Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: gadwall on November 08, 2020, 05:55:02 PM

Title: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: gadwall on November 08, 2020, 05:55:02 PM: What's your favorite load in the 30-06 for elk? I have just revived and old rifle I haven't hunted with in 30 years and we will take it along next elk season.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: wadu1 on November 08, 2020, 06:31:45 PM: Barns TSX 165 with 48gr of IMR 4320
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: headshot5 on November 08, 2020, 06:34:45 PM: 165gr accubond and somewhere between 55.5 and 57.5 grains of I-4350.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: Stein on November 08, 2020, 06:45:31 PM: 168 TSX, 55.0 H4530, Lapua brass, Federal Match primers, 2 thou neck tension. I'm going to experiment with 3 and 4 thou neck tension but I ran out of time and materials for this season.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: Wanttohuntmore on November 08, 2020, 08:36:50 PM: 165 accubond with r22. Though if starting from scratch I'd use a 178 ELDx or 200gr eldx and hodgedon powder.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: JJB11B on November 08, 2020, 08:59:28 PM: Lol Remington Cor Lokt 165’s!
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: fowl smacker on November 08, 2020, 09:28:44 PM: Quote from: JJB11B on November 08, 2020, 08:59:28 PM
Lol Remington Cor Lokt 165’s!
My grandpa has killed more elk with a 30.06 and core-lokt bullets than I can shake a stick at.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: RB on November 08, 2020, 09:54:54 PM: Federal Premium 180 grain Nosler Partion, old school, but works every time!
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: andersonjk4 on November 09, 2020, 06:02:37 AM: Quote from: headshot5 on November 08, 2020, 06:34:45 PM
165gr accubond and somewhere between 55.5 and 57.5 grains of I-4350.

:yeah:

My Weatherby Vanguard shoots 165 Accubonds and Ballistic tips very well. Over 56.5 grains of IMR 4350. But always start lower and work up.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: timberghost72 on November 09, 2020, 06:56:13 AM: Barnes TSX 165gr and 54gr IMR4350.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: cooltimber on November 09, 2020, 07:55:32 AM: imr 4064 49 gr,165 gr interlock bullet,out of a 1973 bdl Remington
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: Zardoz on November 09, 2020, 11:37:49 AM: Quote from: JJB11B on November 08, 2020, 08:59:28 PM
Lol Remington Cor Lokt 165’s!

:yeah: It's always worked for me.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: andersonjk4 on November 09, 2020, 01:08:37 PM: My Dad has been shooting a .30-06 for 40+ years for deer and elk. He hasn't shot anything except 165gr Sierra Gameking SPBT over 56 grains of IMR 4350. I can't even start to count the number of critters (deer and elk) he's killed with that combo.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: Stein on November 09, 2020, 01:34:49 PM: Quote from: Zardoz on November 09, 2020, 11:37:49 AM
Quote from: JJB11B on November 08, 2020, 08:59:28 PM
Lol Remington Cor Lokt 165’s!

:yeah: It's always worked for me.

If I had to guess what factory load was responsible for the most elk deaths, that would be my guess. I have drop tables and POI shift for those in case I somehow forget my loads or the like, I have a box in my hunting stuff and figure I can buy a box in pretty much any town in the free world.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: woodswalker on November 09, 2020, 01:49:55 PM: 165 grain Partition over 56ish grains of IMR 4350. My rifle loves it, YMMV. Never had one go farther than about 15 yards. Most just dumped right there.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: Fl0und3rz on November 09, 2020, 02:15:14 PM: Quote from: Stein on November 09, 2020, 01:34:49 PM
Quote from: Zardoz on November 09, 2020, 11:37:49 AM
Quote from: JJB11B on November 08, 2020, 08:59:28 PM
Lol Remington Cor Lokt 165’s!

:yeah: It's always worked for me.

If I had to guess what factory load was responsible for the most elk deaths, that would be my guess. I have drop tables and POI shift for those in case I somehow forget my loads or the like, I have a box in my hunting stuff and figure I can buy a box in pretty much any town in the free world.

In any other year, except 2020, maybe.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: Buckhunter24 on November 09, 2020, 03:19:10 PM: My personal experience with 30 06 core lokt this year was 7 of 20 rounds did not fire. Being a fairly new gun and not real knowledgeable of guns I thought it was maybe a firing pin issue. But 130 bucks and 80 federal rounds later, everyone of them fired perfect.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: C-Money on November 09, 2020, 03:36:02 PM: Only elk I killed with a 30-06 was with 150gr Hornaday Interlock over IMR4350. He made it a couple steps before tipping over. Massive damage to his boiler room.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: builtfordtough on November 09, 2020, 04:33:08 PM: Remington cor-lokt 165 grain
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: metlhead on November 09, 2020, 09:11:51 PM: 180gr Hornady Interlock sitting on 57g RL 19. No barrel burner, but it hits exactly what it's suppose to at 200yds in both my bolt gun and automatic. Keepin it simple
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: gadwall on November 10, 2020, 06:53:30 AM: Thanks for all the great input. Probably going to go with the 165 accubond and IMR 4350 as I have had good luck with the accubond in other cartridges. I agree the CorLokt bullet has been a great performer over the years. It's what I recommend to anyone looking for a factory load.

Thanks again :)
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: Stein on November 10, 2020, 09:33:14 AM: 165/8 is toward the lighter end, but plenty of energy as well as better ballistics, particularly with the 168 TSX. For my rifle, they shoot much better than the 180, otherwise I would probably be shooting the 180s. It also helps keep the speed up since 1500 fps is the limiting factor for how far I can hunt with it.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: acrim on November 11, 2020, 07:15:07 PM: Haven't killed an elk yet , but several bear have dropped to federal trophy bonded tip 180 grain. Going to hopefully launch one into a Montana elk very soon. Sub MOA out of a Ruger M77 off the bench.
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: elkrack on November 14, 2020, 09:35:47 PM: My rifle loved 200 gr Sierra game kings! It’s been years since I’ve loaded up my -06 but I can’t remember if it was RL-15 or 17
Title: Re: Favorite 30-06 load for elk
Post by: Michaelw on November 15, 2020, 09:36:01 PM: Timber hunting 220 nosler partition with bout 55 grains of rl 22
More open country 165 nosler accubond with imr 4350