FFFFactory 30-06 ammo?

Guy Miner

Master Loader
Apr 6, 2006
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:grin: I'm not sure I EVER bought factory 30-06 ammo... Many other cartridges, but... I've been loading the 30-06 for over 50 years. Dad used to keep a box of 220 gr Winchester Silvertips, in case he needed to shoot a mastadon or something I suppose.

One new hunter in my upcoming Hunting Rifle Seminar asked me to provide the ammo for her rifle, and that she'd pay me for it at the Seminar this weekend. Okay, sure, no problem. I get to a favorite gun shop and realize that I've NEVER purchased factory 30-06 ammo!

Bought three boxes of 165 gr Federal Fusion. Should be decent stuff. I figured if she's a no-show for the class, my son and I have got a pair of 30-06 rifles and we'll use it.

Just kind of a funny feeling, buying ammo I've been loading for most of my life! :grin:

I do buy factory ammo for some firearms like pistol cartridges for my handgun classes, and .223 blasting ammo. This was just sort of an odd thing. I've never bought 375 H&H ammo either, except for a box of 300 gr FMJ Win ammo a buddy sold me along with all of his loading components and dies. Can't afford much of that 375 stuff!

Guy
 
Yup - the 165 gr ammo averaged 2725 fps, and produced good accuracy. Shooting the scoped Model 70 was pretty new to her, but she did fine.

Guy
 
Haha I know the feeling. My shooting buddies all scoff at me that I only shoot reloads, then they bring their one box of ammo for their hunting rifle, and I open up one of the many 100 round boxes I have for my hunting rigs and out shoot them just due to the fact I shoot my hunting ammo very often and train with it..

But I did just buy 300 rounds of PPU 22-250 for a new Savage, under 50¢ a round on sale at Cabela's. Winchester brass was 46¢ per piece, so no brainier. Shoot to break in the rifle, have fire formed brass. Win win in my eyes!

But boy didn't that feel weird actually buying it...

SHM

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Guy, the Dad thing & the 220gr's hit close to home. Not saying my Dad had some screwy concepts, but he'd actually hunt with both 150's & 220's. The 150's were for when he was in more open terrain, then he'd switch to the 220's when he went into 'the thick stuff' !

Granted, over the course of almost three decades of deer hunting he managed to tag exactly one (1) doe (with a 12ga) I guess he knew as about as much as any hunter ever did about what it took to cleanly take a whitetail with a 30/06.
 
I typically try to use factory only if I’m going to an area with high probability for a brown bear encounter. Also, I base a Ruger American in 30/06 in CO so I don’t have to carry a rifle on the airlines. That one gets factory stuff too.

I own several at home that have never seen a factory round.
 
Gosh I may have bought a box or 2 just to get the brass for reloading and what I bought was 110gr bullets for ground hogs.
I have 3or4 boxes of 180gr Federals that were gave to me and still might have the price tag on them which will cause sticker shock compared to today's prices.
 
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