30-06 220 enough to take deer?

[357maxm]

a 30-06 220gr is "OVERKILL" for deer.

[Ron AKA]

Originally Posted by 357maxm

a 30-06 220gr is "OVERKILL" for deer.

And to say nothing about the guy behind the gun!

Ron

[357maxm]

SO TRUE !

[jmp8927]

Yeah I would say a .30-06 will take care of any animal on the continent. I have a .30-06, but only because it's what I could get cheapest.

[toolman]

220 gr. would be a good bison load.

[Troy]

Originally Posted by toolman

220 gr. would be a good bison load.

or tank.

[ArkansasHunter]

You can loose a deer shooting it with a 220 grain 06 bullet too. I've witnessed it A.H

[Magnumsrule]

220 loads are not the answere for big game. There penetration and trajectory is thrown way off when you switch to the rounded top.

[rdale501]

I have hunted with several .30 cal. rifles, including the 30/06. You really must try the 180gr. bullets in this cal. It seems to really produce. It is a good compromise between bullet weight and speed. I would not hesitate to use a 30/06 loaded with Nosler Accubond 180s on anything in North America.

[Casull]

My favorite for the 30-06 is 165 grain Sierra Gamekings. Flat trajectory and hit hard (expansion). Between me, my uncle and my cousin, we have 7 one shot kills with them in my handloads.

[samuel]

A 220gr bullet turns a .30-06 into a very weak,marginal cartridge. sam.

[Hamiddy]

Wen Iwas 7 years old I hunted deer with a 70 grain out of a .243.

1 shot 1 deer every time

[samuel]

Originally Posted by Hamiddy

Wen Iwas 7 years old I hunted deer with a 70 grain out of a .243.

1 shot 1 deer every time

In my opinion a 70gr bullet in .243 is too frangible for antelope/deer size animals .A friend of mine(yes,I still have friends)was using them in Wyoming on antelope and said they splattered all over the one side and didnt stop them like either 80gr or 100gr.The opposite is true with the 220gr bullet in .30-06.The -06 doesnt have sufficient power to upset a 220gr bullet at any range at all.I believe 180gr,s are heavy enough.The -06 can get them going fast enough to expand unless the animal is very thin skinned like antelope or smaller deer. sam.

[Casull]

The opposite is true with the 220gr bullet in .30-06.The -06 doesnt have sufficient power to upset a 220gr bullet at any range at all.

Can't agree with this one. While I don't think a 220 grain is a good choice for deer, the 30-06 certainly has the capacity to upset a 220 grain bullet (depending on the bullet type and game hunted). In fact, I would say that the 220 grain bullet in the '06 makes a pretty good bear load.

[mym1a]

I think I can say with A reasonable amount of certainity that many a meals have been supplemented with the assistance of a 06!!!!

[samuel]

Originally Posted by Casull

Can't agree with this one. While I don't think a 220 grain is a good choice for deer, the 30-06 certainly has the capacity to upset a 220 grain bullet (depending on the bullet type and game hunted). In fact, I would say that the 220 grain bullet in the '06 makes a pretty good bear load.

Do you consider a bear a thin skinned animal?And on top of that at 300yds+ there is little if any expansion even in a bear.I have seen this and fired the backup that killed the bear.He wasnt hurt bad enough with the 220gr to even call it a fatal shot.My 300win was very fatal with 180gr bullets. sam.

[SwedeSteve]

Agree with Sam (my friend)! 180's would be my upper limit.

[nathangdad]

A .30-06 is plenty enough for deer and a 150 grain bullet would give you better trajectory with less recoil.

If the .30-06 itself is a little much for you a
7mm-08 is a good alternative as is a .270 Winchester with the 130 grain bullet. Given the posts of many members you will also get a lot of recommendations for the .308 which is a good cartridge, just not a personal favorite of mine.

[Casull]

Do you consider a bear a thin skinned animal?And on top of that at 300yds+ there is little if any expansion even in a bear.I have seen this and fired the backup that killed the bear.He wasnt hurt bad enough with the 220gr to even call it a fatal shot.My 300win was very fatal with 180gr bullets. sam.

Did I say a bear was a thin skinned animal? Of course not. I even said that I thought the 220 grain load was not a good choice for deer. I think it is a very good load for bear however. Of course I wouldn't shoot at a bear at 300 yards. Not only poor judgment, but poor sportsmanship.

[samuel]

Originally Posted by Casull

Did I say a bear was a thin skinned animal? Of course not. I even said that I thought the 220 grain load was not a good choice for deer. I think it is a very good load for bear however. Of course I wouldn't shoot at a bear at 300 yards. Not only poor judgment, but poor sportsmanship.

He shouldnt have either.I could have with the .300win. and felt justified.I never would with an underperformer like a 220gr bullet in a .30-06.And I dont believe the 220gr bullet has any place in a .30-06.If you turn it fast enough to stabilise it will fragment just beyond the muzzle and if you build the jacket thick enough to hold togather it has trouble upsetting.It could be considered a short range bear bullet but the 180 to 200gr bullets are much better any way you want to go.The original .30-03 proved that when first developed.I wont argue with their findings.By the way,that 300yd shot thing on bear,I and hundreds,possibly thousands of others have taken bear at 300yds+.You call it poor judgement and sportsmanship,you better get out there and stop it as they are still doing it.I call it knowledge of my rifle and hunting skill. sam.