[marine04]

Got a 30-06 and I want to be able to reach out and touch something 500-800 yards an need to know what grain round would work for this. I am on a budget my kids cost me a bunch of money so less money for higher quality ammo. I was thinking a 150 grain to keep my rounds trajectory a little flatter and keep the velocity up. Am I right or wrong? Any suggestions? Also the rifle is a Remington 710 so I was a little iffy about putting a 200-220 grain round in?

[JonM]

Its a little counter intuitive. But slightly heavier bullets with a good design tend to have better ballistic coefficients. Light bullets tend to decelerate faster the further out they go. Golf ball and pingpong balls approximately the same size which go further when thrown with the same force??

your typical hunting bullet is kinda like a pingpong ball smooth round no special features to help the ballistics in the long run as those things would make it a poor choice for playing pingpong.

Then you have target grade bullets like hollowpoint boattails which are more like golf balls. Lots of features like the truncated base and hollow tip and more mass much like a golf ball. Makes it terrible for hunting but fantastic for long range accuracy.

Finding off the shelf ammunition with the characteristics for long range accuracy at a good price... not going to happen. There is pretty much zero market for it. Most people who go after that sort of shooting make their own ammo and will not buy mass manufactured ammunition. However there is some out there. Federal match blackhills and a few others.

Out of my cheap rcbs single stage press using milsurp brass and cheap russian wolf primers i can turn out more consistant shooting ammunition than anything you get of the shelf.

I highly recomend looking into taking up reloading. Its not that pricey at today's 30-06 ammo costs its just a few boxes worth for all the basics. Then you can turn out match grade ammo tuned to whatever gun you have for muuuuuch less than store shelf ammo. You also get access to much better bullets for hunting than what you find on the shelf at walmart.

[Rick1967]

Jon is right. It can be supper expensive to get started. But it doesn't have to be. You can buy a cheap press, a seat of dies and a scale for about $100. I have expensive equipment. But I started with a Lee hand press. It cost $26 if I remember right. I make a 150 grain round that will shoot 1 inch groups at 200 yards out of my 770.

[303tom]

Does this help.............SIERRA.........The Bulletsmiths........But I may be a little prejudice, being they are made right here, in Sedalia, MO.

[oldpapps]

Originally Posted by marine04

Got a 30-06 and I want to be able to reach out and touch something 500-800 yards an need to know what grain round would work for this. I am on a budget my kids cost me a bunch of money so less money for higher quality ammo. I was thinking a 150 grain to keep my rounds trajectory a little flatter and keep the velocity up. Am I right or wrong? Any suggestions? Also the rifle is a Remington 710 so I was a little iffy about putting a 200-220 grain round in?

First, each weapon is an inanity unto it's own and will react differently with different components.

This is generalities only, no set laws.
Heavy bullets will hold energies/velocities better.
Heavy bullets are harder to get going, normally slower out of the gate.
Lighter bullets start off faster/easier.
Lighter bullets drop velocity/energy faster.
Boat tailed bullets have better ballistics coefficient.
Better ballistic coefficient bullets hold velocities better.
Greater velocities, the flatter the trajectory.
An item (bullet) dropped from your hand will hit the ground at the same time as one fired from your weapon (from the same height, over flat ground).
Everything in loading is a compromise.

More pointed data.
Boat tail bullets don't add much at ranges less than (insert range - 200 yards or 300 or what ever the prevailing view of the person picking the range).
The general consensus (less people will disagree but many will) is bullet weights of 165 to 180 grains are better for longer shots at 30.06 velocities. 150 grain bullets and less don't carry as well and 220s just don't have the velocities.

Now, 800 yards is a long way. To shoot longer ranges, you must learn your rifle very well, practice a lot and have very, very consistent ammunition. I'm not going to say that commercial stuff won't do the job, but that quality of stuff is going to run a pretty penny. Load you own, to get the quality you will need to do any good, constantly, at 500 to 800 yards, without breaking the bank. Start loading with cheaper bullets that are close to the same weight of what you will want to do your long shots. When you get your 100 yard grouping down, then move to the better/more expensive bullets and start extending your range, little by little.

Hope this was of some help.

[marine04]

Yeah that all helps. Thanks for the info. I was going to buy some rem core lokt to try them out and see how they shoot. I saw good things online about those rounds for hunting. Those should work for deer since most shots won't be over 100 yards. As for my long range shooting I just want to develop long range shooting skills so it would be more target shooting at those distances. I might take those core lokt rounds and set a 3/4 in board with targets and back up every 50-100 yards once I get dialed in at each distances and see how far I can go before the round doesn't penetrate the board. Just until I get me the equipment to reload my own.

[locutus]

Bear in mind that 300 yards is considered maximum range for most experienced big game hunters and professional guides.

If you can't get 300 or closer, you don't need better equipment, you need to learn how to hunt.

Once you've wasted 2 days of your hunting time (like I, and many others have) tracking a trophy elk that some jerk wounded at 500 yards, you start to look down your nose at "wannabe" snipers

Leave the over 300 stuff to match competitors, and professional military snipers.

[marine04]

Originally Posted by locutus

Bear in mind that 300 yards is considered maximum range for most experienced big game hunters and professional guides.

If you can't get 300 or closer, you don't need better equipment, you need to learn how to hunt.

Once you've wasted 2 days of your hunting time (like I, and many others have) tracking a trophy elk that some jerk wounded at 500 yards, you start to look down your nose at "wannabe" snipers

Leave the over 300 stuff to match competitors, and professional military snipers.

Yeah definitely won't take a shot like that hunting. But I was a expert rifleman in the marines and always wanted to learn sniper skills so I'm taking that up as a hobby or just for fun but just engaging targets.

[NC Ken]

Agree with JonM. Taking up reloading and maybe even pouring your own moulds has much to recommend it. I have a good friend who shoots at 600-800 yards with his K31, Garand and Enfield, and who has developed very effective caste bullets and home made gas checks that have brought his cost per reloaded round down to about 14¢ per shot.

Find a patient, experienced reloader, especially someone shooting vintage military pieces. Getting started is not expensive ... of course neither was tying salmon flies at the outset; ounce for ounce more expensive than restoring Bugattis ... ;O)

Reloading your own you'll learn a ton about yourself, shooting fundamentals and about your rifles.

[The_Kid]

Originally Posted by marine04

I might take those core lokt rounds and set a 3/4 in board with targets and back up every 50-100 yards once I get dialed in at each distances and see how far I can go before the round doesn't penetrate the board.

It'll penetrate the board a lot further than the round will remain precise. The Transonic Problem, is what sets the limit on a long range bullet.

I developed a load with my Springfield 03 a few days ago; it using a Hornady 150gr FMJ, (target round,) will get to 900 yards before precision falls off; whereas, the energy will be about that of a 357magnum round at the muzzle.

Your twist rate at the velocities your specific rifle can achieve will determine what bullet length you can shoot for long range. I've found that my 30-06s can stabilize a 190gr SPBT which has a ballistic coefficient of .452. That gets me out to 1100 yards before precision drops off.
That round at 1600 yards, (double your 800,) hits with the energy of a 38 special. At 2000 yards it has twice the energy of a 22.
It'll go through boards waaaaaaaaay out there.