Which Bullet?

[Harv6]

So Ive already got a couple good rifles ready to go for black bear season. I just picked up a 30-06 I found a good deal on, and figured Id try to get option number three ready to go for November in PA. Where I hunt they can get big, but shots are never further than 200 yards. Ive got Speer 165 BTSP's and Hornady 180 RN on hand, but can't decide which to try first (likely won't have time to try both between now and then). Do you guys have any experiences either of these bullets?

 

[Elkman]

180 Hornady RN, will get the job done !!!!!!!!!!

 

[FOTIS]

The speers were used by a good friend and he always got his mule deer and antelope out here.

As for me in order to simplify my life with my hordes of guns I subscribe to the 1 gun 1 load method. My 30-06 gets 165 Nosler partitions with 57 gr of H4350 for 2800 fps. I can do most everything with this load.

 

[sask boy]

I am of the same mind as Fotis oh oh :shock: is that good?
I am a believer in 1 calibre 1 load :mrgreen:.
Have loaded for 30-06 but never owned one. Load was 180gr Partition using IMR 4350 powder can't remember exact amount

Blessings,
Dan

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

While I completely agree with Fotis (my pet load in .30-06 is almost exactly the same) where you don't have a lot of time to experiment I am inclined to agree with Bill. That 180 grain RN would be the ticket especially where shots are no farther than 200 yards.

Round nose bullets seldom get a fair shake but they are actually good killers for the ranges they were designed for. Jack O'Connor took a grizzly in Alaska with the Remington 180 grain Corelokt bullets out of a .30-06 rifle back in the day.

That being said, the 165 grain Speers are undoubtedly the better choice for an all-around load in any case. They too are a fine bullet, much better for longer range shooting than a round nose bullet.

If it was me, I would load the 180 Hornady RNs for bear season and then over the winter and next spring and summer work on finding what you personally like and what suits your needs through some handloading experimentation.

What kind of rifle did you pick up?

 

[Harv6]

Just a plain Jane pre accutrigger savage 110. I bought it mainly to try swapping barrels for the first time. But since I've got about 200 pieces of 30-06 brass and no other 30-06 I figured Id play with it as is for a little while.

 

[DrMike]

You won't go wrong with either bullet you suggest. However, the 165 Speer BTSP will get the job done very nicely, generating a tich' mo' velocity for a longer reach if needed. The Hot-Cor is a fine bullet, though the Interlock is also well-built.

 

[SJB358]

180 Roundnoses are just cool in my opinion and seem pretty old school to me. I remember loading some of the old 180 RN CoreLokts in my Dads old Browning for my first black bear in Maine.

 

[JD338]

As for me in order to simplify my life with my hordes of guns I subscribe to the 1 gun 1 load method. My 30-06 gets 165 Nosler partitions with 57 gr of H4350 for 2800 fps. I can do most everything with this load.

This

JD338

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

After shooting the "donor" rifle you'll want to keep it .30-06. Only when you have 2 or 3 of them will you consider rebarreling to something else. in my humble opinion...

I personally prefer the "pre-accutrigger" Savage 110's.

 

[Polaris]

Shoot the 180. I've killed several large Northwoods whitetail with essentially the same bullet in .311 caliber (the 174 rn out of a Mosin carbine truck gun). It has always performed well. A native friend took a large bull moose with my rifle last year with this same bullet. It is a good killer.

I like the retro bullets for woods hunting. They go well with lousy coffee and damp wool. They also still kill deer and black bear. There's just a certain ambiance to a RN hunk-o-lead atop a classic round. Find yourself a Rem 721, M30 or well done springfield or M1917 sporter, you may go over to the dark side and leave the shiney new rifles and super bullets in the gun safe.

 

[PJGunner]

When I hunted the Northeast corner of California's rain forest, I used a short barreled 30-06 with eight the 170 gr. Speer 30-30 bullet but when I got wind that bears were a nuisance animal and tags were $2.00 for two tags in that area I went to the 180 gr. Sierra round nose bullet and never looked back Kill two bears and they'd give you two more pages free. 8) That was back in the late 1950's. Bullet worked quite well and it worked just fine on deer as well. I may still have two or three boxes of those bullets even today. :shock: I would imagine the Hornady Interlock would work just as well as those Sierras and would be my choice if the bears in your neck of the woods run toward the large size. If I were to go for a 165 gr. bullet, it'd be the 165 gr. Partition.
I'm a bit leery about boat tail bullets and they have a penchant to shed their cores. If I had to go with a cup and core 165 gr. bullet, then I'd use the Speer Hot Core. I had one go from nock to noodle on a nice Mule Deer at 250 yards and retained about 65 percent of it's weight. Still, with bears on the menu, I'd still prefer a 180 gr. bullet, be it spitzer or round nose.
Paul B.

 

[efw]

180 Roundnoses are just cool in my opinion and seem pretty old school to me. I remember loading some of the old 180 RN CoreLokts in my Dads old Browning for my first black bear in Maine.

That right there. I took 180 RN Horns on my first pig hunt in Georgia where long shots would be 200-ish and they're excellent.

Can't go wrong either way they're both awesome bullets but like others I went to a single load in my 06 of Ramshot Hunter under a 168 Ballistic Tip and haven't looked back. I'll likely take that rifle elk and moose hunting with that load too.

Good luck!

 

[bullet]

Whether 165gr or 180gr in an 06 the most important thing is bullet placement. I have killed Black bear with the Sierra 165r HPBT (cup core bullet double drawn jacket) and he went nose first into to ground and the bullet exited the other side, but it was placed right where it was suppose to be at 90yds. 350 pound hog at 200yds same bullet also and exit and the hog was on the ground. Any of our premium bullets in and 06 will kill a black bear and quick if bullet placement is where it is suppose to be.