Hunters nearly always have favorite pet loads they rely on year after year. I wanted to take a moment to recap some of ours!
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Hunting Handloads
The Ultimate Reloader team does their fair share of hunting though I am most vocal about my exploits. The following are loads that we have personally found to be reliable and accurate with proven performance on game.
.25-06
Though one of my favorite cartridges, the .25-06 isn’t as popular today as it used to be. I’m honestly not sure why, as it is simple to load, use, and shoot! It is splendid for deer-sized game and down and I have been using the same load for the past two decades.
I pair a Berger .25 Caliber 115 Grain VLD (Very Low Drag) Hunting Bullet with 60.5 grains of Hodgdon Retumbo over a Federal 210 large rifle match primer. These bullets have a high BC which makes them very flat-shooting and accurate. I achieved 3,190 fps out of a 24” Remington bolt action rifle with tight SD’s.
I’ve taken three mule deer with the 115 Grain Hunting VLD — two bucks and a doe. All three were instant drops though one buck required a follow-up shot as I’d hit the spine with the first shot. I’ve also taken a number of coyotes at distances out to 425 yards.
When I started hunting with the Berger VLD Hunting Bullet, it was a very controversial thing to do – not anymore! If you have any questions or concerns about hunting with Berger Bullets be sure to check out our video on the topic. Also note that this Berger VLD is specifically designated for hunting and has a thinner jacket wall than the target version.
I’ve been particularly pleased with the performance I’ve seen from Berger Bullets on game and in Clear Ballistics Gel. They tend to penetrate into the chest cavity before expanding violently, generally leading to a quick drop. Some hunters don’t like them as they rarely exit.
6.5 Creedmoor
In contrast to the .25-06, the 6.5 Creedmoor is one of today’s most popular cartridges. I have also come to greatly appreciate it! We actually have two favorite loads for 6.5 Creedmoor.
My favorite load stars Berger’s 140 Grain Elite Hunter Bullet with 43.5 grains of Vihtavuori N555. This bullet performs very similarly to the VLD on game and has an average muzzle velocity of 2,721 fps out of my 22” Bergara barrel. I most recently used this load on a late-season Washington doe hunt. The Elite Hunter’s profile tends to make it a bit more forgiving on game than the VLD.
Gavin’s favorite load features a 143 grain Hornady ELD-X over 41.5 grains of H4350. This runs approximately 2,700 fps. Hornady developed their line of ELD-X bullets to take advantage of the high ballistic coefficients and excellent accuracy demonstrated by their ELD-M match bullets.
The ELD-X bullets differ from their match counterparts by having a heavier jacket and retaining the famous Interlock ring used in many other Hornady hunting bullets. They also perform across a wide variety of impact velocities. Gavin has observed match-level accuracy from the ELD-X bullets with this load, obtaining 0.5 MOA groups out of his Ruger precision rifle before accurizing it!
6.5 Sherman Short
Piet Malan of Impact Shooting introduced Gavin to the 6.5 Sherman Short on his South African hunting adventure. They downed seven animals with seven shots total — all using Berger’s 6.5mm 156 grain EOL Elite Hunter from Piet’s 6.5 Sherman Short.
Some of these animals were taken at impressive distances! This trip made Gavin a firm believer in this bullet as one of the very best hunting bullets available for 6.5mm cartridges. Piet was kind enough to share his load, seating the Berger 156 Grain EOL over 61.1 grains of H1000.
7mm Rem Mag
The classic 7mm Rem Mag is a belted magnum with a rich history. I’ve hunted with this cartridge for over 20 years, claiming elk, mule deer, pronghorn and the occasional coyote. I’ve also watched a hunting partner drop an Alaskan grizzly with a single well-placed shot with his 7mm Remington Magnum. My favorite load for this cartridge is a 160 Grain Sierra GameKing over 73.5 grains of MAGPRO. This runs about 3,000 fps.
Sierra’s GameKing is an easy bullet to work with. I’ve shot hundreds of them from various cartridges over the years and have always found good accuracy and dependable performance. To me, they’re a standard bullet useful in a great variety of hunting situations. The instant drop and death of a mule deer despite less than perfect shot placement proved to me that the 160 grain Sierra GameKing is a serious hunting bullet.
I recovered the nicely-mushroomed Sierra bullet just under the off-side skin. That bullet weighed 92.5 grains. Its excellent accuracy at the rifle range is also a real confidence booster.
.30-30
Returning to a more mild caliber, I have become a big fan of Hornady’s 160 grain FTX bullet in the .30-30 over 35.0 grains of LEVERevolution.
I successfully used this load on a late season doe at 170 yards. I had practiced out to 200 yards with this load and a Henry X-Model before heading into the field, achieving velocities around 2,260 fps.
Hornady’s pointed FTX bullet is safe to use in tubular magazines, featuring a tip that can safely rest against a live primer.
.30-06
It’s no surprise I have three favorite .30-06 loads! If you’ve been following the channel, you know how much I love the .30-06, particularly for hunting. It’s an incredibly versatile cartridge you can load a variety of ammunition types for.
Though I had to cancel my trip, the Hornady 165 Grain CX Monolithic Bullet was what I chose to take to Africa to hunt plains game. This bullet is designed to hit hard and penetrate deeply— something we have observed firsthand in Clear Ballistics Gel at both high and low speeds.
I paired this with 55.4 grains of H4350 for 2,863 fps out of my Remington 700 CDL. Though unable to go to Africa, I did successfully drop a bear in one shot with this load. Expanding at traditional hunting distances, the Hornady 165 Grain CX has become my new standard bullet for most .30-06 hunting scenarios.
For longer shots, I turn to either the 178 Grain Hornady ELD-X or Berger 180 Grain Elite Hunter. I once took a cow elk at 405 yards with the 178 Grain Hornady and 58.5 grains of Ramshot Hunter. This ran 2,790 fps and had great accuracy.
I shoot a very similar load with the Berger 180 Grain Elite Hunter, 58 grains of Ramshot Hunter for 2,730 fps. I first used this on a mule deer hunt with my son, claiming a nice muley buck with one shot. This high BC bullet cuts through the air well with great accuracy.
.300 PRC
One of Gavin’s favorite hunting cartridges is the .300 PRC. He likes to use 81.1 grains of StaBALL HD under a 212 Grain Hornady ELD-X.
The .300 PRC is today’s version of the .300 Win Mag, just without a belt and designed for longer, heavier bullets. The 212 Grain Hornady ELD-X retains velocity at longer ranges, but is also effective at shorter distances.
Gavin took a mule deer at 50 yards with his .300 PRC, dropping it immediately!
Conclusion
The above loads and cartridges are by no means the only ones we have used—just merely some of our favorites. Always remember to check reputable sources of reloading data and work up to your desired load.
Most of the ones we shared are at or just below maximum. Also remember that what works in our rifles may not work in yours and that shot placement still reigns supreme. Share your favorite cartridges and loads with us! We always love to hear your hunting stories.
Get the Gear
.25-06
Berger .25 Caliber 115 Grain Hunting (VLD) Bullets at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Hodgdon Retumbo at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Federal 210 Large Rifle Match Primers at Midsouth Shooters Supply
6.5 Creedmoor
Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor Unprimed Rifle Brass from Midsouth Shooters Supply
Berger 6.5mm .264 Diameter 140 Grain Elite Hunter Bullets at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Vihtavuori N555 at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Federal Premium #GM210M Gold Medal Match Large Rifle Primers at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Hornady 6.5mm 143 Grain ELD-X Bullets at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Hodgdon H4350 Powder at Midsouth Shooters Supply
CCI BR2 Large Rifle Bench Rest Primers at Midsouth Shooters Supply
6.5 Sherman Short
Berger 6.5 mm EOL Elite Hunter 156 grain bullet at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Hodgdon H1000 at Midsouth Shooters Supply
7mm Rem Mag
Sierra 7mm 160 Grain Spitzer Boat Tail GameKing Bullets at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Accurate MAGPRO Smokeless Powder (1 lb) at Midsouth Shooters Supply
.30-30 Winchester
Hornady .30-30 Winchester Unprimed Rifle Brass at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Federal Large Rifle Primer #210 at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Hornady .30 Caliber (30-30) .308 Diameter 160 Grain FTX Flex Tip at Midsouth Shooters Supply
*Note that Hornady makes two different 160 grain .30 caliber FTX bullets. This one is intended for the 30-30 cartridge. The other is for the seldom seen 308 Marlin Express cartridge which was developed in 2007.
Hodgdon LEVERevolution Smokeless Powder at Midsouth Shooters Supply
.30-06
Hornady .30 Caliber .308 Diameter 165 Grain CX Bullets at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Hodgdon H4350 Smokeless Gun Powder at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Hornady .30 Caliber .308 Diameter 178 Grain ELD-X 100 Count at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Ramshot Hunter Smokeless Rifle Powder (1 Lb) at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Berger .30 Caliber 180 Grain Elite Hunter Bullet at Midsouth Shooters Supply
CCI #200 Large Rifle Primers at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Hornady .30-06 Springfield Unprimed Rifle Brass at Midsouth Shooters Supply
.300 PRC
Hornady .30 Cal .308 212 gr ELD-X® at Midsouth Shooters Supply
Winchester StaBALL HD at Midsouth Shooters Supply
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Thanks,
Guy Miner
