The 30-06 is a caliber that comes in many different bullet weights. The 30-06 can be loaded from 110 grains all the way to 220 grains. With this wide range of bullet weights to choose from, it can be very difficult to choose the correct one. So in this article, we will find out what the best bullet weight for a 30-06 is.
Here is the short answer:
The best bullet weight for a 30-06 depends on what you are using it for. If you are hunting animals such as deer or pronghorn, you will want a 150-grain bullet. If you are hunting a big game like elk or moose you will want a 180-220 grain bullet. For varmints, you will want a 110-grain bullet. And for long-range shooting, you will want a 180-grain bullet.
With the short answer out of the way, we can look more in-depth at the best bullet weight like what makes each weight good, when you would want one weight over the other, and what each weight is used best for.
The best bullet weight for different situations
Finding the best bullet weights for different situations is hard. But luckily, I have done the research to make finding the best bullet weight easy.
When it comes to hunting big game animals, the best bullet weight for a 30-06 is 180-200 grains. Big animals like elk and moose require a big bullet to take them down. 180-200 grains of bullet weight is the perfect balance between ballistics and energy.
Varmint hunting wise, around 110 grains is the correct bullet weight. When hunting varmints, you don’t want to damage the hide of the animal and 110-grain bullets out of a 30-06 is the best bullet weight for those said situation.
Long-range shooting with a 30-06 can be difficult without the right bullet weight. The best bullet weight for long-range shooting is 180-190 grains. 180-190 grains of weight will give you a good middle ground between power and accuracy.
If you are hunting deer, then a 150-grain bullet is ideal. With a big caliber like 30-06, it can be easy to damage the meat on a deer without the proper bullet weight. A 150 grain bullet will allow you to have minimum meat wastage while still being able to take a deer out to 400 yards.
What is the best overall weight is
Now that we have looked at the best weight for each situation, we can compile the information to find the best bullet weight overall for a 30-06.
If you were to combine long-range shooting, big game hunting, varmint hunting, and medium game hunting bullet weights, the middle ground would be 165 grains. A 165-grain bullet will give you the best mix between energy, trajectory, and minimum damage to meat or hides. However, it is best to get different bullet weights for different applications.
Conclusion
The best bullet weight for a 30-06 is dependent on what you are doing with your rifle. You will want to buy different ammo for different applications. But if you were to choose one bullet weight, it would be 165 grains.