The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting 30-06 220gr vs 35 Whelen 225grGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I just enjoy shooting different calibers...But with the tough economy, I may have to justify a purpose this time... On ELK out to 250-300 yard max... What's the BIG diff in me using my 30-06 with say a 220gr NP/TSX bullet vs a 35 Whelen 225gr bullet? Are there really any meaningful advantages of the Whelen in this scenario? Thanks for your help...  | ||
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Well of the options you have posed and wanting to shoot beyond 250 yds then go with the whelen because the 30-06 with 220 grainers is going to have a poor trajectory. The 35 whelen with 225 grns should be able to do 2600 fps and some change. But the right comparison with is really the 30-06 with 180s. My preference would still be the whelen with 225s but aint an elk on the planet that is going to know the difference Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Thanks Mike! Trajectory is a decision-factor in this equation for me between the two...So thanks for sharing that! Just checked out the Barnes Bullets site and they have the 30 cal. 200gr TSX maybe I should consider it in this discussion as well... Trajectory-wise would it be some-what-on par with the Whelen? If not, I have an excuse to get the Whelen now... | |||
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hi why not nosler accubond 200 grain with bc 480+ and you can get get 2688 fps with rel-22 according nosler . it would be a far better long range loading than 225 gr 35 caliber and better sd will give better penetration too. best regards yes Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy; its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. | |||
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Sooner or later all of you guys shooting these looping trajectory cartridges will wish you had a flatter shooting cartridge when facing a longer shot than you thought you would ever have in "black timber." I have never faced a shot longer than 100 yards on elk until last year. Then I was glad I wasn't carrying a .30/40. Why not go with a .30-06 and 180 grain Barnes Triple Shocks? | |||
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Hey, I think I might like that even better...  . | |||
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For elk out of the .30-06 I'd be happy with about any spitzer 180 grain bullet. I've got a friend that has had great luck with Sierra GK for elk out to 400 with the 06. Nosler Partitions would rate top of the list for me as well. Realisticly with a MV around 2800 with a 180 grain out of the 06 isn't going to cause many bullets to fail.
Hey! I resemble that remark at least this year anyway.  | |||
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by taylorce1: For elk out of the .30-06 I'd be happy with about any spitzer 180 grain bullet. I've got a friend that has had great luck with Sierra GK for elk out to 400 with the 06. Nosler Partitions would rate top of the list for me as well. Realisticly with a MV around 2800 with a 180 grain out of the 06 isn't going to cause many bullets to fail. [QUOTE] Thanks Taylor 1 for that reply... I haven't hunted ELK yet... But I took my 19 y.o. son to Namibia with me last year to hunt PG... I was using my M98 30-06 and he a Sako L61R 30-06 Finnebear...My reloads were 180 Partitions/53.8 grains of IMR 4350/CCI 200 Primer...In both our rifles this load shot under 3/4" 3-shot groups... We killed... 3-Kudu 3-Oryx 3-Warties 1-Hartmann's Zebra 1-Impala 1-Blesbok 1-Baboon Shots ranged from 135 yards to 275 yards... Recovered only one bullet on a Kudu Bull that smashed through both shoulders and found bulging under the off-side hide! All one-shot kills... but one Kudu Bull that I shot too high in the shoulder on an uphill shot and I shot him again for insurance so he wouldn't die on the other side of the ridge to hamper recovery efforts...LOL We along with our PH's were totally impressed with the 180gr NP...Everything we shot was either DRT or within 40 yards... One day I would like to hunt Elk with my son and I wasn't sure if this load would give us the same results as I believe these Elk are much larger... Now, you've given me the confidence to take this same load out on an ELK hunt...  That's the only reason I was considering the Whelen... If/When I ever get the fortune/opportunity of hunting a grizzly I'll take a 375 H&H instead... Thanks again! | |||
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As someone else said, The Damn Elk Ain't Gonna Know The Difference At That Range", and in actuality a properly placed shot from either, and you would not be able to tell the difference. Go with whichever you like the best. I don't like the '06 but do like the Whelen and have had plenty of success with the Barnes 225 grain "X" Flat Base. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts!... | |||
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Well, you took it well. My hat's off to you! | |||
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by the way federal high energy loads in 3006 loaded with180 gr nosler PT are clocking 870 meter per second(2850 fps) from my ruger 77 all weather. very good loading if you need longer shots. Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy; its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. | |||
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Thank you for the info.... | |||
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Well, I've never killed an elk, however, my'06 with 180g swift aframes has kiled a couple of eland | |||
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Whelen, the new 225gr AccuBond looks like a nice choice, I shoot 250s in mine because there were no good 225s when the load was cooked up and i don't want to mess with a good (~.3MOA) thing. ______________________________________________________________________________ When people refer to a rifle as "ugly," what they are really saying is "push-feed." | |||
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Actually, I've found the most efficient long-range '06 wildcat to be the .338-06 Ackley Improved. And, now there is a GREAT bullet available - the 225 grain Accubond [BC=0.55]. With a 26" barrel I'm getting 2875 fps with 63 grs. of N204. This is absolute MAX but it delivers over 4000 ft# of energy at the muzzle. This is into 338 WinMag land. Regards, AIU | |||
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I've used the .30-06 for about 35 years now with good results. However having said that, since I started using the .35 Whelen, I no longer own an 06. I think it's that much better. I do however also have a .338-06 AI, and believe the better selection of quality bullets available in that caliber will put it to the top of my list of 'go to' rifles. May be a moo point however, as they will all kill stuff dead with good hits. Cheers! | |||
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Good advice on the 30-06 and a premium 180 gr bullet. Place one well and the animal will fall, well beyond 300 yards too. I am a fan of the Whelen and the 225 gr TSX at 2700 fps is quite decisive on the large critters too. | |||
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If you shoot your 30/06 well it won't fail you. I've used a 30/06 exclusively on elk from 30 yards to 425 yards with 180 grain Sierra's, all had an exit wound. The only exception to the exit wound were two elk with 180 grain Accubonds and one elk with 180 Speer's, all three were dead elk but I failed to get an exit with those as I do with the Sierra's. One thing about Elk is that they don't all die alike, I've seen elk hit well with a .338 WM that just wouldn't go right down and others that just crumble to lesser calibers and vice versa no rhyme or reason. Some just take more killing than others. Whatever rifle you take make sure you shoot it well at any distance you may encounter a shot, if it is beyond your comfort don't try to turn "no shot" into a shot. | |||
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I get 2740 fps with 225 Accubonds from my 24" Whelen. Thats a nice 300 yard load. | |||
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I own two 06's and two Whelens, I would definitely not feel undergunned with an 06. For elk or moose I imagine the 225 gr Accubond the starting point for the 35, whereas the 06 would be fed 180;s. As far as looping trajectories go, if you shoot your gun at the ranges mentioned and practice, it is a capable round out to 350-400 yds. Most people don't shoot often enough or at the ranges they talk about taking game. Don't get me wrong here but 300 yds is long for a lot of people. | |||
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I hunted in Colorado from 1984 thru 1999 and have a wildlife mgt degree so I conducted my own surveys on calibers used in colorado:30-06,7mm mag & 300wm were the most popular calibers used by hunters while a friend of mine used a ruger #1 in 6mm for elk & mule deer but he was a former usmc force recon scout sniper with combat kills in viet nam at 1500 yards so he was an exception.I know hunters who have used 25-35,32special, 30-30,270,280,338,375,45-70 to kill elk and mule deer,plus many other calibers of rifles. | |||
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I used a 180gr nosler accubond blem in my sako finnsport 300wm for a cow elk in arizona.Friends of my buy nosler .308 caliber accubond blems from www.bivwak.com in 165gr and 180gr for colorado elk & mule deer. | |||
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I do not believe Federal any longer provides their 06 180 gr High Energy load with a Nosler Partition. Too bad because they were very accurate and met advertised velocity. They are now making that HE offering with a trophy bonded "tipped" projectile. Perhaps a better projectile at least from a Ballistic Coeff. perspective. I have not tested them for accuracy. | |||
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Didn't realize my thread was still going...LOL Right on folks I appreciate all you've shared!!! I'm staying with my 30-06 and the 180gr Nosler Partition for the big boys!!! But as suggested I really want to give the 180gr Sierra GK a try also!!! Snellstrom PM inbound!!! Thanks to all for you contributions... | |||
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Velocity is a real consideration. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting 30-06 220gr vs 35 Whelen 225gr
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