I'd sure like to hear some first-hand experiences by users of heavy bullets in the .30-06 on big game. I know Phil Shoemaker has had very fine results from 220-grain Partitions on Alaskan game.
Wondering what bullet you used, estimated muzzle velocity, game you took, performance, etc.
I see Woodleigh offers a 240-grain soft point that can be loaded to 2350 or so. Anyone use this intriguing bullet?

I've used 220 grain factory Remington coreloks on Eland, Kudu, Warthog, Impala, Gemsbok, Duiker and Steenbok. The few bullets we found were perfect mushrooms.

I would have no problem using them again.

Thanks CJ.

I used to use the 220gr PT on Black Bear with good results.

I never used them on game, but back in the day I had some Barnes .032" 250 grain. I loaded them in both 30-06 and 300 Wby. Seems to me the velocity in the '06 was about 2200fps because I recall thinking the trajectory was about the same as a 30-30 170 gr. the bullet length was about the same as the 225 gr, so stabilizing, at least at a couple hundred yards wasn't a problem.

I have personally used the Hornady 220, Wdly 220 and Nosler 200 PT. The hornady and Wdly do not penetrate nearly as much as the 200 partition. This is from shooting elk, moose, feral cattle and buffalo. Cup core 200+ gr 30 calibers have a tremendous amount of length that is nothing more than a cushion as the bullet is plastically deforming down to the base. Eats up a lot of penetration. Additionally, the wdly expands quite a bit. Really heavy bullets don't always offer an advantage in penetration.

Not really heavies but 180 grain TSX in South African factory loaded 30-06. Wildebeest shot at 110 yds., went 50 yds. Oryx shot at 220 yds., went 150 yds. Zebra shoot at 75-80 yds., went 60 yds. None required follow up shots.

I shot a lot of hogs and a few bears by daughter shot a 500 lb bear with 220s of various makes they seemed to work well.

Bill,

Just a couple of whitetail does with Hornady 220 grain round nose bullets. I didn't have a chronograph back then but later testing with the same load ran 2475 fps. One was a slight quartering running shot at 20 yards. The bullet entered just behind the last rib and exited in front of the opposite shoulder. Exit wound was about 1.5 inches in diameter and very little bloodshot meat. The second a 100 yard broadside right behind the right shoulder and exited just behind the shoulder on the left side. Again about a 1.5 inch exit wound and very little blood shot.

Mart

Shot a 760 back in the day.....always 220 Corelokts. Killed blacks, Grizz an moose. Never recovered a bullet.

Killed a Raghorn Elk with the 250 Gr Barnes load in my Rem 760 in 06 it stepped up as I shot split the horn base. Dropped right there! Still have some of the Barnes Factory loads the 250 gr shot to POI at 100 yards and 180 gr load was 2.5" high!

I shot a young feral bull with a 220-grain factory CoreLokt out of a 1895 Winchester several years ago. He was facing me and I shot him in the brisket. He went about 15 feet and keeled over. I didn't do the cleaning and gutting, and I didn't ask the people who did about the bullet. But I feel like a 500-ish pound animal hitting the ground in 15 feet after one shot is pretty good performance.

A long time ago, I loaded some 220-grain Nosler Partitions over chronograph and found that they were going 2,550-ish out of a 22" Mauser 30/06. I only shot a rabbit with that load, but the results were decisive.


Okie John

I have shot a few whitetail with the Hornady 220 RN and one with the Sierra 220 RN and 1.5" hole in and out and "eat right up to the hole" as Elmer always said. 30-06 at 2450ish

I used 220 gr. corelokts and several others in the 30-06 some years back as I sometimes hunt some black timber swamps up north of here and shots are always close and going away..

The results of what I found was the 200 gr. Nosler patition at 2500 to 2600 FPS would out penetrate any of the 220 or 240 gr. bullets on elk and by a bunch! I had it in my mind that a 30-06 with 240 gr bullets would be the same as the .318 WR for all practical purposes, but then the 200 gr. Nosler out penetrated any bullet I ever shot in the .318...I then tried the 200 gr. Nosler partitions in my 300 H&H, and it also got me great penetration and killing effect.

All that said, I think I like the .338 win best of all..I like the 250 gr. bullets for about any job at hand..but I have no real complaints with the 210, 225, or 250 gr. bullets. I do need to slow the 210 and 225s down a bit or shoot the 250s.

Most of this stuff is for fun gun talk and campfire conversation. The real truth is bullet placement, if its right about any caliber works.

In the 30-06 the 180 gr. Nosler partition has been working like a charm for the last 50 plus years, and penetrates with all the rest. Id still be using it and perfectly happy other than I like to play the game, and use as many bullets as I possibly can just to see what they do..

Tried some an didnt much like um. Bigger bores are more efficient with that much lead. If I wanted a 220 gn slug @ 2400 fs I would load down my 35 Whelen.

180's are the stuff for my 06..

Many years ago I shot a big bodied Roosevelt elk with a 220 gr Corelokt. It only took one. I was pretty impressed with the results.

Last year I saw this load at the store on sale and bought a few boxes. The plan was to use them in my 1917 Enfield sporter but I've havent done that yet.

quote:

Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
180's are the stuff for my 06..

I loaded some 220 gr. solids for use on smaller animals during my Limpopo safari last June. Used them on a caracal and had minimal pelt damage. They grouped very well in my Ruger MKII Express rifle.
lb

I kind of think the 200 NP which you can drive at 2700 fps out of the '06 is kind of the tipping point between flat trajectory and penetration. The 180's only shoot marginally faster and flatter than the 200 but the 220's are notably slower with a corresponding loss of trajectory. I've personally only taken the 200 NP's one one safari and one moose hunt. They worked great and gave full penetration even on a moose.

Mark

On my last trip to South Africa I loaded 165 partitions and they went through everything there, and the PH was Ok with that load for eland if we saw one, but it did not exit on an elk hunt following that.

The 180 grain A Frame load exited on elk.

My particular rifle put the 200 grain and the 180 grain bullets out at about the same velocity with book max loads, but the 200's just didn't shoot as accurately, so I went with the 180's for that rifle. With heavies in a .30-06, you probably don't need partitions or A frames, but they do work well...so far I go to a .338 bore once it's over 180 grains, but frankly on game I doubt there is much difference from a 180-220 in a .30-06.

I have seen in a few reloading books and a friend of mine who is a well known gunsmith load the 200 gr. Nosler at 2700 FPS, the same velocity that made the 180 Nosler famous in the 30-06..Base on that I tried the 200 out and it shot as flat as the 180 and delivered an impressive blow way out yonder...I have been using the 200 at the same velocity of my 180 gr. loads so why not has been my opine!!

That said I know the the 180 can be loaded to 2800 plus a little according to some reloading books and Ive used that load, the 200 is maxed out at 2700 FPS in my two 30-06s but brass lasts more than 10 loading before problems crop up, so its a safe load in my guns.

The 180 is standard but the 200 is an option to consider if want just a bit more.

Years ago i started useing the odd 200 gn nosler in the 06 to take the odd animal to see how they worked...the more i used them the more i liked them....i shot a brown bear in Kampchatka, 8 impalas one zebra 2 sable 2 kuddu and leopard in Zimbabwae a couple of sambar and a few Hog deer, and i dont think i will go back to the 180...not that there is anything wrong with the 180 partition, i just feel the 200 nosler @ 2700 is better then the 180 partition @ 2900 out of the 06

i have worked loads up with the 220 partition 2600 fps, but have never used it on game animals...but suspect it would be pretty good as a short range combo

Daniel

The 220 partition is a great bullet and will penetrate almost as much as the 200, and it will expand to a bit larger cross section, and that probably slows expansion, It seems to me the 200 shoots flatter, and penetrates as well, so I have pretty much settled on it for elk, and use the 180s for deer..The same applies to the Accubonds, and IMO so far they are as good a bullet as the partition, but I just base that on 3 cow elk, schools still out on that with me.