30-06 Berger and Powder Preference

[FNG1001]

I'm looking at loading Berger bullets for my 24" barrel Winchester Model 70 30-06 this hunting season. I've mostly used Hornady, but been curious about Berger's performance on game. Which is the communities' go-to bullet weight for deer-sized games? The ELD-X I'm accustomed to is a 178gr, so I was thinking about 168, 175, or 185 VLD Hunting (all very close in weight...). Also, I've seen as much as 5gr difference between Varget and H4350 in the Berger reloading manual, which both achieve similar velocities. Which would be the recommended powder to start developing a load for?

 

[FLIGHT762]

In a 30/06 bolt gun, I preferred 4350 for the 168+ bullets. You get a bit more velocity, but Varget will work, your preference. for Deer hunting, I don't see the fascination of using a thin jacket Match bullet on Game. I know a lot of guys use them, but for Game use, I like a bullet that will hold together better. Like a bonded bullet. Interbond, Accubond, Partition, Sierra Tipped Game King all in the 165 weight. For a mono bullet like the Barnes TTSX, a 150 gr. bullet or the newer Hornady 150 CX.

For the Mono bullets, I go to a lighter bullet weight than the traditional cup & core.

 

[FuhQ]

Easy... The same amazing load combo that I use for my .30-06 AI... IMR 7828 SSC, and Berger 185 VLD or 180 Elite Hunter, with CCI 200's. Shoots ragged holes, and Berger Elite Hunter series bullets are amazing hunting bullets.

BERGER 30(.308) 180g HPBT BULLET ELITE HUNTER 100/b - Graf & Sons

Berger Elite Hunter Bullets utilize their industry-leading hybrid ogive, which blends tangent and secant designs to optimize efficiency, reduce wind-drift, and minimize sensitivity to seating depth. Elite Hunter Bullets are identical in construction, shape and performance to the Berger Hybrid...

www.grafs.com

IMR 7828SSC Smokeless Powder 8 Pound - Graf & Sons

This magnum rifle powder has exactly the same burn speed as standard 7828 and uses the same data. However, due to the super short kernels, metering is virtually as good as a spherical powder. This allows up to 4% more powder space in the case and in many loads yields more velocity than standard 7828

www.grafs.com

Your choice of Varget or H4350 is WAY too fast of a powder, honestly. You can get much much higher velocities at lower pressures using a slower short-cut powder (7828 SSC), and a nearly 100% case fill to avoid any air pockets or dead space in their that can cause hangfires or build up moisture when going from weather extremes, like from inside your vehicle, to below 32ºF...

 

[Old Corps 8541]

There are deer , and , then , there are deer. South Texas vs Michigan , and since you opted not to put your location in your data it's not easy to select a bullet /powder combo for you to shoot that won't kill and almost clean / destroy a lot of the eatable meat

 

[Holliday]

I ran H4350 with 168 Berger Vlds in my 30-06 (now 280 Ackley) and it was a slayer, shooting under .5 moa

 

[RegionRat]

so I was thinking about 168, 175, or 185 VLD Hunting (all very close in weight...). Also, I've seen as much as 5gr difference between Varget and H4350 in the Berger reloading manual, which both achieve similar velocities. Which would be the recommended powder to start developing a load for?

H4350 is low risk for this bullet weight range, so try that first.