3-06 bullets
 

i bet this has been discussed to death, but i'll throw it out there for my own benefit. I have recently purchased a Remington 760 in 30-06. I have been looking at ammo to use, 200 yd. shots max at 200lb max whitetails. the info on bullet selection is mind numbing! the kicker to all this is I may also run into a black bear while deer hunting. bears here are not huge, 400lbs would be a slammer. So, what FACTORY ammo would anyone suggest. I am going to try several to see what the gun likes. Sorry about the long post!

Try a few bullet weights to see what your guns likes best, and go with accuracy over weight. For the parameters you've given, 150gr would be adequate.


Start the brands you recognize like Winchester, Federal, Remington. A lot of which brands you shoot will depend on what's sold in your area.


For my money, my '06 shoots Wolf Gold well, but it's a bit dirty. The accuracy is worth an extra cleaning patch or two. I like Prvi Partizan & Fed. Fusion for my .270. Don't be afraid to try some of the reduced recoil ammos.

Whatever groups best in your rifle. Neither deer nor black bear are particularly tough and you don't need premium bullets for either. Shoot several brands and lay in a supply of which one your rifle likes best.

Winchester PowerPoints, in 150 and 165 grain.
Remington Core-Lokts, 150 and 165 grain.
Hornady American Whitetail, 150 grain.

Try these and see what shoots well in your gun.

I would go with a premium if bear is on the menu. Many will tell you that they are not particularly tough. But, they don't leave the best blood trails and they will get into some thick, nasty cover. I would want an exit wound. And bears are tougher to pick perfect shot placement on. Your scope will be full of black. If you have a shoulder shot, or a quartering shot, you want a tougher bullet that will pass through in less than ideal situations.

I would find something with a Barnes X bullet (or equivalent), Nosler Partition or Accubond. If you are going with standard bullets (like Core-Lokts) go with the 180 grain bullets.

I haven't shot a factory round in as long as I can remember. But having shot my share of deer and black bear I have to agree with Flags - neither are tough enough to warrant a premium bullet (unless it is the most accurate in your rifle).
As for bullet weight something in the 165 - 180 grain would be my pick. Remington Core-Lokt bullets have been around a long time because they work as well as many others. My advice is to get an assortment and see what shoots the best out of your rifle and then go to the same store and buy as many boxes as you can afford of the same lot number. That way you can be sure they will all shoot the same. (they can vary from lot to lot)

Yep, no need for a premium bullet for deer and black bears IMHO either. Just go with what shoots best in the rifle you have as the others have mentioned.

I was about to type exactly this, when I saw TN beat me to it. The only thing I would add is try 180's as well, my dad's 760 loves the corelokt 180s and they seem to hit hard.
-Jake

I'd suggest 150gr, my 30-06 loves corelokts in 150 gr, psp


I used to shoot 180's the only issue I had was they would pass right through without much expansion on a 150lb whitetail. exit hole was about same size as the entry hole.


150's worked perfectly on a antelope and a 4pt mulie this past Oct.

I use a 150 grain soft point in all my 06s and have not had a problem I would not think twice about shooting a bear with the same bullet..All i shoot are the blue box from Fedral..

thanks for the replies. i am working with all of your suggestions. slow going with our weather.

I tried the Remington Managed Recoil 125 grain bullets in my Bolt-action Rifle and they grouped very good for Me...since they are lighter recoil bullets You need to use a Pump or Bolt-action Rifle since they're might not be enough power to eject the casing in a Semi-Automatic Rifle.

might want to try some 165 grain bullets in that 06. will work well for deer and bear. nosler partitions will be effective for the bear hunts if you reload.

I got away from that decades ago
 

What shoots the best!!! I had a 35 Rem in the least expensive bullet made. Shot them right and dropped those deer on the spot in swamps.
Once dug out a bullet on the far side of a dead deer, and it measured double at 70 caliber. It wasn't the expense of the bullet but the accuracy of the shooter.
Been saving money on bullets ever since. Even the least expensive bullet is adequate. But then others get tied up in what shoots best in the rifle, instead of looking at the shooter.

A newbie female once shot the first two shots in a 30-06, a keyhole.
Twenty years later I'm still shooting those keyholing bullets. Don't worry about more expensive bullets.

There's a big difference in bench accuracy and hunting accuracy. Many hunters, in my opinion, worry too much about obtaining bench accuracy. Not that there is a problem with that... More accurate is always better... But the hunter trying to shrink his group from 1.5" to under an inch is ultimately "wasting" money. As in 99% of hunting situations the difference won't matter. I'm lucky with both my .30-06s. One shoots 150 or 165gr core locts really well. and one shoots the 180 grains really well. Both right around an inch if I do my part. I have a marlin .30-30 that greatly benefitted from handloads. Every gun and every persons accuracy needs will be different. Just depends what you want.
-Jake

The 30-06 is my favorite deer rifle, I hunt where shots could be short or across a field. I have always used 150 grain bullets for deer, whatever is on sale. Someone told me that I should try the 165 grain bullets for a reason I don't remember. I have not done that but I think 165's might be a little better on larger deer. I will take Mr. Slim's advice and get a box and try them.

The least expensive bullet made may not be the best preforming bullet after you hit the deer. In my .308 Remington 150 grn coreloct have always done a superb job for me, many drop in their tracks right behind the shoulder. In my 45-70 I use Hornady 325 grn lever evolution and they are like a bolt of lightning behind the shoulder. I subscribe to buying the best round that preforms well in your rifle upon impact with an animal. It isn't like we shoot two or three boxes of hunting ammo a year for the most of us.

I am sure you are right Oldtimr, I have not had any problems with any 150 grain 30-06 bullets on deer. I have not shot many tho using a 30-06, I used a 30-30 for years and was happy with it, never shot at anything much over 100 yards. I hunt more open land now and went to the 30-06. I usually try for a broadside lung shot, a rib should be the biggest bone the bullet hits and want the bullet to take out both lungs and exit.