Best factory 30-06 ammo for plains game

Simple questiona and simpler answer - whatever your .30-06 likes the best. For me - 180 gr TSX Barnes or Nosler Partition. Both are killers. Prefer the Barnes due to the weight retention, but nearly any .30-06 bullet kills plains game easily.

My son shoots a .243 using 100gr TSX bullets - killed most of the bigger plains game with one shot.
 
Dirtdart said:
What is the process to legally acquire ammunition in NJ?

I have used the 180 grain A-Frame in 30-06 on plains game up to the size of mountain zebra with complete satisfaction but the Remington Safari line loaded with that bullet was easy to find at the time.
A lot of excellent candidates suggested in this thread. If your brother finds one that groups well and in ample supply I would suggest he buy more than he thinks he will need. It wouldn't hurt to ask your PH if he has a particular factory favorite in 30-06.
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It has to be purchased through and FFL. If shipped into the state it has to go to and FFL. I believe you have to have a gun owner license as well but not sure on that.

Thanks for all the responses. I think he'll probably stick with his Norma 180 gr Bondstrike ammo.
 
I really had good results with the 165 grain Trophy Bonded Tipped on Impala, Warthog, Blesbuck and a very large Waterbuck.

All expanded well and all exited except for a shot on quartering away waterbuck.

It was under the hide on the opposite side and looked like perfect mushroom with a long shank.

After seeing it perform during the week, the PH encouraged me to use it on a mature bull eland.

Great all around bullet from impala to eland.
 
Shot a 30-06 outfitters rifle with Sellier and Bellot 180gr SP ammunition. One shot kills on warthogs, duiker, impalas and a zebra. Shot placement is more important than what you are hurling down range at them.
 
Russ16 said:
It has to be purchased through and FFL. If shipped into the state it has to go to and FFL. I believe you have to have a gun owner license as well but not sure on that.

Thanks for all the responses. I think he'll probably stick with his Norma 180 gr Bondstrike ammo.
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I realize he probably has his mind made up already, but the bondstrike probably isn’t best option for Zimbabwe. It’s bonded, but it’s still very thinly jacketed and soft. It’s designed to expand at long range not for sub 100 yard shooting. You can use google images and look at different bullet designs to get a pretty good idea how they will perform and how they will fail or can’t fail. You’ll see something like a trophy bonded tip or terminal assent bullet has a solid copper shank that should not be able to fully fail even if sheds all lead in the front. Something like a Nosler Accubond has a significantly thicker jacket towards the base compared to a Bondstrike that should stop or slow expansion at that point. On something like an impala or warthog it probably won’t matter much, but something like a shoulder shot on a zebra at 50 yards it could matter a lot. It’s not easy getting shots at PG in Dande. Shots won’t be perfect and you might not get other opportunities.
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Barnes TTSX 180gn for my Winchester 70 30-06. 5 safaris, all plains game up to and including Eland, 1 shot kills, most bang flops.
 
Hedge774 said:
I have had very good results with Federal Fusion, but I rarely see them mentioned here. Am I the only one who shoots them?
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I’ve shot them at range in my 243 and 300 win, but I found the accuracy only ok. I might shoot them in my 243 again, but for my 300 there are better bonded bullets available for not much more money. The fusion is bonded but really thinly jacketed and not really any design features to stop the expansion. I stocked up on 300 win ammo last year when federal offered the rebates. If I remember right the fusions were $44 a box and trophy bonded tips $52 a box before rebate. I bought the trophy bonded tips.
 
You have a bullet rich selection! All are good from 165-180 gr bullets
 
I’ve used 180gr Sako Hammerheads for springbok, roan, gemsbok, blesbok, impala and blue wildebeest. The roan ran bout 60yds and the wildebeest ran about 100yds. All of the others were dead in their tracks.
 
I have been shooting the same 30-06 since 1964 for everything from moose to impala. Mostly a variety of cup and core 180 gr but in recent years I dropped to 165 gr specialty bullets when I changed hunting style from tracking in heavy timber to hunting open plains. 165 gr gives flatter trajectory and longer range. Modern bullet technology compensates some for lighter bullet. I found 165 gr Partitions will flatten any of the plains game including wildebeest, kudu, and gemsbuck. It's too light for eland obviously and I don't hunt zebra. For them I'd probably bump up to 190 gr Hornady (if they still made that bullet) or 200 gr (if anyone makes it). 220 gr is not flat enough for 250-350 yard shots. Partitions are messy at close range but that generally is not an issue in open country.
 
I would use one of Federals Trophy Bonded Bear Claw options, the original TBBC, the Trophy Bonded Tipped, or the new Terminal Asscent in 180 grain. I"m getting great accuracy with the S&B Blue Box ammo but I have not used it on game yet so I can't recommend it as a hunting round yet.
 
The trophy bonded bullets plus the terminal ascent are the best all around hunting bullets made in my opinion.

The front half expands readily and the solid shank gives deep penetration even if you hit bone.

The monolithic bullets can fail to expand in situations where the velocity has fallen below 2000 fps at impact.

Aframes are great as long as the range is moderate.

Partitions can come apart, cup and cores are a crap shoot.

Nothing does it all better than the modern Trophy Bonded Tipped or the related Terminal Ascent on north american or african non dangerous animals, close or far,big or little.
 
For your brother's .30-06 on Zimbabwe plains game up to sable tough but not eland level, any premium 180gr bonded monolithic factory load will smash it tons of PHs and hunters run am successfully.

Since A Frames are scarce, top picks

Norma Oryx 180gr bonded, deep pen, massive mushroom, killer on kudu zebra sable European favorite, widely available and proven in Africa.

Federal Trophy Bonded Tip or Bear Claw 180gr bonded beast, 95% weight retention, pass throughs galore, classic for tough PG.

Barnes TTSX 168/180gr all copper, penetrates like crazy, expands reliably super popular for zebra wildebeest.

Grab whatever his Highland Stalker groups best with test a couple boxes, but all these drop sables no drama with good placement.
 
dchum said:
They do seem like a nice option I want to try. Always available and “bonded”.

Maybe I’ll take some Nilgai or aoudad hunting and try and get some good field results
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I’ve had very good accuracy with Fusion in several different rifles, but terminal performance was not exactly what I expected. Multiple instances of bullets shattering when hitting ribs of caribou. We’re not talking very heavy bones, just ribs on entry wounds. Multiple exit wounds. Lost half a back strap from one bullet shattering and deflecting upward, that was a 180-grain .30-06, and similar results with 150-grain in 7mm Rem. Mag. and 130-grain in .270 Winchester. All fairly quick kills, but substantially more meat damage than I expected. I think Federal calling this a “bonded” bullet is a bit of a stretch.
 
Russ16 said:
What loads would you all recommend in factory ammo? The largest he might shoot is Sable.
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Try Norma Oryx, 180 grain. If available
 
My suggestions are Federal Terminal Accent, Norma Oryx or a Barnes TSX/TTSX. Which ever groups best in the rilfe. I like all of them and have had excellent results with them. I probably favor the Terminal Accent, but I use the TSX more. And as for the Norma, I would take a serious look at the Bondstrike. I plan to see how it works in new to me 30-06 and 7x57 rifles this Spring.

Examples , my daughter's 7-08 groups best with factory 140 grain Federal TSX ammo and she has gotten passthrough on a quartering zebra at about 100 yards. My Mauser 308 is better with the 175 grain Terminal Accent used at 200 yards on blue wildebeest.

Really, any of the bullets over the three pages of suggestions will suffice for you, but I would move past the standard Federal Fusion for an African Trip.

And good on you for helping your brother!
 
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