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Loads › .30-06 Springfield › for whitetail deer

Best .30-06 Springfield loads for whitetail deer

107 of 123 .30-06 Springfield factory loads carry 1,000 ft·lb and expansion velocity for whitetail deer; the best reach 900 yd (Norma 180 gr Bondstrike). Ranked, with the drop chart for each.

LoadgrMax ethical ydMV fps500 yd ft·lbShoulder shot
Norma 180 gr Bondstrike1809002,7561,689yes
Barnes Harvest Collection 180 gr Sierra Tipped GameKing1808002,7601,562behind the shoulder only
Barnes VOR-TX LR 175 gr LRX BT1757502,8001,490yes
Federal 178 gr ELD-X1787502,7501,546yes
Hornady Precision Hunter 178 gr ELD-X1787502,7501,554yes
Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range 168 gr AccuBond Long Range1687502,8001,477yes
Browning BXS Copper Expansion 180 gr BXS Tipped Solid Copper1807002,7501,416yes
Browning Long Range Pro Hunter 180 gr Sierra Tipped GameKing1807002,7451,479behind the shoulder only
Federal 165 gr Trophy Copper1657002,8001,394yes
Federal 175 gr Terminal Ascent1757002,7301,421yes
Federal 180 gr Fusion Tipped1807002,7251,423yes
Federal 180 gr Trophy Bonded Tip1807002,7001,391yes
Federal 180 gr Trophy Copper1807002,7001,440yes
Hornady Superformance 165 gr SST1657002,9601,441behind the shoulder only
Hornady Superformance 180 gr SST1807002,8201,490behind the shoulder only
Remington Premier Scirocco 180 gr Swift Scirocco Bonded1807002,7001,391yes
Sierra GameChanger 165 gr Tipped GameKing (TGK)1657002,8001,424behind the shoulder only
Winchester 180 gr Ballistic Silvertip1807002,7501,468behind the shoulder only
Federal 180 gr Fusion1806502,7001,386yes
Hornady Superformance 150 gr SST1506503,0801,345behind the shoulder only
Hornady American Whitetail TIPPED 165 gr SST1656502,9001,373behind the shoulder only
Norma 180 gr ODIN1806502,7071,310behind the shoulder only
Remington 180 gr Core-Lokt Tipped1806502,7451,398behind the shoulder only
Winchester Copper Impact 180 gr Copper Extreme Point1806502,7251,350yes
Winchester Expedition Big Game 190 gr AccuBond LR1906502,7501,750yes
Barnes VOR-TX 150 gr TTSX BT1506003,0001,333yes
Browning 180 gr Max Point Polymer Tip1806002,7501,251behind the shoulder only
Federal 165 gr Fusion1656002,7901,270yes
Federal 165 gr Swift Scirocco II1656002,8001,271yes
Federal 165 gr Trophy Bonded Tip1656002,8001,271yes
Hornady American Whitetail 180 gr SP InterLock1806002,7001,277behind the shoulder only
Norma 165 gr Ecostrike1656002,8221,245yes
Norma 170 gr Tipstrike1706002,7891,307behind the shoulder only
Norma Tipstrike Silencer 170 gr1706002,7401,254behind the shoulder only
Nosler 165 gr Ballistic Tip Hunting1656002,9501,505behind the shoulder only
Nosler Trophy Grade 165 gr AccuBond1656002,9501,505yes
Nosler Expansion Tip 168 gr E-Tip1686002,8001,420yes
Remington Premier CuT 150 gr Copper Tipped1506002,9301,261yes
Remington Premier Scirocco 150 gr Swift Scirocco Bonded1506002,9101,228yes
Remington 165 gr Core-Lokt Tipped1656002,8201,285behind the shoulder only
Remington Hypersonic Bonded 180 gr Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded Pointed Soft Point1806002,8301,278behind the shoulder only
Winchester 150 gr Ballistic Silvertip1506002,9001,218behind the shoulder only
Winchester Deer Season XP 180 gr Extreme Point1806002,7501,251behind the shoulder only
Barnes VOR-TX 168 gr TTSX BT1685502,8501,401yes
Barnes VOR-TX 180 gr TTSX BT1805502,7501,414yes
Federal 150 gr Fusion1505502,9001,152yes
Federal 168 gr Berger Hybrid Hunter1685502,8001,417behind the shoulder only
Hornady Custom International 180 gr SP InterLock1805502,6151,184behind the shoulder only
Norma 162 gr ODIN1625502,8541,214behind the shoulder only
Nosler Trophy Grade 165 gr Partition1655502,9501,320yes
Nosler 180 gr Ballistic Tip Hunting1805502,7501,468behind the shoulder only
Nosler Expansion Tip 180 gr E-Tip1805502,7501,503yes
Nosler Trophy Grade 180 gr AccuBond1805502,7501,468yes
Remington 150 gr Core-Lokt Tipped1505502,9301,194behind the shoulder only
SIG Sauer Platinum Hunter 180 gr Nosler AccuBond1805502,7501,468yes
Winchester Deer Season XP 150 gr Extreme Point1505502,9201,120behind the shoulder only
Winchester Power Max Bonded 180 gr Bonded Protected Hollow Point1805502,7001,118yes
Browning Silver Series 180 gr Plated Soft Point1805002,7001,079behind the shoulder only
Federal 165 gr Nosler Partition1655002,8301,192yes
Federal 180 gr Power-Shok JSP1805002,7001,091behind the shoulder only
Hornady Superformance 150 gr CX1505003,0801,354yes
Norma 150 gr Ecostrike1505002,9531,101yes
Norma 180 gr Plastic Point1805002,7001,032behind the shoulder only
Nosler 125 gr Ballistic Tip Hunting1255003,1001,003behind the shoulder only
Nosler Trophy Grade 150 gr Partition1505003,0001,179yes
Nosler Trophy Grade 180 gr Partition1805002,7501,390yes
Remington Hypersonic Bonded 150 gr Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded Pointed Soft Point1505003,0351,017behind the shoulder only
Remington 180 gr Pointed Soft Point Core-Lokt1805002,7001,085behind the shoulder only
SIG Sauer 165 gr Marksman Hunter BT-SP1655002,8001,024behind the shoulder only
Winchester Copper Impact 150 gr Copper Extreme Point1505002,9201,105yes
Winchester 180 gr Power-Point1805002,7001,079behind the shoulder only
Winchester Power-Point 250th Anniversary Edition 180 gr1805002,7001,079behind the shoulder only
Federal 165 gr Barnes TSX1654502,8001,130yes
Federal 180 gr Barnes TSX1804502,7001,279yes
Hornady American Whitetail 150 gr SP InterLock1504502,910941behind the shoulder only
Hornady Outfitter 150 gr CX1504503,0001,272yes
Hornady Superformance 165 gr CX1654502,9401,398yes
Lapua 170 gr Naturalis (N558)1704502,723944yes
Lapua 200 gr Mega (E401)2004502,545926behind the shoulder only
Norma 150 gr Tipstrike1504502,920979behind the shoulder only
Norma Ecostrike Silencer 150 gr1504502,8381,000yes
Norma 165 gr Oryx1654502,854968yes
Norma 180 gr Oryx1804502,700993yes
Norma Oryx Silencer 180 gr1804502,690984yes
Norma 200 gr Oryx2004502,625975yes
Remington 165 gr Pointed Soft Point Core-Lokt1654502,800945behind the shoulder only
Winchester Power Max Bonded 150 gr Bonded Protected Hollow Point1504502,920904yes
Winchester 165 gr Power-Point1654502,800951behind the shoulder only
Federal 150 gr Power-Shok JSP1504002,910853behind the shoulder only
Lapua 185 gr Mega (E415)1854002,625839behind the shoulder only
Norma 139 gr Evostrike1394002,986861yes
Norma 180 gr Vulkan1804002,700859behind the shoulder only
Remington 150 gr Pointed Soft Point Core-Lokt1504002,910857behind the shoulder only
Winchester 150 gr Power-Point1504002,920790behind the shoulder only
Barnes VOR-TX Reduced Recoil 130 gr TTSX BT1303502,760713yes
Barnes Harvest Collection BWB 180 gr Sierra Pro-Hunter RN1803502,860661behind the shoulder only
Federal 150 gr Power-Shok Copper HP1503502,910722behind the shoulder only
Hornady Outfitter 180 gr CX1803502,7001,319yes
Norma 150 gr Whitetail SP1503502,887693behind the shoulder only
Norma 180 gr Whitetail SP1803502,700644behind the shoulder only
Remington 125 gr Pointed Soft Point Core-Lokt1253503,140690behind the shoulder only
Remington 150 gr Core-Lokt Copper HP1503502,910722yes
Remington 220 gr Core-Lokt Soft Point2203502,410677behind the shoulder only
Winchester Super-X 125 gr Pointed Soft Point1253503,140690behind the shoulder only
Remington 180 gr Core-Lokt Soft Point1803002,700611behind the shoulder only
Hornady Custom Lite 125 gr SST1252502,700572behind the shoulder only
Hornady Custom International 220 gr RN InterLock2202502,365475behind the shoulder only
Browning Long Range Pro 195 gr Sierra Tipped MatchKing195wrong bullet2,6501,665behind the shoulder only
Remington Premier Long Range 172 gr Speer Impact172wrong bullet2,8251,544behind the shoulder only
Winchester Supreme Long Range 195 gr BC MAX195wrong bullet2,5701,517behind the shoulder only
Hornady Vintage Match 168 gr ELD Match168wrong bullet2,7101,361behind the shoulder only
SIG Sauer Elite Match Grade 175 gr OTM175wrong bullet2,7001,343behind the shoulder only
Lapua 165 gr TRX TrueRange Expanding (N584)165wrong bullet2,7131,258behind the shoulder only
Winchester USA 147 gr Full Metal Jacket147wrong bullet3,0201,275behind the shoulder only
Federal American Eagle 150 gr FMJBT150wrong bullet2,9101,156behind the shoulder only
Federal Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing 168 gr168wrong bullet2,7001,179behind the shoulder only
Federal 250th Anniversary USA 150 gr FMJ150wrong bullet2,7401,005behind the shoulder only
Federal American Eagle 150 gr FMJ150wrong bullet2,7401,005behind the shoulder only
Norma 150 gr Jaktmatch FMJ150wrong bullet2,7721,065behind the shoulder only
Winchester M1 Garand 150 gr Full Metal Jacket150wrong bullet2,7401,029behind the shoulder only
Norma Range & Training 150 gr FMJ150wrong bullet2,690962behind the shoulder only
Remington UMC Centerfire Rifle 150 gr Full Metal Jacket150wrong bullet2,910857behind the shoulder only
Lapua 123 gr FMJ (S374)123wrong bullet2,936580behind the shoulder only

The 1,000 ft·lb deer figure traces to Townsend Whelen and is the one everyone repeats; Hawks puts the floor nearer 800. An 8–10″ heart/lung zone. Legal: CO: 1,000 ft·lb at 100 yd · SD: 1,000 ft·lb at muzzle. Floor used: 1,000 ft·lb at impact plus the bullet's published expansion velocity. Orange = a target or varmint bullet (construction, not energy); red = never carries the energy. Sources: www.outdoorlife.com, www.petersenshunting.com, chuckhawks.com.

All .30-06 Springfield loads