Have you tried these in a 30/06 ?

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boatbum101

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Just had one rebarreled & was looking over load data & running different combos thru QL . Some of the newer powders if figures are valid may merit a look or 2 . These will be hunting loads 30/06 with Nosler 165 Part & 180 Part & 180 BT . Don't see much room with the 165's as the old standbys will reliably give 2900 - 3000fps from a 24" barrel . The 180's offer more room . If I can safely have improved ballistics with reasonable accuracy why not ? Loads will be worked up within adherence to reputable published data to what's safe in my rifle . Powders that have caught my interest are :
1) IMR 4955 - one of the Enduron powders supposed to offer less temp sensitivity , decoppering additives & shows some good speed within pressure limits .
2) Hodgon Superformance - Have this on hand & it too shows some good numbers , works well where it fits , people seem to love it or hate it .
3) Win StaBall 6.5 - this one also showing some impressive numbers across a wider spectrum of calibers .
4) RL 16 - from what I've heard is a temp stable version of RL19 . Reloader series was noted for having wider lot to lot variations than most & like most would lose velocity in cold weather .
5) RL 17 - this one appears to be a speed demon like RL 26 . If anything I'm thinking 16 might fit better in the '06 .
I've shot tons of 4350 both H & I , same with 4831 , win 760 / H414 & RL 19 / 22 in the '06 . All work very well but if one can get better why not ?
 
H4350 with 165 grain Hornady bullets is about as good as it gets in my circa 1947 Pre-64 Model 70 and holds right at 1 MOA for 5 shot groups day in and day out. My best load spits it out right at 2,800 fps for the best accuracy.
 

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My failsafe is 165-grain Sierra SPBT over IMR 4064 for my Rem 700 -06, although it's been years since I went hunting. It worked fine on deer and AK caribou. The Nosler Partitions would be very close in performance.
 
Yup '06 kills just as good @ 2700 vs 2900 . Bored & just retired . Be good just to get outside & do something I enjoy vs what needs to be done . Ahhh the joys of homeownership .
 
I have a dozen or so rifles in 30-06.

Aside from my Garands I have two standby hunting loads that work really well on large game. A 180 gn Barnes TSX on top of IMR 4064, and a 180 gn Nosler ballistic tip on top of Reloader 22. All of my rifles like both of them really well. Beasts up to large Elk or Moose get and stay very dead when hit by them.
 
The only 30/06 I load heavy bullets is original 1895 Win. The pressure is suppose to be keep at 45000cpu. So I stay with mild load of 4350. Shooting 200gr RNs at 2400fps. Not much better than 30/30 but they put the hurt’n on deer. More important deadly accurate.
 
My primary hunting rifle, until shoulder injury, has been 30-06. I shoot only 165gr. Nosler Partition bullets and with IMR 4895 powder, because I have many pounds of it. In the past I have used IMR 4350 with good results, just have a lot of the IMR 4895. It is fun to see the new Hornady bullets and some of the others, and the new powders, but I am sticking to what I know works for me.
 
For ME, a 165gr/168gr Sierra bullet over 57.0gr H4350 can't be beat. When I do my job I get sub 1/2MOA 5 shot groups. I doubt I could do better. My best group was .33" but that was for a 3 shot group. The rifle is a Howa 1500.
 
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165 grain Nosler Partition with an appropriate load of IMR 4064 provides 1 MOA groups all day long out of my Win. pre 64" Mod. 70 in 30.06. A mannlicher Sako loves 165 gr. Nosler Ballistic tips and 165 grain Sierra bullets. It is a 30.06 as well.

The attached photo of a recovered bullet is a Nolser 165 grain partition bullet. The deer was shot, while hunting on the ground in timber, at about 65-70 yards in the front right shoulder. The bullet was recovered just under the skin on the inside of the left rear leg/ham area.

The second photo is one of the recipient of the bullet, the Mod. 70 and additional gear.
 

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If you are a fan of 4350 then IMR-4451 is worth a look. Right about the same burn rate but is part of the Enduron line which is supposed to be temp stable (which H4350 already is) but also adds the copper fouling remover which works VERY well. H4350 and IMR4350 definitely are prone to building up copper in the barrel.
 
I have had very poor results with 165 nosler out of a 308 Win. Accuracy was good but the bullets did not open. 2 deer, a day apart, at the same spot, 235-240 yards, both required a kill shot point blank with handgun. Double lung, tore the pericardium on one, double lung and ventricles. I walked down since they ran, only ~20 yards. On dressing it appeared as though I was using a pencil or ( FMJ ), chrono 2750 out of Savage 110. Out of the hundreds of deer I have taken- Rifle, shotgun slug, handgun- 44 mag, 50 cal muzzle loader, bow & crossbow, I have never seen so little effect. The shots were perfect, I only used the Nosler's because I was out of Speer Nitrex at that time. I used the rest of them for paper or steel,. Be Safe,
 
Nothing wrong with trying out new powders........
just have to start over and put the puzzle together again.

I just have too many accurate loads with my 30-06 to have to buy more powders.
I even down load for meat saver loads and low recoil at my old age.

A 165gr pill gets down to 2,530 fps and my slow 180gr does 2,430 fps for my deer hunting, here in Nevada for Big Mule deer.

Have fun.
 
Short tale of rifle liking certain bullets--

I worked up some 150-grain Nosler ballistic tips once for my Rem 700 -06. At 100 years almost one hole, 200 yards would easily fit inside a nickel. Happy shooter, I was. But at 300 yards I could barely keep them on the target. So disappointed. They just wanted to wander off into nowhere after two hundred yards.

Switched to 165-grain Sierra SPBT--same powder, IMR 4064--and had similar results at 100 and 200 yards, but had near 2-inch groups at 300 yards.

Stuck with the Sierra bullets after that. Seems my 700 just didn't care for that Nosler bullet.
 
Old school load when I was growing up was to dip the case through a tin of IMR4350 and seat a 165 Hornaday. Nosler didn't do 165's back then. Just right around 59 grains. And no I have not tried those new powders as the only 06 I own is a garand and H4895 is great.
 
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Trust but Verify

I used to know someone who consulted a loading reference you mentioned. He was trying to gain the warp speeds. He occasionally needed to pound his bolt open with a 2x4 and re solder his handle back on.
 
One needs to understand the difference between a reloading manual & a piece of ballistics software . QL for me allows running different bullet / powder combos to find possible candidates for developing . It's as good as the data you enter , all that aside use data from a reputable source . I prefer from either the powder or bullet mfger of components used . I use a chronograph ( Oehler 35P ) when working up , examine every fired casehead & stop when bolt starts to feel sticky or I see something I don't like . We've all ran into rifles that showed pressure signs before reaching a max load from a manual . That's why you start 10% less & work up .
 
Every rifle is different.

The tip style, bullet weight and even the shape & style of the bullets base can make or break a good day at the range.

It takes time to find a great load unless you just get lucky.

Here are a few types that are out there.

 
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