I am brand new to reloading, eager to get my feet wet I am trying to do some research on the best round to load for my Savage 30-06. I use this rifle for all types of big game hunting, for the past few years I have been shooting a 150gr. Rem. BT
I have been told that a Rem. brass,large magnum primer, DuPont 4350 powder and a Swift Sorrocco 150gr. could be the way to go.
I would greatly appreciate any information anyone could provide as to bullet, powder, brass and any and all other tips
Thank you Sincerely
Donnie

[ 10-14-2003, 06:29: Message edited by: Donnie ]

Donnie, welcome to the forum and to reloading. I own a Browning '06 BLR. For a general big game load, you couldn't go wrong with Remington or Winchester brass, CCI primers, a charge of IMR 4350 (56.5 gr is my accuracy load), and top it all off with a good 165 gr. bullet such as a Hornady BTSP. This load has worked for me for many years. Good luck and good shooting.

I have two .30-06 loads I find work best for me:

Bullet: Sierra 168 Grain Boat Tail Hollow Point
Powder: 56.6 grains of IMR-4350
Primer: Winchester 8-1/2
Case: Winchester
Firearm: Ruger 77R
Velocity: 2801 FPS @ 15' from muzzle
Accuracy: 5-shot, 200-yard groups of less than 1"

Bullet: Nosler 180 Grain Partition
Powder: 55.0 grains of IMR-4350
Primer: Winchester 8-1/2
Case: Winchester
Firearm: Ruger 77R
Velocity: 2705 FPS @ 15' from muzzle
Accuracy: 5-shot, 200-yard groups of less than 1-1/2"

Try the Hornady Interbond in 150gr. It's basically the same bullet, but they are $15-20 cheaper. I'm not sure if the 150 grain Interbond is on the shelf yet, but the 165's work really well in my 300 Win.

In my opinion, it would depend upon just what game you are going to hunt. If you are never going to hunt anything larger than deer, then the 150s are great. I prefer a 180 gr bullet if the game gets larger, like elk, bear, boar or moose and really gives up very little to the 150 gr in trajectory. In a .30-06, a good Hornady Interlock or Remington Corelokt will do just about anything you need, and a Nosler Partition is even better. A good load of IMR-4350, H-4350 or H-4831 should do fine.

Bullet: Sierra 168 Grain Boat Tail Hollow Point You ain't talking about them there MatchKing's are you?? Don't you know they'll just bounce off/disintegrate/pencil through?

Ahem. Back to the original post. Welcome Donnie (man, this forum's growing by leaps and bounds - Good Job Saeed!!).

Probably the only easier-to-please handloading proposition for a beginner would be the 308 Win, so, you're definitely ahead of the game with your 30-06. Data and components are everywhere. The Savage, if you can get past its looks (that barrel nut - sheeesh!!), is a wonderfully accurate rifle, another plus. If you're sold on the 150 Scirocco/IMR4350/LRM primer (don't know that the magnum is needed here, but, as long as you START with it and use it throughout your workups, you'll be okay)/R-P cases, start at around 56 or 57 grains, and work from there (60, if the case will hold that much, is about MAX in R-P cases, which are a little thicker, on average, than W-W, for instance). Assuming a 22" barrel, you should be looking for around 2900 - 2950 FPS on your Chrony (you DO have one, right?), so, when you get to that neighborhood, or a little less (best accuracy is usually at somewhere less than full throttle), you're done.

Then, you can try the UNIVERSAL 30-06 load of (drum roll, please) 56 - 58 of one of the 4350's and any good 165 grain bullet.

Good luck and good shooting. Keep us posted on your results.

R-WEST

Welcome to a life-long hobby! You've been given some excellent advice. Saved the best for last...you can't go wrong with the .30-06!

I was going to say something about 180 grain bullets and IMR 4350, but follow Ricciardelli's 180 Nosler recipe instead, and you can hunt just about anything you want.

I concur in the Bolt action 3006 it will be hard to beat Reloader 19 or IMR 4350 w fed 210 gold medal match and good Sierra BT or Nosler BT in Fed Brass. My load consist of 61.0 grains w/ 150 grain bullets.
A excellent deer load!

[ 10-15-2003, 02:53: Message edited by: Alaska Bush Man ]

Donnie, any decent powder from IMR 4064 to Reloder 22 will give you excellent results in the .30-06, with bullets between 150 and 180 grains.

The first thing you need to determine for yourself the kind of game you're likely to be shooting. Out here in British Columbia, you can potentially hunt deer, bears, elk and moose on the same trip, and in swamps, canyons, jungles or open alpine meadows! This calls for a bullet with incredible versatility.

However, if you're only going to hunt deer-sized game at ranges inside about 300 yards, then any decent 150 to 165-grain bullet would be excellent in your .30-06. Ordinary bullets like the Hornady Interlock, Speer HotCore, Remington Core-Lokt etc. have been harvesting deer for decades with perfect success. And they're cheap, too.

If bigger animals may be also a possibility, then either a heavier or stouter bullet may be called for, and this is where it gets interesting.

For years, the standard "do-it-all" load for the .30-06 has used a 180-grain Nosler Partition at 2,700 feet-per-second, and that is still hard to beat. This load will work wonderfully on deer, but will also really hammer a moose or an elk, punching a deep hole and even breaking big bones. It still remains the standard against which .30-06 loads are judged for versatility.

However, recent bullet developments have made a new class of "do-it-all" bullets for the .30-06 -- mostly weighing in at 165 grains and zipping out at over 2,800 feet-per-second. The new 168-grain Barnes Triple Shock seems to have been praised by just about everyone as the ultimate bullet in terms of accuracy, penetration and velocity. To say people are calling this bullet the greatest thing since sliced bread would actually be an understatement. It costs about as much as the Scirocco, and might be a good place to start if you want true versatility for your .30-06. I can't wait to try it myself!

Also, there is the new 165-grain Hornady Interbond, which may be just the ticket at .30-06 velocities. Reports I've read suggest that this bullet is super-accurate, opens fast, and holds together to penetrate deeply, almost like the Partition. Then there's the 165-grain Failsafe and Partition -- both of which are proven performers in the .30-06.

All of the above bullets would be worth considering if you wanted one load to do everything in your .30-06. Again, you would not necessarily need to use bullets like these if you only hunted deer, but they are definitely called-for if you're going after bigger game like moose.

Your choice of IMR 4350 is an excellent powder to start with. If it works, don't bother with anything else. Another excellent choice is Reloder 19. I've also had great results with Varget, H4831SC and Reloder 22 with 165-grain bullets.

Let us know how it all works out.

This fella I know stopped flying B17s some time in late 45 and took root in Grand Junction Colorado. He always got a least one Elk a year and 1 to 3 deer a year. (legally). He use to pull bullets from military 06s and just replace them with contemporary 150gr. hunting bullets. They were not Barnes' or Noseler's. When asked how many animals he wounded or crippled his reply was none.I am prone to believe him in that I hunted with him . He always just took his time, never got excited and was pretty sure of his shot.You've been given a lot of good advice and which ever you fallow you should be ok because the cartridge is a forgiving one if you do your part. HPs----Really??????? Roger