Grain Load for .30-06

[Bean Counter]

Does it matter? Doesn't the 150 destroy less meat on a deer?  Is the 150 enough for an elk?

[CP]

Doesn’t matter, use whatever your rifle shoots best.

[Houndhunter]

again dont worry bout what ruins meat or what guys tell you shoots best through there gun, your gun will be completly different. my last words on this are take a variety of shells and test them through your gun to see what shoots best then stick with that load

[MountainWalk]

I guess if your super worried about group size, then do lots of experiementing.. Myself, Ive never had an 06 that gave horrible results on paper with any load. Animals dont care about group size. 220's, while not the most super accurate in my gun,, sure have given the best on game performance that Ive seen.

[DeKuma]

For years, I used 180 for everything in both .06 and 308.  Then I started to use 150 for deer/Bear and 180 for elk.  I have not really seen any significant difference in either one.  The 150 seemed to shoot a little flatter/tighter, but not enough to justify multiple bullet weights.

[tmike]

I use 180 grain Nosler Partition hand loads for everything.

[chukarchaser]

165gr Nosler partition.  Shoots awesome.  Out groups the 165 BT which I wont use on big game.

[Curly]

I voted for the 165 gr but the 180gr could be a good choice too if we're talking tradition bullets........I do like heavier bullets if you're talking Nosler Partition, Core-lokt, or whatever.  Bonded bullets on the other hand, like the accubond I think 165gr would be great in the 30-06.

In my experience the 150gr is likely to destroy more meat than a 180gr bullet.  The 150 hits with higher velocity and is likely to open up faster than the 180, thus destroying more meat.

That said, I think a Barnes TSX (or the new Nosler copper bullet) are a good choice for deer/elk bullets.  They won't blow-up (like I've had lead 150 gr bullets do) at close ranges and they still open up at longer ranges.  You could use 150gr TSX or 165gr TSX (whichever shoots the best groups) for deer or elk.

[shorthair-on-point]

180 grain ballistic tip. One grain for everything. The BT round I shoot has a very flat trajectory. I have my gun really dialed in for this round and I don't want to change it in between seasons. I also don't want to spend the money for different grain bullets and the extra bullets I would need to shoot to sight it in. If I am expecting a close shot on a whitetail I have a .270 or a 30.30 I can use.

[shorthair-on-point]

Does it matter? Doesn't the 150 destroy less meat on a deer?  Is the 150 enough for an elk?

Yes 150 can be enough for Elk if it is placed well and you are shooting at short/medium ranges.

As for the meat....I agree with previous posts. I have done less damage with the 180gr than when I have used 150gr.

[Ray]

Nosler partition in 165 grains can make good exit holes but don't see any big deal about it for big game. They'll do the job. I prefer 150 grain bullets for large game in my .30-06. Enough weight and also velocity to get the job done on most game in Washington.

Monday I shot the bear with a 165 grain Nosler partition and it had a 2 inch exit hole. I wish I had the .25-06 (using 115 grain TSX in that gun) but the meat was not destroyed using the 165 grain bullets anyway. Had I placed the shot differently it might have been though. Getting close to ensure good placement can be helpful.

[Sagedawg]

I like the 165 NP for deer out of my 06 and 308.



   Sage

[JBabcock]

I've used the 180 grain Partition in a 30-06 and that's about as classic as you can get for a 30-06. Just works for everything, except maybe big Brown Bear. I'm sure it's killed them too. I wouldn't hesitate to use one on Grizzly if that's all I had.

Lately though I've been loading 150 gr TSX's in my 30-06's. Boy are those bullets accurate. Hope to whack a Whitetail with one this year.

[edmondshunter]

150 for deer.  220 elk, bear

[Gutpile]

I used to shoot 180s then 150s now im running 130 grn barnes tipped tsx. They give great groups and i cant wait to see performance on deer this year.

[bobcat]

I used to shoot 180s then 150s now im running 130 grn barnes tipped tsx. They give great groups and i cant wait to see performance on deer this year.

That's the same bullet I want to try in my 30/06. What powder are you using, and how much?

[Gutpile]

62 grns of big game. Got it off of the barnes site. It is the max load and flattens the primer pretty good but no other signs of pressure.

[bobcat]

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind. Probably won't get around to loading until late winter.

[JBabcock]

I run 60 grains of H4350 in Remington cases, (CCI 200 primers) for the 150gr TSX's. I get 3031fps out of my JC Higgins FN 98 with that bullet and about 5/8" groups.

[wadu1]

I use the Barns TSX in 165gr, because it groups the best in my rifle (Browning SS Stalker). I load the TSX in 150gr for my dad to use in his Model 70 FW and slow it down to around 2500 FPS. He is 83 and only hunts deer once and a while when I can get him out. 

[C-Money]

I have killed many, many deer, whitetail and mule deer, with 150gr hornady interlock bullets threw my '06. I have been using them for a long time. They do a lot of damage to the deer, I shoot for tight behind the front shoulder when I can, not much you would want to eat from the ribs. But I want to see damage, I'm more worried about the animal dieing quick, I will sort out the meat issue later. I have only killed one spike bull elk, using the same handload, I found the bullet threw to the other side if the ribs, not quite poking out the hide. The chest cavity was devastated, bull went less than 50yrd. I have a lot of confidence in this load due to seeing alot of on game performance. I must be honest, If I draw a branch antler bull tag, I may bump up to a 165 interlock.

[blindpig]

Go with what shoots the best and stay with that grain and brand.

[Intruder]

I'd probably try and shoot 150 grn TSX.  I'd definitely develop 1 load for it though.  I'm not a big fan of changing bullet weights for a particular gun.

[JB]

150 or 165 grains. Either a Sierra, Nosler BT, or a Hornady. Never had a problem with the Sierras.

[alecvg]

Does it matter? Doesn't the 150 destroy less meat on a deer?  Is the 150 enough for an elk?

I would NOT use 150 on elk, on deer it works fine, but I still would use 165 for deer and either 165 or 180 for elk.