125gr 30-06 load?

[Kachok]

A very good friend of mine has been using 125gr 30-06 loads for deer hunting for years but his friend that loaded them for him for those years has passed away He asked me if I could load him up some 125gr bullets for hunting season but I have never loaded any that light so I don't know where to start. I know he wants soft points but he is unsure of what brand they were, I am thinking of loading him some 125gr Serria Pro hunters, what powders would you use for a bullet that light? Has anyone ever tried these featherweight for deer before? He swears he had no issue with penetration, in fact he has had two double kills with them!

 

[rcmodel]

Pick a load manual.

Sierra bullets = Sierra load manual.

Or Lyman #49, which has data for the Sierra 125 in it too.

53.0 grains IMR-4895 puts them all in the same basic 1" hole out of my old Springfield 03A3 sporter.

Start lower and work up in your friends rifle of course.

rc

 

[T Bran]

I load 110 grain with H4895 for nice low recoil ammo in 30-06 but I substituted for a 125 from hodegons data so check their online data.
Luck

 

[ssyoumans]

The Sierra 125gr SP's are pretty popular for "reduced/managed recoil" rounds. Remington loads their's to 2650 fps, 1964 ft-lbs.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/16...gfield-125-grain-core-lokt-pointed-soft-point

I've duplicated the load using 49.0 gr of Varget, CCI LR primers out of my M1 Garand.
If you want to go a full charged load, Hodgdon lists their load data as 54.0 (3159 fps) - 57.2gr (3267 fps) of Varget. I don't usually go below start loads, but a few guys over on thecmp forum were using it. I've also loaded up some with 49-50gr of W748 with Mag primers. I think any of the mid-speed 30-06 powders like these would work well, also, check out H4895. So many powder choices, what do you already have?
Check out data.hodgdon.com

 

[Kachok]

I cannot do the low recoil loads since his 30-06 is a semi auto (old Remington 742), I am pretty sure that would interfere with it's cycling.

 

[Slamfire]

I cannot do the low recoil loads since his 30-06 is a semi auto (old Remington 742), I am pretty sure that would interfere with it's cycling.

I doubt that as I have shot 125's out of 30-06 gas guns.


I loaded IMR 4064 and got velocities above 3000 fps. Everyone thinks the 130 grain in a 270 is the Cat's Meow, there is no reason why a 125 going 3000 fps in a 30-06 should not do as well.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

before i started handloading, i had very good luck on deer with the 125 gr "low recoil" core-lokt. i was shooting a bolt gun, but i shot the ones i had leftover in my wife's BAR and they cycled it fine.

couldn't tell a difference in recoil, i just liked the trajectory.

 

[Heavy-D]

I get sub-MOA performance from 125 grain Nosler ballistic tip bullets over 55.5grains of Varget. This is out of a Remington 700 BDL. Absolutely devastating to the white-tail.

 

[MtnCreek]

Has anyone ever tried these featherweight for deer before?

125gr Nosler BT @ ~3600fps in 300wm. It was a 'bang-flop' shot to the neck. Judging by the damage it caused (3” to 4” of remaining hide was all that kept it from being a decapitation) , I will not use that bullet again for deer. I can't say for sure, but I doubt it would have made it through the shoulder if that's where I would have put it. IMHO, save the feather weights for the yotes and crows.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Can't you load a 110 to like 4000? That'd probably blow a big ol hole in a deer..


j/k

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

my manuals show max loads giving you a top end around 3400.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Well there you go then.

 

[Mykey]

When i was shooting a 30.06 all i ever shot in it was the lighter weight bullets. I killed countless deer over the years with the Hornady 130gr SP / IMR4064 and the Barnes 130gr TSX / RL15. Both these combinations were very accurate in my rifle and on game performace was excellent. I later worked up a load with the Sierra 125gr Pro Hunter that also showed good accuracy on paper but i never shot a deer with that load and shortly after gave the rifle to my son. The lighter bullets really flattens out the 30.06 and peps up the velocities while reducing a little of the recoil to boot. Here's a pic of the target from the Barnes 130gr TSX load.

 

[westy16925]

I used H-4895 with the 125 gr Sierra Pro Hunter bullets last deer season. Two shots, two dead right there deer. Put them through the boiler room and it destroyed the internal organs and still exited.

 

[TonyT]

I used a light load for target shooting - 48.5 gr. IMR-4895, WLRP, 125 gr. Sierra.

 

[BBDartCA]

I agree IMR4064 is a good way to go. I'm gonna try 3031 against it and see what happens.

Lyman 48th edition says 55.0g of IMR4320 is best with this weight. My Nosler book says RL7 is best. Sierra says 53.1 of Varget is best for accuracy with their bullet #2120.