Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST – Great All Round

Description

The 30-06 has killed more North American game than anything else and it is still hard to beat for a hunter who wants one rifle to do everything. The Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST is that cartridge with a modern polymer tipped bullet at a price that leaves money for range time.

• 165 grains, the underrated middle
• Full specifications
• One rifle, most of the continent
• Honest notes before you buy
• The availability argument nobody makes until they need it
• The bottom line

165 grains, the underrated middle

The 30-06 is usually discussed in terms of 150 or 180 grain bullets, and 165 sits quietly between them doing most of what both do. It shoots nearly as flat as a 150 and penetrates nearly as well as a 180. At 2900 feet per second and 3081 foot pounds, the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST is arguably the most useful single loading for the cartridge.

That matters because the 30-06 is bought by people who want versatility. If you might draw an elk tag one year and hunt whitetails the next, the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST handles both without you swapping loads and rebuilding your zero.

Full specifications

• Caliber: 30-06 Springfield
• Bullet weight: 165 grain
• Bullet: SST polymer tipped with InterLock ring
• Muzzle velocity: 2900 fps
• Muzzle energy: 3081 ft-lbs
• Case: reloadable boxer primed brass
• Quantity: 20 rounds per box
• Line: Hornady American Whitetail Tipped
• Hornady item 81151

The SST bullet pairs a polymer tip with an InterLock ring inside the jacket. The tip improves flight and drives expansion open on impact, the ring keeps the core locked to the jacket while that happens. In a 165 grain 30 caliber bullet like the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST that combination gives fast expansion with enough retained mass to reach the far side.

One rifle, most of the continent

Whitetails, mule deer, black bear, hogs, caribou and elk within sensible range. There is very little in North America the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST cannot handle inside 300 yards, and that breadth is exactly why the 30-06 has outlasted dozens of cartridges designed to replace it.

Zero two inches high at 100 yards and the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST stays within a few inches of point of aim to about 260, dropping around seven inches at 300. That is a memorable trajectory you can hold in your head, which is worth more in the field than a chart you left in the truck.

Honest notes before you buy

One thing worth knowing on elk. The SST is a fast expanding design and that is ideal on deer. For a bull at close range through heavy shoulder bone a bonded or partitioned bullet penetrates more reliably than the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST. At longer range where velocity has dropped, the fast expanding bullet works in your favor.

And be clear what you are buying. American Whitetail is Hornady’s value hunting line rather than their premium one, so a fussy rifle might prefer something else on paper. Most rifles group the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST comfortably inside an inch and a half, which is more precision than any hunting shot has ever required.

The availability argument nobody makes until they need it

If your luggage goes missing on the way to a hunt, every general store in the country stocks 30-06. You can borrow, buy whatever is on the shelf and still hunt. Try that with a 6.5 PRC. That is a real and underrated reason the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST sits in a rifle that travels.

Recoil is moderate and barrel life is excellent. A 30-06 throat will stay accurate for thousands of rounds, so the low price of the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST translates directly into practice you can afford without worrying about wearing the rifle out.

The bottom line

For a 30-06 that has to cover everything from whitetails to elk, the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST is the single most useful load to keep on the shelf. You can read more about the bullet design at swiftbullets.com, or browse the rest of our stock on the MAG5 Firearms ammunition page.

MAG5 Firearms keeps the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST in stock and moving, and we are glad to talk through bullet choice before you order. If you are working up a load for a new rifle, a single box of the Hornady Whitetail 30-06 Sprg 165gr SST is a sensible place to start.