30/06 factory loads recommendations

[Coopsdaddy]

I dont reload and need some recommendations for ammo i can easily get.I want the best possible round.
I shoot a 700 lss mountain rifle and have hunt whitetail most of the time,maybe elk or black bear again in the next few years.Im kind of a set and forget guy so i would like to try a few different rounds that i can get fairly easy.Once i find a good load i would probably buy 4-5 boxes and use them for a few years.Shots to 300 or so with a trijicon Accupoint milldot 3x9.

 

[119bowhunter]

I’ve been shooting Federal trophy copper 165 grains in my 06, pretty reasonable and I have taken 5 deer and hogs so far and seem to have way less meat damage than with some of the lead core bullets I was using...they shoot great out of my rifle

 

[Scottyboy203]

Hard to beat the old blue box federal soft points pretty cheap also

 

[alexanderg23]

I’m shooting 168gr Barnes TTSX. The 168 TTSX is the same bullet design as the LRX bullet. Lower expansion velocity.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I don’t shoot much factory Ammo anymore but when I was shooting it, I was partial to the red box federal stuff with Nosler or trophy bonded bullets and the Barnes stuff mentioned above.

I’d start there, find one that works well in your rifle and go with that, I remember my rifle absolutely loving the red box federal premium stuff with the 180g partitions as well as the ttsx 150 and 168g.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

I have shot 180 federal nosler partitions in it for the last 20 years,they did good but i know the bullets have changed over the years.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I shoot Federal 165gr NP out of RM700 and have for 20 years...lol

 

[Marbles]

Winchester expedition big game 180 gr AccuBond CT has always been easy to find for me. I want to try the Winchester expedition long range 190 gr AccuBond LR, but have not been able to find them locally.

Both of those (like the Nosler Partitions, TBBC, or a Barnes TTSX) should be serviceable for everything that walks in North America, other than squirrels and such.

 

[TNKnoxville]

My Remington 700 Mountain rifle likes Federal Fusion 165 and 180 grain. I use this for deer. This is set up as a deer rifle. Deer have been bang flop!!!!! My sons use the Fusion in their 308 and 243 and get the same results with deer. Would also work great for black bear. My Browning X Bolt Speed likes Barnes 165 TTSX , Hornady 178 ELDX and Federal 180 Trophy Bonded Tip. This rifle is set up for elk and mule deer. I'm currently shooting the Federal Trophy Bonded Tips, I bought 5 boxes of the same lot number. Shot a round from each box thru a chrono and awesome consistency! I actually did the same for the Fusion ammo and found it to be very good also.

 

[DJL2]

I've got these two in my safe:
https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/30-06-springfield-165-gr-sst-superformance#!/

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/30-06-springfield-178-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter

It's pricey, but you could always call someone like Copper Creek or Eagle Eye and ask them to load you 208 ELD-M. That's what I hand load, but I also tried Cu Creek's stuff out too.

ETA: I know the TMK is all the rage now that it's a thing, but I've always been a Hornady AMax/ELD-M fan...you can look at all the folks dropping critters with .223 loads if you're concerned about running the ELD-M in your -06.

 

[HuntInWild88]

I would go with the 150gr barnes ttsx. If shooting mono's you want a lighter bullet. Unless your shooting 500 yards plus. Then go with the long range.

 

[Joyce]

My 700 BDL likes Federal Fusion in either 150 or 180 gr. Shoots both to right about 1 moa but does not like the 165 gr.

My 700 Mountain SS is extremely picky and I thought the best I was going to get was 1.5 moa with Core-Lokt 165 gr. I tried a bunch of different mono metal factory loads this spring and ended up discovering the rifle really likes Barnes Vortx 180 gr TTSX. .75 moa all day long.

 

[Hogyotedeer]

My 30-06 (browning x-bolt) loves Federal Powershok 150 gr... shoots better groups than the Remington or Winchester ammo. It's all I use now.

 

[hbc07]

I've never had a problem with Remington CoreLokt 180g. Granted that was what my father in law gave me when he game me his old rifle, so I haven't explored all that much with other brands.

 

[Clarence]

I shoot Federal 165gr NP out of RM700 and have for 20 years...lol

+1

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[adamsguy]

Federal Nosler partions have always served me well on whitetail, cant speak on the other critters

 

[hodgeman]

For sheer availability, Remington CoreLokt is unbeatable and totally suitable for deer and I wouldn't bet against it on bear or elk either, it's worked for a long time as it is.

 

[stumpknocker]

Probably the exception here, but I exclusively shoot the Core-Lokt 220's in my -06. Talk about a tough dam bullet and scary accurate in my rifle. The Rem 7400 I got from my late grandfather had a note in the case saying gun functions best with them (its an autoloader) and never used anything else.

Probably not for the OP, drops like a rock past 200.

 

[6mm Remington]

I think the 165 gr. bullet in a 30-06 seems to be a sweet spot as far as a combination of drop, energy retention, and penetration. The 165 gr. bullets just seem to work. I hand-load and 165 gr. Nosler Accubonds or Partitions both shoot very well in my rifle. If I wanted to use a non-lead bullet I feel the 150 gr. E-tip would be a great one to try.

Factory.
Nosler 165 gr. Accubond or Partition factory loads
Nosler 150 gr. E-tip loads.

You should be able to find those same bullets loaded in factory stuff from Federal and Winchester too I believe.