30-06 loaded down

[El Chivo]

I was reading a nice article on the Beartooth site about loading the 30-06 for different levels. Anybody doing things like that?


http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_no ... tes.htm/30

I was thinking about sending in my Handi-rifle for another barrel in the off-season, and might go with the 30-06 over another 30-30. Its main use would be target shooting and silhouette with lead bullets at about 1500 fps, but it would be capable of more with a hotter load. I like the idea of loading it to "30-30 plus" at 2500 or so, or buying factory ammo at full power. And I never did like that rim. So, how does the 30-06 take to loading down?

[Hobie]

Didn't Townsend Whelen or Julius Hatcher load the .30-06 down to use on "pot" animals? Seemed to work a way back then... I knew I could find the load:

The pet small-game load for his .30-’06 consisted of a 150-grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ), 18 grains of Dupont 4759 powder and a Federal #210 primer bullet at 1600 feet per second delivering 852 foot-pounds of energy.

Also, Speer Reloading Manual Number Ten offers the 100-grain Speer "Plinker" bullet travelling at 1548 fps, propelled by 16 grains of Dupont SR4759, producing about 532 foot-pounds of energy.

[1894cfan]

That's one thing I like about the Speer manuals, they more often than not list reduced loads for most rifle loads.

[Chuck 100 yd]

That is strange. I always thought the .30-06 should have had a rim.

[JB]

That is strange. I always thought the .30-06 should have had a rim.

The 7.62x54R is pretty darn close, or at least can be with handloads.

[Old Savage]

When I first shot a 30-06 I thought the recoil was insane so I loaded it way down then all the way up the line. Now as we know if you shoot right recoil is not much of an issue at least through the 375 H&H. I still find the 458 more than I want but I think I started with 30 gr of 3031 and a 110 Gr bullet. I think I still have those records.

[2ndovc]

My first centerfire was(is) a Remington 1903A3 that I got around 14 or so.
Came with several cigar boxes full of my Grandfather's target loads. Other than a 160-170 Gr Gas checked lead flat point bullet I have no idea what that load was. Had to be a couple thousand of them though.
I also used Sierra's 125 Gr jsp on whitetail. Worked just fine. I guess no one told me that it was too light of a bullet.

That's what I love about the .30-06, so many choices.



jb

[pshort]

Howdy,
Ken Waters, in his "Pet Loads" series, has an article called "Loading Big Game Bullets For Deer". I refer to it often. He downloads all the big cartridges to .300 Savage level for deer.. (or .358 Win for really big!)
I did some loads for the .300 Win Mag for a friend, turns out they were identical to the Remington factory "Reduced recoil" loads. Of course, my reloads were a lot cheaper.. Shot really sweet.....
Here's what he has for the .30-06.......

150 Nosler ........ IMR4895 .......... 44 gr ........ 2600
150 Sierra ........ IMR4064 .......... 46 gr ........ 2608
165 Speer RN .... IMR4064 .......... 44 gr ........ 2490
180 Nosler ........ IMR4064 .......... 43 gr ........ 2415

Hope this helps...........
This stuff would all be in the current "Pet Loads" book, or in the supplements if you have a slightly older version of the book...


Paul

[Cliff]

The 30-06 can and has been download and up loaded to fit a shooters need. Years back most shooters were after economy and made the most from what caliber rifle or other guns they had. Up into the 1950's most shooters would only own four or five guns. When industry and money got moving shooters wanted more gadgets and could get quality arms in just about any configuration and some hand loading dropped off. I believe the release of surplus 1903's and A3's back then was a welcome addition for those depending on getting food and pest control. A lot of target shooters loaded cast bullets at modest velocities to enable their rifles to do it all. Today a lot of people are spoiled with the availability of guns, good ammo. Enjoy handloading the 30-06 by handloading light loads and so on. Good Luck.

[blackhawk44]

Loaded some 150gr loads to about 2450-2500fps for a friend to start a couple of teenagers with. Accurate 2495 delivered near 1" groups at that speed. Hogdon offers reduced load formulas with H4895. I regularly load 4064 and a 165gr bullet to 2600fps for use in a Browning 1895 and its a solid game killer.

[CEMENTHEAD]

30-06 loads down very well indeed. Trail Boss may be what your looking for

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Trail-Boss-data.pdf

the possibilities are plentiful! Have fun !!

Thanks, Tom

[Rusty]

Jr. came home from work this evening with two magazines he bought at work. Both were "Rifle" magazines. One was the regular monthly magazine, the other was a quarterly version that covers everything "30" in it. Mike V. did an article on shooting cast bullets from an 03A3 that looks pretty good. Loads for that are in the 1500 fps area.

[Mainehunter]

I went to the range yesterday to try out some cast loads for my 1948 custom built Mauser 98. The best load and group was:

54gr. of IMR 4350
avg. velocity 2558 f.p.s.
SD = 0
ES = .5
Brass = Winchester
Bullets = Beartooth 173gr. FNGC sized to .310
Primers = CCI 200
OAL 3.055 just a hair off the lands

This load at 50 yards using a Lyman peep sight was putting three rounds in the same whole and after 20 rounds the barrel was spotless with no leading! Recoil was a lot less then I thought it was going to be even with a steel butt plate.

Mainehunter

[Old Savage]

21 gr of 4759 and a 311284 produced approx 1600 fps and shot inch groups with my Win M 70.