[Thayer]

Ok..I have reloaded for just a little while, and have become a bit proficient with my loads...I am getting the urge to jump back into this hobby full throttle again, due to deer season coming up and a few opportunities that have presented themselves..what I am asking is??

I have a 30-06 load..165gr Bal tip Nosler, over a load of 50gr of Varget that just pummels deer at short distances. If you want, I can produce a variety of velocities that have been produced from this load, but I came up with this load due to my .308 that I use to punch one holes from and an abundance of Varget.

Do you think that short distance deer targets in Missouri, generally, would be better served taking a load from a fast, speed producing load, rather than a slower powder, stiffer kicking load, that you would rely on out to 400 yards?

Why am I asking...guess it is the ballistic tip pro vs con arguement. Do they do better with a faster powder at short distances?

 

[glennasher1]

There is absolutely no correlation. For example, I always used H-4350 for 165s, and it shot well short distance or long, and it didn't belt me too badly.There's nothing wrong with using Varget, though, if you're satisfied with your velocity. Of course, there's nothing that says you have to go full throttle with, say, H4350, either. The load my rifle liked was about two grains under max, but it still delivered factory equivalent velocities (2800/165). It was the same thing with 150s, a couple grains under max was delivering 2930fps, with plenty of room for "improvement" if wanted. Since it shot really well, I left it alone. Killed deer plenty dead!
If you don't have a chronograph, you probably should get one, they are cheap enough nowadays, and who knows, your Varget load may be faster than my old H4350 loads, too.