.30-06 Factory Loads for Whitetails?

[Crazy Coot]

I'm going to do some testing on the range in a few weeks to find a good load for whitetails. I know that each gun handles each load differently, but what all would you recommend I try? What bullet has been a consistant performer for you in the past?

 

[schlockinz]

12 yrs with winchester 150gr power points, only deer that I've ever lost was due to my error in tracking (deer died in heavy briars, I never found a blood trail in the field, and they were too many deer at the time for me to track just prints).

This year I'm switching to 150gr interbond light magnum hornadys. I wanted something that could reach out a little further.

 

[dakotasin]

hornady custom has always been a top performer for me.

 

[woof]

I think it would depend largely on range. At very close range there could be an overpenetration problem on typical size whitetails. So the best load might be a managed recoil 180 gr for 100 yds and under, or if it's 300 yds whatever shoots best at that range in your rifle.

 

[NCsmitty]

165gr Remington Core-lokts have been proven over the decades.


NCsmitty

 

[kendradad]

This kinda goes against the way I normally do things, but................................ I have had tremendous luck with the 150 grain 30-06 Remington Core Lockt el cheapos. Shoot a 15 year old Browning A-bolt, dropped many a whitetail in their tracks.

 

[jamesb]

Winchester Super X 150 or 165 gr powerpoints.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Hornady Custom Light Mag... 165gr SST... used to use the 165gr BTSP untill the SST's came along.

If no light mag desire... then Hornady Custom 165gr SST-

Never shot a deer more than once, never lost one either, had a 'no bleeder' once, high spine shot but it was dead while it slid all the way down the hill into the creek!

 

[sarduy]

180gr PSP Remington

 

[Sunray]

You absolutely must try a box of as many brands and bullet weights as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best. 150's will do nicely for deer, but 165's will kill any game you care to hunt. The .30-06 prefers 165 grain bullets though. Bambi, Yogi or Bullwinkle won't care what bullet kills them. The best accuracy, that doesn't mean one hole groups for hunting(2 or 3 inches at 100 is fine for deer), out of your rifle is essential. You don't need any ammo with the word 'magnum' in it either.

 

[natman]

I've had good luck with 150 grain Winchester Powerpoints, Silvertips and Remington Corelockts. These bullets are designed for deer sized game and they all work well.

 

[Ky Larry]

Any of the soft point bullets from the Big Three (Rem, Win, Fed) will work just fine if you do your part. Just find the one that works best in your rifle. Deer hunting accuracy means being able to hit a target the size of a phone book at the distance you are shooting.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Remington "Core-Lokts" are bullets, not ammo (pretty good bullets). These bullets are loaded both in cheap "Express" ammo (which may shoot well in some rifles), and also in some of their premium ammo (which will shoot well in most rifles). I think you mean to say "Remington Express" ammo - just for clarification.

 

[SquirrelNuts]

150 grain Remington Core-Lokt PSP's are wonderful performers. There is better factory ammo out there, but you don't always get what you pay for, IMO. You can buy the Remington Core-Lokt's at Wal Mart for about $15 (or so) per box of 20. You can buy premium factory ammo for twice as much or more than that. It will perform slightly better, but no where near what the price increase will be. It is a long proven round.

 

[hardluk1]

crazy coot If your gun is a bolt do try the hornady LT mag sst ammo, good for a couple hundred fps extra and a good fairly explosive bullet if shooting at longer ranges. A great bullet for kill'n deer in there tracks as a balistic tip which is also loaded by most companies also now. Deer tend to fall died where they stand after this bullet hits them. Try to find a Barnes x bullet in what ever manufactor you can in a 165 or 150 grain load. Corbon has a 168gr load. Most all have there own X load now. Both the BT and the X would be a premium load.

 

[SquirrelNuts]

crazy coot If your gun is a bolt do try the hornady LT mag sst ammo, good for a couple hundred fps extra and a good fairly explosive bullet. Try to find a barnes x bullet in what ever manufactor you can in a 165 or 150 grain load. Corbon has a 168gr load. Most all have there own X load now.

The Hornady SST and Barnes TSX (x bullet) are wonderful hunting bullets, and very popular in the reloading circles. Black Hills makes factory ammo using the Barnes TSX. Hornady makes their own. It is not going to be cheap though.

 

[TeamRush]

Just my opinion and experience over 40 years of shooting,
But right now, I think Winchester is making the best large game loads for 'Off The Shelf' ammo.

The rifle version of the 'Black Talon' rounds works VERY well, and I took an 800 pound Alaskan Grizzly with a single shot, and I've used them with similar success on about all North American big game, including Hogs, Elk, Moose, Brown Bear, ect.

Accurate, Controlled Expansion, Proper Penetration, Bone Penetration capable, Repeatable Velocities, and available off the shelf at about any gun store...

One thing I like about the XP3 and AccuBond series is they don't shed their jackets.
I've used a BUNCH of rounds that shed jackets and lost mass... Didn't do the penetration/expansion they were supposed to...

One thing you need to remember about Winchester,
It's a AMMUNITION FACTORY FIRST AND FOREMOST...
They make guns under the Winchester nameplate as a side line,

Federal makes a very good target round, but I'm not too crazy about their hunting rounds...

Remington makes FIREARMS as it's primary income stream,
Remington ammo is a side line and an afterthought for them.

 

[NELSONs02]

Just use the best bonded bullet ever constructed - the Swift Scirocco. 150 gr. should do just fine.

Remington has a loading and I think a couple other companies do as well.

The black tip of death I always said.....

 

[hardluk1]

squirrelnuts I did write LT mag for hornady's Lite Mag ammo as also posted. many company's load the x from the factory for the guy that is just a hunter and does not find the need to reload. I bought 6 box's of hornady's heavy mags for a 7mm some years back ,all same lot number . I shoot less than have box a year. Check the gun with 3 rounds and hunt. Takes a hell of a lot of shooting to aford to reload for most of us and the cost between standard and premium ammo for hunting ain't that bad. If prices ever get right agian now that i am into pistol shooting i will reload but still have a couple seasons of ammo left for the rifle. Most of the companies are pay'n barnes for there bullets are even to use a design modified to there own needs like winchester with there steel instert in the base. Hornadys may now be there own but could also still be pay'n barnes too. The original bonded bullet---Barnes X series

 

[shaggy430]

Any of the soft point bullets from the Big Three (Rem, Win, Fed) will work just fine if you do your part.

+1. I have done well with all of these. Shoot what shoots best out of your rifle.

Just use the best bonded bullet ever constructed - the Swift Scirocco. 150 gr. should do just fine.

Way too much for whitetails.

 

[t george]

150 gr rem cor loks up untill i started reloading... always worked good for me

 

[flipajig]

hears my thought (25 years of hunting) shoot what your gun likes and what you have confidence in. Bullets and brands are like ford and chevy whitch one is better. All of your major suplyers are going to say that thers is the best. But think about it you have varmit bullets, tgt bullets and hunting bullets. some will run around 3000fps and some may run around 2700fps. Does The deer,pig, really know whitch bullet or brand killed it. some bullets will perform better than others true. but for the average hunter just about any quality soft pt bullet will do the job fine.

 

[Water-Man]

Remington Core-Lokt

 

[woof]

Enough of this nonsense that deer don't know what bullet they've been shot with. The last deer I shot jumped a foot off the ground and was heard to exclaim, "that felt like a damn core-lokt" before crumbling into a heap. Honest.