What do you like for 30-06 cartridges? Mn deer and black bear in the woods. All my big game so far has been 12 ga slug, muzzle loader or bow and arrow. So I'm not to sure about what to use.

165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips have worked well for deer for me. Hornady Whitetail ammo is a good cartridge too!

Chris

150 grain accu-bond

For deer on a budget factory load the hornady North American Whitetail has shoot well for us. So well infact I haven't loaded any deer bullets in 4 years. It hard to beat 2.25" groups at 300 yards. Preformance on deer had been great on 15-20 deer.
Black bear I would go with a closer to to a 180gr bonded bullet. But honestly the whitetail round would probably be fine for that also.

I have shot a 30-06 since 1975. Have harvested many whitetail, mule deer, antelope, elk, wild boar and one black bear. I use handloads with 150 grain Hornady spire point boat tail bullets with great results. Killed somewhere around fifteen elk with one shot kills with those 150 grain bullets. See no need for heavier bullets. Its a great all around cartridge.

Anything you throw out of a 30-06 at a deer will kill it quick and in a hurry if you hit the right spot. I am reluctant to even use mine on deer as it leaves big holes to eat around.

You can load it to shoot like a 22lr to high power to shoot what ever there is in the North America . That is a re loaders fun.

I always liked 165's outta my 30 cals.

I like the Seirra 165 gr BTHP or even the BTSP yes these are for reloads I decided to try IMR 4064 powder as well over all the new and so call improved powders and a large rifle primer.

Hornady Whitetail 180 gr. Just bought 4 boxes on the Brownell's website. Awesome deer round. I also bought some 7.62 x 39 Black.

I thought he was talking factory ammo and not reloads. I have mine loaded with 150 TSX over a good helping of Varget

For medium size game, good old remington core lokts perform just fine. If you want a premium bullet, by all means go for it. Reality is they are not needed for the game you described. In fact many elk fall victim to the core lokts each year.

I agree with Allan M on the 165 gr BTSP Sierra Gameking for deer. A more robust bullet is not needed. I also shoot the 180 gr and took 2 black bears last spring, 1 shot each. I have handloads in the 165s and 180s that shoot to the same point of impact out to 400 yds.

I can't remember when I bought factory cartridges for a hunting rifle but I'm sure one manufacturer has a Seirra bullet comparable to the 165 gr I mentioned before they work well in the .30 cal magnums also.

I'm with Allen and EdP. The .30-06 has more than enough energy for any whitetail, and just about every bullet out there in the 150-180 gr. class will work for deer. However I wouldn't recommend a Ballistic Tip for bears, even small bears. Nor do you want to hit a major bone with a Ballistic Tip in a deer, unless you like chasing deer and throwing away meat. Shoot them right behind the shoulder through the ribs and they usually stay right there and you pour their lungs out. A bear is a much better built animal with fat to plug exit and entrance holes. More muscle mass and bigger bones. Not a good combination for a Ballistic Tip, or it's comparable cousins. If you want something to take both a bear and a deer with the same bullet, the Nosler Partition in 165 or 180 gr. would be tough to beat.
If you really want to have some fun, start casting your own bullets and use a 195 gr. FP bullet at @2150 FPS and eat right up to the hole! That's what I'm doing right now, while sheltering in place.

I used to shoot 150 or 165's at deer and 180's or 200's at bear.
It all depends on the rifling as to what stabilizes best.
even shot 135 Noslers at antelope and muleys out in Idaho back in the 80's.
I never had good results with ballistic tips and went back to exposed lead tipped and never regretted it
Went back to the cheap Sierra Pro Hunters and Game Kings or Hornady's, 1 shot kills returned, and no more exploding bullets.

I have told this before but i quit using ballistic tips for anything bigger than coyotes. Had one ricochet and come apart on a bucks rib out of my 270. Deer went every bit of a 1/4 mile. Luckily it cut the liver enough to get internal bleeding. It should have took the top of the deers heart off and the bottom of its lungs. 1/4 mile could have easy not been found. Wasn't bleeding much externally. Prior to that I shot several deer with them and no trouble. Bears are tough like hogs. No way I would use a ballistic tip. I have been using Barnes XTP's for a couple years now. Solid copper. So far I am real impressed. Haven't killed enough yet to say they are the way to go but i have shot enough paper to know that like the ballistic tips they are very accurate.