Favorite .30-06 Deer Ammo

S

sparkysteve

New member
I currently use 150 gr. Winchester Balistic Silvertips. I am VERY pleased. I used Remington Core-Lokt in the past and wasn't impressed. What are some other whitetail loads you guys like? I'd like to get into reloading my own sometime. Beats paying $30 a box for the factory stuff.
 
i have always used remington corelokt,... I love remington guns, have 7 off them in the house, but will admit having trouble with their ammo, problem ive had was with .410 sticking in the chamber, the ammo was produced a near nothing over the .410 inches but yet enough to stick, corelokt have always worked fine for me, they claim to expand to twice the bore... the truth be told most any round, other than fmj, will work fine if properly placed...
 
I've actually only used to Remington Core-lokts in my 30-06. My Savage will put three shots touching at 100 yards with these. Only needed one shot per deer while using this ammo. IMHO they've worked just fine, so I'm going to stick with using them.
 
The Silver tips are deadly, but I have seen too many of them separate and mess up a whole lot of meat. Guess that doesn't matter if you don't want to eat it?
 
.30-'06 ammo

The best ammo for my '06 comes from Smokey Joe's Ammo Shop. It doesn't cost me anything like the Win, Rem, or Fed ammo at yr friendly local sptg gds sto. And my quality control is 'way better!!

For deer I use 165 grain Sierra Gamekings or 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips, in front of IMR 4350, touched off by CCI Lg Rifle primers. The Gamekings work great, but the Ballistic Tips are just as good--mebbe even more accurate--and the plastic tips don't deform like the lead tips on the Gamekings. (NBT's are pricier, though.)

You can get much the same ammo if you invest in Sparky Steve's Ammo Shop. Then you can also load up, or down, or use FMJ bullets which are cheaper, for practice, and lots of other cool things that Gander Mt. or Bass Pro Shop just don't carry.

Seriously, the sooner you get into reloading for yrself, the happier you'll be with yr ammo.
 
I'm personally not a fan of the Ballistic Silvertips, except for the accuracy advantage they provide. I didn't like the way they seemed to explode on deer and not hold together well. I prefer the core lockt and the powerpoints on deer.
 
In my Browning Bar MK II I use the Federal Premiums 180 GR. Sierra Gameking BTSP P3006L). They have done well for me. In my bolt guns I work up my own medicine with a 180 gr. Sierra bullet. :D
 
For deer I use 165 grain Sierra Gamekings
Click to expand...

Me too, loaded by Federal in their premium line for the .308 (the .30-06's big brother ;) ). Excellent performance and accuracy.

I'll use Smokey Joe's ammo shop when a chain store opens here in Nebraska! :D
 
150 grain Remington Core-Lokt and Winchester Super X Power Point. Both work just fine in my Weatherby Vanguard. But the Winchester tends shoot a little bit tighter groups.
 
I've used both the 150- and 165-grain Sierras; I prefer the 150 because it's just as effective and a tad less recoil.

the 150-grain Remington Bronze Points work quite well, as do the 150-grain Hornady Spire Points.

Regardless of bullet performance, it you shoot'em in the neck, you don't have to worry about spoiling meat. Or tracking, for that matter. :D

Art
 
Almost anything of 150 gr. to 180 gr. will work fine, IMHO. My only problem with 150 grainers is that they can be a little too explosive. That, along with the fact that I also hunt elk, has made me into a "use 180 grs. for everything" guy. My point of impact stays the same and the 180's tend to be a little less destructive on light game. If I were to use the 30-06 for bigger than elk stuff, I might move up to 200-220 gr. bullets. For the 100-120 lb. whitetails we have in Oklahoma, the 30-06 can almost be too much gun.
 
all i've used on deer is remington premier accutip boattail 165gr. i'm pretty new to deer hunting, so i figured i'd lean to the heavy side, and it works like a charm. i'd checked out a few kinds of ammo, the 150gr sciroccos, core-lokts, some comparable winchester and hornady ammo... but out of my rifle, i just got great 100yd groups with the premier, and the deer i took this last fall went down so fast i initially had thought i'd missed and it had run off quicker than i could see. small hole in, exit wound wasn't bad, didn't blow up much tissue... all in all the effect i'm looking for.
 
deer round

I personally use Fusions in 150 gr. Many good range reports and they are predictable at short range and they are not moly coated. They fully mushroom on impact. They have their own web page, not on Federal's page.
 
Remington Core-Lokt 150 grain works for me. I don't hunt long range, and for Whitetails, this old timer load seems to perform about as good as you would want. Sure kills deer.
 
Mule deer here... :D
The Barnes TSX 150gr from Federal Vital Shok

Elk...
The Barnes MRX 180gr from Federal Vital Shok


:)
 
I use a 165 grain Hornady Interbond. Smooth, fast, flat, accurate. I took two deer last year using this bullet combined with IMR 4350 and Remington magnum primers.

Single shot kills with no movement from the deer on impact. The first was laser ranged at 110 yards through heavy brush in a forested area. Probably the best shot I've ever taken. I slapped the rifle up to my cheek and shot like I was using a shotgun on pheasants. I was VERY pleased with the Hornady bullet.
 
Remington cor-loks are very good for sure. buncha years ago we ordered 1000 of em in 150 grain. Been loading them in 30-06 and 308. Several of us have killed 40 plus deer, dozen or so elk and a couple of antalope.
We do all our own processing so I see how much damage is done to the meat.
I have only recovered two bullets and one was a second shot to a elk that had stood back up. I shot it again around 150 to 200 yds. it was shot at a angle thru the neck, took out a few inches of back bone on thru the upper shoulder blade and stopped against the hide. I weighed it but don't remember for sure what it weighed but it was around 50 to 60% left. Kept that bullet on a shelf for years till I got a divorce and lost it in the shuffle or i go weigh it now. Another was a deer shot very close straight into the chest.
I have seen deer shot with 180 grains that tore up way too much, I remember who made em but not what bullet it was so it's not fair to say company X's bullets are no good.
IMHO it's a lot more where ya shoot em than with what ya shoot em with. I cut up over 60 deer one fall for a small country store long time ago and OMG ya shoulda seen how some of em where hit. One was shot right thru the hind quarters hitting both leg bones, and the guy thought he had been cheated no more meat than he got back. We should have saved the mess in a bag and gave it to him.
I wouldn't recomend it but saw a deer killed with a 222 Contender that jumped and only ran 50 yards or so, heard of em being lost after hit with magnums.
You can argue bullets and bullet weight, this caliber or that all day but unless you hit em where they live it don't matter what your shooting is what I am getting at I guess.
 
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