[shawnbryan]

Originally Posted by MAC702

This.

There is no bullet that comes out of a .30-06 that won't cleanly kill a deer.

The absolute cheapest stuff you can find at Wal-Mart will work perfectly, but no FMJ.

Spend a lot more time practicing holding the rifle steady and getting into jackass shooting positions and learning how to use a sling.

Perfectly said - skill is far more important than the load out of 30-06. Deer are easy to kill - provided you make a clean shot.

[SCmasterblaster]

Originally Posted by MAC702

This.

There is no bullet that comes out of a .30-06 that won't cleanly kill a deer.

The absolute cheapest stuff you can find at Wal-Mart will work perfectly, but no FMJ.

Spend a lot more time practicing holding the rifle steady and getting into jackass shooting positions and learning how to use a sling.

That is right. The .30-"06 cartridge is plenty powerful for whitetail deer, and elk, for that matter. No military FMJs though.

[dougader]

Mark another one down for your "old school" soft point. As stated above, deer are not hard to put down so you don't need to spend $50 on a box of shells.

Also mentioned above (several times) are the Remington Core-Lokt cartridges. They just plain work, so if your rifle shoots them well I say just go for it. The 150 grain load is plenty for deer. Around here the Core Lokt ammo is always on sale around hunting season, too.

I used to hunt with a guy who had 2 huge heads mounted in his office. One was a moose and the other - just as large - was an elk. He had the bullet that he had shot the elk with in a little plastic bottle. It was the only core lokt bullet he ever recovered, and it had entered the elk's left rear hip on a quartering away shot and traveled diagonally up through the right lung and was found just under the hide on the right front shoulder. Both the left rear hip and right front leg were broken. The elk was dead by the time they walked up there... about an 80 yard shot.

I took the bullet home one afternoon to weigh it for Grover and was suprised to see that the 180 grain core lokt still weighed 160 grains. That's about 88% weight retention on a round that broke bones and penetrated a goodly amount. Textbook performance.

[SCmasterblaster]

Originally Posted by dougader

Mark another one down for your "old school" soft point. As stated above, deer are not hard to put down so you don't need to spend $50 on a box of shells.

Also mentioned above (several times) are the Remington Core-Lokt cartridges. They just plain work, so if your rifle shoots them well I say just go for it. The 150 grain load is plenty for deer. Around here the Core Lokt ammo is always on sale around hunting season, too.

I used to hunt with a guy who had 2 huge heads mounted in his office. One was a moose and the other - just as large - was an elk. He had the bullet that he had shot the elk with in a little plastic bottle. It was the only core lokt bullet he ever recovered, and it had entered the elk's left rear hip on a quartering away shot and traveled diagonally up through the right lung and was found just under the hide on the right front shoulder. Both the left rear hip and right front leg were broken. The elk was dead by the time they walked up there... about an 80 yard shot.

I took the bullet home one afternoon to weigh it for Grover and was suprised to see that the 180 grain core lokt still weighed 160 grains. That's about 88% weight retention on a round that broke bones and penetrated a goodly amount. Textbook performance.

There must have been a lot of spoiled meat in that elk.

[whitebread]

As said, anything will work, but the best load out there these days is the 180grain Barnes TTSX. Extremely good accuracy, excellent ballistic coefficient, and second to none terminal ballistics. Loading 0.050" off the lands gives me better accuracy than MatchKing HPBT.

[SCmasterblaster]

Originally Posted by whitebread

As said, anything will work, but the best load out there these days is the 180grain Barnes TTSX. Extremely good accuracy, excellent ballistic coefficient, and second to none terminal ballistics. Loading 0.050" off the lands gives me better accuracy than MatchKing HPBT.

I don't load rifle ammo yet, but just how do you adjust the OAL so that the bullet lands is .05 inches from the rifling?

[Zombie Steve]

Originally Posted by SCmasterblaster

I don't load rifle ammo yet, but just how do you adjust the OAL so that the bullet lands is .05 inches from the rifling?

In a nut shell, you're loading one long, jamming it into the lands (it will seat the bullet deeper), measuring overall length and then backing off the desired amount.

On most Rem 700's I've seen, you can forget it. Too much freebore. The lands are too far away. A round loaded that long won't fit in the magazine. Other barrels, it's easier. You also have to deal with inconsistencies in ogive in any given batch of bullets.

Best advice is to just look up overall length that was tested by the bullet manufacturer and do that. Distance from the lands can make a difference, but it's way down the rabbit hole compared to finding a good powder / bullet combination.

[Glockdude1]

[whitebread]

Originally Posted by SCmasterblaster

I don't load rifle ammo yet, but just how do you adjust the OAL so that the bullet lands is .05 inches from the rifling?

http://www.hornady.com/store/Lock-N-...traight-1Each/

It is also a good tool to use when keeping an keep an eye on throat erosion.

[GWG19]

First off you need to figure a budget.
Then ya gotta select a rifle. Right now Browning, Ruger, Savage ( probably the best value and accuracy), Winchester and Remington. Then you have Tikka, Sako and other European brands. The new Remington's seen tobe having some problems with quality and accuracy.
My favorite rifles are the Ruger #1's but you have to hand load and tune them.
I have had several Savage Rifles and they have been great shooters. A buddy of mine bought a Savage model 14 30-06. He routinely shoots 300 yards and drops deer with one shot. He has a bean field that is 400 yards wide. He catches deer cutting a corner. He uses 150 grain Remington core lock and has had no problems.
So first off pick a rifle.
Then a good scope. Stay away from Tasco, Simmons and other cheap scopes. Spend the money get a decent scope. I use Nikon on most of my guns including a Monarch African on a 450NE and one on a 45-400 NE. They are good glass a fair price.
Then get some good mounts Warn, Weaver, something that's is steel.
Mount it the right way. Contrary to popular belief you don't just tighten the screws down.
Then shoot a bunch on ammo and find out what your gun shoots the best groups with.
I heard a obserd statement today at the gun store. "Buy cheap ammo to sight in and get on the target, then sight in with this Brand. That brand may not shoot in that rifle.
If money is not an object or you want one rifle look at these guys.
http://www.gunwerks.com/
They are the real deal for long range hunting.

[dougader]

Originally Posted by SCmasterblaster

There must have been a lot of spoiled meat in that elk.

Not really.

[noway]

Originally Posted by shawnbryan

150 grain silvertips have worked extremely well for me here in Vermont.

bingo



I think alot of people over think this deer killing thing. A 30cal is not required nor does a bullet over 150grain. Plain jane grey box winchester or any generic hunting round for a think skinned animal is more than enough.

[2afreedom]

My .30-30 does just fine with Winchester 150gr soft points ($13/box). I'm sure the .30-06 would do great with them too.

[orangeride]

I've shot dozens of deer with my 30-06. Trust me, get some 150-180 nosler bt. I shoot 165's. they hit like Mack trucks. Don't get caught up in this "Premium bullet " bs. It's only needed when your shooting game that is a little large for the gun. Ie 243 for elk or bear. I've seen more deer lost because of tuff bullets. Also aim for the shoulder and brake um down. It will make tracking them a non issue. Also nosler's tend to always shoot pretty good in most guns. So do game kings.

[SCmasterblaster]

Originally Posted by Zombie Steve

In a nut shell, you're loading one long, jamming it into the lands (it will seat the bullet deeper), measuring overall length and then backing off the desired amount.

On most Rem 700's I've seen, you can forget it. Too much freebore. The lands are too far away. A round loaded that long won't fit in the magazine. Other barrels, it's easier. You also have to deal with inconsistencies in ogive in any given batch of bullets.

Best advice is to just look up overall length that was tested by the bullet manufacturer and do that. Distance from the lands can make a difference, but it's way down the rabbit hole compared to finding a good powder / bullet combination.

This makes sense!

[GWG19]

Originally Posted by shawnbryan

Perfectly said - skill is far more important than the load out of 30-06. Deer are easy to kill - provided you make a clean shot.

That is a true statement. My go to hunting gun is a 25-06. The 120 grain bullet is what shoots the smallest groups and is at the top of chart for bullet weight in a 25-06. I have a buddy in NM that use this combination for elk hunting.

[SCmasterblaster]

Originally Posted by GWG19

That is a true statement. My go to hunting gun is a 25-06. The 120 grain bullet is what shoots the smallest groups and is at the top of chart for bullet weight in a 25-06. I have a buddy in NM that use this combination for elk hunting.

.25-06 for elk hunting? This must be a challenge.

[GWG19]

Originally Posted by SCmasterblaster

.25-06 for elk hunting? This must be a challenge.

Not as much as you think. The 264 is considered to be more than adequate for Moose and Stag in Europe. The differences are .007 in the bullet dia. and about 5 grains in bullet weight. You can step up to a 140 grain bullet in a 264.
The 25-06 loaded with a good bullet will the job very nicely. You load the Nosler 120 partitioned bullet to about 3200fps which is a warn load for the 25-06, but easy enough to obtain.
Shot placement and shot distance are important. No it is not a 400 yard Elk cartridge, like a 7mm Mag. Most people don't shoot that far any ways. The guides that I have hunted with told me the average shot on a elk is 130 to 180 yards.

Think about this the 30-30 was the hot bad ass cartridge once upon a time. People shot a bunch of elk with it. By today's standard it is fit for small white tails.

[SCmasterblaster]

Originally Posted by GWG19

Not as much as you think. The 264 is considered to be more than adequate for Moose and Stag in Europe. The differences are .007 in the bullet dia. and about 5 grains in bullet weight. You can step up to a 140 grain bullet in a 264.
The 25-06 loaded with a good bullet will the job very nicely. You load the Nosler 120 partitioned bullet to about 3200fps which is a warn load for the 25-06, but easy enough to obtain.
Shot placement and shot distance are important. No it is not a 400 yard Elk cartridge, like a 7mm Mag. Most people don't shoot that far any ways. The guides that I have hunted with told me the average shot on a elk is 130 to 180 yards.

Think about this the 30-30 was the hot bad ass cartridge once upon a time. People shot a bunch of elk with it. By today's standard it is fit for small white tails.

And the whitetails haven't gotten any bigger, have they?

[ADK_40GLKr]

.308 180 gr soft point got my buck this year. The kill shot was maybe 30 yards but a perfect broadside. Made a baseball sized exit wound through the rib cage. But very little meat damaged.

Too much power & too much bullet IMHO. Remainder of season, I'm using .223 HP in my Mini 14.

[SCmasterblaster]

Originally Posted by ADK_40GLKr

.308 180 gr soft point got my buck this year. The kill shot was maybe 30 yards but a perfect broadside. Made a baseball sized exit wound through the rib cage. But very little meat damaged.

Too much power & too much bullet IMHO. Remainder of season, I'm using .223 HP in my Mini 14.

Congratulations!

[PrecisionRifleman]

Originally Posted by dougader

Mark another one down for your "old school" soft point. As stated above, deer are not hard to put down so you don't need to spend $50 on a box of shells.

Also mentioned above (several times) are the Remington Core-Lokt cartridges. They just plain work, so if your rifle shoots them well I say just go for it. The 150 grain load is plenty for deer. Around here the Core Lokt ammo is always on sale around hunting season, too.

I used to hunt with a guy who had 2 huge heads mounted in his office. One was a moose and the other - just as large - was an elk. He had the bullet that he had shot the elk with in a little plastic bottle. It was the only core lokt bullet he ever recovered, and it had entered the elk's left rear hip on a quartering away shot and traveled diagonally up through the right lung and was found just under the hide on the right front shoulder. Both the left rear hip and right front leg were broken. The elk was dead by the time they walked up there... about an 80 yard shot.

I took the bullet home one afternoon to weigh it for Grover and was suprised to see that the 180 grain core lokt still weighed 160 grains. That's about 88% weight retention on a round that broke bones and penetrated a goodly amount. Textbook performance.

Using the Core-lokts on deer and hogs I go with a heavier bullet than I normally would to ensure that I don't blow the bullet up when taking a close range shot. Instead of going with 150gr I go with 165, and I
don't think a 180 in this bullet would be a bad choice either. I haven't had problems with 150gr Winchester Power Points blowing up at close range in my 20" LTR 308 Win, but Core-Lokts in a 24" barrel 30-06 in the 150gr weight tend to blow up and do not exit the hogs I've shot at up to 100 yards. Now each hog dropped on the spot so they are plenty, but I have a preference for my rounds to exit when taking a broad side shot.

[Zombie Steve]

Originally Posted by PrecisionRifleman

Using the Core-lokts on deer and hogs I go with a heavier bullet than I normally would to ensure that I don't blow the bullet up when taking a close range shot. Instead of going with 150gr I go with 165, and I
don't think a 180 in this bullet would be a bad choice either. I haven't had problems with 150gr Winchester Power Points blowing up at close range in my 20" LTR 308 Win, but Core-Lokts in a 24" barrel 30-06 in the 150gr weight tend to blow up and do not exit the hogs I've shot at up to 100 yards. Now each hog dropped on the spot so they are plenty, but I have a preference for my rounds to exit when taking a broad side shot.

Agree wholeheartedly. That's why I don't like the ballistic silvertips. Not a particularly sturdy bullet construction. I've seen them knock the crap out of a muley, so I'd be lying if I said they "failed", but I'd rather get a little more penetration, which is why I like the Speer Grand Slams. Half dollar sized exit wound, and some balls to spare.

Years ago the Hornady manual used to list the purpose of the A-max bullet as target / hunting. Now they just show its purpose as target. Had a friend shoot a mule deer with a 168 A-max at about 50 yards. It pretty much behaved like a varmint bullet - just exploded. Again, dead deer, so it was a success, but it just destroyed the animal. Not pretty (although it was easy to track ).

[SCmasterblaster]

Originally Posted by Zombie Steve

Agree wholeheartedly. That's why I don't like the ballistic silvertips. Not a particularly sturdy bullet construction. I've seen them knock the crap out of a muley, so I'd be lying if I said they "failed", but I'd rather get a little more penetration, which is why I like the Speer Grand Slams. Half dollar sized exit wound, and some balls to spare.

Years ago the Hornady manual used to list the purpose of the A-max bullet as target / hunting. Now they just show its purpose as target. Had a friend shoot a mule deer with a 168 A-max at about 50 yards. It pretty much behaved like a varmint bullet - just exploded. Again, dead deer, so it was a success, but it just destroyed the animal. Not pretty (although it was easy to track ).

You really know your ammo well, don't you ZS?

[PrecisionRifleman]

Originally Posted by Zombie Steve

Agree wholeheartedly. That's why I don't like the ballistic silvertips. Not a particularly sturdy bullet construction. I've seen them knock the crap out of a muley, so I'd be lying if I said they "failed", but I'd rather get a little more penetration, which is why I like the Speer Grand Slams. Half dollar sized exit wound, and some balls to spare.

Years ago the Hornady manual used to list the purpose of the A-max bullet as target / hunting. Now they just show its purpose as target. Had a friend shoot a mule deer with a 168 A-max at about 50 yards. It pretty much behaved like a varmint bullet - just exploded. Again, dead deer, so it was a success, but it just destroyed the animal. Not pretty (although it was easy to track ).

I haven't tried the Speer Grand Slams, but I do really like their 165gr BTSP loaded with a compressed load of RE15. I get excellent accuracy with this load, and it's moving along pretty well in my 20" barrel (2675fps). Speer makes very good bullets.