What is best bullet for 30-06 deer hunt?

I agree on the 180 grain bullets at the sweet spot. loading manuals usually have that grain making the most energy. I have not experimented for years but am very happy with the Nosler partition protected point for anything I use an 06 on. However I will admit to making a few 110 grain HP's for fun on prairie dog and such, though not my usual weapon for such dangerous game :rofl:
 
Odessit86 said:
Thank you , yeah I am a beginer and I herd that some bullets type not good enugh on deer.
I bought some ammo on auction..

1 box Nosler Trophy Grade 180gr
2x box Core lokt 150gr
4x box Core lokt 180gr
1x Winchester PowerMax bonded 150gr
1x Federal vital shock 165 gr
Will try them how my rifle perform..
But according to you guys 180gr seems overkill in short ranger ..like Trophy Grade etc..
Any expirience with some ammo that I listed ?
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Any of those will work. Shoot what your gun likes.
 
Just about anything out of a 30-06 will kill a deer. Be aware, though, that bullets that are designed for rapid expansion (such as the Nosler ballistic tip), if used at close range, may cause so much damage to the deer that part of it is too mangled to keep. I've stopped using BTs for that reason.

I think the basic, entry-level cartridges like Remington Core-Lokt or Federal are hard to beat for those who don't handload. But, as others have suggested here, just find what shoots well for you out of your gun, and use it. Deer aren't hard to kill if you shoot them in the lungs.
 
DM~ said:
Of all the different weight bullets we have used out of a 30-06 on deer, 165 grain gave the best expansion with decent penetration.

150's sometimes expand too fast and 180's sometimes don't expand enough, and 165's cure both of those problems at 30-06 velocities.

For deer, I don't worry about the brand of ammo too much.

DM
Click to expand...

165 gr. also seems to be a velocity/B.C. sweet-spot for the cartridge, if shots might be on the longer side
.38 Special said:
I think personal preference really plays into that. Some folks like "light and fast", hoping for more bangflops and less tracking. Other folks worry about total failure and prefer the predictability of "heavy and slow", even if they have to do more walking after the shot.

Also, I once saw a 168 totally come apart and require several follow-up shots. :neener:
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Once saw a 168 gr. TSX from a .30-06 blow a silver dollar sized hole through both shoulders of a near 400 lb. hog, and exit.

Would use that round on anything in North America.
 
Savage30L said:
Just about anything out of a 30-06 will kill a deer. Be aware, though, that bullets that are designed for rapid expansion (such as the Nosler ballistic tip), if used at close range, may cause so much damage to the deer that part of it is too mangled to keep. I've stopped using BTs for that reason.

I think the basic, entry-level cartridges like Remington Core-Lokt or Federal are hard to beat for those who don't handload. But, as others have suggested here, just find what shoots well for you out of your gun, and use it. Deer aren't hard to kill if you shoot them in the lungs.
Click to expand...
I've had the same problem using the sst, had a few deer you couldn't eat from the neck to more then half way down the back.
 
Gun-Reck said:
165 gr. also seems to be a velocity/B.C. sweet-spot for the cartridge, if shots might be on the longer side


Once saw a 168 gr. TSX from a .30-06 blow a silver dollar sized hole through both shoulders of a near 400 lb. hog, and exit.

Would use that round on anything in North America.
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The solid copper bullets change the plan entirely. If a fellow can afford them - and has a rifle that manages them reasonably well - then there is hardly anything he cannot accomplish.
 
Odessit86 said:
But according to you guys 180gr seems overkill in short ranger ..like Trophy Grade etc..
Any expirience with some ammo that I listed ?
Click to expand...
I've use to shoot the top four ammo types before reloading. For a while Core-Lokts were available for reloading. Since then I've been reloading 165 grain Hornady Soft Point Boat Tail bullets which is a good alternative to what you have. Don't get me wrong. Try the ammo you have and use the tightest group that your rifle likes. My older brother still uses 180 grain Core-Lokt in any situation or distance. I like my reloads, because I feel they are more versatile. Some say To-mat-toes and I say Tomatoes. Core-Lokts were first made commerically in 1933 and they are still considered in the top 3 cartridges bought last year for hunting. All the ammo you have is good. but your gun will decide which is the best. Site in at a 100 yards. Jack O'Connor, a famous hunting writer said to site your gun in 3 inches high at a 100 yards which will allow you to easily shoot out to 200 yards being just an inch low. You will never notice the difference and yet it will give you a long distance in which to shoot without compensating for distance. After you pick the ammo you want, just run a dry patch down the barrel. NO OIL or SOLVENT! And you will be ready to go. Good Luck.
 
Hello and welcome to deer hunting.

I have a separate thread about an unexpected bullet failure out of a .308 on a hard angle through a whitetails shoulder, very similar to .30-06 in most factory loads. I don’t think the bullet weight or construction on any factory loaded hunting ammo is a bad choice for deer if you are patient and pick your shots. If you aren’t or are planning a hunting style such as tracking or shooting driven deer where you have to be prepared take less than optimal shots having a heavish, copper monolithic (like Barnes) or “premium” bonded lead bullet may save you some heart burn and the embarrassment of coming back here to confess your failures.

That last bit was a joke, but being a new deer hunter a bad experience with an early kill can leave a bad taste in your mouth about the whole process. The, by far, best option for you is to figure out which of those loads your rifle shoots the best, be patient, and wait for a good shot at the low, forward vitals right behind the near front leg. If you do and send a good shot, it won’t matter which of those you used. If need to be more versatile with your shot selection, try to find a fancy bullet out of a premium factory load that your gun likes.

Good luck!
 
I shot a doe this morning, the pic is over on the 2023 Hunting Pictures thread. This was the first deer I've killed with one of my handloads....in this case, a 165-grain Swift Scirocco II, and H414 powder; I can't remember the powder charge. The range was only about 30 yards, but she was moving through thick timber, and wouldn't stop, so I had to take a snap shot. I hit her a little higher than I intended, just above and behind the right shoulder, and just below the spine. The entrance would is nearly too small to find, but the exit wound was massive. The bullet exited out the left front shoulder and that leg is totally mangled; I had to toss it out with the guts and hide. Somehow I did not damage any of the internal organs. The deer ran about 50 yards and collapsed but took a while to expire.

My buddy, who owns the land, took one look at the exit wound and said, "You're loadin' 'em too hot". But I did not load the the maximum published load for that powder....I do remember that much.

I think next deer I shoot, I'll use a shotgun and a slug, in hopes of causing less damage to the carcass.
 
Savage30L said:
I shot a doe this morning, the pic is over on the 2023 Hunting Pictures thread. This was the first deer I've killed with one of my handloads....in this case, a 165-grain Swift Scirocco II, and H414 powder; I can't remember the powder charge. The range was only about 30 yards, but she was moving through thick timber, and wouldn't stop, so I had to take a snap shot. I hit her a little higher than I intended, just above and behind the right shoulder, and just below the spine. The entrance would is nearly too small to find, but the exit wound was massive. The bullet exited out the left front shoulder and that leg is totally mangled; I had to toss it out with the guts and hide. Somehow I did not damage any of the internal organs. The deer ran about 50 yards and collapsed but took a while to expire.

My buddy, who owns the land, took one look at the exit wound and said, "You're loadin' 'em too hot". But I did not load the the maximum published load for that powder....I do remember that much.

I think next deer I shoot, I'll use a shotgun and a slug, in hopes of causing less damage to the carcass.
Click to expand...
Congratulations on your deer!

30-06, which I love, is big medicine for deer. At 30 yards, that bullet impacted in the 2700 -2750 fps range, or thereabouts. Thank heavens you loaded a tough, premium bullet that didn’t explode on impact. If 30 yards is going to be a typical shot, shotgun and slugs are a good call.
 
Roverguy said:
Congratulations on your deer!

30-06, which I love, is big medicine for deer. At 30 yards, that bullet impacted in the 2700 -2750 fps range, or thereabouts. Thank heavens you loaded a tough, premium bullet that didn’t explode on impact. If 30 yards is going to be a typical shot, shotgun and slugs are a good call.
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Where I hunt, the vegetation is so thick (I need to post some photos some time), that 30 yards is about maximum possible range.
 
I handloaded 165 Partitions for my .30-06 Remington 742 Carbine. Dad's 150 gr. loads for his 700 weren't all that accurate out of it, but after a lot of research, I came up with a 165 gr. load that accomplished my goals; low muzzle velocity, like Ks5shooter's load, as 742s will beat their insides apart with too much power or too many rounds, accuracy- this load was actually more accurate than dad's 150 gr. Partition load from his bolt gun, and efficient, because dad's rounds out of the 18" barrel of the 742 Carbine burnt at good portion of the powder past the muzzle. No fireball from this load:
47.0 gr. IMR 3031
165 Nosler Partition - Ballistic Tips were used for work up loads, they would also be a good bullet choice.
CCI larger rifle primer

Every bullet I recovered from deer killed with this load looked like the Nosler ads- perfect mushroom. The load was developed for deer in mixed woods out to 100 yards.
 
Last edited:
You are correct. I accidentally left out the dash - that was supposed to go between "... Partition - Ballistic Tips..."

Good catch.
I corrected it.
 
I have had good luck with 150 and 165 grain factory loads. My AV loved regular Federal Blue box 150's and Federals 165 grain load with Sierra bullet.
 
I've shot an '06 for many years now, and for me the 150 grain bullet is just "right" for our Ozark deer. If I were going to hunt larger whitetail, mule deer, or elk, I think I would go up to a 165 or 180 grain bullet. When I first started using it, it was with factory Remington 150 and 180 Core-Lokts, both of which were very effective on our smaller deer. When I started reloading, I came up with a load that I consider to be somewhat milder than the factory offerings. My handload is pretty simple; a 150 grain Remington Bronze Point over a 48 grain charge of H4895 and primed with Federal 210's. So far, they've been very accurate and effective. Shot a doe last Saturday with that load, she was at 50 yards looking over her shoulder at me. Being as how she was standing on the edge of a 100' drop-off, I opted to shoot her in the neck; the bullet took her in the back of the neck, exited through the white patch under her throat, and blew an exit wound that both my fists would fit in. I've had similar results at ranges out to 300 yards. Haven't tried them any farther than that, since I really don't like shooting any further than that for fear of making a poor shot.

Mac
 
bigpower491 said:
Agreed
Winchester Power Points, Remington Core Lokt, Federal High Shok......any of those are more than adequate
I also am a fan of heavier bullets in the 30s.
As far as handload, I've had fantastic results with Speer Hot Cor and Hornady SST, always a 180 in 06. I get better accuracy and of course, better knockdown power
Click to expand...

I also find better accuracy with a 180 gr., FWIW mine is a Sake also like the OP has. The one time I've used it I was impressed with the Scirocco bonded bullet, at 200 yards it blew out the top of an elk's heart and broke the far shoulder.
 
Savage30L said:
Where I hunt, the vegetation is so thick (I need to post some photos some time), that 30 yards is about maximum possible range.
Click to expand...
If you like your 06, there's no reason to retire it, just run slower loads, you can go up in bullet weight, or down in powder, hodgdon reduced loads with h4895 and a 125 prohunter, 150 lots o stuff, 165 lots o stuff, or 180 lots o stuff would be a whole different critter, if staying with h414, jump up to a 200 gr at 2500ish, and again, you'll see a much different result, sierra or Speer make a good 200 gr pill for your uses, but I wouldn't rule out comparing with barnes and hornady too. Now if you REALLY wanna just grab the shotgun, no disparagement here either, if legal, a good handgun might be fun too, but you're handloading, no reason not to enjoy the versatility 😉.
 
I like ballistic tips. They just look cool and work. Lol. Ive never yet lost a deer with everything from 55 GR vmax in 223 (poor choice but a good shot and its fine) up to the nosler hunting ballistic tips in 257 Robert's, 7mm RUM and 300 Mag. Same for the sst from Hornady. The nosler hunting ballistic tip in 180 gr is. 507 BC too.

For your small deer any .308 from a 30-06 is fine. Deer aren't moose. They take very little from a high powered rifle.
 
Bronco72 said:
I agree on the 180 grain bullets at the sweet spot. loading manuals usually have that grain making the most energy. I have not experimented for years but am very happy with the Nosler partition protected point for anything I use an 06 on. However I will admit to making a few 110 grain HP's for fun on prairie dog and such, though not my usual weapon for such dangerous game :rofl:
Click to expand...


I've "tested" my 300 mag, 7 RUM, 257 WBY, and 338 Lapua on such beasts as groundhog too. At times I kind of wish we had pdogs. Then I hit a groundhog hole and break 15 teeth off the hay rake and I guess I'm happy we don't have anything else to be an issue

Usually I use 223
 
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