I have a couple big game hunts scheduled for the year. I normally handload, but better trust premium factory ammo for the hunt. Reasoning is that time is so precious and the hunts so expensive, I want as much reliability as possible.
This is 30.06. I'm going to use 180g Nosler Partition in one of the Federal products.
Question I have is for range practice, I certainly do not want to burn through a half dozen boxes of $40 ammo! I have a small quantity of these bullets for reloading found at a gun show. But crap the bullets themselves are steep in price. I have a large stash of 180g Sierra SPT. Since both bullets are SPT and their ballistic coefficients similar, is it reasonable to think if I get sighted in and accurate with a handloaded Sierras (with similar MV and ME as the factory loads), I should be OK with the factory ammo? Or would it be better to bite the bullet and just handload with 180g Partition. Plan on shooting about 100 rounds at the range for practice. Prior to heading out on the 1st hunt I'll run a few rounds of factory ammo down the range to make sure the performance is about the same as the handloads.
Caliber Cartridge Mfg. Power Weight Bullet SD MV ME V(100) E(100) V(200) E(200)
0.308 .30-06 Spfd Federal 165 Partition 0.248 2830 2934 2607 2490 2395 2101
0.308 .30-06 Spfd Federal 180 Partition 0.271 2700 2913 2512 2522 2332 2173
0.308 .30-06 Spfd Federal HE 180 Partition 0.271 2880 3314 2685 2881 2498 2494
0.308 .30-06 Spfd Norma 180 Partition 0.271 2700 2913 2497 2492 2303 2119
This is 30.06. I'm going to use 180g Nosler Partition in one of the Federal products.
Question I have is for range practice, I certainly do not want to burn through a half dozen boxes of $40 ammo! I have a small quantity of these bullets for reloading found at a gun show. But crap the bullets themselves are steep in price. I have a large stash of 180g Sierra SPT. Since both bullets are SPT and their ballistic coefficients similar, is it reasonable to think if I get sighted in and accurate with a handloaded Sierras (with similar MV and ME as the factory loads), I should be OK with the factory ammo? Or would it be better to bite the bullet and just handload with 180g Partition. Plan on shooting about 100 rounds at the range for practice. Prior to heading out on the 1st hunt I'll run a few rounds of factory ammo down the range to make sure the performance is about the same as the handloads.
Caliber Cartridge Mfg. Power Weight Bullet SD MV ME V(100) E(100) V(200) E(200)
0.308 .30-06 Spfd Federal 165 Partition 0.248 2830 2934 2607 2490 2395 2101
0.308 .30-06 Spfd Federal 180 Partition 0.271 2700 2913 2512 2522 2332 2173
0.308 .30-06 Spfd Federal HE 180 Partition 0.271 2880 3314 2685 2881 2498 2494
0.308 .30-06 Spfd Norma 180 Partition 0.271 2700 2913 2497 2492 2303 2119