It is hard to find an argument not in favor of the 180 grain bullet in the 30-06. You will get good expansion and penetration out of most 180-grain bullets on deer, even lightweight deer. In fact I have seen a number of deer penetrated end-to-end with 180 grain bullets from the 30-06.
While I have used the –06 on deer I have not used it on elk. I have had friends who have been successful with 180 grain factory ammunition on elk. A couple who have been successful with Nosler Partition and Winchester Fail Safe had loads. The Fail Safe offered almost length wise penetration.
I favor the 165-grain bullets in the 30-06, .308, and .300 Savage for deer in brush country where you might be shooting two or three hundred yards across an arroyo. There is enough in the 165 grain bullets that they will punch a hole in a rotten pine stump or a yucca stalk and kill the deer on the other side. The 180-grain bullet will do both, but I am not sure of the 150-grain boattail.
Exit hole from a 165 grain Nosler Patition fire from a 300 Sav. Bullet hit front edge of the right shoulder ran up the spine and exited the left side of the lower neck. This is the same bullet I loaded for black bear and deer in the 30-06. In fact the bullet came out of the same lot. Muzzle velocity was Chrony at approximately 2670 fps. I loaded the –06 in my pre-Chrony days, but I expect the velocity was around 2880-2900 pushed by H414. In this case the 50-yard results may simulate 150-200 yards results with a -06.
I have killed some deer with boattail bullets and there has been a tendency for them to shed the jacket. I consider the boattail successful on deer, but would pass on elk. My experience on even a large antelope is that they are tenderer then a deer and the rapid expansion provided by a 150-grain bullet might have an advantage over a tougher 180-grain bullet.
