Whats your favorite hunting load in 30-06

[Adk Mike]

Taco650. Try using bullets sized to .311 or .310. Most of my cast loads are 200 grain sized .311 with 13 of Unique. Light for hunting but a good place to start to get the rifle shooting .

[taco650]

Adk Mike,

I was using some 311299's sized .310 that were given to me by another member here. Loads were 15, 15.5 & 16 of Unique or Longshot (can't remember which right now). As I went up with the powder the accuracy got TERRIBLE! 15 was ok but nothing to write home about and I was shooting at 50 yards. I bought this rifle new in 1978 and its had thousands of j-words down the barrel and nearly all of those would give minute of deer or better with any random book load.

I HAVE NOT slugged the barrel nor have I cleaned all the copper out of it and I'm out of boolits so before I spend my hard earned $$'s on a mold I want to see what works for others. So far, I'm leaning toward the Lee 309-170GCFP simply because it can be used in my 30-30. The RD165's look great too but I'm not ready to invest that much into a mold 'cuz this is a new hobby for me.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[krag35]

In My '06, I shoot 165 Hornady's over IMR 4350. As for cast, I shoot Lyman's 311284 over AAC 5744 for >2000 FPS and it kills Elk just fine.

[GooseGestapo]

Taco650; pm me. We're practically neighbors. (I live in West Point); I can help you with you cb-accuracy issues.

My current favorite .30/06 cast boolit load is this: Lee 200gr RNGC (casts to ~210gr) acww/2% lead-free solder (95tin/5antimony) w/Hornady gc over 36.5gr H4895. This chrono's right at 2,000fps and is sub 2moa from my M1Garand and Colt Lt Rifle. For deer hunting I file small meplat and drill with 1/8" bit 3/8" deep.

However, I haven't as yet used this particular load to shoot deer as I have other/better deer rifles.
Last two deer I shot in my backyard w/cast from my Marlin .35Rem and .338MX.
The .35 load was 34.5gr H4895 under 200gr FNGC RCBS w/same alloy as above. I was disappointed with terminal effect. Deer died but no blood trail. No expansion evident, 3/8" hole through 90lb deer. So..... I loaded up some 220gr Lee .338" RNGC over 40.0gr RL15 with same "nose" treatment as mentioned above for '06 load, also same speed ~2,000fps.

I shot a deer yesterday evening (7pt 140lb) just after sunset. Nearly same shot placement as above .35 load (same stand) but 30yd shot instead of 110yd. 1/2" entry wound on rib, 2" (golf ball sized) exit wound. Copious blood trail and deer was knocked off his feet and stumbled 50feet, not 100yds like previous kill.
I was much pleased w/meplated and hollow pointed results.

My "second" favorite load for the '06 is 170gr Lee FNGC (casts to 178gr) over 20.0-24.0gr of #2400. This won't operate or smoothly feed through the Garand though.

However, as others have mentioned, I seldom use "boolits" from the '06 for hunting. I have too many dedicated "boolit rifles" to re-zero the '06's. Last time I hunted with the '06 was for elk and my elk load is 180gr "something jacketed- Nosler part. or Hornady SST" over 55.0gr of IMR4350 for ~2,800fps.
My last elk hunt was on opening day a Savage M110 in .300RUM w/200gr Nosler Part over 92.0gr Retumbo for 3,100fps.
Subsequent days however, I took the Marlin .338MX w/factory duplication 200gr FTX, as it's 3lbs lighter than the ".300RUM"...
When your over 50 and walking 10+miles a day at over 9000' msl, every pound helps !!!

Hence, from now on, it'll be the 6.5lb '06 w/jacketed that go's "a huntin" in Wyoming...
Elk hunts are too expensive and infrequent to use anything less...

The only thirty cal "boolit I've killed deer with is the Lee .311 150gr FNGC (casts to 159gr) over 28.5gr of IMR3031 from my .30/30. Kills very, very well too. Just like same load w/j-bullet. However I've found my rifle prefers 30.0gr of RL15. Just have to find some RL15, however...

added: I use SPG lube and Lyman 450 sizer to size .30cal to .311".

[reloader28]

I have the RCBS 150gr SP which shoots good in my 30-30's.
The RCBS 180gr SP shoots good in my 30-06's. I use 32gr IMR 4198 for about 2150fps. This is with water dropped 50/50/2% boolits, then I softened the nose and drilled a 1/16" hollow point 1/4" deep. Seems to work very good so far on deer.

[atr]

Using a J.C. Higgins Model 50 30-06
with J's its: for deer a 150 gr flat nose....for elk 165 gr. spitzer
I have hunted with J's using Lyman #311294 at about 2000 fps but limit that to deer only as Elk are scarce around here and J's give me some added assurance for an Elk hunt.

[clearcut]

my 30-36 likes a Lee c309-150-f with 35 gr.IMR4895 leealox lubed gasschecked 2460 fps. 1 1/2" hole in 4x4 black tail neck @30 yd mayby one step.I started at 34 gr. and went up to 39 gr. but they got to lose ie. 4" at 35 yds went back to 35 gr. 1.25 at 100 yds.I think barrel vibration(free floating) has alot with how the rifle will respond to any load.Good Luck!!
CC

[shredder]

180 grain Partition with 55-57 grains of IMR 4350. All you need out of the old '06!

[oldsagerat]

This is a very useful thread of PRACTICAL advise. I use an old
Mauser chambered in 30-06 Ackley. With the info from this bunch
of postings I will work up a load. Thanks everyone.

[TXGunNut]

Hornady 165 SP (3040) over 55 grs H4350, AKA load #43. Quite honestly my 30-06's still shoot J-words. I have several rifles chambered for cartridges better suited to CB's and I hunt with them using CB's. I don't talk about my 06's much here but I look forward to the day I convert them to CB's, but I'm not holding my breath.
There are some threads around here with some awesome loads for the 30-06, for some reason I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

[taco650]

Hornady 165 SP (3040) over 55 grs H4350, AKA load #43. Quite honestly my 30-06's still shoot J-words. I have several rifles chambered for cartridges better suited to CB's and I hunt with them using CB's. I don't talk about my 06's much here but I look forward to the day I convert them to CB's, but I'm not holding my breath.
There are some threads around here with some awesome loads for the 30-06, for some reason I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

LOL! You need to quit spending so much time with your 35's!

[Cowpoke]

I've had success this year with.. Lee 309-180 GC'd and 45-45-10 lubed, 43 grns of Varget gets em up to 2319 fps. 1 deer and 2 piggies have fallen to this load so far.

[TXGunNut]

LOL! You need to quit spending so much time with your 35's!

Does it help if one of my 35's used to be a 30-06?
Yes, maybe someday.

[Gunnut 45/454]

My Rem 7400 shooting the Lee 170 gr FNGC does 2-2.5" at 200 yards over a charge of 40gr of IMR 4350 runing around 2200 Fps.

[taco650]

My Rem 7400 shooting the Lee 170 gr FNGC does 2-2.5" at 200 yards over a charge of 40gr of IMR 4350 runing around 2200 Fps.

Do you use any filler on top of your powder with this load?

[sti40edge]

You might want to add 2-3 grs. of powder . Out of several ruger 77's, this load produces cloverleaf groups. 20 plus years ago, I let a fellow pharmacy student (who had never shot a high powered rifle) try it, and he had all three bullet holes touching at a hundred.

[35 shooter]

Don't have an 06, but in reply to the lube part of your question, i use Ben's Red.
As long as i swab the bore with one patch of atf oil after shooting and run one dry patch through before shooting or hunting again the first shots are in the group from 15* to 100* with a 115* heat index.
This from a 35 whelen from 1350 fps. to 2400 fps. which is just an 06 necked up to .35 cal.
R5r's simple lube works well too along with swabbing with the atf oil.
I haven't shot either of these lubes at any hotter or colder temps, but didn't see any signs of giving up from them...Ben's Red has become my go to simply because it works and keeps a shiny bore with virtually one patch!! Really no need to clean unless accuracy suffers from alot of shooting or you have a lot of humidity. This is what works in MY rifle.

[happie2shoot]

This is a very useful thread of PRACTICAL advise. I use an old
Mauser chambered in 30-06 Ackley. With the info from this bunch
of postings I will work up a load. Thanks everyone.

I made a 06 Ackley years ago and someone got from me before
I had a good chance to work up some loads.

I still have the reamer and am going to make another one with
a match barrel on a Howa action.

Would love to know what your loads are.

[MT Gianni]

Favorite hunting load for the 06 has to be the Hornady 165 gr over IMR 4350. It has well over 35 big game animals to it's credit. Favorite cast is a 165 gr fn over 860 powder lubed with Mikey's pink homo lube.