30.06 Round For Whitetails

150's, heck even 130 gr bullets are plenty for whitetails in a 30-06. But use the bullet that shoots best in your rifle. 180's are definately heavier than needed, but that is what I'd use if they shot best in my rifle.

passed right through,didn't open up.research time

http://search.aol.com/aol/search?query=3006+bullets+for+white+tail+deer&s_it=keyword_rollover

The deer that was double lunged and especially if shot a bit high on the ribcage, that only runs 40 yards will be likely not bleed much anyway. Now I know everybody has a story about ... that bled from the first step.

What most do not realize is that most of the blood trail blood from a deer shot in the lungs, especially double lung, comes from the nose. In the time it takes a deer to run 40 yards there is not enough time for much blood to make its way up the trachea in the few breaths taken in those 40 yards.

Now I suppose that had these deer run farther you would have had a very easy blood trail.

BUT What more can you expect out of a bullet? You're 2 for 2 and by your estimation they only ran 30-40 yards! That sounds like a successful hunt x 2!!!

Barnes TSX in whatever weight your rifle will shoot the best. I use 130 grain in my 30/06 and they seldom go far enough that any tracking is needed but they do leave a very definate trail.
If your gun wont shoot the Barnes consistantly and some wont try 150 grain Remington Corelocts. All of my 30cal rifles like them and they do a fine job on whitetails the cost is far less than the TSX as well.
There are lots of good 30 cal bullets on the market but these are the ones I have the most experience with good hunting and stay safe.
T

I try to hit them front of the shoulder, neck area, with a core lockt. They generally go right down with massive shock and no pass through. Does however damage a bit of meat and splinter some bones, but no tracking. 180's work well, but 150's will do the job as well.

im a big fan of the 165 grain nosler ballistic tips. i switched to them a few years ago and havent looked back. i do still have a bunch of 165 grain interlocks that i used to shoot as well. but like everyone has said...pick what shoots best in your gun.

gjo446, you got the wrong idea! The idea is not to have them leave a blood trail but to knock them flat with the impact of the bullet. To do that you need a bullet that will expend itself inside the deer and not waste energy on the far hillside. My choice is a Speer 165 grain boattail loaded with 57 grains of IMR 4350. Instead of shooting for the lungs the perfect shot is the point of the front shoulder or just a little higher. You'll hear a big whap and the deer will be on the ground. No tracking necessary. Even if you hit the lungs they won't go far. BW

What most do not realize is that most of the blood trail blood from a deer shot in the lungs, especially double lung, comes from the nose. In the time it takes a deer to run 40 yards there is not enough time for much blood to make its way up the trachea in the few breaths taken in those 40 yards.

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Uhhhhh Not. Every deer I have EVER shot double lung with bow or rifle bled from both sides AND the nose. Now granted, you are correct in saying that, for the most part, it does take a bit to get the blood and 20 yards is usually covered in just a second or 2. But again, EVERY single deer I have double lunged, I have gotten 3 distinct trails, one on left, one on right, and one in the middle. It's actually the main reason I always go for a double lung shot with archery equipment.

OP, unless your rifle will shoot nothing smaller, 180gr is actually way more than needed for white tail. And with a double lung shot, you are hitting very little bone so it's not likely to open up your bullet on impact. Just punches through. Personally, if you don't reload, I would recommend the 150gr Corelokts as well. Standard cup and core bullets like them have been successfully dropping deer for many many years.

I haven't shot them in .30-06, but in my experience Hornady SSTs expand very well. I've shot several deer and a couple of antelope with them out of my .270, and have had a good experience every time.

I've never used the Nosler ballistic tips recommended above, but I think they perform similar to the SSTs.

My experience is that most any 150-grain bullet that allows decent groups will ruin Bambi's day about as good as any other.

Hornadys, Sierras, Bronze Points; they all work. From reports here on the Internet, bunches of folks are quite happy with the Rem CoreLokts.

I agree with everyone else.

You are using too heavy, tough, and slow a bullet for lung shot whitetail deer.

Try a 150 grain, like a Remington Core-Lokt.
You will get 200-300 FPS higher velocity at typical ranges, and the extra speed, coupled with a lighter constructed bullet will leave a blood trail when it comes out the back side!

rc

gjo446 said:

Hello Everyone! I am new to this and hope that Iam in the right place.

I shot two deer this year with a 30.06 rifle using a Winchester 180gr SP. Both deer were double lunged and and only went 30-40 yards. There was no blood trail and two small holes.

My question to all of you, because I like the 180gr but open to suggestions. Is there a bullet out there that will open the deer and make a bigger hole and will provide a blood trail?

Thank you all!

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If the 180 grain bullet shoots good in your rifle, drop the spear point & go with a round nose or a hollow point.........

For many years I used the 180 gr. Remington Core-Lokt round nose over 46 grains of 4064 in the .30-'06 with great success.
This bullet has not been available to reloaders for quite some time but the pointed version performs well also.

150gr soft point is more than what you need.

gjo446, you got the wrong idea! The idea is not to have them leave a blood trail but to knock them flat with the impact of the bullet.

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Agreed best case senario, For years I used the SUPER-X Winchesters and they have served well. Bullet technology has improved since then and I find myself trying other bullet types also. You may want to try Winchesters 150, 168, or 180gr. "Ballistic Silvertips" I have not tried the "POWER MAX" bullets yet also from Winchester, but I have used the Black Hills "GOLD" in .270 Win. using the Barnes TSX bullets and they also do just fine. ---sometimes bullets just have a mind of their own and do what they want when they want, regardless of what you think it should have done!

was always a fan of nosler partitions and silver ballistic tips until I started shooting the 30-06 and cannot afford to spend as much. These more expensive rounds are still my favorite in the .243. Rem CoreLokts are super inexpensive and so far the deer I've shot with 165's have left large exits, especially when hitting bone. Since I've switched to Remingtons I've shot 5 deer. 2 dropped right there, 2 died where I could see, and one left a blood trail like a brick road for about 50 yards where it piled up. I know guys who shoot 150's and 180's winchester, remington, federal, and fusion without any issue. The only reason I chose 165's is because I saw them in the store and wanted to try them.

The best compromise is 165 gr . Oh well dead is dead be it the low or higher gr bullet. A .22 bullet can even take out a deer at the right spot.

Nosler Ballistic Tip in whatever grain you prefer. I love em in 150 grain myself. Never had a deer go far with one and massive exit wounds. Don't hit the shoulder however, or you won't eat the offside one.

165/168 grain bullets are my choice for deer...specifically Nosler Ballistic Tips (they offer both weights....I use 168's)

They expand quickly, but do not shatter....penetration is always through and through....leaving a blood trail a blind man could follow IF they go anywhere. (they usually don't go anywhere except down)

I load 150 grain Ballistic tips for my .308s for mulies. My wife and I have shot 7 deer in 7 shots the last 4 years, she didn't hunt one of those years or it would be 8 for 8.

The distance the deer ran from a double lung hit with a 180 is normal.

I would use 150 gr bullets on deer. John Barsness reports that the Berger VLD bullets stop deer the fastest of any. That mono bullets like the Barnes X's are slower to kill.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...ue/Re_Mule_Deer_can_you_tell_me_a#Post4775412

I'd drop down to a 150 or 165 grain bullet. There are a lot of good lead tipped cup and core style bullets in those weight ranges. Hornady interlocks, Remington Cor-Lokts, Federal Fusions, etc, etc. Whatever your particular rifle likes best. 150 grain bullets like those should open up a little more on deer sized animals and give you a bigger wound channel than the 180 grain bullets. They might also give you more dead right there kills but a 40 to 60 yard death dash is the norm no matter what you use. And in my personal opinion the expensive premium bullets are not necessary for deer from a 30-06.

I also loaded 50 rounds of 308 using 125 Gr. Ballistic tips, thinking that the lower recoil would allow my wife to shoot better. I did not have good luck with accuracy in any of my 4 308 rifles. 3 inch groups seemed to be the norm.