Old School 30-06 loadings.

ShadeTree

Handloader
Mar 6, 2017
3,515
3,019
Sometime last year I seen 2 full boxes of Hornady 180 gr round nose bullets on a shelf for $10 a box so I scarfed them up. No plans for them just figured at that price they were good to have on hand.

Just out of curiosity I loaded some up. My M70 shoots various 180 gr spitzer bullets well to very well using 56-56.5 gr of IMR 4350.

Loaded some up with 56.2 grains. Rifle generally likes cup and core bullets loaded around .040 off, but it has a short throat and with these bullets at .025 off they were already slightly below the cannelure so I left them at that.

First shot fouler went high, next 3 went into a neat 3/4" cluster. I've no doubt if I'd of loaded more the rest would've continued that pattern. I might see if .040 off will do better but if not, 3/4" is fine for this bullet.

Love this rifle and cartridge. Shoots all bullet weights and styles I've ever put through it in 1/2"-3/4" groups with easy to find loads.



 
Good deal!

I miss those old style round-nose Hornady bullets. Not many left in the lineup anymore. I've got my last few 270 grain RNSP Hornady bullets loaded in 375 H&H cases. They shoot great from my rifle, and flatter than anticipated. I used quite a few of them last year at the Safari Rifle match in Libby Montana, and preparing for that match.

I think that I still have some 300 grain round-nose .375 bullets left. And I do have some old round nose & "semi-spitzer" Nosler Partitions on hand too. I ought to save a few, just for the heck of it.

Guy
 
Yep becoming a thing of the past. Sierra still makes both 150 and 180 RN in 30 caliber I believe. I keep my eye out for boxes of Speer Hot Cor RN in either 150 or 180 but so far I haven't ran across any.
 
There are getting fewer but still are a bunch available, Woodleigh, Norma, Speer, Sierra, Hornady and even Nosler has a few still. The Speer 180 gr RN is the go to bullet in our 303 British, I'm fond of the 200 gr Sierra in my 358 Win and have used the 200 gr Hornady and 225 gr Woodleigh as well in my BLR.

Hornady seems to be the one dropping good bullets in recent years. On North61's YouTube channel he found out that Hornady dropped both of their 348 Win bullets and was pretty ticked. I guess they are selling a bunch of ELD-X and ELD-M bullets these days so needed to cut something to keep up with demand.
 
I have always liked the RN bullets for woods ranges. Shot a bunch of 100 gr Hornady in the 243 for deer before the better controlled expansion technologies emerged. Loaded 180 gr Sierras last fall for a 308 deer load. Purchased 300 160 6.5 RN Hornady's a couple years back for the 6.5CM. In fact, I have used the 170 Sierra in the 280 Rem. I have always found the RN bullets seemed to be very accurate. Too bad more reloaders don't recognize their merits. Sorry to see them going by the wayside.
 
Kind of like the look of them loaded too.

I still have the Hornady 117 grain for the 25-06, very accurate at a slow 2400 fps. Back when I only had one rifle, those were for tiny coastal blacktail at rock throwing ranges in dense growth. This was after I shot one with a Partition - 3000 fps at 20 yards, it just penciled thru and the deer disappeared into blackberries and poison oak on private property. I figured since the heavy round nose bullets were offered in 25-35 ammo, kicking up the velocity a touch above those speeds would be just the thing for CA coast conditions. Haven't had a chance to try them on an animal yet tho. I now own other guns more suited to the distance and the weather.

The Hornady and Sierra 220's in 30 cal are very accurate as well. The Sierra Rep said theirs was too hard for slow 30-40 Krag speeds, I guess they are for magnumbs.
 
gerry":4bjfsi1s said:
There are getting fewer but still are a bunch available, Woodleigh, Norma, Speer, Sierra, Hornady and even Nosler has a few still. The Speer 180 gr RN is the go to bullet in our 303 British, I'm fond of the 200 gr Sierra in my 358 Win and have used the 200 gr Hornady and 225 gr Woodleigh as well in my BLR.

Hornady seems to be the one dropping good bullets in recent years. On North61's YouTube channel he found out that Hornady dropped both of their 348 Win bullets and was pretty ticked. I guess they are selling a bunch of ELD-X and ELD-M bullets these days so needed to cut something to keep up with demand.


Well crap! That was the only cheap bullet available for the 348. :x Other bullets would be better choices for heavy game, but Hornady's worked fine for whitetail. Any other bullet for the 348 starts north of .80 a piece and goes up from there.

I got probably 60-70 of the Hornady's and a box of old Speer's that I'd have to find data for if I'm going to shoot them. After that it's shooting expensive bullets I guess.
 
ShadeTree":1ba8s2jj said:
gerry":1ba8s2jj said:
There are getting fewer but still are a bunch available, Woodleigh, Norma, Speer, Sierra, Hornady and even Nosler has a few still. The Speer 180 gr RN is the go to bullet in our 303 British, I'm fond of the 200 gr Sierra in my 358 Win and have used the 200 gr Hornady and 225 gr Woodleigh as well in my BLR.

Hornady seems to be the one dropping good bullets in recent years. On North61's YouTube channel he found out that Hornady dropped both of their 348 Win bullets and was pretty ticked. I guess they are selling a bunch of ELD-X and ELD-M bullets these days so needed to cut something to keep up with demand.


Well crap! That was the only cheap bullet available for the 348. :x Other bullets would be better choices for heavy game, but Hornady's worked fine for whitetail. Any other bullet for the 348 starts north of .80 a piece and goes up from there.

I got probably 60-70 of the Hornady's and a box of old Speer's that I'd have to find data for if I'm going to shoot them. After that it's shooting expensive bullets I guess.

I believe you have Barnes, Woodleigh and Swift left now but maybe you'll be able to find some Hornady bullets in stock.

https://youtu.be/kqIBi2YEx78

Above is the youtube clip I mentioned, he seems to be one of the most knowledgeable guys when it comes to the 348 Win.

Getting back to the original topic, my first moose and black bear were taken with the old 220 gr Silver Tip factory loads at 2400 fps. They worked of course. We used the 220 gr Partition in 308 Norma and 300 Win Mag on bears at 2700 fps. I have gotten over 2500 fps in the 30-06 using that bullet. In any of those cartridges it is a hammer 8)
 
gerry":2fvyt80y said:
ShadeTree":2fvyt80y said:
gerry":2fvyt80y said:
There are getting fewer but still are a bunch available, Woodleigh, Norma, Speer, Sierra, Hornady and even Nosler has a few still. The Speer 180 gr RN is the go to bullet in our 303 British, I'm fond of the 200 gr Sierra in my 358 Win and have used the 200 gr Hornady and 225 gr Woodleigh as well in my BLR.

Hornady seems to be the one dropping good bullets in recent years. On North61's YouTube channel he found out that Hornady dropped both of their 348 Win bullets and was pretty ticked. I guess they are selling a bunch of ELD-X and ELD-M bullets these days so needed to cut something to keep up with demand.


Well crap! That was the only cheap bullet available for the 348. :x Other bullets would be better choices for heavy game, but Hornady's worked fine for whitetail. Any other bullet for the 348 starts north of .80 a piece and goes up from there.

I got probably 60-70 of the Hornady's and a box of old Speer's that I'd have to find data for if I'm going to shoot them. After that it's shooting expensive bullets I guess.

I believe you have Barnes, Woodleigh and Swift left now but maybe you'll be able to find some Hornady bullets in stock.

https://youtu.be/kqIBi2YEx78

Above is the youtube clip I mentioned, he seems to be one of the most knowledgeable guys when it comes to the 348 Win.

Getting back to the original topic, my first moose and black bear were taken with the old 220 gr Silver Tip factory loads at 2400 fps. They worked of course. We used the 220 gr Partition in 308 Norma and 300 Win Mag on bears at 2700 fps. I have gotten over 2500 fps in the 30-06 using that bullet. In any of those cartridges it is a hammer 8)

Soon as I seen your post I looked everywhere online, didn't find a single box. 1 of those deals where I thought I had plenty for now because they were always available whenever I'd check in on them before.
 
For the 348--

https://www.lg-outdoors.com/Product/Det ... 76101?fs=1

Would these work?

Also if you can use cast for practice and deer.

http://westernbullet.com/lyman350457.html

gas checked, sized and lubed for $.24 each

250 grain at 1800 fps should kill most anything at closer ranges.

I use their boolits for 25, 7mm, and 375 cal. Weight sort them and pull out the occasional bad cast and they are minute of deer (or grouse at 40 yards). I like Reloder 7 for the 375 ruger, A1680 for the 7x57 and i4759 for 25 cal rifles but other powders from red dot to h4895 work well.
 
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