165 or 180 grain bullet for 3006

[Huntsmans Bane]

Either is fine. I use 180s out of my .30-06 just because they seem to shoot better. But I'm not hand loading and just using factory ammo. I shot several brands and bullet weights to figure out which one shot best.

I would've been happy to use 165s but my rifle didn't seem to shoot them as accurately.

Of course, now I shoot a bow or a .300WSM but I still have the .30-06.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I really like heavy-for-caliber bullets, even though the 165Gr is perfectly adequate out of a .30-06 Springfield for white tail deer.

 

[sourdough44]

I voted, but man, bullet placement is so much more important than minor differences with bullets. Of course you want something that shoots well in your rifle.
When one goes down in size, as to the cartridge/ game relationship, bullet differences matter more. An extreme example could be those deer hunting with a 223 rifle. I used to hunt MS & GA, a southern deer at 50 yards doesn’t require a cannon.


As we know with hunting not all opportunities are ideal, may also be an unfriendly property line nearby.


With my 308 I usually prefer 165 grain bullets, my buddy 180 with his 30-06. There hasn’t been a hint of a difference with good shot placement.

 

[wolfhunter]

my 3006 and the two before all liked 168 barnes ttx and IMR 4350 2850 vel.

 

[Safari Dave]

165g bullets have always given me a full pass-trough on whitetails with good expansion.

They are my favorites.

I use a .30/06 Remington Model 700 most of the time for deer and black bear hunting.

I don't bother reloading .30/06, because cheap factory loading with 165g bullets have always performed flawlessly for me. (Remington & Winchester)

 

[Hillcountry63]

I’ve used both and still do. I’m running a Winchester 70 also and my 165 and 180 loads both group properly with only a minor dope change between the two. I use the 165 for WT down south and Tx and the 180 on WT up north and on Plains Game in Africa. I’m fortunate that my rifle likes both.

 

[wvfred]

Barnes TSX 180 gr. is all I use in my 06.

 

[Nhoro]

I use 180 gr and 220 gr in my 3006. I find heavier bullets have less felt recoil, a slower push vs quicker punch. Range and trajectory don't matter much as I won't face long shots and a range finder deals with distance anyway.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I use 180 gr and 220 gr in my 3006. I find heavier bullets have less felt recoil, a slower push vs quicker punch. Range and trajectory don't matter much as I won't face long shots and a range finder deals with distance anyway.

I notice mine doesn’t seem to recoil as bad with 220s at about 2300fps. Very pleasant.

 

[Puddle]

My rule of thumb is with big game live weight up to ~300 lbs I'm fine with using a cup-n-core bullet. The 165 grain HotCor at around 2,800 fps MV from the .30-06 will do just fine out to ~300 yards.

When big game live weight gets much past 300 lbs then I'm loading either a 180 grain bonded bullet or a 165 grain all-copper bullet.
And it's not about the weight. It's about smacking the bones that support that kind of weight.

 

[Nhoro]

I notice mine doesn’t seem to recoil as bad with 220s at about 2300fps. Very pleasant.

I am sure the calculations say more recoil with tje heavy bullets but i find it more tolerable too. Same with my 458 lott, heavier slower bullets are easier.

 

[Nhoro]

My rule of thumb is with big game live weight up to ~300 lbs I'm fine with using a cup-n-core bullet. The 165 grain HotCor at around 2,800 fps MV from the .30-06 will do just fine out to ~300 yards.

When big game live weight gets much past 300 lbs then I'm loading either a 180 grain bonded bullet or a 165 grain all-copper bullet.
And it's not about the weight. It's about smacking the bones that support that kind of weight.

Thats a whole other discussion. Cup and core, without a doubt bigger and heavier is better. Much more reliable at slower velocities. And pure copper/ brass need speed to open, so they are opposite. Heavy mono's dont have the speed and energy to open properly. Just what you say.

 

[Puddle]

Thats a whole other discussion. Cup and core, without a doubt bigger and heavier is better. Much more reliable at slower velocities. And pure copper/ brass need speed to open, so they are opposite. Heavy mono's dont have the speed and energy to open properly. Just what you say.

Yup. I drive the 165 mono's at 2,900+ for just that reason.

 

[RayAtkinson]

I prefer the 150 for deer and such, and the 180s for larger stuff and I really like the 200 gr Accubond or partition for elk and for use in Africa. I see the 165 as neither fish nor fowl but I can push a 180 at the same velocity and see no reason for its use for my part..