30-06 180gr in a pinch.

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Kachok

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Well I am OUT of my 165gr Game Kings :( and nobody has them in stock. I do have a brand new box of 180gr SGKs but have never loaded them before. I have some H414, H4831, Hunter, Big Game, RL19, RL22, IMR4350, H380 and even an unopened pound of AA3100 (probably the last one anywhere) I should have something I can get these to work with. What are your pet loads with a 180gr?
 
Lyman #49 shows a max load of IMR-4350 as potential most accurate load.

Wouldn't be a bad powder to try first.

rc
 
How many SKG's are in the box?

I've always wondered how people deal with this -- how many bullets do you normally go through working up a load? You have all those powder choices, but do you have enough bullets to do a work up, and still end up with any left to load?
 
I'd probably start with 4350 and RL19 first. both those should give decent velocity and accuracy. I've heard 55 grains of imr4350 and a 180 grain bullet will give 2700+ fps out of a 22" barrel with the 30-06
 
My 180s is a fresh box of a hundred just broke the seal :)
The way I have always done it is three three round batches per powder at progressively higher charges (usualy mid load, one grain under and then max load) so if I want to try 4 powders I will make 12 batches of 3 or 36 bullets. Once I get an idea of what powder a rifle likes changing up bullets in the same weight is usually pretty darn easy. In this case I am changing bullet weight with requires you to pretty much start over.
 
bdgackle said:
How many SKG's are in the box?

I've always wondered how people deal with this -- how many bullets do you normally go through working up a load? You have all those powder choices, but do you have enough bullets to do a work up, and still end up with any left to load?
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Doesn't hurt to work up a load to keep in the books. Might come in handy another day.
 
Yep I already have good 150 and 165gr loads (Nosler max charges of RL19 and IMR 4350 respectively), there is no better time to work up a 180gr then when you cannot get your go to bullets. Oh I do have other 150s and 165s and I don't doubt for a second they will put a pig down, but I am really sold on those Serrias in 30 cal they perform like nothing else I have ever seen, and from what I have read the 180gr SGK is no exception. What sold me on the Game Kings is a friend of mine accidentally gut shot a large deer, normally that would be a long tracking job but the Serria put him down in under 20 yards, the three deer since have all been DRT.
 
Kachok said:
Well I am OUT of my 165gr Game Kings :( and nobody has them in stock. I do have a brand new box of 180gr SGKs but have never loaded them before. I have some H414, H4831, Hunter, Big Game, RL19, RL22, IMR4350, H380 and even an unopened pound of AA3100 (probably the last one anywhere) I should have something I can get these to work with. What are your pet loads with a 180gr?
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The powder you use for your 165gr Sierra loads will work just as well with your 180gr Sierra loads. I use H4350 with 165/168gr Sierra bullets and on the rare occasions I load a 180gr GameKing it's still H4350.
 
Kinna shocked that everyone recommends the same two powders I use for my lighter bullets, normally when I step up in bullet weight I get my best results with slightly slower burning powders, I guess that must be the magic of the 06. I am kinna new to the 30-06, used plenty of 270s, 308s, 7mm Rem Mags, 243s, 6.5x55s...etc before but this has got to be the simplest cartridge there ever was. One powder for any reasonable bullet weight just plug and go. In contrast I don't use the same powders in my 150 and 165gr 308, nor do I in my 120, 130, 140gr 6.5x55, I have tried to but with lackluster results.
 
in my experience with the 30-06 you are correct. slower powder as you go heavier, but the break for me turned out to be between 150 and 165. not 165 and 180. for 150 grain bullets 4064 turned out to give exceptional accuracy. 1.5" groups at 200 yards from a sporter. but for 165 and 180 grain bullets 4350 turned out to be the best powder for accuracy and velocity.
 
180 gr SGK's is all I use. 55.3 grains of IMR 4350 gives me 2700 fps out of my 22" tube. 3.25 OAL. 1/2" groups are the norm.
 
readyeddy said:
180 gr SGK's is all I use. 55.3 grains of IMR 4350 gives me 2700 fps out of my 22" tube. 3.25 OAL. 1/2" groups are the norm.
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That sounds fantastic, what can you tell me about their game performnace? Some say 180gr out of a 30-06 is too slow for reliable expansion, by my balistics calculator the 165 are only faster within 120yds beyond that the 180gr is outrunning it.
 
Back in my early days of hunting the 30-06 was very popular. You could say it was the caliber of choice for big game, especially for elk. The fellers who used them seemed to prefer the 180 gr bullets. I have seen those big heavy bullets bring down a lot of game.

H4831 would work fine too.
 
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180 gr Sierra and 4350, hard to go wrong.
If you have a good '06, you can probably work up a good load with any of those powders. Nosler #4 got best accuracy with AA3100 and highest velocity with RL22.

Some say 180gr out of a 30-06 is too slow
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And some say the 165 is too fragile or doesn't penetrate. The 180 should be good to at least 350 yards or so.
 
Think I am going to do a 4 powder test: 4350, RL19, RL22 and my AA3100. The 4350 and RL19 because so many people say the work great, the RL22 because it can reach the highest possible speeds without going overpressure, and the AA3100 because Nosler thinks it is the most accurate and I might as well use it on something high percentage, not like I can get anymore of it.
 
I've been shooting 180 Grain Remington Core-Loks in my .30-'06's for more years that I care to talk about.
My pet load with this bullet is 46 Grains of BL-C.
Under max of course but the load is very accurate in both my Model 70's and my Savage Edge.
Sadly, the round nose version of the Rem 180 is no longer availabe to reloaders so I now use the PSP version.
 
Can't find a load in my notes for the 180s using RL19 or RL22...RL17 loads are in there. I have used H4831 and IMR4350 with great results.
 
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