200 grain partition for 30-06

[30calyooper]

Reloader 16, CCI 200's, and winchester brass. It seems to shoot pretty well but I need to shoot it more. I've only shot it on paper once but it was very consistent on steel out to 600.

If it were me and I were putting a 30-06 load together for whitetail deer I'd probably just shoot a 165 SGK. I too have heard the SGK's are on the soft side but with the added SD of the 200 gr and more importantly the mild velocities of the 30-06 I think they'd be about ideal for elk. Once you get up around 5k ASL that bullet is still going 2k ft/sec at 500. So basically from point blank to 500 you're in the Goldilocks velocity range for cup and core bullets. Initially I was eyeing the 165 and 180 SGK's until I noticed in Bryan Litz's book that the 175 7mm SGK and 200 gr 30 cal gameking had better form factors than the majority of the match kings and were significantly better than the 165 and 180. The 175 and 200 are just sleeker designs.

Every bad story I've heard from a cup and core bullet can usually be chalked up to poor marksmanship or light for caliber being pushed at warp speed. People shooting 150 SGK's in 30 cal magnums for instance are basically asking for a bad day

Oh yes, I could not agree more! Once tried explaining to a guy (fairly new to handloading) why jacking up a 150 in a 300 Weatherby was just asking for trouble...got nothing but arguments. Like I was spitting into the wind. Finally said okay, it's your hunting trip...Then a few months later he came back from a western hunt. Apparently lost both a muley buck and a whitetail doe. Pretty good bet that both factors (too light a bullet plus the loose screw behind the trigger) contributed to both animals wounded/not recovered. I still remember his explanation about the sun creating updrafts that threw his aim off. Yep...and they let 'em vote, too!

Thanks for the load info - Looks like a good one to play with and see what I might find. Got a couple of boxes of old Speer 200 flat-base HotCors that have been on the back of the shelf for OH-God-how-many-years...Might as well tune up a new bear load this winter.

I've used a 200 gr Accubond on elk with 300 winmag and 300 RUM. Cannot say it did anything better than the 180 Accubond in the 300 winmag, but my 300 RUMs both love it. No problem grouping 1/2 MOA way out yonder but I think it's pretty long for the '06 case.

 

[greenejc]

Oh yes, I could not agree more! Once tried explaining to a guy (fairly new to handloading) why jacking up a 150 in a 300 Weatherby was just asking for trouble...got nothing but arguments. Like I was spitting into the wind. Finally said okay, it's your hunting trip...Then a few months later he came back from a western hunt. Apparently lost both a muley buck and a whitetail doe. Pretty good bet that both factors (too light a bullet plus the loose screw behind the trigger) contributed to both animals wounded/not recovered. I still remember his explanation about the sun creating updrafts that threw his aim off. Yep...and they let 'em vote, too!

Thanks for the load info - Looks like a good one to play with and see what I might find. Got a couple of boxes of old Speer 200 flat-base HotCors that have been on the back of the shelf for OH-God-how-many-years...Might as well tune up a new bear load this winter.

I've used a 200 gr Accubond on elk with 300 winmag and 300 RUM. Cannot say it did anything better than the 180 Accubond in the 300 winmag, but my 300 RUMs both love it. No problem grouping 1/2 MOA way out yonder but I think it's pretty long for the '06 case.

Seen the light bullet/lightning speed thing a few times, myself. That's why I generally use 180 grain or 200 grain bullets in my30-06's and my 300wm's. I get very good performance from Speer, Hornaday, Sierra and Nosler cup and core bullets as long as I'm not trying to move them at light speed. I also like the 180 grain Corlokt bullets when I can get them at a reasonable price. They're a fine bullet for anything inside 400 yards. They hit a couple of inches lower at that distance, but still inside the kill zone. I just have to adjust a very small amount. The extra weight and longer bullet shank gives better straight line penetration, too. But it's just what you like. The Sierra 200 grain GK is about like shooting a 200 grain match grade bullet, though. So is the 180 grain Nosler and the 180 grain GK, and the Speer isn't far behind. I just can't justify to myself the expense of using the high dollar bullets all the time when I can get more than adequate performance out of the cup and core bullets at less than half the cost. Doesn't mean I spend less, just that I get to load and shoot more.

 

[rustyshackleford]

Seen the light bullet/lightning speed thing a few times, myself. That's why I generally use 180 grain or 200 grain bullets in my30-06's and my 300wm's. I get very good performance from Speer, Hornaday, Sierra and Nosler cup and core bullets as long as I'm not trying to move them at light speed. I also like the 180 grain Corlokt bullets when I can get them at a reasonable price. They're a fine bullet for anything inside 400 yards. They hit a couple of inches lower at that distance, but still inside the kill zone. I just have to adjust a very small amount. The extra weight and longer bullet shank gives better straight line penetration, too. But it's just what you like. The Sierra 200 grain GK is about like shooting a 200 grain match grade bullet, though. So is the 180 grain Nosler and the 180 grain GK, and the Speer isn't far behind. I just can't justify to myself the expense of using the high dollar bullets all the time when I can get more than adequate performance out of the cup and core bullets at less than half the cost. Doesn't mean I spend less, just that I get to load and shoot more.

My thoughts exactly. Premium bullets are a necessity brought on by magnums. Magnums were brought on to shoot farther via flatter trajectory. Now we have scopes to account for trajectory and better bullets that slip through the air more efficiently. A sleek high SD cup and core bullet performs very well over a pretty long distance. Like 0-600 assuming you can start it at 2800 or so. The partitions and mono's are great if you are anticipating a close range shot at warp speed or are trying to punch above your weight. If it's an adequate cartridge for the quarry with a good velocity I'd save my money and shoot cup and core. If I was bent on hunting a Cape buffalo with a 30-06 somewhere without minimum energy requirements I'd look at premium bullets.

 

[asd9055]

I guess I am stuck in my old ways
I shoot:
40-50 in 22-250
95 in 243
130 in 270
150-180 in 30-06
180-200 in 300 WBY
225 in 338 WIN
285-300 in 338 Lapua
260-300 in 375 H&H
haven't decided in 308, 7mm RM, and 300 WIN yet

 

[Tripodmvr7]

Hello all like everyone probably know nosler bullets are really hard to find and I've been looking for accubond and partition and all I have been able to find are 200 grain partition and the biggest caliber rifle I have as of right now is a 30-06 and I wanted to know has any one used the 200 grain bullets for 30-06 if so what are some good loads and what are the pros and cons and how was terminal performance and what would expected velocitys be also are they going to be a waist of time for white tails at 10 to 400 yards. Thanks in advance

H4831sc will get 2600 fps pretty readily. Kills pretty well from coyotes up. A forum member killed a nice grizzly with the 200 partition. Others as well.

I see this post has gone the normal way with suggestions and calibre creep moving in.

From his initial post Samuel has the 200gr Partitions on hand and the only suitable calibre is his 30-06. He can surely try and trade or swop the bullets, but it seems as though your component shortage might not make that an easy task. I therefore stuck to the data supplied and showed that with RL26 he can get a very safe load with a speed of 2650fps, which will satisfy his hunting needs. HARPERC confirmed the efficacy of such a load.

I think Samuel now needs to make up his mind and see what accuracy he can get with the suggested components and then go hunting. I am quite sure they will be adequate.

 

[Stammster]

^^^^not if you take into account the pounding a 200 gr bullet is going to give you at 2650 fps vs a 150/165 gr bullet at 2750-2800 fps. Killing whitetail deer isn't supposed to hurt.

 

[rustyshackleford]

^^^^not if you take into account the pounding a 200 gr bullet is going to give you at 2650 fps vs a 150/165 gr bullet at 2750-2800 fps. Killing whitetail deer isn't supposed to hurt.

I don't find it that bad. It feels like a slow rolling impulse. 180's at 2750-2800 and 165's at 2850-2900 feel like a sharper kick. All are fine to shoot from my EW the mcmillan edge stock. None are pleasant from my featherweight with the factory stock.

 

[QuietTexan]

When the only tool you have is a 200gr Partition, you have to use it. If the choice is between "shooting 200s at deer" and "sitting at the house", I'll take shooting the 200s every day.

And who is loading 200s to 2650, but a 150/165 to only 2750. Max load for one, starting for the other.

 

[xsn10s]

And who is loading 200s to 2650, but a 150/165 to only 2750. Max load for one, starting for the other.

Exactly. Looks like selective loading to me.

 

[30calyooper]

Seen the light bullet/lightning speed thing a few times, myself. That's why I generally use 180 grain or 200 grain bullets in my30-06's and my 300wm's. I get very good performance from Speer, Hornaday, Sierra and Nosler cup and core bullets as long as I'm not trying to move them at light speed. I also like the 180 grain Corlokt bullets when I can get them at a reasonable price. They're a fine bullet for anything inside 400 yards. They hit a couple of inches lower at that distance, but still inside the kill zone. I just have to adjust a very small amount. The extra weight and longer bullet shank gives better straight line penetration, too. But it's just what you like. The Sierra 200 grain GK is about like shooting a 200 grain match grade bullet, though. So is the 180 grain Nosler and the 180 grain GK, and the Speer isn't far behind. I just can't justify to myself the expense of using the high dollar bullets all the time when I can get more than adequate performance out of the cup and core bullets at less than half the cost. Doesn't mean I spend less, just that I get to load and shoot more.

AMEN!!! Kind of like one of my coworkers driving a Corvette...hey I make it to work in an old beat up Ford Ranger, and I bet my insurance cost less. The speed limit is 60 for BOTH OF US, and I drive home in my muddy work boots.

I think we've all at least played around with lighter bullets and higher speed. I can vouch for them if your out chasing coyotes and such with long shots across farm fields, but forget about recovering most of the pelts! Oh well, it was good practice with a big game rifle...but definitely convinced me that I would not go that route on anything bigger. Good way to check out a new scope too.

I've shot a few of those 200 gr Speers through my various 300 mags - at the time they were probably considered a premium bullet. Not enough experience to say if they were performing any better on game than anything else, but the accuracy was what you'd expect out of anything with an exposed lead tip. Doubtful that I'll get a long-range shot at a bear here in Michigan's north woods, so sniper-grade accuracy is not required. Neither is a 300 magnum.

Agree on the cup and core pills especially the good old corelokts. I spend good money to chase elk so I generally use a more expensive bullet there...but for Michigan whitetails 150 yards from my front porch? I have yet to see one get back up and run away laughing after I hit it with a cheap bullet. I will say this - over the years I have seen a lot or two of corelokts that required a bit of sorting to get them into groups for better accuracy...that 2-3 grain swing has meant the difference between a 1" group and a 1/2" group, and I like testing powders with the cheaper bullets when I'm first starting out. This comes in handy when a friend asks me to come up with a load for his/her rifle. Never gives a perfect answer but definitely some solid data to move forward...and often as not I can find what they want in one test.

One more comment on the cup and core pills - Don't see them out there too often these days, but the Winchester Power Points (Made by Hornady now?) were always very consistent for handloading right out of the box. Still tough to beat in standard grade factory ammo too, which is where I have steered a lot of hunters who had a budget to consider. As much as we love handloading, it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money and time working on loads for a guy who loves his Rem 7400 with a cheesy scope! Know a guy just like that, but he hunts in a good spot and eats plenty of venison...'Nuff said? He shoots 50 yards and doesn't go anywhere else to hunt so if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

[rustyshackleford]

When the only tool you have is a 200gr Partition, you have to use it. If the choice is between "shooting 200s at deer" and "sitting at the house", I'll take shooting the 200s every day.

And who is loading 200s to 2650, but a 150/165 to only 2750. Max load for one, starting for the other.

apparently stammster? I think he's just saying it's plenty to kill white tails out to 400 and not be punishing. Not that it's a top load. When I compared a 165 to the 200 I was running the 165 at 3k which I have never done in real life for the record

 

[30calyooper]

My thoughts exactly. Premium bullets are a necessity brought on by magnums. Magnums were brought on to shoot farther via flatter trajectory. Now we have scopes to account for trajectory and better bullets that slip through the air more efficiently. A sleek high SD cup and core bullet performs very well over a pretty long distance. Like 0-600 assuming you can start it at 2800 or so. The partitions and mono's are great if you are anticipating a close range shot at warp speed or are trying to punch above your weight. If it's an adequate cartridge for the quarry with a good velocity I'd save my money and shoot cup and core. If I was bent on hunting a Cape buffalo with a 30-06 somewhere without minimum energy requirements I'd look at premium bullets.

Exactly why the 6.5 Creedmoor appeals to so many these days! If the shooter has his act together, it performs well on deer at any reasonable distance. Affordable to load and shoot, even for non-handloaders...and great for bringing new shooters into the sport. Not as flexible for bigger game as the '06 but that's a bridge to cross when you come to it.

 

[QuietTexan]

The numbers jumped out at me because 2750-2800 is below starting loads for my 30-06 with a 150gr SST. I got 2840 out of the gate and hit 3000 when I was still 1.0 gr below the Hornady book max. I think Hornady trends conservative with their data generally, and these weren't exceptionally hot rounds specifically.

 

[30calyooper]

The numbers jumped out at me because 2750-2800 is below starting loads for my 30-06 with a 150gr SST. I got 2840 out of the gate and hit 3000 when I was still 1.0 gr below the Hornady book max. I think Hornady trends conservative with their data generally, and these weren't exceptionally hot rounds specifically.

Yes I agree on the Hornady data - have seen the similar to what you report. I suppose it really does come down to various factors such as the individual rifle and of course shooting conditions. But - I have learned that their listed max loads should be approached carefully, as the hottest load might impress with it's velocity...but sometimes takes you right out of the sweet spot for accuracy. And if you don't match their recipe for components exactly...well, I suppose that is why they advise that it's best start at the bottom and work up.

Then again all of this is common anytime you have load data grouped for 3-4 different bullets of the same weight...not uncommon for each to have a different charge weight for best accuracy. I've always wondered why the manuals don't present different data for different bullet styles - you don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that a longer high-BC bullet sticking deeper into a case will have a different pressure curve than a shorter flat base of the same weight. It would be nice if the safe test results for each different bullet were listed separately, but I guess you'd be paying a lot more for a loading manual! (Not to mention the lawyers would scream about liability even more than they already do!)