what is the best bullet to shoot out of my 30-06. i hunt pretty heavily wooded areas in the mountains of pa. my shots are anywh

[cody141]

what is the best bullet to shoot out of my 30-06. i hunt pretty heavily wooded areas in the mountains of pa. my shots are anywhere from 25 to 200 yards also i will be hunting deer and black bear

[Guest]

Asked and answered at least fifty times. The bullet weight between 150 gr. and 220 gr. that shoots most accurately in your particular rifle.

[jhjimbo]

Try Remington core-lokt 180 gr and see how they shoot.

[99explorer]

If you are not into handloading, my first choice would be the Remington 150-grain CoreLokt for all-around purposes.

[cody141]

ok im not into handloading and i have tried winchester power points in 180 grain but had no blood trail and very little expansion

[Sarge01]

Hornady makes their "American Whitetail" ammunition and the 30-06 is loaded with 150 grain Hornady Interlock bullets. They also have their Custom amunition and the 30-06 is loaded with 165 grain Hornady Interlock bullets. I like Hornady Interlock bullets and their performance on deer. I personally like the 165 grain bullets.

[themadflyfisher]

I hunt north central PA and my 06 shoots Remington Core-Lokt 180gr. very well.

[Happy Myles]

I have had excellent success with Barnes Triple Shock, 165 grains in both of my 06's,killing small African antelope. And large wildebeest, here in the States, deer and elk. Federal loads this bullet in commercial ammo. Your rifle will tell you what it shoots best.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

Do not use anything less than 180 grain on black bear. I used 180 grain for deer/elk hunting for many years. Both species were in the same area. Sounds like that may be what you're encountering there ith bear and deer? 180 grain will shoot fine out to 200 yards. I was not at all pleased with 165 grain CoreLokt on deer. Poor knockdown ability and made a mess of them. Can't ask for a worse combination in my opinion.

[Guest]

cody141-
At the ranges you have stated you shoot at, I have had excellent results with the Nosler Ballistic Tip in 165 gr. loading, on both deer and elk. Anything that will kill an elk will kill a black bear. If specifically after bear, I would switch to a Nosler Accubond, as it is a somewhat tougher bullet. Hornady Interbonds are a similar bullet to the Accubonds, and result in good terminal performance at 200 yds. I shoot the 165 gr. because that is what shoots well in my rifle. As previously stated, any loading between 150 gr. and 220 gr. will do the job, just settle on the one that your rifle shoots accurately at 200 yds.

[RockySquirrel]

This is actually a great question as I have been toying with the idea of down scaling down my ’06 from 180 to 150 grain. Slightly Lighter bullet should mean flatter trajectory. From what it sounds here and from what I read elsewhere. The newer scientifically designed bullets such as Barnes Triple Shock mentioned by Mr. Myles above may be the ticket.

The last deer I shot was deadly accurate but made a clean pass through the rib cage. I think I may need a better bullet. I think technology may have created a sweet spot where we can get the advantage of a heavier bullet with the trajectory of a lighter one.

[DakotaMan]

I prefer smaller bullets too for added velocity, especially if I will be taking 200 yard shots. Therefore good 165g bullets like the Barnes TTSX, Nosler Accubond, Horady Interlock or Interbond are all fine bullets for you to consider. For black bear, I would recommend the Barnes for max penetration. In the others it would be best to use the 180s for bears. As others have said, you just need to test them in your rifle and see which one shoots most accurately for you.

[WA Mtnhunter]

Another vote for 165 gr Barnes TSX or 168 gr TTSX in a .30-06 or .300 magnum.

[Pecos Flats]

Cody,
If you do not handload, try settling on a load first by range time to see which brand & bullet weight your rifle is most accurate with.
In 30.06, the 150 grain bullets will take deer sized game just fine.
Deer arent tough animals to bring down, so typical "cup & core" bullets have been taking them for decades.
Of course, the solid copper and partioned styles such as; Nosler Partition, Swift and Grand Slam are spades!
It isn't necessary to spend $45.00 on a box of 30.06 ammuntion, to get reliable and accurate deer fodder.
Dont throw in the towel on 165-grain. After 50+years of hunting with most bullets available, I can attest that a 165-grain Sierra Game King is deadly and dependable on deer, while offering a great ballistic coefficient at long range.
Federal loads the Speer HotCor bullets in their Power-Shok 30.06 line and it's gotten great customer reviews. In fact, i always seem to have a small supply of them handy.
Of course, CoreLokt, Power Point [tough bullet], Interlock are just few others that reasonably priced and dependable.
After all is said and done, dedicated range time with your rifle to ensure proper bullet placement at different ranges, while finding the ammuntion brand it shoots the most accurate in the weights you desire, will give you the confidence that is required for your success.
Bring home the venison, young man!