Ruger No.1A 30-06 Bullet Choice

[Sitting Bull]

I recently purchased a used Ruger No.1 in 30-06. The previous owner also sent me 20 individual 150gr Accubonds to get me started. He says there is no reason it should not work on Elk. The rifle apparently shoots these at MOA.
I am not a gun guru and ballistics genius, just a plain hunter. Would you be OK with this choice as your bullet choice and weight for hunting deer and elk? I would like to only use one bullet weight for all my game. What about powder?
obviously there is tons of info on the internet but would like to hear from fellow Albertans.
Thanks for your help
S.B.

[catnthehat]

I have never loaded Accubonds but have lots of experience with the 30'06.
4350 is an excellent powder for it
I like 165 grains for an all around bullet weight .
Cat

[TrollGRG]

My only hunter is the #1. I use 165 gr Nosler partitions. It has brought down everything from deer to moose. I am a firm believer that it is not so much the round as the placement of the shot.

Like you mentioned in your post, mine will cloverleaf 5 rounds at 100 yards. All I have ever needed though was 1 round. I have let some good animals go because I didn't have a guaranteed kill shot - but that is just me.

[Sitting Bull]

Thanks Cat. I have some IMR 4350.Do you have a particular bullet brand.

[EZM]

Not sure about the Ruger 1's, but most of my 06's shot better with 165 or 180's

I don't recall a 150 I ever liked in any of my 06's

Had a quite a few over the years

I guess depends on twist rates and each gun ...

[Sitting Bull]

Originally Posted by TrollGRG

My only hunter is the #1. I use 165 gr Nosler partitions. It has brought down everything from deer to moose. I am a firm believer that it is not so much the round as the placement of the shot.

Like you mentioned in your post, mine will cloverleaf 5 rounds at 100 yards. All I have ever needed though was 1 round. I have let some good animals go because I didn't have a guaranteed kill shot - but that is just me.

I agree with the above on shot placement. I am not prepared to shoot long distances and never have been a long range shooter. I want the challenge of the hunt and getting reasonably close. This is one of the reasons I wanted a No.1.

[Sitting Bull]

What about the Barnes copper TTSX? Are they worth it or not..

[6.5 shooter]

IMR 4350..165-180 gr. bullets work just fine I use to use 190gr. Hornady bullets and my rifles loved them but Hornady stopped making them a few years back . Are mono metal bullets worth it?? not to me but others swear by them..30-06 is not a power house so Mono bullets are a bit of over kill in IMHO.

[waldedw]

Any premium bullet from Barnes, nosler, berger, etc will cost you somewhere between .80 and $1.00 a piece, stick with the premium bullets around the 165 gr weight and the 30-06 will cleanly take elk / moose size game........... if you do your part, there is a reason the 30-06 has been around so long and is still popular with knowledgeable hunters.

Good luck with your load development, you have a fine gun there.

[Nova316]

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

What about the Barnes copper TTSX? Are they worth it or not..

I shoot the LRX but use to shoot the TTSX and they shoot and work amazingly well. Never had one not open, you just need to know your range limits.
You will need to step down in weight though since they need speed.

I watched my buddy take a nice mulie with the 30cal 168gr Nosler Accubonds, crazy amount of damage but accurate. The exit hole was the size of a grapefuit.

[Dick284]

165gr Hornady Interlock BTSP’s


Done!

[Steelhorse Cowboy]

I'll agree with the thoughts of using a partition.
With that 20 " barrel a 180 gr will send any elk or moose to the freezer within 300 yards everyday.

But then again I use a #1 in 375 Ouch & Ouch using 260 Accubond because of the high BC.
I have used Partitions and find them outstanding in the shorter range hunting though.

[Jerry D]

165s are a great balance.

150s will work as well.

180s are heavier

All accubonds are awesome!

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk

[kujoseto]

Originally Posted by Dick284

165gr Hornady Interlock BTSP’s


Done!

This is where I would start. If it doesn’t shoot well I would be surprised. It’ll definitely do the job though

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I have never loaded Accubonds but have lots of experience with the 30'06.
4350 is an excellent powder for it
I like 165 grains for an all around bullet weight .
Cat

30-06.....165gr pills....do all bullet for that calibre...

[Alexey]

There are some lighter (125 gr) options on market. Wonder how do they perform

[32-40win]

165gr is probably optimum for speed and weight in a 30-06, 180 is what is probably most commonly used in it, and you won't likely notice the difference til maybe the 400yd+ mark. If you have a hard time with getting either, try the other. Just work up a load for both to cover yer butt. AB's, NP's TTSX,TSX, A-frames, Woodleighs, DK's, Evo's, H-mantels, Oryx, are all good bullets for big game, for plinkers you can use whatever you feel like experimenting with, including cast bullets.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

I recently purchased a used Ruger No.1 in 30-06. The previous owner also sent me 20 individual 150gr Accubonds to get me started. He says there is no reason it should not work on Elk. The rifle apparently shoots these at MOA.
I am not a gun guru and ballistics genius, just a plain hunter. Would you be OK with this choice as your bullet choice and weight for hunting deer and elk? I would like to only use one bullet weight for all my game. What about powder?
obviously there is tons of info on the internet but would like to hear from fellow Albertans.
Thanks for your help
S.B.

For practive and general hunting hard to beat 165 grain Hoenady Interlocks or Interbonds. At $40/100 they are less than half the cost of premium bullets and they kill just great. They have also been very accurate in every 30 cal I tried them in. I like Nosler Partitions, about $60/50 or same price as Barnes TTSX which I also like, but the Ballistic Tip, Accubond etc to me are just too frangible. There are better choices for a lot less money or better choices for the same money.

[Sitting Bull]

Thanks guys, I picked up Hornady's and some Barnes . Now to work up a load.

[Coiloil37]

My preference has been IMR 4064 behind a 165/168 and a book load will easily achieve 3k FPS in a 24” barrel. I like the accubond and have about a dozen of them from the hide on the far side and they all weigh about 115-120 grains. They don’t exit every time but always at least find the offside hide. The retained weight made me try the 130 Barnes which has been a little beauty for me.

I’ve never stopped a 130 or 168 Barnes on any hit and the 130 will break 3400 FPS with 760 powder. That 130 Barnes has provided some of the most dramatic kills I’ve ever seen and so far as penetration went through the onside shoulder and out the backside of a moose.


Typically I shoot a 168 or 130 Barnes now at 3,000 or a hair over 3400 FPS respectively.

Both IMR and hodgdon 4350 will give you 2850 FPS behind a 180 but I haven’t shot many 180’s for over ten years, the lighter bullets do just as well and shoot a little flatter at the ranges I shoot.

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by Alexey

There are some lighter (125 gr) options on market. Wonder how do they perform

I have used 125 Nosler BT (30-06) on antelope, neck shot, she went down so fast I thought I missed.....but would not be my first choice.