Bullet choice and wound channels for .30-06

[TechsanHunter]

All- I’m new to Rokslide and learning a lot. But, I’m still pretty unfamiliar with hand loading, bullets, powders, etc. Here is my q.

I have a .30-06 rifle that is special to me. I’m trying to tame the recoil on it. I really don’t want to modify the rifle in any way, so I’m thinking of getting custom ammo made (copper creek load development) with 125 grain TMKs to take toe recoil and still be lethal. Will a .30-06 cartridge with 125 TMKs give me all the same terminal benefits / wound channels as the infamous rokslide 77tmk .223 loads while reducing recoil in this .30-06? I understand that a key element of the .223 load is that it is “heavy for caliber”, and this would not be. I just don’t understand the impact of not being heavy for caliber…

And- understanding what I’m trying to accomplish (taming recoil while remaining a very effective killing cartridge) if there is a better solution, I’d love to learn about it!

 

[Thebigbaby]

S

Thread '155gr TMK for .30-06?'

Oct 31, 2025

Good morning folks!

I’m curious if anyone has played around with 155gr TMKs in a .30-06, and can speak to its performance. Heck, I’d be curious to hear about the 125gr TMKs too, if folks have info on it.

I’ve got a delightful early 80s Ruger M77 that has been sitting around for far too long. I only used Core-Lokt ammo when I was hunting with it, and haven’t killed anything with it. With all the awesome info around the TMKs and smaller calibers, I started pondering what’s possible with the .30-06. Given that I’m perfectly happy heading toward lighter calibers, I don’t feel a need to...

• Schmoops
• Replies: 20
• Forum: Reloading

 

[3325]

What load have you been shooting?

The standard go to for ‘06 is usually 180. People might go up or down from there according to perceived need, but 180 is commonly a starting point. Have you been shooting 180s?

 

[TechsanHunter]

What load have you been shooting?

The standard go to for ‘06 is usually 180. People might go up or down from there according to perceived need, but 180 is commonly a starting point. Have you been shooting 180s?

165 and 180 Nosler accubond trophy hunter

 

[SDHNTR]

A 125 TMK in a 30-06 makes little sense unless loaded way down.

Don’t overthink this. “Wound channel” is a ridiculous overly obsessed upon concept on this site. It’s virtually pointless. Put a hunting bullet where it belongs and stuff dies. It’s that simple.

Shoot a few different types of 150-180gr hunting bullets. Find the one that shoots the most accurately in your gun. Use that one. Done.

 

[TechsanHunter]

A 125 TMK in a 30-06 makes little sense unless loaded way down.

Don’t overthink this. “Wound channel” is a ridiculous overly obsessed upon concept on this site. It’s virtually pointless. Put a hunting bullet where it belongs and stuff dies. It’s that simple.

Shoot a few different types of 150-180gr hunting bullets. Find the one that shoots the most accurately in your gun. Use that one. Done.

But that doesn’t help me lessen the felt recoil, which is my main objective.

 

[betelgeuse]

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Handloads: Reduced-Recoil .30-’06 Springfield

Not all of the energy that a rifle cartridge can develop is necessary all the time, and excess power can be detrimental to meaningful practice. That’s where reduced-recoil handloads come in.

www.americanrifleman.org

 

[betelgeuse]

Hornady Custom Lite/Remington Managed Recoil Ammo

Hey guys, I have a savage axis II in 30-06 that I use to hunt whitetails. I usually use 150 grain hornady superformance SST ammo, but I have been thinking about trying out hornady custom lite or Remington managed recoil ammo, both 125 grain bullets. Has anyone had any experiences with either of...

www.shootersforum.com

 

[SDHNTR]

But that doesn’t help me lessen the felt recoil, which is my main objective.

You would have to reduce the powder charge substantially with a 125 tmk to keep it from being overly frangible in my opinion. I don’t know if copper Creek does that. That bullet ripping along on top of a full case of powder would be screaming and would cause massive damage an unnecessary meat loss.

The way to reduce recoil with a 30-06 is to buy a .243.

 

[3325]

165 and 180 Nosler accubond trophy hunter

You might try 150 Barnes TTSX. I believe that’s as light as I would go in an ‘06.

But that doesn’t help me lessen the felt recoil, which is my main objective.

It seems to me that, at some point, it has to be accepted that it’s an ‘06 and an ‘06 will never behave like a .243. I know this isn’t what you want to hear.

The late, great Jeff Cooper’s advice on recoil was, “Ignore it.”

 

[pacoalcracker]

the difference in recoil between a 125 and 150gr bullet is barely even noticeable. go with a 150gr in the ammo brand that shoots the best in your rifle. no need to even think about wound channel with an 06.

 

[The Guide]

All- I’m new to Rokslide and learning a lot. But, I’m still pretty unfamiliar with hand loading, bullets, powders, etc. Here is my q.

I have a .30-06 rifle that is special to me. I’m trying to tame the recoil on it. I really don’t want to modify the rifle in any way, so I’m thinking of getting custom ammo made (copper creek load development) with 125 grain TMKs to take toe recoil and still be lethal. Will a .30-06 cartridge with 125 TMKs give me all the same terminal benefits / wound channels as the infamous rokslide 77tmk .223 loads while reducing recoil in this .30-06? I understand that a key element of the .223 load is that it is “heavy for caliber”, and this would not be. I just don’t understand the impact of not being heavy for caliber…

And- understanding what I’m trying to accomplish (taming recoil while remaining a very effective killing cartridge) if there is a better solution, I’d love to learn about it!

Look at these. Easy to try before spending money on custom loads.

Jay

Hornady Custom Lite 30-06 Springfield Ammo 125 Grain Hornady SST

Hornady Custom Lite ammunition provides reduced recoil and muzzle blast from standard cartridges, and puts the fun back into shooting for kids, women,...

www.midwayusa.com

Barnes VOR-TX Reduced Recoil 30-06 Springfield Ammo 130 Grain Barnes

Barnes bullets have historically had the reputation of offering quick, clean and humane kills. Now they are taking their highly regarded bullets to the...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[Machingeaneer]

Why not just grab a box of Hornady custom lite 125gr sst and give that a try? I cannot imagine a situation where a 125gr sst started at 2700 doesn't flatten what you're shooting at.

 

[Brandon.miller.4]

All- I’m new to Rokslide and learning a lot. But, I’m still pretty unfamiliar with hand loading, bullets, powders, etc. Here is my q.

I have a .30-06 rifle that is special to me. I’m trying to tame the recoil on it. I really don’t want to modify the rifle in any way, so I’m thinking of getting custom ammo made (copper creek load development) with 125 grain TMKs to take toe recoil and still be lethal. Will a .30-06 cartridge with 125 TMKs give me all the same terminal benefits / wound channels as the infamous rokslide 77tmk .223 loads while reducing recoil in this .30-06? I understand that a key element of the .223 load is that it is “heavy for caliber”, and this would not be. I just don’t understand the impact of not being heavy for caliber…

And- understanding what I’m trying to accomplish (taming recoil while remaining a very effective killing cartridge) if there is a better solution, I’d love to learn about it!

Any 30 cal at respectable speeds will indeed give you large and effective wound channels. You'll get alot of varying opinions on this but in general there is only a few ways to tame recoil. Increase weight of the rifle, add a suppressor or brake, decrease the weight of the powder/bullet. So in theory, yes, a 125 grain will kick less than a 165 grain with all else being equal. Personally, if I wanted to load a 30-06 for maximum terminal ballistics I'd be most interested in bullets from 155 to 170 grains (assuming you dont have an abnormal twist rate). Then to tame recoil I would either add weight or add a suppressor (largely dependent on use case). I do not think it is necessary to go the route of custom ammo. Many factory available loaded rounds have frangible bullets. Most cup and core style bullets will fragment and cause tissue damage. Factory loaded eld-m, eld-x, tmk, berger, etc will all produce impressive wound channels. Bonded or mono bullets will on average produce smaller wound channels. For what you are wanting to do, I would recommend looking for the lightest factory load with a frangible bullet and see if it shoots well, from there add rifle weight and/or a suppressor.

 

[CaribooBC]

Get a slip on limbsaver and try Hornady SST in 165 grain bullets. They are the most accurate that I have found for both my S&W 1500 and my wife’s Tikka T3. With good shot placement using any quality 30 caliber bullet, you will not need to worry about the wound channel… your target will just take a dirt nap.

 

[LightFoot]

Core-lokt 125gr was very capable in my dad’s M70 push feed.

If I were handloading, I would try the 125 Accubond.

Hard to beat the 150 TTSX in a 30-06 or 308.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Choupique]

Will a .30-06 cartridge with 125 TMKs give me all the same terminal benefits / wound channels as the infamous rokslide 77tmk .223 loads while reducing recoil in this .30-06?

Id think so. Even light load .30-06 is going to push a 125gr bullet over 2600 fps. That'll probably get you to 350 yards at 1800 fps.

I loaded a bunch of 150gr soft points using M1 garand data and was surprised at how light the recoil was. Thats an option too.

 

[FLS]

All- I’m new to Rokslide and learning a lot. But, I’m still pretty unfamiliar with hand loading, bullets, powders, etc. Here is my q.

I have a .30-06 rifle that is special to me. I’m trying to tame the recoil on it. I really don’t want to modify the rifle in any way, so I’m thinking of getting custom ammo made (copper creek load development) with 125 grain TMKs to take toe recoil and still be lethal. Will a .30-06 cartridge with 125 TMKs give me all the same terminal benefits / wound channels as the infamous rokslide 77tmk .223 loads while reducing recoil in this .30-06? I understand that a key element of the .223 load is that it is “heavy for caliber”, and this would not be. I just don’t understand the impact of not being heavy for caliber…

And- understanding what I’m trying to accomplish (taming recoil while remaining a very effective killing cartridge) if there is a better solution, I’d love to learn about it!

Learn to reload. You won’t be at the mercy of a boutique ammo manufacturer and can tailor ammo to your needs. A 125/ 130 grain bullet over a medium load of H4895 feels a lot different than a 180 over a full load of 4350.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Learn to handload. It’s fun and honestly easy when starting simple.