.30-06 Factory Ammo for Mule Deer

[jackelope]

125 core lokt remington,took all my mulies with that

I started a thread a few years ago regarding lightweight 30-06 bullets. After reading the posts on there, I have been concerned with bullet stability of those little guys in a -06...can't say I have any experience one way or the other...just what I read.

[bobcat]

Stability wouldn't be my biggest concern with 125 grain 30 caliber bullets. I mean, the first priority is acceptable accuracy, and if a bullet doesn't meet that requirement in your rifle, then you're not going to use it. But even if accuracy is good, a 125 grain bullet in 30 caliber is going to have a very low ballistic coefficient, and will not retain velocity as well as a longer, heavier bullet. The 125 grain bullet may drop slightly less at long range than a heavier bullet, but wind will push it much more than a bullet with a higher B.C. For shooting at long distances, less wind drift is more important than less drop. Rangefinders solve the drop problem, but compensating for wind is much more difficult. There is really only one benefit to going as light as 125 grains in a 30-06 bullet, and that is reduced recoil. If you're not doing it for that reason, then for best performance you're way better off by using at least a 150 grain bullet.

[rasbo]

thats the only bullet I used ay all.It was the same round as yotes also..I shot everyone of the mulies in the neck and it was game over.every yote was shot in the head...Now that being said I was able to keep my shots on mulies under 70yrds and as little as ten feet..PS I just remembered a yote I shot in the head at 300 yrds with that round..he was just sitting at a water trough..I was an inch high holding 6inches above the middle of his eyes.sighted in at 100yrds

[ELKBURGER]

I'd like to see what the yote looked like after that

[rasbo]

I'd like to see what the yote looked like after that

they buzz right through,quarter size hole out the back,this cat was shot through his eyeball

[GoldTip]

When I hunted with nothing but a 30-06, mine saw nothing but 180gr core lokts.  Bears, bulls and bucks, everything died plenty good.  None of my magnums or my premium bullets seem to make anything any more dead.  But they do look pretty.

[Phantom Gobbler]

All, I really appreciate the great dialog and advise so far.   

I shared the following experience on a previous thread:  I sighted in my new Tikka T3 lite .30-06 with 150 grain Rem Core Lokts last summer and they performed above my normal capability to shoot tight groups. I like the Tikka so far and it is a joy to carry up the mountain vs. my Rem Model 700 .300 Win Mag.  The recoil in the Tikka is very manageable!

I did harvest a small whitetail buck in NE WA last fall, but as I previously posted, the bullet fragmented and I had quite a mess on my hands and lost one of the quarters.  The good thing is that I did not have to do any tracking!  Maybe too much bullet for the size game and distance (80 yards) that I was shooting at?  So this has started me thinking that I need to try a more stable bullet or go to a heavier one.  Also this fall I will be chasing Mulies in the high country vs. brush hunting the NE corner of the state.

[bobcat]

I did harvest a small whitetail buck in NE WA last fall, but as I previously posted, the bullet fragmented and I had quite a mess on my hands and lost one of the quarters.  The good thing is that I did not have to do any tracking!  Maybe too much bullet for the size game and distance (80 yards) that I was shooting at?

Not really "too much bullet," but too much speed is what I would say. So either a heavier, slower bullet would help, or more of a controlled expansion type (a bullet that won't come apart.) I think staying with the 150 grain bullets would be a good idea in a light rifle like your Tikka, just to keep the recoil at a minimum. You might try any of the bonded bullets (Accubond, Interbond, etc) or a Barnes bullet, or Nosler Partition.

[Dansk]

I always used 165 Barnes TSX federal premiums out of my A-Bolt. You really just got to try a couple and pick what groups best...
I usually bought 3 different good quality bullets and picked one that shot best,  but there really was not too much difference between them either.
 

   I like the lead free bonus, plus the 100% weight retention in the Barnes.

[bobcat]

I'm a fan of Barnes bullets too. That's what I would recommend you go with if they shoot well in your rifle. Nosler and Hornady also have 100% copper bullets now as well, and they would be worth a try. With any of these bullets I would go with 150 instead of 165 grain, in a 30-06. They will lose only 10% of their weight, at the most, so the 165 isn't needed. Also you will have less recoil and more velocity with the lighter bullet. I think high velocity is important with all copper bullets because it will help to provide more reliable expansion.

[carpsniperg2]

yeah i just bought the new etip in 30 cal 180 grain to try in my 300 should be a great bullet