo probably have something else going on.
 
SJB358":2tvilksl said:
I know if I owned a 30-06, 4350 and a 165 PT or AB would be where I looked first. Seems too good not to try. Most rifles that won't shoot that combo probably have something else going on.
Click to expand...


My exact sentiment. I found 58.0gr of IMR-4350 and 165 PT shot superbly in my first load work-up and haven't found better yet. The second best powder was the same charge of H-4350. Pick your poison.

The 165gr bullet just seems to fit the -06 in my mind for general use. Not saying the 180 and 200gr bullets aren't any good and for some uses they're better. I just don't see anything in the lower 48 that won't succumb quickly to a good 165gr bullet launched at 2850-2925 fps.
 
Thanks for all the responses, but you guys can probably quit replying. I think I have this one whipped.
 
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