30.06 with 2400 How far with accuracy?

[Friends call me Pac]

My goal is to hit the 600 yard steel target if possible.

The info listed below is from last summer.

This is my set up. I have a Rem 700 in 30.06. My bullet is a NOE 311299 with 16.5 gr of 2400. This is my 100 yard group.
134487
It opens up a little with 17gr but if you overlook the flyer it is still close to MOA

134485

Would these loads do the job and still actually keep the target in the scope or would there be way too much hold over? Can't try it out just yet due to not being able to go to the range until next week. Just trying to find out if it is doable while I wait out this soggy day. Last year I did hit a steel target that is 12" wide by 18" tall at 300 yards. I had to hold over but was still able to keep the scope on target. I wish I could remember how much holdover but I just don't remember. Is the 2400 and this bullet able to go that far (600) with accuracy or do I need to go with a different load.

[GabbyM]

At 1,400 fps. which is about where you are. With a 100 yards zero the drop at 300 yards is -67.80" . At 600 yards -402.91" and velocity is down to 922 fps. Get it up to 1,900 fps and your drop at 600 is -244.96 velocity is 1058 fps. B.C. on that Lyman 311299 is .377.

Wind drift on the slow bullets are what get you. On a calm day it's doable IMHO. Black Powder Cartridge Rifle shooters do it on steel.

[Outpost75]

If you want to shoot accurately with cast in the '06, #2400 is not the powder of choice. I would use #311299 cast 15-20 BHN and sized to fit your throat, with 40 grains of 4064, Varget, 4895 or RL15, with a fluffed 1 grain tuft of Dacron inserted loosely into the neck to take up the airspace. In Lake City cases with Winchester primers this will get you about 2100 fps and shoot well back to 600 in a good rifle.

[Scharfschuetze]

I shoot the Lyman 311299 and 314299 boolit quite a bit through 1903 Springfields and an Argentine Mauser and find it to be quite usable out to 600 yards when I launch it at about 1,800 fps. I use iron sights: the issue sights on some of the rifles and a Lyman Model 57 on my ersatz match 1903. Know your trajectory in MOA at any given range and with a good sight you can ring all the steel you want to out at extended ranges... if you have a sight that is repeatable and has enough adjustment to elevate that far.

I don't know what type of scope you are using or if you have enough elevation in the vertical adjustment, but it should be fun to try. Having a good spotter behind you with a good spotting scope will cut down on your frustration. MIL dot reticles are quite useful for hold off if you have one. Zero at the top dot and you'll have 10 mils of hold off ability. That's almost 35 MOA and equates to about 210 inches at 600 yards.

Once you get your elevation sorted out, watch the mirage, grass tree leaves and range flags to estimate your deflection due to wind.

[Char-Gar]

I have had very good luck with 2400 in the 30-06 at 1.5 to 1.7 K fps. This works fine for 100 - 200 yard shooting. At 600 yards where you need more velocity, 2400 will roll snake eyes in the accuracy department before you get there. A medium burning powder is better at the speed you need.

[Friends call me Pac]

"Zero at the top dot and you'll have 10 mils of hold off ability."

That is a heck of a tip. I am using a mildot scope.

I was hoping 2400 would work as I have a case of it. I do have a partial bottle of 4895 to test with. Looking forward to shooting next week.

[Scharfschuetze]

Using the Luopold M3A scope, some of our guys would zero at 500 yards and then use the mil dots to hold low up to 500 and then hold high with the dots beyond 500 yards. That kept the manipulation of the elevation knob to a minimum and for some shooter/spotter teams that worked very well and was pretty fast in getting lead downrange.

[Char-Gar]

"Zero at the top dot and you'll have 10 mils of hold off ability."

That is a heck of a tip. I am using a mildot scope.

I was hoping 2400 would work as I have a case of it. I do have a partial bottle of 4895 to test with. Looking forward to shooting next week.

A man with a case of 2400 is much to be envied.

[Friends call me Pac]

At 100 yards I got this group with 17gr of 2400 using a 311299. I didn't shoot it at 200 yards but I did try to hit the 12x18" target at 300 yards. Had to come up 12 MOA to get the right elevation but windage was hard to get dialed in. It seemed like the shots hit right and left of the target with no rhyme or reason. Wind was dead in my face and about 0-5 mph. Still have some tinkering around to do but I feel like I have got about all that I can from this bullet/ powder combo.

134926

H4895 @ 29gr did a good 100 yard group but I didn't try past 100 yards due to end of day. That is actually 2 holes in the red square. Only had 4 rounds to fire.

134928

H4895 @ 30gr Don't know what to make of this really. First 3 shots were so so but the last two stacked on each other just to the left of the bull. Any ideas?

134929

Lastly I used 1 dacron as described by Larry Gibson with the 4895. I used a chopstick (great fit by the way) to push the fluffed dacron just inside the case so that the base of the bullet would finish pushing it in place. For some reason I felt there was a split second hangfire by doing this. Don't know how else to explain it. Seemed like there was a tiny pause between pulling the trigger and boom. Any advice there?

[Geezer in NH]

I suggest dialing the sight up The load will hit or not who knows unless YOU try.

Powder?? It makes a diff only by how it shoots and is unknown till you try.

My own best in a30/06 was 18 grains of 2400 it was under 3/4 inch at 100 and about 1 3/4 at 200. that was as far as the range was. Yep they did not hit at POA, but Who cares point of aim is adjustable by physical means.

[bobob]

20 grains 2400 in my 30-06 rifles, 03A3 and M1 Garand. One minute groups. Velocity 1,750 fps. This load does not cycle the bolt in the M1 Garand. My brothers and I have killed many deer and antelope with this load. Ranges under 250 yards. Sight setting - 14 minutes at 200 yards, 16 minutes at 300 yards.

43 grains of 4831 and 35 grains of 4895 give 1,900 fps and both loads cycle the bolt in the M1 Garand. I now hunt with these loads.

I use two boolits with the above loads. Both are very accurate. They are Lyman's 311291 and 311413. Each weighs 170 grains.

Doc Burgess

[quilbilly]

A man with a case of 2400 is much to be envied.
No kidding!

[edward hogan]

Big article on .30-06 in Lyman CB manual #3, from the cast bullet benchrest assoc.

I would look there for precision orientation at distance... Best be sure you have a barrel with optimum twist rate for bullet selected. Probably something like 1:16 rather than 1:12 or faster. Probably want to learn paper-patching... RIP Levon...

[Larry Gibson]

That load will require 65 - 80 moa sight change from a 100 yard to a 600 yard zero. That's usually out of the elevation adjustment range of most scopes except for the high end target sniper type or requires a lot of hold over; 400 - 500+ inches of hold over. It can be done but requires some doing.

Larry Gibson

[zomby woof]

When I first started casting for rifle, I had a 180 LEE for a 30.06. I used the magic 16.0 2400. The groups were great at 200. The recoil was minimal. I've since gone to a medium speed powder (Varget). The recoil there lets you know you're alive. I'm having problems with my shoulder now and thinking of going back to the 2400 load, if I can find any powder.