Top 5 Best 30-06 Ammo for Deer Hunting: Put Bambi in Your Freezer

The 30-06 Springfield is an American cartridge through and through: a two-time World War champion, which can take down any big game animal North America can throw at it, and which you have chosen for deer hunting.

All we can say is, "Good call!"

The 30-06 has been putting venison on plates and in freezers for well over a century, which means many different hunting rounds are available. With all that variety, it can be hard to pick the best load for your deer hunting needs.

If you’re in a hurry, then we’d recommend that you pick up a box of Barnes 150 Grain TTSX. It’s the best 30-06 ammo for deer hunting. However, if you have some time and want to read our entire top 5 list, then man, is today ever your lucky day.

If you’re new to deer hunting or looking for more information about the 30-06 Springfield, check out our Buyer’s Guide HERE. Otherwise, scroll just a bit down to review more of our list…

The Best 30-06 Ammo for Deer Hunting

1. Barnes VOR-TX 150 Grain TTSX
2. Remington 150 Grain Scirocco Bonded
3. Hornady American Whitetail 150 Grain SP
4. Winchester Power Point 165 Grain PSP
5. Federal Fusion 180 gr FSP

Best Overall 30-06 Ammo for Deer Hunting

Barnes VOR-TX 150 Grain TTSX

Barnes 30-06 Ammo - 20 Rounds of 150 Grain TTSX Ammunition

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Specs

• Casing - Brass
• Bullet Type – Tipped Tripple-Shock X (TTSX)
• Bullet Weight - 150 Grains
• Muzzle Velocity – 2,970 fps
• Muzzle Energy – 2,937 ft-lbs

Pros

• Designed for rapid and controlled expansion
• Nearly 100% weight retention
• All-copper bullet legal in California

Cons

• Pricier than other options

Why We Chose It

The best deer hunting rounds for the 30-06 are affordable, in stock, and have additional features that control expansion and adequately maximize penetration. The 150 grain Barnes TTSX load meets all our standards, and it’s something we can recommend to everyone.

Barnes takes extraordinary measures to produce insanely high-quality ammo. The VOR-TX line is no exception. Its polymer tip makes the TTSX more aerodynamic, raising the ballistic coefficient and ultimately helping the bullet strike its target with greater force.

The bullet’s terminal performance is nothing short of superb. The 150 grain TTSX penetrates deep and expands to nearly double its original diameter (assuming impact occurs between 1,800 and 3,000 fps). The brilliant design and all-copper composite make an extremely effective wound cavity. All you need to worry about is shot placement!

In addition to being a slam dunk for deer season, we love this round for its versatility. Not only can the Barnes 150 gr TTSX easily take down a deer at 500 yards (ith proper shot placement) but it can also be used for larger game animals like black bears, elk and moose.

If you want an efficient round that’s pretty easy to find, pick up a box of the Barnes 150 gr TTSX. The high ballistic coefficient, superior Barnes quality, and flat trajectory make it well worth a few dollars per round.

Honorable Mention

Nosler Trophy Grade 150 Grain Partition is another excellent round for deer hunting. Nosler's Partition bullet's lead core is segregated into two pieces by an extension of its jacket (i.e. a "partition"): a front section for penetration/expansion, and a back section that promotes weight retention. If you need a round for hunting large animals, consider the Nosler 150 grain AccuBond instead (although it may be harder to find).

Best 30-06 Ammo for Deer Hunting - Runner Up

Remington 150 Grain Scirocco Bonded

Remington 30-06 Ammo - 20 Rounds of 150 Grain Scirocco Bonded Ammunition

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$49.99

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Specs

• Casing - Brass
• Bullet Type - Swift Scirocco Bonded
• Bullet Weight - 150 Grains
• Muzzle Velocity – 2,910 fps
• Muzzle Energy – 2,821 ft-lbs

Pros

• High availability
• Extremely accurate
• Perfect for deer and elk hunting

Cons

• Expensive

Why We Chose It

Remington 150 Grain Scirocco Bonded ammo is excellent for hunters during deer season. It’s a hard-hitting bullet with a flatter trajectory than some other rounds, and inflicyts an impressive wound channel.

Like the Barnes TTSX, Swift Scirocco bullets have nearly 100% weight retention to maximize penetration. The polymer tip is responsible for initiating expansion, but the electrochemical bonding process is what keeps the lead core and copper jacket together to ensure drop-dead terminal performance.

You’ll get adequate expansion at velocities as low as 1,650 fps (around 500 yards). This gives you a little more distance than some of our other recommendations. It’s also slightly cheaper than the Barnes TTSX, but still pricier than some other options on our top 5 list.

Not only does the Remington 150 gr Swift Scirocco do amazing work on deer, but we also love it because it'll let you ethically hunt elk, black bears, and moose too.

Best Budget 30-06 Ammo for Deer Hunting

Hornady American Whitetail 150 Grain SP

Hornady 30-06 Ammo - 200 Rounds of 150 Grain SP Ammunition

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$239.99

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Specs

• Casing - Brass
• Bullet Type – Jacketed Soft Point (JSP)
• Bullet Weight - 150 Grains
• Muzzle Velocity – 2,910 fps
• Muzzle Energy – 2,820 ft-lbs

Pros

• Low price tag makes it easier to buy in bulk
• Backed by Hornady’s high-quality reputation
• JSP (jacketed soft point) for great terminal performance and expansion

Cons

• Shorter effective range on deer

Why We Chose It

Hornady American Whitetail is a phenomenal choice if you’re looking for excellent factory ammo on a budget and you don’t have time to work on handloads. Easy on the wallet and effective on the hunt, this 150 grain cartridge offers phenomenal terminal performance and exceptional accuracy.

Hornady Whitetail is extremely popular among avid hunters because it’s a high-quality round that deals a lot of damage to the deer (and not your pocketbook). With Hornady’s patented InterLock® design, the lead core and jacket stay together on impact to ensure deeper penetration.

Hornady Whitetail utilizes a soft point bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2,910 fps that can accurately bag a deer within 400 yards (just over 1,800 fps) and still achieve the expansion necessary to bring down a trophy buck.

Although Hornady American Whitetail is soft on the wallet, the jacketed soft point bullet design is less effective at long range when compared to other offerings on our top 5 list. If you hunt in wooded areas like New England, the Midwest, and forests of the Pacific Northwest, then Hornady American Whitetail 150 gr SP ammo will offer more than enough range for deer season.

Honorable Mention

Prvi Partisan 150 Grain SP: This is another excellent budget round that simply gets the job done. If you’re looking for an affordable deer cartridge, Prvi Partisan is an excellent backup (or first) choice. It’s readily available, and the soft pointed lead core will easily penetrate medium-sized game animals.

Best 30-06 Ammo for Deer - Fan Favorite

Winchester Power-Point 165 Grain PSP

Winchester 30-06 Ammo - 20 Rounds of 165 Grain PSP Ammunition

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Specs

• Casing - Brass
• Bullet Type - Pointed Soft Point (PSP)
• Bullet Weight - 165 Grains
• Muzzle Velocity – 2,800 fps
• Muzzle Energy – 2,872 ft-lbs

Pros

• Affordable and easy to find
• Accurate
• Excellent expansion

Cons

• Not great for large game like elk

Why We Chose It

We love a good, tried and true 30-06 cartridge, and Winchester Power-Point 165 grain fits that bill perfectly. This low-cost cartridge has a flat trajectory and packs more than enough wallop to take down any deer in your sights.

Winchester designed their Power Point bullet for accuracy and penetration. The soft lead core wears a tapered copper jacket, so you’ll have the controlled expansion necessary to create a sufficient wound cavity and ethically take home your deer.

Winchester Power-Point is deadly accurate in our hands, and expands perfectly following impact velocity of 3,000 to 1,800 feet per second. Assuming you keep your shots within 300 yards, you’ll bag a deer for less than $2/round and without having to trek through the woods following blood trails.

While many hunters have taken down large creatures with 165 grain Winchester Power-Point, it’s a bit risky to use it for hunting bigger game (i.e. larger than 300 pounds). Shot placement and distance will play a significant role in your success.

If you want to ethically hunt deer, this round will work. But if you want to hunt larger game, try one of the other rounds on our list.

Honorable Mention

Federal Power-Shok 150 grain also works well on medium-sized game like whitetail and mule deer. It’s a traditional lead core soft point bullet with no bells and whistles. If you’re looking for conventional, low-cost 30-06 ammo for deer hunting that simply gets the job done, look no further than Federal Power-Shok.

Honorable Mention for Deer Hunting

Federal Fusion 180 Grain FSP

Federal 30-06 Ammo - 200 Rounds of 180 Grain Fusion Ammunition

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Specs

• Casing - Brass
• Bullet Type – Fusion Soft Point (FSP)
• Bullet Weight - 180 Grain
• Muzzle Velocity – 2,700 fps
• Muzzle Energy – 2,913 ft-lbs

Pros

• Developed specifically for deer hunting
• Incredibly accurate
• Accurate
• Inexpensive and abundant

Cons

• Not great for hunting larger game animals

Why We Chose It

If you’re looking for the first round developed specifically for deer hunters, then look no further than the Federal Fusion 180 grain FSP.

Utilizing a skived nose, the Federal Premium Fusion soft point is built for immediate and deadly expansion the moment it encounters soft tissue. This is perfect for thin-skinned game like whitetail and mule deer, where you want maximum penetration, weight retention, and a wide wound channel.

The copper jacket on the FSP bullet is electrochemically bonded to its soft lead core. It is highly concentric, which promotes the superior rotational stability requisite for high accuracy. It is also exceedingly tough, which promotes deeper penetration.

While the Federal Fusion projectile is perfect for taking deer, it’s not the best choice for larger game like elk. But so long as you're using the original purpose-built deer round for its intended applicatiojn, then Federal Fusion 180 grain FSP is a perfect choice to take out into the woods this fall.

Oh Deer! That’s a Wrap

Congratulations, you beautiful specimen, you. You made it all the way to the end. No matter which of these factory loads you choose, you’ll be well armed to put Bambi in your freezer this deer season.

Do you want to keep learning more about the 30-06 Springfield? We’ve shared only a scintilla of our wisdom in the sections above. Keep scrolling to take a gander at our 30-06 buyer’s guide.

Or if you’re ready to order a box from our list, click HERE to go back to the top.

Buyer’s Guide: What to Look for in 30-06 Hunting Ammo

The 30-06 Springfield is considered the quintessential hunting round by many. It has served the U.S. military through two World Wars, and has been taking down deer, elk, and moose across North America for over 100 years.

This is the round other hunting cartridges are compared to. “Is it any better than a 30-06?” Unless a new cartridge arguably is, then it likely hasn't got a bright future ahead of it.

The 30-06 has been researched and gradually improved over the years, and loaded with increasingly technologically sophisticated bullets to maintain its status as one of the all around best hunting rounds on the market. With multiple bullet designs and grain weights, picking the best hunting load can be difficult for newer shooters and hunters.

But don’t worry! We are here to help you cut through all the hype and buzzwords and explain what you should be looking for in an excellent deer hunting round.

Deer Hunting & Bullet Weight

Although the weight of the bullet affects numerous factors, including wind resistance, terminal performance, ballistics, and expansion, shot placement and knowing your rifle always matter more

How do you know what weight is best for hunting deer? The answer to that question is highly subjective, and for good reason. You’ll have to consider distance, how your rifle handles the round, and what you’re shooting (deer, in this case).

The lighter the bullet, the higher the muzzle velocity. This produces a flatter-shooting bullet that is more forgiving of ranging mistakes.

On the other hand, heavier bullets tend to travel slower – but are also more resistant to wind drift, and strike with relatively greater force over longer distances.

If you’re trying to shoot an elk at over 500 yards, you’re going to want something that hits a bit harder to make sure you have enough kinetic energy to ensure a clean kill. If you’ve got a whitetail in your crosshairs at 400 yards or less, you don’t necessarily need a massive bullet to get the job done.

For whitetail deer, hogs, or pronghorn, 150 grain and 165 grain bullets offer a happy compromise between higher stopping power, lower recoil, and flatter trajectory.

Keep in mind that your next deer won’t ask you, “What grain weight is that TTSX you just shot me with?” Because if you’re using premium expanding hunting ammo and can put the bullet inside the vitals, the deer won’t be asking you anything at all! (Editor's note: Deer aren't generally known for their inquisitive or enunciative natures.)

Types of Hunting Bullets

You’ve probably seen a lot of acronyms online and on ammo boxes. But what do they all mean?

Hunting is a lot different than competitive or long-range target shooting. The goal isn’t just to hit your target, but to put down your quarry quickly and humanely. The hunting ammunition you choose needs to keep working after impact!

So, it’s important to put a little more thought into your hunting rifle cartridges. To put it simply, match-grade ammo won’t cut it. For example, you don’t want to use FMJ (full metal jacket) ammo for hunting. The FMJ isn't capable of terminal expansion. Match-grade ammo is typically loaded with boat tail hollow point (BTHP) bullets. Although hollow point bullets are typically used for self-defense handgun ammo, these rifle bullets are designed for extreme accuracy and NOT terminal expansion.

To help you sort things out, we made a list of some of the most common hunting bullet types deer hunters utilize, and why they are effective.

SP (Soft Point)

A soft point projectile features a lead core and a copper alloy jacket. The jacket strengthens the bullet so as to pormote higher wweight retention and deeper resultant penetration. It also exposes the soft lead core at the tip (ergo "soft point"). This design enables the bullet to flatten down (i.e. expand) after impact, which inflicts more damage to the target. A jacketed soft point (JSP) is effectively the same thing as a soft point.

Note that a soft point has a rounded tip by design. When it is a pointed soft point (PSP), it has a more aerodynamically efficient pointed tip. When it is a PSP BT, it also includes a drag-reducing boat tail (BT).

Polymer Tipped Bullets

These days, polymer tipped bullets are all the range for hunting ammo. The polymer tip not only creates a more aerodynamic bullet, but also aids in expansion in many cases. Bullets like the Barnes TTSX, Hornady SST, and Nosler Ballistic Tip all utilize their poltmer tipss to initiate bullet expansion. This creates a more uniform wound channel and puts down game more quickly and humanely.

Bonded Bullets

A bonded bullet wears a jacket that is chemically fused to the lead core (as opposed to pressed). This strengthens the bullet, thus enabling it to retain the weight and conserve the momentum it needs in order to plunge deeply into its target. As per the Scirocco recommendation above, a bonded bullet will hold together much better, as well as control expansion. There are a variety of bonded bullets. They typically have a higher price tag, but they’re well worth the extra coin if you’re hunting (or defending).

Get to Know the 30-06

The 30-06 is a .30 caliber round. Where does the 06 ("aught six") come in? Well, the round was first produced in 1906. That’s right. The 30-06's name simply means it is the .30 cal round of 1906.

Before becoming a hunting cartridge, this round was used extensively during WWI, WWII, and Korea. It was the military’s primary rifle cartridge for nearly 50 years. It was a favorite of Teddy Roosevelt, who took a keen interest in hunting (and left North America in 1909 and hit up Africa for a big game hunt).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the effective deer hunting range for the 30-06?

Most 30-06 ammo is incredibly accurate within 400 yards. Keep in mind that the effective range can vary based on many ffactors, including the lenght of the rifle's barrel. A longer barrel will produce a higher muzzle velocity than a shorter one.

Is the 30-06 a good cartridge for deer hunting?

Absolutely! The 30-06 Springfield has bagged deer for well over a century, and shows no signs of slowing down.

As stated earlier, there are some 30-06 rounds that may leave you following a blood trail in the woods for hours. But as long as you choose one of the options we listed (or something similar), you’ll have an excellent hunting round.

What is a premium hunting bullet?

Premium hunting bullets are specifically engineered for controlled expansion and penetration. Premium hunting bullets often have higher ballistic coefficients, and are incredibly accurate.

Do manufacturers still make bolt-action rifles chambered in the 30-06 Springfield?

Yes! The caliber may be old, but you’ll find Ruger, Mossberg, Remington, Savage, and many others still make bolt-action rifles chambered in 30-06.

Back to the Best 30-06 Ammo

Now that you have a clearer understanding of how to choose the best ammo for deer hunting with a 30-06, you can head back to our top 5 list by clicking HERE!

Written by

Cassandra McBride