Factory Ammo Suggestions

J

jb1069

AH member
Joined
Feb 17, 2025
Messages
32
Reaction score
79
Looking for a starting point for 30-06. I understand each rifle will be different but looking for suggestions on bullet type and weight for plains game hunt. I am not a re-loader so looking for off the shelf or even going with custom loads. Thanks in advance!
 
Depends where you are hunting?....ie species..terrain...equals distances and thickness of bush...flat..hilly ...
 
Fusion 165,180 is a good one and cost effective to try . And a good Fmj also would do good.
 
jb1069 said:
Looking for a starting point for 30-06. I understand each rifle will be different but looking for suggestions on bullet type and weight for plains game hunt. I am not a re-loader so looking for off the shelf or even going with custom loads. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I buy 3-4 boxes of different ammo when I buy a new gun and periodically a few others over time when a new bullet I like comes to market. I shoot 3 shot groups with each picking what I like. I also save the other boxes for future guns to test or get them on paper. If I look at my ammo shelf in the garage I bet I’ve got 12-15 different options to pick right now.

My go to starting point for a 30-06 right now based off what I have and like in other guns would be some combo of what’s below.

1) Federal Terminal Ascent
2) Barnes TTSX
3) Federal TSX
4) Federal Fusion
5) Nosler AccuBond/Accubond LR
6) Barnes LRX
 
buffalobore.com
 
Mtn_Infantry said:
My go to starting point for a 30-06 right now based off what I have and like in other guns would be some combo of what’s below.

1) Federal Terminal Ascent
2) Barnes TTSX
3) Federal TSX
4) Federal Fusion
5) Nosler AccuBond/Accubond LR
6) Barnes LRX
Click to expand...
These would be my exact recommendations too. 180 gr is a good all around bullet. I think a softer bonded bullet like Fusion, Accubond, or Terminal Assent would be my top choices if I was looking. Buy a box of each to find out what shoots well in your gun for the price you’d like to spend on a box.
 
As @spike.t mentioned, depends on what you plan to hunt and what type of terrain, distance you plan to shoot.

You might try 150, 165 and 180 grain bullets. The 30-06 usually isn’t too finicky, so I wouldn’t over think it. Just go to a local place where ammo is sold and try a couple different brands, Remington, Hornady, Winchester, etc. If you might hunt elk, moose or African PG, I would recommend looking at the semi custom ammo makers. Choice Ammunition in Montana is showing 180 grain Swift A Frames available in 30-06. Hendershots is another good option for selecting a premium bullet.
 
I've had great success with most anything out of the Federal Premium products that have quality projectiles loaded. My current go-to are
1) Federal Terminal Ascent
2) Federal trophy bonded

Hornady Superformance has also been reliably accurate and perform well for me on medium game (deer, hogs, pronghorn).

value priced ammo that works fine for practice or to save $ when Shooting hogs/coyotes/etc. has been Hornady American Whitetail, Federal Power-Shok, Remington Core-Lokt.

Pick up a few different offerings and grain weights to see if your rifle shoots one better than another, then dial it in from there.

Adjacent note: my go-to round in my 25.06 is Hornady Superformance 117gr SST. It is extremely accurate and works for all critters i would shoot with that caliber. But to save some $, I often use the Hornady American Whitetail 117gr soft points with near identical point of impact (slightly less accurate) when I'm not "trophy" hunting.
 
Barnes vor-tx 180gr shoots like a champ in my 30-06…
 
Federal brand has consistently shown the best accuracy, for me, across a variety of different cartridges and rifles. Their premium lineup has some excellent options such as the nosler partition and trophy bonded bullets among others several others. Barnes can prove outstanding but you must be aware those bullets require high impact velocities for proper expansion, and they can be tricky in some guns to shoot accurately. Remington is okay but overpriced for what it realistically is. Winchester sorry to say has given me more problems than all other brands combined. Hornady is hit or miss but a good value if it’s accurate in your gun and the limited bullet selection is suited for your needs. Nosler is outstanding but you may need to refinance your home if you want more than a box or two! Buffalo bores owner was caught out for tossing poison meatballs in the forest so I don’t give him any money. Foreign brands I have used for target practice but I’ve not hunted with.
 
Federal Terminal Ascent
Federal Trophy Bonded Tip
Barnes TTSX/TSX
 
Watch this video, particularly between 5-6 minutes. This is testing various 270 ammo.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

... and 1112 more.
Total: 121,780 (members: 1,162, guests: 120,618)

Forum statistics

Threads
60,502
Messages
1,318,883
Members
111,624
Latest member
VickyForth
 

 

 

Proudly sponsored by

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

LIMPOPO NORTH SAFARIS
LIMPOPO NORTH SAFARIS
Behind the scenes of taking that perfect picture.....






WhatsApp Image 2025-04-23 at 09.58.07.jpeg
•••
K
krokodil42 wrote on Jager Waffen74's profile.
Good Evening Evert One.
Would like to purchase 16 Ga 2.50 ammo !!
•••
R
Rattler1 wrote on trperk1's profile.
trperk1, I bought the Kimber Caprivi 375 back in an earlier post. You attached a target with an impressive three rounds touching 100 yards. I took the 2x10 VX5 off and put a VX6 HD Gen 2 1x6x24 Duplex Firedot on the rifle. It's definitely a shooter curious what loads you used for the group. Loving this rifle so fun to shoot. Africa 2026 Mozambique. Buff and PG. Any info appreciated.
•••
G
Gasman43
Ready for the hunt with HTK Safaris
•••
Treemantwo
Treemantwo wrote on Jager Waffen74's profile.
Hello:
I’ll take the .375 Whitworth for $1,150 if the deal falls through.
Thanks .
Derek
[redacted]
•••

Share this page

 
Top