30.06 and NOE 165 RD w/GC

[Friends call me Pac]

I plan to hunt with this combo this year. I've been shooting the NOE 202 gr RN at targets all year but was thinking the bigger metplat of this bullet would do a better job. No experience with that, just going on a lot of reading from here.

I have the 165 gr round loaded with 23.5 gr of 2400. I shot 5 rounds through a cronograph and the average speed is 1850 fps. Leading is not a problem and I'm getting a group that is slightly less than 2" at 100 yards. Should be minute of deer for sure. At 200 yards it drops pretty fast. I was hitting about 2 feet low but I found out if I hold the top of the bottom reticule post dead on a 200 I am getting a 4" group in and about the 2" bull'seye. Where I hunt is mainly wooded so 100 yards is normally a long shot. Less than 50 yards is more of the norm.

I've been shooting straight WW at paper but have made hunting rounds with the top part of the bullet being made of pure lead fused to a ww shank. I have also read about using a 50/50 mix of ww and pure lead. Anyone have any thoughts on which may be better or what has actually worked for you?

[JeffinNZ]

That is a brilliant combination of velocity, nose design and alloy. Good luck.

[jmort]

"That is a brilliant combination of velocity, nose design and alloy"

It sure do. I would just add 2 to 3% tin to the COWWs.

[Wolfer]

What you have will work just fine.
In my 30-06 I use 20 gr of 2400 and the 311-041 with a small HP. Cast pretty soft at about 50/50. They run right at 1800 fps.
I like the HP but judging by the wound channels it's probably not needed.
I have mine lined up 6" low at 200 that puts it a couple inches high at 100 and dead on at about 40 yds. Where I hunt 60 yds is a long shot.

In my 3 rifles this load is very pleasant to shoot, quite accurate and very deadly. I've shot around 10 deer and coyotes with it and none needed a second shot.

[Friends call me Pac]

Does the 50/50 lead & ww mushroom any or does it basically poke a hole about the size of the metplate?

[rking22]

I shoot that bullet out of a 30 Remington at 1750,50:50 Lyman #2 and plain. It kills very well at the 40 to 60 yards I have used it. Leaves a damaged tissue area about 2 inches in dia thru the lungs and liver. Much lager than the meplat dia but don't know if expansion happens. Always (so far) get an exit hole and a very short blood trail. So far 2 drop at the shot and one went about 40 yards and tipped over. Hit ribs going in on 2 of the 3.

[jhalcott]

Some guys get to anal with alloys and such. IF the bullet plows thru 14 to 20 inches of wetpack (wet newspapers or phone books) . Leaves a nice expanded bullet at the end of the "wound" channel, you're good to go! Of course it MUST hit with in the target area at the farthest range you will shoot! I do like those "soft point" bullets on game. The 50/50 lead/ ww alloy does ok, but I use straight ACWW most of the time. "soft pointing" with pure just makes them MORE better! You should only NEED a handful of soft nose's for a hunting season. The all WW bullets will fly just as accurately as the soft nose and can be used as practice loads in the off season!

[richhodg66]

The Ranchdog bullet you're using worked real well on this guy at about that velocity. I'm guessing the range was about 60 yards. I must try this bullet in my '06 with 2400, that sounds like a winning combo.
Attachment 114804

[AlaskanGuy]

I have been using a custom NOE 311299 that the awesome folks at NOE made me.... It is a hollow pointed version that I will be using on moose out of my smith and wesson 30-06... Looks like this... And weighs in a tad below 200 grains... Been experimenting with it at the range for the last month, and it sure flies straight... Nelson helped me with the design change and included a small hp pin set and a large set.... Nelson is a master.... If you get one, tell Nelson AlaskanGuy sent ya...



AG

[milkman]

I haven't used the 30 cal. RD much but I used the RD 35-190 soft pointed for several years with great success. It would shed the nose when a large bone was hit but the shank would continue to penetrate and always exited the far side. I took probably 8 or 10 deer with that bullet. I then discovered that the large meplat with a hard #2 lyman clone alloy worked just as well dropping the deer and destroyed less tissue. I am now using the 50/50 alloy that you are using. I think you are good to go.