Loading three different 30-06 rounds for a trio of rifles

[odonata]

As a right-handed person who shoots left because of a defective right eye, finding bolt actions I like chambered in 30-06 is never a problem. It's one of the common calibers that lefties (and involuntary southpaws like myself) have as a popular choice from multiple manufacturers. That's why I own three of them:

Remington 700 BDL, Timney trigger, Nikon 1.5-6x42

Sako 85 Hunter, Schmidt & Bender 1.5-8x42 Stratos

Steyr CL II w/ fixed sights & a Swarovski Z6 1.7-10x42

The goal I was looking for feedback on is setting each one of them up differently to maximize the potential of this one particular cartridge across a trio of rifles. I had thought about getting one of my 30-06's rebored into something larger like a 35 Whelen / 9.3x62 or rebarreled to a smaller classic like the 257 Roberts. But I decided to see what kind of performance could be had off the reloading bench first. Since the majority of my hunting is in the southestern woods in the USA, most of my shots are less than 200m & the longest I've ever had an opportunity at is 325m. My main goal is terminal peformance with minimal tracking so I'm focusing on effective hunting rounds at moderate distances.

I'd like the Remington 700 to be setup to shoot a lightweight bullet like the 125gr Accubond or the 130gr Barnes. Something fast, flat & light. This could be a load with a mild recoil that's pleasant to shoot but still effective at the ranges I usually hunt at. Or it could be a screamer that shoots as fast as possible for this caliber. Something that would give results similar to a 257 Roberts or a 25-06 for example.

My Sako 85 Hunter shoots 165gr bullets really well. Its the only rifle that I've managed to shoot a single ragged hole using three bullets at 100 meters with so it would be my medium-weight rifle. Setting it up with 165gr ~ 180gr bullets would cover everything I'm currently hunting & I would get a lot of use out of it. I specifically jumped over the 140gr ~ 150gr bullets because my primary deer rifles (a trio of Ruger #1's in 6.5x55, 275 Rigby & 303 British) all shoot bullets in this weight range so I was opting for something a bit heavier in one of my 30-06's.

The Steyr CL II I'd love to setup for a heavier bullet. Something in the 200gr ~ 220gr range. With its iron sights, it might be used at closer ranges or in brushy areas. This is an option I haven't explored yet but I was hoping a group of experienced African hunters might have some good suggestions for this one. With retirement approaching next year, it'll be interesting to see if I can expand the type of hunting I do (maybe to other continents ).

So if you have a single favorite round you'd like to suggest or even give me an opinion on two or all three, then I'd love to hear what has worked best for you. I enjoy testing different options at the gun range but hearing from some experienced hunters might narrow my choices considerably & save me a lot of time & money. I always appreciate advice from other hunters who have had successful hunts. If you don't like my idea for this particular experiment, then feel free to give me your opinion of how you would set them up. I'm just mulling the possibilities so I'm open to other ideas. All of these rifles have 22" / 560mm barrels, so it seemed kind of redundant to set them up with the similar loads. My biggest problem is that I like to buy rifles but I never sell them so I do wind up with duplicates.

 

[Rubberhead]

So, I have a similar issue. I have an O/U in .30-06 that shoots a 150 grain bullet at 2930 fps from the Under barrel in the same hole as a 180 grain bullet at 2750 fps from the Over barrel. Rather than re-regulate the gun, I just go with it. In Africa, I shot Accubonds in both barrels. I started with the 150 grain bullets for the impala and warthog and the 180 grain bullets for the zebra and wildebeest.

In the US, I put a 150 grain accubond in the Under and a 180 grain ballistic tip in the Upper for whitetail. In most situations, I shoot the ballistic tip for a heart shot. If it's raining or on one particular stand, surrounded by thick brush in a 5-year-old cutover, I start with the Accubond and go for a neck shot so I don't have to look for a blood trail in the rain or drag its dead body out of 50 yards of brambles.

 

[Firebird]

My all time favorite’06 load is 165 gr trophy bonded bear claw. The Speer grand slam in 165 is a tie or close second and the Remington core lokt a solid third. Want more reach. The Sierra gameking in 165 is another favorite.
These are all outstanding deer killers but they have done fine for elk in the past.
I do really like Barnes in ttsx for deer but no where near the experience with them-

 

[cmk]

I really like the 200gn Norma Oryx bullet in my 30-06. It is a solid performer for the types of hunt I usually do. Basically mixed forest/farm land where shots are usually less than 100 meters. I load it fairly mild at 2450-2500 f/s. This in a Sako AV with a 23 in barrel, topped with a Kahles 1.6-8x42. Have taken moose, red stag, fallows, roes and a couple of badgers as well with that setup.

 

[Vinootz]

As a right-handed person who shoots left because of a defective right eye, finding bolt actions I like chambered in 30-06 is never a problem. It's one of the common calibers that lefties (and involuntary southpaws like myself) have as a popular choice from multiple manufacturers. That's why I own three of them:

View attachment 721983
Remington 700 BDL, Timney trigger, Nikon 1.5-6x42

View attachment 721984
Sako 85 Hunter, Schmidt & Bender 1.5-8x42 Stratos
View attachment 721985
Steyr CL II w/ fixed sights & a Swarovski Z6 1.7-10x42

The goal I was looking for feedback on is setting each one of them up differently to maximize the potential of this one particular cartridge across a trio of rifles. I had thought about getting one of my 30-06's rebored into something larger like a 35 Whelen / 9.3x62 or rebarreled to a smaller classic like the 257 Roberts. But I decided to see what kind of performance could be had off the reloading bench first. Since the majority of my hunting is in the southestern woods in the USA, most of my shots are less than 200m & the longest I've ever had an opportunity at is 325m. My main goal is terminal peformance with minimal tracking so I'm focusing on effective hunting rounds at moderate distances.

I'd like the Remington 700 to be setup to shoot a lightweight bullet like the 125gr Accubond or the 130gr Barnes. Something fast, flat & light. This could be a load with a mild recoil that's pleasant to shoot but still effective at the ranges I usually hunt at. Or it could be a screamer that shoots as fast as possible for this caliber. Something that would give results similar to a 257 Roberts or a 25-06 for example.

My Sako 85 Hunter shoots 165gr bullets really well. Its the only rifle that I've managed to shoot a single ragged hole using three bullets at 100 meters with so it would be my medium-weight rifle. Setting it up with 165gr ~ 180gr bullets would cover everything I'm currently hunting & I would get a lot of use out of it. I specifically jumped over the 140gr ~ 150gr bullets because my primary deer rifles (a trio of Ruger #1's in 6.5x55, 275 Rigby & 303 British) all shoot bullets in this weight range so I was opting for something a bit heavier in one of my 30-06's.

The Steyr CL II I'd love to setup for a heavier bullet. Something in the 200gr ~ 220gr range. With its iron sights, it might be used at closer ranges or in brushy areas. This is an option I haven't explored yet but I was hoping a group of experienced African hunters might have some good suggestions for this one. With retirement approaching next year, it'll be interesting to see if I can expand the type of hunting I do (maybe to other continents ).

So if you have a single favorite round you'd like to suggest or even give me an opinion on two or all three, then I'd love to hear what has worked best for you. I enjoy testing different options at the gun range but hearing from some experienced hunters might narrow my choices considerably & save me a lot of time & money. I always appreciate advice from other hunters who have had successful hunts. If you don't like my idea for this particular experiment, then feel free to give me your opinion of how you would set them up. I'm just mulling the possibilities so I'm open to other ideas. All of these rifles have 22" / 560mm barrels, so it seemed kind of redundant to set them up with the similar loads. My biggest problem is that I like to buy rifles but I never sell them so I do wind up with duplicates.

Nice set of rifles. I got the same ones. I love my Steyrs. Find more than one load for each.

 

[coreydb]

You wouldn't need the 9.3 with a 30-06 if you want range. 257 Roberts would be excellent too. I definitely would consider converting the third to a 25-06 because of its power and range. Last year, my PH in South Africa let me use his Sako 25-06 to hunt for meat; I tagged out early and didn't want to go back so soon. I shot a Blesbok at 400 yds-one shot, DRT. I also dropped a Golden Wildebeest at 370+ yds and a Hartebeest at 300+yds with that kit. The PH's son (9 yrs old) dropped a Nyala, and a frickin giraffe with that rifle. You'll have more fun with that kit than the other two. I swear, that caliber for me anyway, is like the adult plinker.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I have four 30-06s: 2 bolt, 1 semi, 1 single shot, that use 3 different reload recipes.

M1 Garand: (my plinker rifle):
has an adjustable gas screw I keep my loads down around 2700 to 2800 fps to prevent damage to the gas tube. Lower velocity than military spec factory ammo but a lot more accurate using 150 grain Hornady boat tail soft point bullets.

T/C Pro Hunter and Mossberg Patriot:
both are scoped and both are most accurate using 165 and 168 grain Hornady SST bullets at 2800 to 2900 fps.

Custom rifle: (my other plinker rifle) with ghost ring rear sight; is most accurate with 180 grain bullets at 2500 to 2600 fps.

My intentions were to develop a single load recipe that would be safe and accurate in each rifle in that regardless of which rifle I chose to go to the range or field with I wouldn't have to fret over having the right ammunition. That didn’t work out so well adding the M1: keeping the gas pressure to within tolerances. The Custom rifle, my guess is the rifling, doesn't preform as accurately with light, higher speed bullets. The T/C and Mossberg are adequately accurate with the 150 and 180 grain bullet loads, but are more accurate with higher velocity. I chose the 165 and 168 grain bullets as a medium between the 150 and 180 grain bullets.

Having a light, medium, and heavy bullet rifle in the same caliber is a fair concept......until.....you (ie in my case) pick up the medium bullet rifle and grab a box of heavy bullet ammo to go hunting.

 

[Hififile324]

One suggestion - Get 3 large Coffee cans. Label each can with wide tape and bright marker for each rifle. When you return from shooting put your fired cases in the appropriate can mated to that rifle. This way you do not co-mingle your empties from 3 different chambers. This way you can neck size for accuracy for each rifle.

Otherwise you will need to Full Length resize your fired cases if you wish to use the round in all 3 rifles.

If you will be shooting only factory ammo you can disregard the above.

 

[steve white]

You have found which one shoots the 165gr loads already. It may shoot other weights well, in addition. Even if you would LIKE the Steyr to shoot the heavies, IT AND THE REMINGTON are going to tell you what THEY like to shoot well! I would test them out with all the different weights and choose the winners on that basis. You have a lot of work ahead of you, if you explore different powders and bullet brands.
220 gr round nose Nosler Partitions like IMR4350 in my Mannlicher Schoenauer, for example. In fact, that gun likes 4350 for several weights.
The mono bullet designs are where you can really get a light bullet screaming fast and still have enough bullet length due to reduced weight in order to stabilize and give good accuracy. Monos are the only bullet type I really trust to hold together with boat tail bullets, too. YMMV
Never seen a thread like this one. Good luck. It's definitely going to keep you from "running the streets." lol

 

[steve white]

One suggestion - Get 3 large Coffee cans. Label each can with wide tape and bright marker for each rifle. When you return from shooting put your fired cases in the appropriate can mated to that rifle. This way you do not co-mingle your empties from 3 different chambers. This way you can neck size for accuracy for each rifle.

Otherwise you will need to Full Length resize your fired cases if you wish to use the round in all 3 rifles.

If you will be shooting only factory ammo you can disregard the above.

Great idea, but I would want to separate them before getting home by placing them in dedicated rows in a plastic MTM box as I fired them.
Heck, he'll probably have to color the bases with magic markers to keep up with which ones are loaded which way before he shoots them. And I'd want a good notebook to keep track.

 

[steve white]

So, I have a similar issue. I have an O/U in .30-06 that shoots a 150 grain bullet at 2930 fps from the Under barrel in the same hole as a 180 grain bullet at 2750 fps from the Over barrel. Rather than re-regulate the gun, I just go with it. In Africa, I shot Accubonds in both barrels. I started with the 150 grain bullets for the impala and warthog and the 180 grain bullets for the zebra and wildebeest.

In the US, I put a 150 grain accubond in the Under and a 180 grain ballistic tip in the Upper for whitetail. In most situations, I shoot the ballistic tip for a heart shot. If it's raining or on one particular stand, surrounded by thick brush in a 5-year-old cutover, I start with the Accubond and go for a neck shot so I don't have to look for a blood trail in the rain or drag its dead body out of 50 yards of brambles.

You're a lucky duck--don't try to change it, it's great just like it is.

 

[odonata]

Thanks for all of the feedback & solid advice. I’m someone who always likes to have an involved & time-consuming project to focus on. I often make them bigger & more difficult than they need to be just to make them last longer & keep me busy. This seemed like it would be an interesting endeavor & as good an excuse as any to spend more time at the range.

 

[BFaucett]

...<snip>...
The Steyr CL II I'd love to setup for a heavier bullet. Something in the 200gr ~ 220gr range. With its iron sights, it might be used at closer ranges or in brushy areas. This is an option I haven't explored yet but I was hoping a group of experienced African hunters might have some good suggestions for this one. With retirement approaching next year, it'll be interesting to see if I can expand the type of hunting I do (maybe to other continents ).
...<snip>...
So if you have a single favorite round you'd like to suggest or even give me an opinion on two or all three, then I'd love to hear what has worked best for you. ...<snip>...

...

Since you mentioned wanting to use one rifle for a heavy bullet load, I'd thought I'd share my load that I used in South Africa way back in 2002. (2002?? Where has the time gone? Geez!!) I hunted in the northern part of the Limpopo Province of South Africa; near Maasstroom (Google Maps link). This is bushveld country (Wikipedia link). This was my second trip to the same location so I knew what to expect regarding the terrain. The shooting ranges are usually fairly short to moderate; say usually 200 yards or less as a rough guideline in my admittedly limited experience.

Just for the nostalgia and the romance of it, I wanted to do it the old fashioned way; like they did back in the 1950s and before. Think of Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark as two examples. Oh... and we can't leave out my favorite safari gal, Osa Johnson.

To me, that means a heavy (high sectional density) round nose bullet at moderate velocity. For Americans headed to Africa back in the day with a .30-06, the 220 gr round nose bullet seemed to the standard. I figured a 220 gr Woodleigh RN at around 2400 fps MV would be just the ticket. (Yeah, they didn't have bonded core bullets back in the day but it's close enough for me.)

I used 220 gr Hornady RN bullets to test a few powders and I settled on IMR-4350. I then fine tuned the load a little with the 220 gr Woodleigh RN. Here's what I came up with:

So how did that load work on that trip? Well, here's a few pics. (Do any of us ever miss a opportunity to post a few our pics?)

An example of the terrain.

Impala

Limpopo Bushbuck taken on a bank of the Limpopo River. The opposite river bank is in Botswana. (This isn't where he fell. This is a "glamour shot" taken later back at camp. I'm very proud of this little guy.)

Steenbok

Red Hartebeest - This was the longest shot of the trip. About 160 yards; just estimated and stepped off (no range finder). Yeah, I hit him a little high but it got the job done. He started to move and I rushed the shot a little but he went down at the shot. I did put a finisher into him when we got up to him.

Warthog. No trip is complete without a piggie.


So how did that heavy, long 220 gr RN bullet at moderate velocity work out? Well, it worked just fine IMO. It didn't cause the Steenbok to "blow up" and it worked just fine on the other animals.

I believe some folks think that such a long, heavy bullet at such a "slow" muzzle velocity won't do much damage to an animal's vitals. Well, I think it depends a lot upon the particular bullet used. Here's a pic of the Warthog's heart back at the skinning shed:

https://www.woodleighbullets.com.au/

By the way, for those in the USA, Raven Rocks Precision (a sponsor of AH) currently has them in stock. https://ravenrocksprecision.com/

Woodleigh 30 Cal (.308) Bullets – 50 ct Box
https://ravenrocksprecision.com/product/woodleigh-30-cal-308-bullets-50-ct-box/

Osa Johnson with her Griffin & Howe 1903 Springfield sporter in .30-06. yr 1928

Just my ramblings and musings... Cheers! Bob F.

 

[Delloro]

As a right-handed person who shoots left because of a defective right eye, finding bolt actions I like chambered in 30-06 is never a problem. It's one of the common calibers that lefties (and involuntary southpaws like myself) have as a popular choice from multiple manufacturers. That's why I own three of them:

View attachment 721983
Remington 700 BDL, Timney trigger, Nikon 1.5-6x42

View attachment 721984
Sako 85 Hunter, Schmidt & Bender 1.5-8x42 Stratos
View attachment 721985
Steyr CL II w/ fixed sights & a Swarovski Z6 1.7-10x42

The goal I was looking for feedback on is setting each one of them up differently to maximize the potential of this one particular cartridge across a trio of rifles. I had thought about getting one of my 30-06's rebored into something larger like a 35 Whelen / 9.3x62 or rebarreled to a smaller classic like the 257 Roberts. But I decided to see what kind of performance could be had off the reloading bench first. Since the majority of my hunting is in the southestern woods in the USA, most of my shots are less than 200m & the longest I've ever had an opportunity at is 325m. My main goal is terminal peformance with minimal tracking so I'm focusing on effective hunting rounds at moderate distances.

I'd like the Remington 700 to be setup to shoot a lightweight bullet like the 125gr Accubond or the 130gr Barnes. Something fast, flat & light. This could be a load with a mild recoil that's pleasant to shoot but still effective at the ranges I usually hunt at. Or it could be a screamer that shoots as fast as possible for this caliber. Something that would give results similar to a 257 Roberts or a 25-06 for example.

My Sako 85 Hunter shoots 165gr bullets really well. Its the only rifle that I've managed to shoot a single ragged hole using three bullets at 100 meters with so it would be my medium-weight rifle. Setting it up with 165gr ~ 180gr bullets would cover everything I'm currently hunting & I would get a lot of use out of it. I specifically jumped over the 140gr ~ 150gr bullets because my primary deer rifles (a trio of Ruger #1's in 6.5x55, 275 Rigby & 303 British) all shoot bullets in this weight range so I was opting for something a bit heavier in one of my 30-06's.

The Steyr CL II I'd love to setup for a heavier bullet. Something in the 200gr ~ 220gr range. With its iron sights, it might be used at closer ranges or in brushy areas. This is an option I haven't explored yet but I was hoping a group of experienced African hunters might have some good suggestions for this one. With retirement approaching next year, it'll be interesting to see if I can expand the type of hunting I do (maybe to other continents ).

So if you have a single favorite round you'd like to suggest or even give me an opinion on two or all three, then I'd love to hear what has worked best for you. I enjoy testing different options at the gun range but hearing from some experienced hunters might narrow my choices considerably & save me a lot of time & money. I always appreciate advice from other hunters who have had successful hunts. If you don't like my idea for this particular experiment, then feel free to give me your opinion of how you would set them up. I'm just mulling the possibilities so I'm open to other ideas. All of these rifles have 22" / 560mm barrels, so it seemed kind of redundant to set them up with the similar loads. My biggest problem is that I like to buy rifles but I never sell them so I do wind up with duplicates.

Barnes 168 TTSX over 50.5g Varget in WW brass shoots well in mine, and two of my friends' guns.

 

[shootist~]

My approach in my one and only 30-06 is a 180 gr Swift AF hunting load and a mild-ish 150 gr Hornady practice load - that shoot to the same 200M zero.

H4350 is used for both at almost, but not quite, the same charge and velocities.

The 180 gr AF went to Africa and worked very well. The 150 Hornady is the FMJ-BT I buy in bulk, but I would think the spire point would also work.

 

[baxterb]

Since you mentioned wanting to use one rifle for a heavy bullet load, I'd thought I'd share my load that I used in South Africa way back in 2002. (2002?? Where has the time gone? Geez!!) I hunted in the northern part of the Limpopo Province of South Africa; near Maasstroom (Google Maps link). This is bushveld country (Wikipedia link). This was my second trip to the same location so I knew what to expect regarding the terrain. The shooting ranges are usually fairly short to moderate; say usually 200 yards or less as a rough guideline in my admittedly limited experience.

Just for the nostalgia and the romance of it, I wanted to do it the old fashioned way; like they did back in the 1950s and before. Think of Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark as two examples. Oh... and we can't leave out my favorite safari gal, Osa Johnson.

To me, that means a heavy (high sectional density) round nose bullet at moderate velocity. For Americans headed to Africa back in the day with a .30-06, the 220 gr round nose bullet seemed to the standard. I figured a 220 gr Woodleigh RN at around 2400 fps MV would be just the ticket. (Yeah, they didn't have bonded core bullets back in the day but it's close enough for me.)

I used 220 gr Hornady RN bullets to test a few powders and I settled on IMR-4350. I then fine tuned the load a little with the 220 gr Woodleigh RN. Here's what I came up with:


View attachment 723427

So how did that load work on that trip? Well, here's a few pics. (Do any of us ever miss a opportunity to post a few our pics?)


View attachment 723428
An example of the terrain.

View attachment 723429
Impala

View attachment 723430
Limpopo Bushbuck taken on a bank of the Limpopo River. The opposite river bank is in Botswana. (This isn't where he fell. This is a "glamour shot" taken later back at camp. I'm very proud of this little guy.)

View attachment 723431
Steenbok

View attachment 723432
Red Hartebeest - This was the longest shot of the trip. About 160 yards; just estimated and stepped off (no range finder). Yeah, I hit him a little high but it got the job done. He started to move and I rushed the shot a little but he went down at the shot. I did put a finisher into him when we got up to him.

View attachment 723433
Warthog. No trip is complete without a piggie.


So how did that heavy, long 220 gr RN bullet at moderate velocity work out? Well, it worked just fine IMO. It didn't cause the Steenbok to "blow up" and it worked just fine on the other animals.

I believe some folks think that such a long, heavy bullet at such a "slow" muzzle velocity won't do much damage to an animal's vitals. Well, I think it depends a lot upon the particular bullet used. Here's a pic of the Warthog's heart back at the skinning shed:

View attachment 723434

View attachment 723435
https://www.woodleighbullets.com.au/

By the way, for those in the USA, Raven Rocks Precision (a sponsor of AH) currently has them in stock. https://ravenrocksprecision.com/

Woodleigh 30 Cal (.308) Bullets – 50 ct Box
https://ravenrocksprecision.com/product/woodleigh-30-cal-308-bullets-50-ct-box/


View attachment 723447
Osa Johnson with her Griffin & Howe 1903 Springfield sporter in .30-06. yr 1928

Just my ramblings and musings... Cheers! Bob F.

Unbelievably timely post, Bob. I was just looking for some info on Woodleigh 220s in an 06 - thanks!

 

[BFaucett]

Unbelievably timely post, Bob. I was just looking for some info on Woodleigh 220s in an 06 - thanks!

Good deal!

I'm very happy that you found my post to be helpful.

BTW, I happen to have the Woodleigh Loading Manual headed my way from Raven Rocks Precision. UPS should deliver it on Monday, Nov 3. (Let me know via PM if you'd like to have or need any .30-06 loading data from it.)

Also, I see now that Raven Rocks is out of stock on the Woodleigh ,308" 220 gr RN bullets. I wonder if my post above caused a "run on the bank" for them?

Reloading International is currently showing 5 boxes in stock.

Below is a pic of the recovered bullet on my finisher shot from my Red Hartebeest pictured above. (It was my only recovered bullet on that trip.) I forget now exactly where I shot him for the finisher. He was laying on his left side when got up to him and I think I shot him in the belly/chest at a downward angle just under his right leg. Regardless, the shot was a pass through and we recovered the bullet out of the dirt.

So, I don't know how much of the bullet's expansion was caused by the Hartebeest's body and how much was caused by hitting the dirt after passing through him but here's a pic of the recovered bullet:

.30-06 Sprg 220 gr Woodleigh RN at 2460 fps MV​

In summary, I was very pleased with the bullet and my .30-06 handload on that trip way back in 2002.

Cheers! Bob F.

 

[1dirthawker]

i don't know, i would be tempted to find a 165gr or 180 bullet in a north fork, or hammer bullet and just find a load all 3 rifles like.

maybe i am under thinking it but i am a keep it simple stupid kind of guy.

 

[Ridge Runner]

i don't know, i would be tempted to find a 165gr or 180 bullet in a north fork, or hammer bullet and just find a load all 3 rifles like.

maybe i am under thinking it but i am a keep it simple stupid kind of guy.

Or...I'm overthinking it.

Having multiple 30-06s myself, I think I get the concept the OP is going for. I think he's going for 1 varmint rifle, 1 medium size game rifle (prong horn, deer, etc), 1 large game rifle (elk, brown bear, moose, etc). Thus no screwing around having to readjust a scope each time he changes bullet weight. Just fire 2 or 3 rounds out of the respective rifle to check scope and go hunting.

So yeah, KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid, from a different perspective. LOL.

 

[1dirthawker]

Having multiple 30-06s myself, I think I get the concept the OP is going for. I think he's going for 1 varmint rifle, 1 medium size game rifle (prong horn, deer, etc), 1 large game rifle (elk, brown bear, moose, etc). Thus no screwing around having to readjust a scope each time he changes bullet weight. Just fire 2 or 3 rounds out of the respective rifle to check scope and go hunting.

i get it, i just think if i was shooting ONE load, and i knew the drops, i could use either 165 or 180gr quality bullets AND shoot everything you noted, from varmints to moose. i would not change bullet weights, any varmint shot with a 3006 is going to get a dose of overkill.