Light Weight .30 cal Bullets

[flash51]

Hello everyone,
I am new to this forum, but have been a visitor many times. Ya'll seem to know what you are talking about, so..
A few years ago I started reloading for a 30-06 using 125gr (Speer TNT's)and 130gr (Speer HP's) bullets. These were used to reduce the beaver population at a pond on my Mother's place. They worked great, very little recoil, very accurate, and very few beavers left. The 125gr bullets are loaded to 3150fps, the 130gr clock in around 3000fps.
Is there any reason the 130gr could not be used in deer hunting, assuming shot placement was in the neck area, not in the heart-lung area? I think that would cause too much meat damage. I know white tails have been taken with smaller, lighter calibers, but know one seems to use light .308 bullets, and I was looking for a reason why.

Thanks for your knowledge and experience

[beemanbeme]

I don't see why they wouldn't work.  I've never found the lighter weight bullets to be very accurate in my 30-06 although I'll admit I haven't worked that much with them.  I don't understand how a lung shot will ruin that much meat?  As always shoot for the exit hole.

[Redhawk1]

flash51, Welcome to Graybeard.  I think the 130 gr. would work well on deer. I would avoid the neck shot idea. It is a high risk shot in my opinion. Just go for the heart lung shot.  

[Zachary]

Flash,

130 grainers in a .30-06 will work on deer, but I would recommend at least 150 grainers.  Keep in mind that sectional density is also important as well as weight, and also as well as bullet design and performance.

As far as neck shots go, I have dropped many a deer with neck shots, right in their tracks and never had a problem.  Still, I have heard of horror stories from other hunters and, although I personally have never had a problem, now I'm starting to shy away from neck shots.

IF you are a really good shooter, and IF the shooting conditions are right, then you can take neck shots.  But you really can't go wrong with lung/heart shots.

Zachary

[bajabill]

I would steer away from the varmint bullets.  There should be a few choices of 130 gr with the lead tip.  I think that for a broadside shot the bullet will exit easily and sectional density is of little concern.  You just want an expanding bullet.  Many smaller caliber get by just fine with this weight of pill and the only thing they have is a longer bullet with more sectional density that will help penetration, but if you are exiting, a little more penetration capability would never come into play.  If you are breaking shoulders of rather large animals, I would think differently.

[Rustyinfla]

One of the best deer hunters I know here in uses just the setup you're talking about with the 125's. He uses a Sako '06 that he cut the barrel back to 20" on.

  Rusty <><

[flash51]

Thanks for your help
I think I will try this season using the 130gr HP's, from the sound of things they should work.

Thanks Again

[Squeeze]

Flash,

I have a hand load, for my .308 Win chambered rifles, that uses 130 Barnes XBT
bullets.  This solid copper hollow point slug, moving at 2775 fps out of my 14"
Savage Striker, or 3050 fps out of my 20" Browning BAR, is devastating on northern
whitetails...We are talking BANG Flop, or ripped off their feet, and found piled
up within 100 yards of the initial hit.  The Barnes is a deep penetration bullet,
but this lighter bullet seems to have plenty of energy transfer.  The vitals look
like blood pudding, after a hit from this round.   I purposely hit a shoulder blade,
on a management deer, when I first worked this round up, and the entrance
wound looked like a typical 30 cal entrance wound...But under the hide, there
was a 4" hole where massive energy transfer literally vaporized the bone and
tissue...Actually most of the bone fragments were in the chest cavity.  There was a
nice 1" exit hole, for good ventilation, too.  I have not worked up a .30-06 Sprg
load, since my only .30-06 Sprg, was my father's rifle, and I don't hunt it any more,
but I would have one if I did.  Accuracy wise, both of these firearms put this same
load into sub MOA groups.  I expect my new version of this load, using 130 gr.
Triple Shock bullets to be as, or even more, accurate as the 130 gr. XBT version.

I agree that many of the .308 cal 125 to 130 grain bullets are light jacketed, and
not suitable, for me, in big game hunting.  But the 130 Barnes XBT, or Triple Shock,
bullets are more than adequate for deer sized game.  Due to all copper construction,
they shoot flatter like light bullets, but hit hard like heavy jacket big game bullets.

You can have the best of both worlds, light flat shooting bullets, that will not
break up on the inevitable bone hit, in real life hunting situations.  I would NOT
want to see the aftermath of a 130 gr. Barnes hit on beavers, since I am certain
it would be UGLY, with a capital UG.  

Squeeze

[Guybo]

I've been loading and using the Hornady 130gr Spire points in my 30.06 for years.  I've killed countless deer here in this part of NC with that combination and it has never let me down.  They are very accurate in my rifle with 52grns of IMR4064 and do a number on deer.  I've only had two that didn't go all the way through and they were lodged in the skin after going through both shoulders and were a nice mushroom.  Now if i were to go on a paid hunt for bigger tougher deer then i'd step up to a bigger weight bullet like the 150's or 165's but the deer around here aren't that big and the 130's work great.