30-06 Springfield 165 grain Bullets - BC: .477; SD: .248 - ballistics

This is an excellent 30 caliber bullet choice for deer hunting, the 165-grain bullet will do the job as well as a 180-grain bullet with less recoil. Energy at all ranges is comparable to the heavier 180-grain bullet.

There are many reasons why we should all improve our abilities to place shots in the kill zones on wounded running game such as deer, bears, elk, antelope, and other game including coyotes, etc. You made a (165-grain bullet) hit on the trophy Whitetail buck but he is running for cover, --do you know in your mind what the approximate lead ought to be at that range, speed, and angle? Being capable of anchoring wounded game on the run is a major plus; think about it. Practice with any similar velocity and ballistic coefficient bullet of any big game caliber.

In all tables: Lead is always in feet; wind drift and trajectory is always in inches. All figures are using 90° broadside angle shots, cut leads in half if angles are 45° degrees, etc. Bullet flight time, 1000 milli-seconds = one second. 125 milli-secs is 1/8th of a sec., 250 milli-secs is ¼th of a sec. A flight time of 200 milli-secs at 200 yards is 1/5th of a sec., etc. All you have to do is multiply the feet per second the animal or target is traveling at a 90 degree angle to the bullet's flight path by the fraction of a second of the bullet's flight time at that distance. You can use deer length increments; ¼, ½, ¾, deer lengths', etc.

Shooting at running game is more dangerous, unless you check the background and make certain no other hunters are in the area. Safety first! The shot must be safe, --there are very few proper opportunities for running shots!

Speaking of safe gun handling, this should be taught to everyone that handles a shotgun or rifle.
Whenever you raise the bolt handle straight-up move the safety to the safe position before you chamber the live round!
On a pump action shotgun or rifle, when the action is slide all the way back immediately set the safety!
A gun should never be loaded magazine or chamber unless you are in the immediate area of the game you are going to shoot.
For many reasons, you are much more apt to have an accidental resulting in shooting a person that is very near you in the field! Think about these scenarios!

Wind drift: A 45-degree wind drift angle isn't half the drift of a 90º-angle, but is three-quarters the drift. It has a 70 to 75 percent effect, even though the angle is only halfway between no drift effect and full drift effect. The drift effect is NOT proportional, due to the aerodynamic ballistics of a bullet in flight. Just remember that halfway between full and zero effect is nearly three-quarters the drift of 90-degrees. Memorize these aerodynamic ballistic realities.

A first requisite in timber and brush cover is a low variable 1.5 to 5 power, --wide field of view scope say, 62 to 22 feet. You also have to be able to easily see the cross hairs against various backgrounds. Swing smoothly from behind and when the lead looks right, --squeeze off the round continuing a smooth follow through!

I worked up these charts to give you a general idea of what it takes to instantly gauge the speed, angle, and approximate lead required to make a killing shot on that once in a lifetime trophy buck, a now or never scenario! Figure your own cartridge at different deer speeds, etc. One hundred fifty yards should be considered the limit of most of your running shots. Always swing from behind so you are on the vertical ascend descend plain of the deer or coyote.

Rick Jamison writer for Petersen's Hunting Magazine, July 2002, p- 20, Guns & Loads Article Long Rangers, - http://www.huntingmag.com says in essence that for deer sized game you need a minimum of 1000 ft/lbs of energy and 2000 ft/sec velocity at the impact range for adequate bullet expansion. The bullet needs a sectional density between .215 to .265 and a high ballistic coefficient for long range shots. This is a great Hunting Magazine, I subscribe through the local school magazine drives.

You can look at the various ballistic tables I have on the Net and determine the approximate outer range limit your cartridge and selected bullet will be capable of killing a deer with a well placed shot. If you can't put the bullet in the vital kill zone don't take the shot no matter how capable the cartridge you're using is at that range.

SAFETY WARNING: At any time when Hunters are too close together they are in a high level unsafe hazard zone! If a deer is sighted one hunter may move into the line of fire of the other hunter. This is an imminent danger when a deer is down and then regains its feet and is escaping, either hunter when in the process of shooting at a deer usually won't see the other hunter, --if he is real close, --move into his line of fire. I know this from experience because many decades ago when I and my hunting buddy had downed a deer and we were nearly upon it, it appeared done for but regained its feet and began to run, I stepped forward and to the right to shoot it and within inches of having my head blown off when he shot the deer putting it down for good. I went down from the muzzle blast as we were very close. He was behind me and I assumed I would be the only one shooting! Never assume anything, or you or your hunting companion may end up dead! Take this warning to heart and always be aware of the imminent dangers of being close to another hunter or hunters! Whenever you are close together each must know what the other is going to do, set some hard and fast rules and be fully aware of the other or others before firing any shot!

Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia. They post shooters at clearings where the hounds will push them through so they can get a quick shot at them in full flight! They use both rifles and shot guns with buckshot, quick shots in clearings at running deer is the rule.

Short barreled fast pointing semi-automatic and pump action rifles with very low power, wide field-of-view scopes, are popular for quick action swinging on running deer.

For clean kills the proper leads are required with both weapons. (This information is needed by a lot of deer hunters, so bear with me my friends.)

30-06 Springfield - 165 grain Bullets - BC: .477; SD: .248