30-06 Penatration (or lack of)


OJR

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That sounds pretty normal for that bullet and load.

I have been using the Hornady SST's & Interbonds, both 165 grain and that same load of powder. I have shot a couple of deer with this load and the bullet went completely through.

One was a back shot and the other one was through the lungs. The one I shot through the back went down immediately and the bullet went through the back completely. The other one went about 25 yards this bullet went through the animal also.

I quit using Nosler Partitions several years ago and have not had any problems with the Hornady bullets.

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Re: 30-06 Penatration (or lack of)

Interesting...I had similar problems with Sierra Pro Hunter Spitzers in 150 Gr 8mm and 48 Gr. of IMR 4064. I think I lost a deer this year because of it. FWIW, I really liked the Sieera accuracy on paper, though.

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Re: 30-06 Penatration (or lack of)

my dad shoots a 30-06 and uses a 150 grain soft point from winchester and it is one hammering round. his rifle is a savage weather warrior ss 26" long barrel. shot a nice buck at 255 yards and totally knocked the deer down with it and the next day did the same with a large doe for ouor area and she was at 105 yards and she also had a big hole ont he passthru and she went straight down as well. he found an excellent round to work with and he is more than happy with the results and if you decide to try a 150 grain bullet i would suggest you try that one

good luck

rob k

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Re: 30-06 Penatration (or lack of)

A lot of the info you are getting does not really pertain to your circumstances. Most of the deer here in the US are under 150 pounds, dressed. Just about any big game bullet in the .30-06 will do the job. Your deer can run double that size regularly and can take more umph to get pass throughs.

I like the 165 gr bullet in the 30-06. It seems to have the best combination of speed, accuracy, and trajectory for that sized case. Your observations of the Sierra BT are typical. They are not designed for weight retention. They often shed their jackets during expansion. The Nosler Partition is a great bullet that has dropped a whole bunch of big game in its lifetime. It was one of the original "controlled expansion" bullets and is still a standard to compare other bullets. Its accuracy is typically not the best, but is good enough for the majority of hunting and it will plow through some critters.

You may try a Barnes X bullet. It should not open up as big as the Partition, and it will retain a bit more or all of its weight. It may be enough to punch through the other side. The other option is to give 180 gr bullets a try. Your powder is always a good choice in the .30-06, so it may help with penetration as the sectional density is a bit higher. I would stick with a flat base spitzer bullet like the Partition.

For Billygoat's suggestion, do not use the Sierra MatchKings on game. Yes they are hollow point looking, but they act like a FMJ. They do not expand readily on game. Often the hollowpoint's tip will just bend or break off.

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Re: 30-06 Penatration (or lack of)

Im shooting 180grn Core-Lokt. They are probably overkill but more then get the job done.

As Aj said, your animals are much larger but I would think the additional weight would easily do the job. Ive taken out both shoulders and still blew a tennis ball sized hole in the opposite shoulder. Once you get that much weight moving it hits hard.....

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Guest J_Owens_66

Re: 30-06 Penatration (or lack of)

I have always had good luck with the sierra bullets, i think i would like to try some Swift Scirocco's. Good luck with your selection.

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Re: 30-06 Penatration (or lack of)

[ QUOTE ]

Thanks guys for the input. How do you all feel about the balistic tips or the Fail Safe? Does the moly help or hinder?

[/ QUOTE ]

I use the Hornady, Interbonds instead of the Nosler ballistic tips. Tougher jacket and better weight retention with them.

I have only used moly coated bullets in my 22-250 and have quit using it. I didn't think it made any difference and they are a mess to load!

I have not used the Fail Safe bullets, so can't help there.

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Re: 30-06 Penatration (or lack of)

I did not like the performance of my Sierra soft points either in 150gr and switched to the 180's. The only problem I have EVER had with the 180's is that 1 time I shot a 9 point at about 10-15 yards and the bullet entered the deers vitals and exited the other side but never expanded. Upon dressing out the deer and butchering it, I noticed that the bullet never hit a rib. It just so happened to slide between two rib bones on the way in and also on the way out. As the deer ran, I shot it again and the second bullet penetrated very deeply and expanded very well.

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Re: 30-06 Penatration (or lack of)

[ QUOTE ]

Thanks guys for the input. How do you all feel about the balistic tips or the Fail Safe? Does the moly help or hinder?

[/ QUOTE ]

If you are having problems with penetration, stay away from Ballistic Tips. They expand very fast and can shed their jackets on smaller deer.

I have not used the Fail Safe on game so I can not coment on that.

Moly is really only beneficial on the fast cartridges. Once you get above 3500 fps, the moly can come in to play. I use it on a few speed deamons and it does help reduce fouling. In my 6mm-06 Improved long range gun, I could only shoot 7 shots before I had to clean as the accuracy went away. Once I used moly the proper way, I can shoot 30 shots and still shoot some bug hole groups. I am shooting 75 gr bullets 3800 fps and it makes a difference. The same for my .17 Rem. By using moly it extended the shots between cleaning before accuracy went away. I used it in a .308 Winchester and did not notice a difference.

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Re: 30-06 Penatration (or lack of)

[ QUOTE ]

I would try 180 grain CoreLokts if I was you. They will expand well and pass thru for sure, unless you hit both shoulders. They are only $12.00 a box also.

[/ QUOTE ]

They're only $9 down here! shocked.gif

They really are a great cartridge for a little bit of nothing!

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Re: 30-06 Penatration (or lack of)

OK...I see! Stupid Liberal City Dweller, (SLCD), funding hard at work! We don't have a doe season here and I doubt we ever will. I don't know what the ratio is in Sunny CA on average but I will tell you that around my house the ratio seems to be about 20 does to every buck. I'm not an expert but I do spend more hours in the field than any fish and game person I ever met. My count isn't an exaggeration.

This actually brings up a real good point that has bothered me for awhile. Our seasons are in the middle of the summer heat waves and Californians, for the most part, don't have an opportunity to hunt the rut. Consequently, most hunters see very few deer, (because they only come out at night), and those they do see are normally does. Our success percentages are dismal.

I've asked DFG about this and received no answer to my inquiry. Our population, around my home, is very large. As a matter of fact...far more deer are hit by cars throughout the fall than are ever taken by hunters. I know this because I and my partners are tasked with putting them out of their misery while on patrol in the county. The best set of antlers I have are from a road kill!

I was under the impression that an out of proportion doe to buck ratio was unhealthy for the herd in general. If that is is the case, I don't know why we don't get, at minimum, a few doe tags issued every year? Any California hunters out there lurking that know the answer? I'll post this in the deer section, too.

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