Loading General Purpose .30-06

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Rangerrich99

New member
I just bought .30-06 dies and I'm researching bullet makes/models/weights. What I'd like is a bullet that could be used for both whitetail and elk. When I lived back in OK and MO all we had was whitetail so I used 150 grain bullets. Now I'm in AZ, and elk are in all four states I hunt. My hunting buddies have all told me that I need to move up to at least a 168 grain bullet if I want to elk hunt. Actually what they've been saying is that I need a 7 mm mag or a .338, but I'm sticking with the rifle I already have to keep my domestic life a little more simpatico. plus both of those calibers seem like a little overkill for the small whitetails here.

Anyway, I'm hoping you guys can tell me if I need to move up to a heavier bullet and whether it should be a 165, 168, or a 180.

Between all my information-gathering and experiences scouting elk and deer, I believe ranges would be between 150 yards and 450 yards. I wouldn't feel confident in my skills taking a shot longer than that.

Anyway, to reiterate, can you guys suggest a bullet type (ballistic-tip, soft-point, etc.) and a weight that could reliably take both deer and elk at the distances I posed?



Thanks in advance for your replies.
 
Well I guess you can look at it this way. Go up to the heavier 180g bullet to accommodate the Elk's mass and I am pretty sure the Whitetail won't care much if you used it.

I personally love the 165g Sierra Spitzer BT when I was loading for my 30.06.

Those that hunt Elk regularly will chime in I am sure.
 
There is really not much difference in the capabilities of the 30-06 and 7mm Rem mag. I have both and the 7mm shoots a little flatter.

I'm with the others who say move up to a 165 or 180gr bullet, and then just stick with it for deer as well. While many feel its not necessary or a waste of money, I'm really partial to using premium hunting bullets designed for easily achieved limited expansion, with the jacket bonded to the core, especially for those really important big game hunts. They are expensive though, and not meant for daily paper punching activity once you get a good load sighted in.
 
I agree that there is not much difference between the 30-06 and 7mm Rem. mag. I have both and hunt with both. The 7mm does shoot flatter but I would not buy one just to hunt elk. IMHO, 30-06 will fill your elk hunting needs. I would use a 160-180gr. bonded bullet. Just my $0.02. Best wishes
 
I've been shooting the 30-06 off and on for over 60 years and came to a simple conclusion, more or less. One bullet, one load. I went with the 180 gr. Sierra Pro-Hunter loaded to right around 2700 FPS and learned the trajectory as far out as I was comfortable using the load. Deer died without complaint. When elk came into the picture I decided to try the 180 gr. Nosler portion, worked up to the same load as used with the Sierra bullet and lucked out as the point of impact at 100 yards was the same Point of impact at 350 yards had so little difference as to be negligible.
A few years back I had a custom rifle built in 30-06 that had a 1 in 12" twist rate in the barrel rather than the standard 1 in 10". That barrel would not stabilize the 180 gr. bullets so I played a bit with 165 gr. bullets. The Nosler 165 gr. Accubond bullet proved very accurate in that rifle right from the get go so I used it on my elk hunt this last January. I was a bit leery about that light weight a bullet but one shot and the elk was down DRT. A cow elk and she went maybe 30 feet tops and dropped. I only had a short time to get a load worked up so the velocity was only 2780 FPS. I'm sure I can most likely work up somewhere in the mid 2800's but I wonder why I should?
FWIW, my usual elk rifle is a .35 Whelen with a 225 gr. Barnes TSX at 2710 FPS and it's spectacular on elk. :D
One the 7MM Rem. Mag., my hunting partner uses one and he kills elk. Personally I don't feel it's enough of an upgrade over the 06. If I were to switch to a magnum, I'd do the .300 Win. Mag. and never look back. I did take one elk with mine at a distance I should never have tried. I lazered it at 530 yards and only the fact I'd been shooting at my clubs 500 meter silhouette range every other day for the three months prior to the hunt made me feel confident on the shot.
If you're comfortable with the 30-06, stick with it. It's like hunting with an old friend.
Paul B.
 
With the right hand loads your 30-06 will beat anything from a 7 mag and match anything your friends 338's will do. Factory 30-06 loads are anemic and don't show the rounds full potential. And there are some great 30 caliber bullets not offered in factory loads making all of the magnums irrelevant.

For a single do it all load I'd stick to something in the 165/168 range. You could use a softer bullet such as a Hornady SST that expands quickly for deer and a harder bullet such as one of the Barnes copper bullet for maximum penetration on bigger stuff. Or just stick to something like a Nosler Accubond for everything. Actually, if I only wanted 1 bullet for deer and elk at reasonable ranges the 165 gr Accubond would be my choice.

If you really want to shoot big stuff at longer ranges you should take a look at some of the newer heavy 200-215 gr 30 caliber bullets with higher BC's. Because of their much better aerodynamics they are only 2-3" lower at 400 yards than the best 165 gr loads. At 500 yards they will beat 7 mag by over 300 ft lbs energy and be within 75 ft lbs of typical 338 magnum loads. The 338's have more energy at the muzzle, but you can kill an elk at 100 yards with a 30-30. As the range increases the 30-06 gets closer in performance and at some point past 500 yards the 30-06 loads actually have more energy.
 
I'm with JMR40, for a do it all bullet I'd look at the 165gr or 180gr Accubond. I shoot a 168gr Barnes TTSX and have been very happy with the results on elk out to 300 yards.

Basically a 165-180gr bonded or monolithic copper bullet will be the best option for elk. The partition is also good but for longer shots I think you'll get the Accubond or Barnes TTSX to shoot better.

Not sure the 7 mag will do anything for elk the 30-06 won't.
 
A friend of mine shoots 180 commercial rounds for everything, deer, elk, caribou, and he's done well. I started loading 30-06 (again) this year, and the 180's seem to have the best balance of trajectory and energy. Plus they are not as likely to damage meat at close range as a hot 150. I'm loading Sierra ProHunter, a flat base bullet that's pretty reasonably priced. But I'm shooting an old 1917 with aperture sights, meaning 200 max for these old eyes. Long range, I'd probably use GameKings or Nosler Accubonds.
 
I decided on a single uniform 165gr hunting load, so I always know the rifle is sighted in and where the bullet will hit at a given range. Both of my brothers and son use the same load, between the four of us probably 8 elk, a dozen deer and two black bear have been taken with rifle over the last 10 years or so we've been using that loading. Not a single animal has been lost but I believe that is mostly about shot placement. I use a 165 Hornady Interlock SST which is a standard cup/core construction with a ballistic tip. My brothers' load uses the standard 165gr Hornady Interlock.

If you prefer to shoot elk in the shoulders rather than the heart/lung area, I would definitely use a bonded bullet design. Personally I've found better accuracy with the Interlock so that's what I've stuck with.
 
I load for my son's buddy, who has a Browning A-Bolt 30-06. And he is also the fan of one load for everything. We settled on the Nosler 165 gr Partition and 56.0 gr of H-414 with a magnum primer. He hasn't had an opportunity to try it on elk yet, but has taken a couple of very nice mule deer bucks and is very happy with the performance of the load. I have suggested he consider moving up to a 180 gr for elk, but he wants to stick with what he has.
 
A 7mm mag is shooting a lighter bullet out of a longer barrel. If you could shoot the same weight bullets out of the same length barrel, from both of them, the '06 will shoot just as fast. There is NOTHING the 7mm can do the '06 can't do as well or, better.

Buy a premium bullet in the 165 to 180 weight class and kill with it. Neither animal will know the difference.

This magnum craze is just that. Crazy. Fueled by people who mostly don't know better. They have their place no doubt but, transfer no more delivered energy than an '06. Because they zip right through like an '06. Taking a lot of their energy with them. In the case of the 7MM versus the '06, the transfer of less felt energy due to the smaller, lighter bullet commonly shot in the 7MM. We are talking hunting here. Not long range shooting

Know you have a great gun in one of, if not the greatest caliber ever designed. It's the king of multi purpose one gun fits all hunters country wide. And, be ready to kill whatever you shoot at with it. Cleanly and humanely. The '06 is the one all are measured against for a reason. God Bless
 
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I've been loading for the "06 since the 60's. I settled on the 165 grain bullet. Sierra SBT or Hornady Interlock have served me well.
 
I have both. Never shot an Elk, but have shot some HUGE tough old hogs. Unless I'm going to shoot quite a long ways (400+) over a big field, I use one of my .30-06 rifles. I use the 165 Hornady Interlock in all of them. They shoot well in every .30-06 I have and are very reasonably priced.
 
A quality 150gr bullet will do just fine for elk.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/arti...he-30-06-sprg/

If you want to shoot a more traditional cup and core bullet instead of a premium bullet, try 165gr or 180gr bullets.
Click to expand...

Having shot numerous elk with 150gr cup and core bullets and also with heavier premium bullets I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that 165-180gr premium bullets are far and away better at killing elk than 150gr and 165gr cup and core. I will never go back. It's a night and day difference.
 
My vote goes to Nosler Partition 165 grain. Open quick enough to work for deer while penetrating enough for elk. 165 provides the best compromise of weight vs velocity.
 
Nosler Partition bullets will work if you do your part with good bullet placement, either the 165 or 180gr Partition will work well for either animal! Good hunting!! William
 
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I agree with William T Watts and Mobuck.
If you want a "one size fits all" for your 30-06, get the 165 or 180 grain Nosler Partition. You will not be sorry
 
Hey guys, first things first: I just want to thank everyone for your responses; everyone has been helpful to me and my search for my all-purpose bullet.

Second, it seems that the consensus is down to three bullets: Nosler Partition, Nosler Accubond, and Hornady's Interlock. I found both the Interlock and the Accubond in 165 grain, so I bought those to start. Hopefully I'll find some 165 grain Partitions around here in the next couple weeks. I'm working up some loads now with the Accubonds and the Interlocks, and with any luck I'll get out to the range later this week and see what kind of initial groups I can get.

Thanks again, and keep the good info coming.
 
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