165 grain for 30-06, good for moose? deer?

Question

Should I get heavier or lighter grains for different hunts, or just use these for everything? Are they overkill for close range deer? How would they perform on a big moose at say, 300 yards max? Would 165 drop much at that distance? How about 180?

Really, the neck? I was taught in my hunting course that the only place to ever shoot big game is in the lungs, because it's the surest shot.

Answer 1

I believe that if you can go bigger, within reason, you should. A 165 grain bullet is fine for deer and close range elk. But for moose, I think you should move up to the 180 gr or 200 gr. and that would even be a stretch for a 300 yard shot on a moose.
I am also a fan of the lung shot. The target is large which gives you some margin of error, ruins no meat and the animal won't go very far. If you tried a shoulder shot on a moose with your 165 gr it may not even penetrate to the vitals. Then you have a big problem. It will probably die but not for a long time. I feel neck shots are the same. If you don't hit the vertebrae, it may not drop. The neck is nearly two feet tall while your target is a 3 inch line hidden in there somewhere. True, if you hit it, the animal will drop like a rock but if you miss, you're in for a long walk and maybe a lost animal.
If you want to use your 30-06 with 165 gr I would say keep your shots close and easy. Put it in the lungs and keep shooting until its down. I'd rather drag 100 yards on a good lung shot than track and drag for who knows how far with a bad neck or shoulder shot. I highly recommend a 200 gr nosler partition in this situation. You may need to re sight your gun but it is worth it.

Answer 2

Personally, I would have the 165 be minimal for moose (but I like heavy bullets). Might be the best "all around bullet" though. I'd probably go with a 180 round nose or flat tip.

Neck shot --- let me tell you, on a deer, they just collapse. Depending on the rest, inside of 150 yards I'll put the crosshair just in front of the front shoulder (as opposed to the back of it).
You put a 150-165 grain bullet into the shoulder, they collapse. You put a 150-165 grain bullet into the ribcage - they might make it 50-100 yards (and that's only because they did a sprint for the 5 seconds they had to live). Nothing is wrong with the meat either. Now it is different if you hit the liver --- we're talking probably 300 yards before you can catch up to it again and it may very well still alive but unable to stand.
Don't know enough about moose to comment.

When in doubt, put it right on the shoulder. 6inches too far in front you drop them in the neck. 6 inches back and you get a lung shot. I don't aim for the rib cage because that is how gut shots happen.

Answer 3

For deer, 165 grainers seem about right. That's only about a .25 sectional density, so there's no way you can consider this overkill, unless you refuse to take any shot except exact broadside and limit your range. Having become the ammo supplier for my entire family, I have my little brother and his son shooting 165 Partitions pushed with 4350, and they've become believers.
Most people seem to want more penetration for moose, somewhat sensibly, and in the past 200 or even 220 grainers have been the choice for many. These days, the premium bullets available have much better performance, but it's still a general concensus that 180's are most appropriate.
300 yards is one heck of a long shot. I'd suggest hunting closer, but if your rifle is zeroed for point blank range instead of some arbitrary 100 or 200 yards, you needn't be concerned about bullet drop after you get through figuring out what PBR is for that load. It's really a non-issue for hunting if you've prepared in advance.

Answer 4

stick with the boiler room shot (heart/lung) let us just think about it
30/06 at 300 yards is going to be about a 4" group and that is a good one the spine on a moose is what about 2 1/2-3"
now taking those 2 figures you already have a miss figured in and those are figures from a bench rest and all the time in the world to take the shot
so what i am saying anybody that would tell you take a neck shot at 300 yards is either a fool or is trying to make you one
165 will work but i would step up to 180 minimum and 180's will work for deer as well

Answer 5

A 165 grain or 180 grain bullet will do just fine for either Deer or a Moose.If I were you and was going on a hunting trip for Moose, I would try several brands and ammunition out of your gun and see what shoots best for you. Stick with a soft tip or positive expansion style bullet for these two animals....

As far as the advice you were given to take a neck shot, if I were you I would ignore that advice. I've taken 2 Moose in the last 8 years. One with a 7mm Remington Magnum 180 grain posi-expansion bullet and the other with a 30-06 with a 165 grain posi-expansion bullet. BOTH Heart/ DBL Lung shots and BOTH dropped less than 40 yards away from where I shot them. A Bull Moose is a massive animal, that once hit in both lungs and/or the heart will not go far. BOTH of mine literally bled out completely by the time we started to field dress them to pack out. I've killed 14 Elk to date with the same Heart/Lung shots. I have yet to track one more than 120 yards. Sometimes a neck shot does present itself,but not often.... it is a high risk target, and a much smaller area to hit at any distance...The further the distance, the bigger the odds are against a clean kill shot,especially with a neck shot. Take it from someone thats been there and done that. Only you know your skill level and the choice is yours to make..

Answer 6

The 165 grain .30-06 is great for deer but a bit light for moose, although it will work. I prefer something heavier, say 180 grain, for moose.

Regardless of what you were taught in class a neck shot is more humane. Problem is, it is also a difficult shot especially on deer. The way I see it, you make a neck shot and for sure you have venison. if you miss the neck the deer will usually make a clean get away. Also, you lose less venison with a neckshot.

Happy hunting.

H

Answer 7

In the last 17 years, I've been involved with 15 downed Moose. All with a 150 gr. .270, I believe a 165 in 30-06 is prefect, I'm so sure I'm going to try it this year!

Answer 8

Not a bad overall choice. You might give some thought to something in the 180 to 220 range for moose; save some walking.

Answer 9

Take a look at the ballistics if you like.

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ballistics/ballistic-tables/

You might want to compare a 300Wby Mag to the 30-06

30-06
180gr MV-2,880fps 300yds-2,320fps +1.7in at 100yds -7.2in at 300yds

300Wby Mag
180gr MV-3,250fps 300yds-2,676fps +1.1in at 100yds - 5.4in at 300yds

*sighted in at 200yds

The 30-06, 165gr is a great choice for deer.

Is it possible to take, Moose, Elk, Bear(lower 48 preferable*) with a 30-06, you bet, the 300Wby Mag is a better choice though.

*I would consider using a 30-06 against Alaskan Brown or Polar bear to be an unwise choice.

Answer 10

The lungs are good for a kill, but it will take awhile. The deer will run and bleed out. The adrenalin gets in the blood and makes the meat taste funky. A neck shot will bring them down quick. Less walking and much less of a hassle to pack them out. Remember you have to haul them back from wherever they end up at. Deer can run a LONG time before they bleed out. When I bow hunt, I generally wait about 10 minutes before I start tracking them. You want them to bed up before they bleed out, so they don't run as far. Good luck on your hunt.