Bigger and slower or smaller and faster, 30-06 for deer?

[Blanket]

Funny thing this thread got me thinking about. At the time I started using a 180 grain cast load in the 30-06, My wife and I were just married. Worked at a manufacturing job at night and roofed, plastered and did cement work during the day. My 30-06 was (and I still use it) a 1903 with a cut down C stock and a Weaver K4. I loaded shells with a Redding 7 c frame press and cast on a camp stove. Used a Kake cutter and pan to lube, shot as dropped oversize. Shot everything with that rifle with Unique powder and cast bullets. At that time in my life what I shot meant we had meat to eat after all the bills were paid. Good times

[Friends call me Pac]

I don't have a lot of experience with lead in the 30.06 & deer. I have shot them with lead & the 30.30 & 44 mag. However, this year I did kill a deer with lead in my Rem 700 30.06. I used a NOE 311165rf design. Load was 4895 with dacron filler. Big flat nose on this bullet & it worked very well in my 30.30 so I decided to see how it would do in the 30.06. Here are some pics.

100 yard group & no problems cycling the bolt or feeding.




Bullet entry



Bullet exit



50 yard shot



Big thanks to Larry G for his help putting this load together.

[TXGunNut]

Yes, I read the linked article, hence my interest in the rcbs mold. I suppose. I should look at even heavier boolits than that. Appreciate the warning on feeding issues. I was kind of thinking that would not be an issue with a bolt gun.

Depends on the bolt gun. Push feed rifles like most of the later Winchesters don't do well with wide meplat boolits while the Ruger M77, "pre-64" Winchesters and other rifles using a controlled feed action don't seem to mind as much.

[Harter66]

So my nickle
Attachment 211678
This is the RD 311-165 from NOE . I don't think you're going to get a bigger meplat mine comes in just under your desired 170 @168 , 171 checked and lubed ,170 PB dry .

I also have if your 1-10 will shoot it the 311-230 .
At 1800 fps it will carry 1000ftlb past 1000 yd and with a good alloy make mushrooms like this .
Attachment 211679
These are from a similar 200 gr bullet unavailable anywhere .
They finished up at 195-197 gr and as large as .605 from a .316 paper patched and .308 naked , 2 different rifles same twist and same peak speed .

Either way a critter under 350 # is in a lot of hurt with either one at 1800-2200 fps .

[Bigslug]

So my nickle
Attachment 211678
This is the RD 311-165 from NOE . I don't think you're going to get a bigger meplat mine comes in just under your desired 170 @168 , 171 checked and lubed ,170 PB dry .

There's also the Ranch Dog TL-310-180-RF-GC, which was optimized for the throat of the .308 Winchester. Basically the same nose with a little more mass, and no reason at all you couldn't run it in the '06.

[w5pv]

from my own experiences,a 200 grain in a 06 will tear up less meat,make a big hole on entry and exit but not blood shooting as much meat.

[waksupi]

A good rule of thumb with any bore size, is heavy for caliber.

[MOA]

I've been running both Lyman's 170 gr FP, and their 210 RN in my M77 Ruger. I like the 210 very much. May play with the 210 an 300 Wby just for fun, never know what will happen, but might just have possibilities.