lightest load for 30-06

I would stay away from the very lightest bullets for the task you have in mind, lighter bullets always drop more and drift more than heavier ones.

The lightest practical bullet for your use is the 125gr Nosler ballistic tip with a b.c. of around .35.

In my 06 I can get them to 3300 fps using stiff charges of RL15 and H4895 but find that all this load is good for is making a slightly bigger mess of foxes under a hundred yards than the 150gr bullets.

A 150gr Speer BTSP (Slippery with a bc of .42 and rather frangible at the business end) over a top charge of H4350 will crack 3050 fps or so and show less drop and wind drift over 300-400 yards than even the ballistic tip.
 
PKL,

Where are you staying in DC? That will drive (no pun intended) on what is available as far as stores. I do know that Bass Pro Shops has a store in MD, up the 495 if you have a rental and a few hours to spare. They usually carry reloading stuff, but not all their stores do. As to bringing the stuff back into DC, components aren't an issue (loaded ammunition may be a problem though). Are you flying out of Reagan International or Dulles? Dulles is actually in Virginia (not DC) so that airport would not pose any problems (components or ammo). Regan International is actually in DC, so it could pose an issue (and security is usually extremely tight there, due to its proximity to the Capital). A lot of the stores around the Northern Va area tend to be tactical type stores (catering to all the, ahem, "organizations" that frequent the area), and don't generally stock a whole lot of reloading and hunting stuff...

Let me know, as I frequent that area a lot due to my work, and might be able to steer you in the right direction...

Oh, and as Muir says, 110gr bullets are about as light as you can go, but suck for long range work. It's like shooting ping pong balls. You can drive them fast, but due to their low BC, tend to shed velocity fast (as well as loose accuracy). You'd be better (IMHO) just shooting a 150gr bullet (though I have never tried the 125gr'rs mentioned previously). The sabot idea has been hit or miss with most rifles. They either work well with a particular rifle...or not at all.
 
Last edited:
I would stay away from the very lightest bullets for the task you have in mind, lighter bullets always drop more and drift more than heavier ones.

The lightest practical bullet for your use is the 125gr Nosler ballistic tip with a b.c. of around .35.

In my 06 I can get them to 3300 fps using stiff charges of RL15 and H4895 but find that all this load is good for is making a slightly bigger mess of foxes under a hundred yards than the 150gr bullets.

A 150gr Speer BTSP (Slippery with a bc of .42 and rather frangible at the business end) over a top charge of H4350 will crack 3050 fps or so and show less drop and wind drift over 300-400 yards than even the ballistic tip.
GH: Do you know what speed was used to determine that BC??~Muir
 
Interesting. Did you every try to calculate the BC on your own? The only reason I ask it that sometimes the makers are not too specific about the speeds they use when calculating the BC they publish. As we know, BC can be very velocity-dependent. You can do it with one unit, but have a string of chronographs I shoot through to clock speeds over the bullet's flight downrange. It's pretty enlightening.~Muir
 
Interesting. Did you every try to calculate the BC on your own? The only reason I ask it that sometimes the makers are not too specific about the speeds they use when calculating the BC they publish. As we know, BC can be very velocity-dependent. You can do it with one unit, but have a string of chronographs I shoot through to clock speeds over the bullet's flight downrange. It's pretty enlightening.~Muir

In a very rough way, I have calculated my own B.C. above, but don't see the need for hunting purposes in all honesty, I never shoot game beyond 3-400 yards. the reason for using the slightly lower BC. is that it provides a better match out to 300 yards, where the bullet is still doing around 2500 fps.

For my target shooting stuff I tend to use the G7 BC value in Bryan Liszt's book with JBM's or Quicktarget's G7 model, so accurate so far that I haven't bothered doing any of my own fiddling but just note the ( usually only a click or two) differences between the shooting data and the calc data.

Your chrono method sounds very interesting indeed, can I ask you to share some of your results as I would be very interested? :)
 
Last edited:
Thank you Muir, I'm looking forward to the data. :)

It might be interesting to compare your results with the G7 derived BCsin the JBM database.

I think the reason the g7 works so much better is that it actually models something similar to the spitzer bullets we actually use rather than the worthy 1lb round nose Krupp projectile that so resembles the 200 grain Nosler Accubond I have in front of me...:D
 
Thank you Muir, I'm looking forward to the data. :)

It might be interesting to compare your results with the G7 derived BCsin the JBM database.

I think the reason the g7 works so much better is that it actually models something similar to the spitzer bullets we actually use rather than the worthy 1lb round nose Krupp projectile that so resembles the 200 grain Nosler Accubond I have in front of me...:D

I will post any new outings I have. It's hard for some people to grasp that there are many factors that influence BC and that, for instance, very few bullets have a BC that remains static over a wide range of velocities. I got in a spitting match with a fellow on an American varminting site when I stated the BC of a 33 grain ballistic tip .224 at around .102 from my Hornet. This bullet is used in Remington's "premier" 22 WMR round and he claimed the BC as being around .140 as stated by the factory. Simply put, my Hornet was pushing them at 3200 and the 22WMR at 2150, hence the difference. I always caution people when they begin ballistic calcs with a published BC. Without knowing the velocity it was derived at (at least) you can't be sure it applies to your situation.

I hate to admit it, but most of my bullets resemble the Krupp projectile! I shoot a lot of cast bullets!~Muir
 
I am going on a corporate to DC, my itenerary just says washington DC airport:banghead: LOL...anyway, don't have a rental, have a few hours to kill on a couple of days whilst there, I'm thinking the arlington approach Muir mentioned might be an idea.

I would be buying a few hundred bullets and posting to myself in the UK, not taking through the airport; however, I would be taking some reloading gear on the flight, but that's not components so don't see any issues with that...I hope!

what else should I bring back?:drool:
 
If it says "Washington DC Airport" then you're probably flying into Reagan International, though I think that is odd, as they don't have many international flights to that airport anymore (since 9/11). The good thing is, RIA has close access to the Metro (the "tube" or "underground" in UK parlance IIRC). Should be easy to get around without a car...
 
Back
Top