Federal Vital-Shock 165gr Nosler Partitions in 30-06

[Spess]

Has anyone used one of these loads on black bear? How did they perform? Is this an adequate load for a front shoulder shot on a black bear within 200yrds?
    I want to use these instead of 180gr, because I will be deer hunting at the same time and our blacktailed deer are about the size of the family labrador, so I don't want to put to much overkill into the shot .

[NYH1]

    I want to use these instead of 180gr, because I will be deer hunting at the same time and our blacktailed deer are about the size of the family labrador, so I don't want to put to much overkill into the shot .

Spess, believe it or not, the 180gr. bullets will probably do "less" damage to the deer (smaller exit wound) then the 165gr. bullets will. The 165gr. bullet will open up faster then the 180gr. bullet will, if your comparing the same bullet type. At the same time the 180gr. bullets will penetrate deeper and would be better for bear. Personally if hunting both bear and deer at the same time, I would rather have "enough kill" for the bear, then worry about "overkill" on the deer!

[dabigmoose]

HI GUY
  yep either one will work well on deer or black bear
use the one your gun is sighted in for and shoots best with.
If you have been shooting 180 and the gun is sighted in and shoots well
with them i would stick with those. Smaller faster bullets do cause meat
destruction when hitting bone at closer than intended range.
But deer the size of labs either one may just pass through leaving
a small exit hole with enough hydrostatic shock to cause a rather large internal wound channel.
dabigmoose

[Sourdough]

One of my favorite statements is "It's easy to be undergunned, but you can never be overgunned!"  The same holds true for bullets.  The 165gr is a great bullet for the 30-06, I've used it a lot for Caribou.  Places where the distance is likely to be long, 400 to 500 yards.  But when you throw the Black Bear into the equation, that's another story.  I'd go with the 180, capable of taking out a Blackie faster than the 165.  Also like New York Hunter said less meat damage to deer with the bigger bullet.  I often take my .338 Mag to Tennessee for Whitetail hunting, No! I don't use the same loads I use for Moose and Grizzly, I down load the heaviest bullet, a 275 gr.  I can break both front shoulders with little meat damage.  Just a big hole that leaks a lot of blood.

[Lawdog]

Spess,

The .30 caliber, 165 gr. Nosler Partition bullet is my preferred bullet to use in all of my .30 caliber rifles.  Yes that includes Blacktail deer and Black Bear.  I have taken well over a dozen Black Bears with my .30-06 using just that bullet.  I always try to take out a shoulder(along with the heart/lungs) on any bear if at all possible.  That Federal load is a good one so have no fear.  Lawdog
 

[Gowge]

Spess, study this diagram of Bear ANATOMY.   Bears have very large shoulder blades, and if you come across that trophy 500lb Boar, you might be wishin' you had 200gr or heavier!   A shoulder shot - precisely placed can sometimes sever the arteries coming out the top of the heart.  Not necessarily the heart itself, but those BIG arteries are about the same difference..



http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/hunt_trap/hunting/huntak/huntak16.cfm

You sure can't know too much about the game you intend to kill.   IF you have never confronted a bear in the wilds before, go visit a zoo and have a look.   Watching zoo bears with hunting in mind gives you a whole different perspective and perhaps even a better respect for the wild specimens you're likely to encounter.    It can help you to better evaluate a bear in the wilds too...  

GOOD LUCK!