MacGuy

Well good news, I got drawn for the Mule Deer hunt in Southern Utah for this October. I am starting to get prepared for the hunt and was wondering what are your thoughts on ammunition for the hunt. This is not my first time hunting big game. I have hunted Elk, Caribou, bear, and mule deer in the past. I will be using my trusty Remington 700 30-06 again this year, and in the past I have always just used Remington Core-Lokt bullets with decent results, but this year I would like to try something new, so what do you all use or recommend for this type of application?

ipscshooter

If it was me, I'd just stick with what works. Why change if you've had good success with what you've been using?

spikebuck77

My favorite whitetail deer bullet for my 30-06 is a 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip with boattail. It gives excellent accuracy and has a high ballistic coefficient to give great downrange performance. The ballistic tip is somewhat frangible so it leaves a big hole that anchors a deer quickly. For a big muley I would go with a bullet that has more controlled expansion like the 180 grain Nosler Partition or even a Swift Partition as I have use both of those with outstanding results.

salukipv1

For deer out west, with a .30-06, my first choice would be 150gr, 2nd would be 165, personally a .30-06's goto is 150, and when on bigger/heavier game its 180grs, I'd try to find a 150gr that shoots great.

Corelokts should be fine, how far do youplan to shoot? would you take a 500yd shot? do you expect to on a mule deer in Utah?

I think any bullet from a .30-06 in 150gr should work, corelokts, or any premium bullet like a barnes, or a nosler. or just a hornady SP.

My adivce find a 150gr that shoots well,

RugerM77.270

The one that shoots straight out of your gun. No need in having a bullet that doesn't shoot well from your gun just to try something new.

timbercruiser

Nothing wrong with the Rem Core Loks, but if you want something different I like the Hornady BTSP.

MacGuy

Thanks for the help so far guys, I don't plan on taking a shot over 250 yards and it will most likely be closer than 100 yards. The core loks seem to work OK but the last deer I shot I wasn't too impressed with the expansion and it ran about 100 yards till it dropped. Have any of you had any experience with the Winchester 150gr ballistic Silvertips? The few reviews on midwayusa.com seems to be pretty good, and the ammo is less than $35 for a box ( I don't really want to go over $35).

MacGuy

Just because i know I'm going to get asked, when I shot the deer that ran 100 yards the bullet went through both lungs just to the right of the heart.

BigTiny

If your rifle likes the Remington bullet, keep feeding it. I have used Federal with good results on the '06 as well, but I can't say they shot that much better than the Remington.

nchawkeye

Don't judge a bullet by only one kill...It takes 6-8 to really make a fair judgement...I've killed about 90 with a CoreLokt, but it was out of a .243...It's not unusual for a lung shot deer to make it 100 yards, depending upon what it hits when it gets there...

If you want a bullet that opens up faster than a CoreLokt in an '06, try the Winchester SilverTips in 150, they are about as cheap as a CoreLokt and when my hunting partner was shooting an '06 he did well with them...