Grain weight for .30-06 and Deer

[usmarine0352_2005]

.

I'm deer hunting with my new deer rifle in .30-06 and want to use Winchester Powermax bullets.


They sell them in 150gr. and 180gr.






However, no one seems to have the 180gr ones in stock. I'm hunting larger bodied deer in Minnesota.



Will 150gr. be enough?

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[HOOfan_1]

unless the deer have found a way to crossbreed with moose, yeah. 150 grains is more than enough

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

unless the deer have found a way to crossbreed with moose, yeah. 150 grains is more than enough

Do you need 180gr. for elk and moose?

.

 

[bpl]

180gr would be preferred for elk or moose by most. 150gr is plenty for any deer. I like 165gr in the 30-06 myself though.

 

[interlock]

150 gr is perfectly sufficient for deer. i use 165gr because i think that is the optimum for .30-06

 

[natman]

The 150 grain looks like an excellent deer load. Save the 180s for elk and moose.

 

[Smith357]

I use 165 in my 06, but that's because it's what the rifle likes, in my particular rifle the 150s give me a 2 inch group at 100 whereas the 165s are right at 1moa.

 

[Nautilus]

I use 180gr only because my rifle seems to prefer them. The 180's & 150's are normally the same price and both will be more than effective on deer so I would buy a box of both and see which one your rifle shoots better.

 

[ElPasoWrangler]

I standardized on Federal 180 45 years ago and nothing I have shot since ever complained about it being too big. They just all fall over dead once shot. Now 215 grain bullets would be for bears.

 

[NCsmitty]

That ammo, using a bonded bullet, will take the worry out of being close. Some of the lighter jacket, non-bonded 150gr bullets offered, can fragment at close range with '06 velocities.

I would feel confident using the PowerMax ammo on any of the game mentioned.

It's always about proper bullet construction for the game being hunted.

Hopefully, that ammo will prove accurate in your firearm.



NCsmitty

 

[JShirley]

Yes, what NCSmitty said. Old school SPs at close range, the heavier bullet would be preferable. Bonded? Either.

John

 

[Art Eatman]

My father used 150-grain Hornady bullets, loaded to GI specs. That worked for somewhere over a hundred deer over a forty or so year period. A fair number field dressed around 200 pounds. In front of witnesses, kills to around 500 yards (his "ego thing").

 

[HKGuns]

150

 

[Geno]

I like the 165 grain, spire point, boattail projectile, and loaded to 3,100 FPS. The energy rivals the .300 Win Mag to 500 yards. The higher ballistic coefficient assures retained energy over a 150 grain in distances of 300 to 500 yards. Since I hunt the bean fields, I am pretty much assured of shots in exactly that distance. At closer ranges, say 50 yards to 100 yards, select a 165 grain projectile that is designed to remain intact during penetration.

Geno

 

[300grains]

150gr is enough, but still I would prefer to use 180 gr.

 

[jmr40]

Use the one that's most accurate in your rifle. The 150's are enough, but my 30-06 rifles seem to shoot 165's more accurately than any other weight. The 180's wouldn't be too much as long as they shoot well in your gun.

 

[Arizonagunrunner]

Save the 180's for the big stuff. The 150's are more then plenty to down a deer. I would use the Remington Core Lokts myself. Tried and true. Out to 300 yards...... They will drop a deer like swatting a fly.
No need fort the fancy stuff. All you will be doing is throwing away good money.

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

Save the 180's for the big stuff. The 150's are more then plenty to down a deer. I would use the Remington Core Lokts myself. Tried and true. Out to 300 yards...... They will drop a deer like swatting a fly.
No need fort the fancy stuff. All you will be doing is throwing away good money.

When I went to Gander they were all out of the Powermax's, in fact it looks like they don't even carry them anymore.


I ended up getting Remington Core Lokts in 180gr. and just saw your post. I actually just read all of the posts after I bought my ammo.


I was wondering if the Remington Core Lokts were any good.

.

 

[JShirley]

My buddy Byron Quick stopped using .300 Mag 150-grain Core-Lokts after seeing the mess they made of deer at closer distances. A little higher velocity than .30-06, but, fwiw.

John

 

[smartshot]

open country-150, woods/timber-180, get the most wallop for your caliber at the desired yardage

 

[bpl]

stopped using 150-grain Core-Lokts after seeing the mess they made of deer at closer distances. A little higher velocity than .30-06, but, fwiw.

300 Win Mag? Yeh, the Corelokts are not designed for the hypervelocity short range impacts, especially the lighter ones. My buddy had the same problem with his 7mm rem mag.

 

[Water-Man]

150gr. is more than enough.

 

[Coal Dragger]

A good 150gr bullet is more than enough for deer, in fact a .30 caliber 150gr bullet with bonded core construction or something along the lines of a Barnes expanding copper solid will do for elk, moose, and black bear.

 

[USSR]

Deer aren't tough to kill, so a particular weight of bullet isn't all that important. I use the Hornady 178gr Amax bullet.

Don

 

[NCsmitty]

I ended up getting Remington Core Lokts in 180gr.

I was wondering if the Remington Core Lokts were any good.

180gr Core-lokt's will absolutely do the job, as long as your rifle likes them.



NCsmitty