new member has ammo questions Savage 111
 

Hi everyone. Been bowhunting for 6 years and have now become a proud rifleman as well. I am VERY new to firearms so please excuse my ignorance regarding the following questions. Just bought my first rifle:
Savage 111 synthetic, bolt action 30.06. A local sporting goods store was having a sale and the wife took me down to get my 40th Birthday present.
The package was just over $400.00 w/ a Simmons scope, and sling. I picked up a few guns twice as much money but they did'nt feel right. Funny, I picked up the $400.00 gun first and after at least a dozen later I went back to the first the Savage 111. I live in California where blacktail deer and pigs are commonplace for hunters. It has been suggested I go with one of two things: A 150g-165g bullet (Remington and Hornady have been suggested) and simply stay with that round at the shooting range and in the feild. Others suggest a 150g will do the trick just fine on deer and pigs but step up to 180g for the occasional elk hunt and go to the range beforehand to reset sight for bigger load. Sorry so long-winded, just want to do it right the first time. Suggestion? Thanks,
Mark

RE: new member has ammo questions Savage 111
 

Congratulations on getting a new rifle. I would go with the 165 grain for deer and pigs, and the 180 grain for elk. I really only hunt deer so others may have more to say about larger game. In particular I like the Remington Core-Lokt in 165 grain. I'm not a fan ofballistic tips.

RE: new member has ammo questions Savage 111
 

2 votes for remington core lokt! I also shoot 165grains for deer in PA out of my .30-06. You can step up to 180 for larger game. That .30-06 is pretty much good for anything here in the USA.

RE: new member has ammo questions Savage 111
 

Congrats! Welcome to the world of rifleman. .30-06 can do it all.

Suggest you find the bullet your rifle likes the best. Every rifle is different. I could care less, but, my 7mmRM hates Core-Lokts. 1.25 MOA at best. Win. Ball Silvertips, sub-MOA.

150-165 gr. is great for deer. 180 or even bigger for elk would be good. As a bowman you already know how important shot placement is.


Good Luck, Chris

RE: new member has ammo questions Savage 111
 

While your rifle choice is good, if it's your first firearm, I would start with a bolt action .22 first and get the basics down first. Or borrow one from a friend. I know a few people who've got into flinching because they've started too large off the start. Just my two cents...

Cory

RE: new member has ammo questions Savage 111
 

Ditto, and go with the 165 to 180 grains for deer. Honestly, I wouldn't shoot anything lighter than 165 in a .30 caliber. Savages will eat just about anything that you feed it. Wolf ammo is probably the cheapest or you can get some Federal Powershock (blue box), Remington Core lockts, Winchester it doesn't matter just start off shooting soft points. When you get comfortable with that then you can think about stepping up to the premium ammo.

RE: new member has ammo questions Savage 111
 

There isn't a deer alive that will not die with a regualr ole, inexpensive,soft point 150 grain bullet. Just find on that your rifle shoots well. There are many to choose from... Remington core lokts, Hornady innerlocks, Federal power shocks(blue box) soft points, Winchester power points. These are going to be the least expensive and will take any deer you will ever come across.

For elk and moose I would step up to one of the premium, controled expansion bullets of 180 grains to maximize penetration through the heavier bones and muscles. There isno need to go any heavier than 180 grains in a 30 caliber cartridge for NA game animals. Again there are a bunch to choose from, actually more than the regualr stuff. Some include Nosler partitions and accubonds, Barnes TSX, Hornady interbonds, Swift A-frame and scirocco, Trophy bonded bear claw, and many more.

RE: new member has ammo questions Savage 111
 

and besides, the soft points don't kick as hard as the premium rounds.

RE: new member has ammo questions Savage 111
 

I used to shoot 150grRemington CoreLokt in my 30-06. When i moved to PA and started going to Canada i switched to a 150gr Accubond because of the larger animlas i was hunting. Ive dropped a few Caribou, a Moose, and 3 Black Bears using the 150gr Accubond out of a 30-06. As long as you pick your shots properly and dont try to stretch them too far then a 150gr bullet will work great. I recently switched my main hunting gun from a 30-06 to a 300 WSM.

RE: new member has ammo questions Savage 111
 

I am not saying that 150 grain bullet will not do the job. Heck, I have a 7mm Rem Mag that I shoot 140 grain bullets at deer. I am just saying since he has a .30 caliber he might as well put an extra little umph behind it, since it is more than capable of it. Either or, just sharing my preference. To each his own.