30-06 for brush hunting?

[Gobble]

I hunt deer with a 30.06 and 180 gr noslers. I shot my buck last year in its bed at 180-200 yrds right square in the throat. The thing didn't even twitch after I pulled the trigger. Severed its spine (and vertibrae) and wasted very little meat. The thing was rutted up and got plenty of neck roasts out of it.

You'd be fine with the 30.06 in 180gr.

[ebusa]

I use 180 grain in my .30-06 with my Remington 7600 pump.  Such a great Deer rifle!

[Bean Counter]

Okay, as long as we're all debating this, can you take a quick sec to vote on my poll please? Thanks 


http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,10151.0.html

[Gutpile]

The one study I read actually showed the bullet which deflected the least was fired from a 220swift with a 55gr bullet.  This was compared to 220gr round nose from 30-06, big ole 45-70 slugs and the venerable 30-30 with 170gr Round nose bullets as well.  In my '06's that I've had, I have had a hard time finding a good 180gr bullet that didn't shoot well and kill anything it hit.
 

The one I read had many rounds tested and I don't really remember any of them except that the 45-70 faired the worst and the 22-250 faired the best. Who knew??? 

[bobcat]

All 30-06 rounds are overpowered for deer

Not true.

[Colville]

Somewhere along the line "brush gun" got all messed up in translation. The issue with the bush is a lack of visibility. It's that long weapons and tight eye reliefs make shooting in there tough. A good brush gun is wieldy. Usually short. It points and shoulders with real ease like a nice tight, short, over-under shotgun in the brush for quail.

What comes out the end is secondary to the qualities that make your gun's frame really useful in heavy cover, especially when you are not stand hunting. The difference from a brush standpoint from 150 to 180 grn in '06 is mostly emotional. they both have their benne's depending on the bullet construction and how fast you expect that round to still be moving at impact. Heavier rounds with a heavier construction will hold and do less damage both short and long range, but a 150 BT will carry better at 400 and after slowing down at that range still penetrates very well for it's light construction. For most rounds in "brush" situations, the factory speeds are far greater than needed. A 2200 fps 180 is every bit as leathal at 45 yards as 3100 fps. And the slower round doesn't have a grenade effect on impact. I guess that's why 45-70's etc have the rep of letting you "eat up to the hole".

I'd not ever consider one round over the next on the premise that all of a sudden I can shoot through the trees without regard. I would chose a slower bullet for up close shooting and wider one, everything else being equal... and it never is.

[rasbo]

I use a 150 grain corelok pointed soft point in all my guns works fine for everything ive hunted,just put it where it belongs good luck

[Alchase]

what gr weight and bullet style do you guys use for brush hunting with a 30-06? just go with w/e you have in the rifle at the time or do you use special rounds?

just curious because i will be hunting in general with 150gr bullets, not sure what bullet yet. BUT when it comes to brush hunting i can go ahead and pick up something in 180gr with a round tip.



so what are my options? or should i just stick with one round?

thanks

Tbradford hit it on the head, many studies have determined that weight basically does nothing to improve deflection. So to answer your question, I would suggest you choose either 180 or 165 that your weapon shoots the best groups with.
Try different bullet types as well. you find that each gun shoots differently, so does each bullet type. And each gun has a sweet spot that is dependant on a bullet type. It takes a little time and a few boxes of ammo to determine which bullet your weapon prefers.
Once you find the bullet/caliber combo that your weapon prefers you are set.

[billythekidrock]

30-30 Lever Actions are great brush guns but as stated above. Deflection is deflection.
But if you have iron sights or a 4 pwr scope on see-through rings you are set to go.

[bankwalker]

30-30 Lever Actions are great brush guns but as stated above. Deflection is deflection.
But if you have iron sights or a 4 pwr scope on see-through rings you are set to go.

i have a 30-30...but i dont want to drag two guns around with me again this season. im gonna be hunting some new areas and i dont know how big the risk it is to leave guns laying in the truck yet.

[coonhound]

Somewhere along the line "brush gun" got all messed up in translation. The issue with the bush is a lack of visibility. It's that long weapons and tight eye reliefs make shooting in there tough. A good brush gun is wieldy. Usually short. It points and shoulders with real ease like a nice tight, short, over-under shotgun in the brush for quail.

What comes out the end is secondary to the qualities that make your gun's frame really useful in heavy cover, especially when you are not stand hunting. The difference from a brush standpoint from 150 to 180 grn in '06 is mostly emotional. they both have their benne's depending on the bullet construction and how fast you expect that round to still be moving at impact. Heavier rounds with a heavier construction will hold and do less damage both short and long range, but a 150 BT will carry better at 400 and after slowing down at that range still penetrates very well for it's light construction. For most rounds in "brush" situations, the factory speeds are far greater than needed. A 2200 fps 180 is every bit as leathal at 45 yards as 3100 fps. And the slower round doesn't have a grenade effect on impact. I guess that's why 45-70's etc have the rep of letting you "eat up to the hole".

I'd not ever consider one round over the next on the premise that all of a sudden I can shoot through the trees without regard. I would chose a slower bullet for up close shooting and wider one, everything else being equal... and it never is.

Very well put...

Coon