30-06 and boolits poll.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

What roll do boolits play for you in your 30-06?

[zomby woof]

What is this hunting you speak of??

[Throwback]

If I am not toting a .30-30 or a .30-40 (with boolets) for hunting, I am often using cast in the '06. The performance of lead is fine for most Maine hunting. I am not a purist though. If I need more than 200 yards range I will go to the Barnes TTSX. I don't "plink" much with the '06 but I do like to ring the gongs and practice field shooting with a light load of Unique. I use the same light load for target shooting against the guys.

[frank505]

Killed three animals this past season with three different 06's, all with peep rears, all well under a hundred yards. Antelope at 50 to 60 yards, 240 grain Woodleigh, black bear at 75 yards, 220 grain Hornady, whitetail at 30 yards, 220 grain Hornady. No question about wether I hit or not, a loud thump and the animal fell now. I will not take underpowered loads in the green hills due to the overpopulation of obnoxious grizzlies.

[peerlesscowboy]

.30-40 Krag is a much better cast bullet launcher IMO (longer neck, smaller case capacity) but I suppose if an '06 was all I had I'd come up with sumpthin'?

John C. Saubak

[30CAL-TEXAN]

I'm rather new to casting but so far I have had a great time casting for my 30-06 rifles. All Military and even a Garand.

[Marine Sgt 2111]

31466, 150gr SAECO FPGC, 120gr RNPB (GB), 115gr RCBS FPGC, 165gr Mod Silly (GB), 180gr RCBS FPGC, 195gr SAECO TCGC or RCBS 200gr Silly GC....take your pick, they all work well.

The 180gr RCBS is second to none for hunting deer and the 115 RCBS FPGC @ 2200 fps is the Hammer on wood chucks. I have a 700 BDL that has never seen a j-word boolit as has my Sharps in .45-70, a Remington 788 in .30-30, a Marlin .32-20 or my Swede Carbine.

I do however use J-word in my M-1 Garand for target practice and on those rare times when I can really shoot distance (600 yds +) I use 190gr j-word in my Rem PSS .300 Win Mag. And of course there's a .17 ackley hornet and .17 fireball....I just don't cast those little ones....

[Kraschenbirn]

How 'bout "None of the above"?

I don't hunt with a 30-06 because Illinois is a "shotgun/handgun only" state for firearms deer hunting and an '06 is a "bit much gun" for fox and coyote.

I shoot JBs in my Garand simply because I haven't yet come up with a cast boolit load that meets my standards...i.e. equal or better than ball ammo with reliable function.

On the other hand, it's been a couple years since my '06 bolt gun has launched anything other than cast.

Just my nickle's worth.

Bill

[timkelley]

Don't know yet. I am just getting started with lead in the 06. Winter isn't making load development any easier, I'm hoping for better 'doins' come spring.

[mattbowen]

I haven't started casting for my 30s as yet, but I love my 06 and don't think that I will give it up. My best group yet at 110yds was .391" and that was with a 165gr JSPBT in front of 54 grains of IMR 4350 WIN. case and Win. LR Primers. I have shot both of my 30s out to 600yds. before with 3" groups. With results like that I think I will keep both of them, but my 06 is my go to rifle.

Matt

[curiousgeorge]

With the '06 that I currently own, the only bullet that I cast that fits the throat correctly is a 311041 FN/GC. Accuracy has not been outstanding, but O.K. for pllinking out to about 75 - 100 yds and then only with velocity kept middle of the road or on the low end. I shoot 150 gr Hornady flat base for deer hunting here in KY.

My answer would have been different if I had been smart enough to keep a Brazillian Mauser .30-06 from about 25 years ago. It shot the 308284 220 grain RN/GC bullet at 2000 fps into 1 1/2" to 2" groups at 100 yds. I killed 2 deer with that gun and won more than a couple of bets at the local sportsman's club that my old beat up military gun with cast boolits would out shoot your .30-30, .270, .30-06, etc. with factory ammo. It had been soooo easy to make that one perform, I very mistakenly thought that surely I could take a newer, better factory rifle and get even better results. Hindsight became 20-20 and I have felt like a dumb A for trading that one off.

I do deer hunt with cast, but now in .30-30, .35 Whelan, or .45-70.

Steve

[oldhickory]

I voted, "I use cast boolits for plinking and close range hunting, but j-words for more serious hunting." Only because I haven't developed a load with my new RCBS 30-180-FN yet. Come spring and I get to some serious shooting, things are liable to change.

[Patrick L]

Well, I voted in the third category since it was closest to my uses. However, I use boolits for serious target competition, and that wasn't an option. If I hunted more seriously, I'd probably use boolits for that too.

[PB Guy]

I am still waiting to use cast boolits in my '06 b/c I'm Not wading through 2ft of snow to use the range. I've had fantastic results with Unique with other calibers untill the weather shut us down.
Just 8 weeks left till Spring :(

Dick R

[NickSS]

I have complete worn out at least 4 30-06 barrels as I used to shoot them for high power competition in a Model 70 match rifle. I have used the round out to 1000 yards with perfect satisfaction. I have also shot several thousand rounds of cast through that caliber for practice. I developed a load using unique and a 165 gr pointed 30 cal bullet that is out of print and I forget lyman's number for it that shot great out to 200 yards. I fired thousands of them in practice for trigger time in my match rifles. Low recoil and superb accuracy coupled with low cost was why I used them. I still have that bullet in a 4 cavity Lyman mold and still use it in both the 3006 and 308 for practice. I do not hunt with modern rifles any longer as I prefer shooting sharps rifles and Winchester High Walls these days with black powder and lead bullets but when I used the 06 for hunting I moastly used plain old Hornady Spire point bullets with flat bases. As nothing I ever shot at got away I guess the bullets worked well enough for me.

[fatboy]

06 with cast boolits and gaschecks works great for me, my freezer is full.

[NHlever]

I haven't started casting for my 30s as yet, but I love my 06 and don't think that I will give it up. My best group yet at 110yds was .391" and that was with a 165gr JSPBT in front of 54 grains of IMR 4350 WIN. case and Win. LR Primers. I have shot both of my 30s out to 600yds. before with 3" groups. With results like that I think I will keep both of them, but my 06 is my go to rifle.

Matt

That load with a standard 165 grain sp has shot very well in a couple of different 30-06 rifles I've tried it in. For some stupid reason, I have never formed much of a bond with the old 06 though I have sure tried, and have one now that I haven't shot yet. Perhaps because I've never happened to shoot any game with one, or perhaps because my Scott heritage likes the .308 a bit better. I'm actually considering trading the one I have for a .257 Roberts, or a .303 Brittish Ruger No.1. I probably shouldn't because the one I have in the safe is a clean model 70 FWT, post 64, but controlled round feed, and very smooth. It is also one of the lightest full sized 06 rifles I've ever had at six pounds and nine ounces without a scope, or mounts.

[megafatcat]

I load 06 for my son, don't own one. He believes in super power j's for hunting but loves getting 100's of "free"cast to shoot on the range. I told him he has to buy his own factory ammo, I provide free handloads because I want him to shoot a lot.

[Smoke-um if you got-um]

I load 06 for my son, don't own one. He believes in super power j's for hunting but loves getting 100's of "free"cast to shoot on the range. I told him he has to buy his own factory ammo, I provide free handloads because I want him to shoot a lot.


Your "son" has been hanging around my place too......;)

Mike

[trixter]

Help, help! Where can I find actual 'Load Data' on 150gr lead bullets for my 30-06?

[southpaw]

I voted for plinking only. I just have not made it that far down the road yet. That and I much prefer my 338wm to any other caliber.


Help, help! Where can I find actual 'Load Data' on 150gr lead bullets for my 30-06?

First, welcome to the forum (and the madness). Second invest in a lyman cast bullets book.
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000159817004 or http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/20465 or
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=867465

They are not all inclusive but they are a really big help.
Oh and stay out of the group buy area. They will take all of your extra money and leave you looking for more to give them. :mrgreen:

Jerry Jr.

[ELFEGO BACA]

I have two cast bullet molds for my Remington made 03 & 03A3 Springfields. One is a group buy 150 grain flat noze and the other is a Saeco 200 grain TCGC. I charge both with 20.0 grains of SR4759.