HI I AM NEW HERE I AM USEING A 30 06 WHAT IS THE BEST BULLET TO USE FOR WOODCHUCKS FOR LONG RANGE SHOOTING 100 TO 400 YARDS. WIT

[reaperhd79]

HI I AM NEW HERE I AM USEING A 30 06 WHAT IS THE BEST BULLET TO USE FOR WOODCHUCKS FOR LONG RANGE SHOOTING 100 TO 400 YARDS. WITH LITTLE DROP IN THE BULLET... THANKS

[Bo]

Hope you have a range finder. .30-06 is not the flattest shooting shooting gun you can use for woodchucks. I would use the lightest, fastest round you can fine. For example Remington Express, 125 grain Pointed Soft Point has a MV of 3140 fps. If you zero your gun at 200 yds, you will have +1.5" at 100 yds, 1.4" at 150 yds, your drop will be -2.8" at 250 yds,-7.4" at 300yds,-22.4" at 400yds, and about -47.6" at 500 yds. Those are Remington's numbers. Federal Premium Power-Shok,125gr Soft points are pretty much the same, except they show a 48" drop at 500 yds.
Somewhere, I'm not sure exactly where, I have software that I can plug all the numbers, MV etc and figure out where my best 6" point blank window is, that is to say, when my bullet reaches 3" above line of sight and when it is 3" below line of sight.
Since you're shooting a much smaller target than I would use a .30-06 for, that kind of throws a kink in what size point blank window you use and you'll probably need to make a chart to keep on your sleeve to refer to, to know how much elevation you need, above or below your crosshairs, to put the bullet exactly on your target. That's where a range finder would be really helpful.

[6phunter]

the 30.06 accelerator is among the fastest bullets made, period.also they can be hard to find 110 grain hollow points are very capable. I believe the accelerator is a 65 grain bullet .

[Bo]

6phunter, thanks. I don't shoot .30-06 much so I wasn't aware of that round. I looked at the table on Remington's site and That would be the ideal round for Woodchucks with the gun mentioned.
To reaperhd79 Good luck.

[volcom]

question isnt a 30-06 a lil to much gun for varmits. i dont know i dont varmit hunt.

[MLH]

Accelerator uses a sabot and a .224 55gr bullet. 4,080 fps. Very fast but not all guns shoot them well.

I hope you are way out in the country. 30-06 rounds are likely to go right through the chuck. When hunting varmints it is better to use a bullet that is smaller and more explosive than those available in .30 caliber for less chance of ricochet.

[Aaron1991]

i think id back off a little bit on caliber there reaper, a 22-250 will be just fine

[6phunter]

youre welcome BO and thx to MIKE for the right info on bullet grains and sabot type,I've several 30,06 rifles and the 03A3 is the only one that shoots the round close to being accurate out to 4ooyards.Reaper asked about the 30.06 out to 400 yards , try it and see how it works in youre weapon,if so it;s more cost effective than purchasing a new 22_250

[Catfish46]

Use whichever bullet/bullet weight your rifle will shoot accurately and then just be sure you are familiar with the trajectory. A guy I know who hunts in PA kills hundreds of woodchucks annually and he uses a .300 Win Mag. (Less wind drift and bullet drop than about anything around.)

[lwpenn]

First you have to shoot a bullet to match your twist rate. Most 30-06 are 1-9. When you handload you can ajust your FPS. Check different handloading books for different powders. May want a slower powder. I like 4831. A good bullet to start with are a Barnes and the barnes handloading book. The plastic tipped bullets work great. I have been told in the past that boat tails would help. My 270 win loves boat tails (1-10). Buy some bullets and load 10 shells and shoot them. You will want to cold bore shoot them when find you get close in choosing the right bullet and load. Wait 15 minutes between shots. Buy the best primers you can find. Use only case that have been shot in your rifle and only neck size and of course check cases for damage or signs of high pressure. Lenght should be check and check the primers for damage. One thing that is overlooked is firing pins and springs. Make sure you have a good spring that meets factory spec's and your firing pin is not damaged. Use a dry lub after you have cleaned your bolt inside and out.

[huntingfreak]

I have been using a 30-06 for years, best dam caliber on the market. Nothing on the continent that an 06 can't take down. I have shot so many different brands and weights of bullets trying to find what my guns like to shoot, I have shot the cheapest all the way to the expensive ones, and for my rifle I find that it shoots 165 grain bullets the best and holds the groups. But the thing that you will find if you shoot enough different bullets is that your gun really will shoot one better than the other. Take your time and shoot all types of brands and bullet weights to find which your gun likes best.