You choice of bullet for big game in Canada - horns and antlers only.

[DGY]

I don’t reload yet so so far out of the few 30-06 I have and use on moose I’ve used mostly barns tsx or ttsx, some Hornady gmx , never lost a game and so far all but one didn’t bang flop... I found that the TSX seem better than the GMX On game anyway. I really like the idea of no lead in my meet, but I also would like to see a mono to have a bit more expansion and making them expend reliably at lower velocity.... I would love to get some A-frame at some point, they seem to stay together better than the partitions!!
I will be starting reloading as soon as I get my kit in hand and not sure what I will use in the new rifle, 9,3x62, so far I have in my possession some original barns X and a few bonded core bullets too!! That rifle will be mainly for wood bisons and sometimes I’m sure moose!!

 

[Longwalker]

Not sure why you consider the barnes a "quick fragmenting bullet" they don't fragment at all other than losing the odd petal. Maybe you're thinking of varmint grenades?

that was a brain burp. Meant to type Berger not Barnes.

 

[Eagleye]

I have taken game with many different bullets, but the one bullet that has excelled for me is the venerable Nosler Partition.
I started using them when I bought my first magnum rifle. At that time they were still made with bronze jackets and had a
groove machined right over the partition area. They were not the most accurate bullet in my 308 Norma Mag, but they were
plenty accurate for hunting, and they did not disintegrate when they hit heavy bone.

Over the years, I have been blessed to live in game rich areas, with a wide variety of game animals. In BC here, I have shot
well over 100 head of game with Nosler partitions, from the 85 grain 6mm, up to the 260 grain 375. Majority have been 30 cal
150-200 grain, 7mm 140-160 grain. [Some 270 130 and 140 grain, 257 100-120 grain, 8mm 200 grain] I have recovered about
25 of these bullets, all the rest made exit, even on larger cervids like Elk and Moose. Partitions are boringly reliable in my experience,
[A-Frames likewise] They just get the job done.

For those who have an aversion to lead in their meat, I understand you moving to monometal bullets, but I, like Boomer and Dogleg,
[both who have more experience than do I] have noted that they generally do not kill as quickly as do the Partition, et al. Example:
I shot a 4x4 muley with a 270 Winchester and the 110 TTSX, started at 3300 fps. The shot was 235 yards, and placement was perfect.
That Deer was recovered, but ran over 150 yards before he piled up. The entry and exits were not a lot different, and the lungs had
damage that was similar to what a FMJ would do. I believe that it failed to expand properly. Probably a one-off, but it puts one off, lol.
I have 2 more TTSX bullets in my possession [not my shots] that failed to expand, with only the tips missing. One is a 165 from a 30-06,
the other a 250 from a 338 Winchester. Both apparently need follow up shots to anchor them.

I believe those monometals do need speed to work, and even then, it is no guarantee. Whereas lead core bullets, preferably partitioned,
bonded, or both, will expand way out there when velocity has diminished considerably. I shot a similar sized muley at 602 yards [ranged]
with my 270 and a 140 grain Accubond started at just north of 3000 fps. Again, center double lung shot. Deer went 30 feet and collapsed.
Bullet exited, and the lungs were destroyed. Dave.

 

[LongBomber]

I use accubonds in a couple rifles and ttsx/lrx in a couple. Depends on what the rifle prefers as they both seem to do the job for me.

 

[RonR]

Federal Trophy Bonded and before that Accubonds. Nice to see this pole Kelly. Thanks!

Ron

 

[Eagleye]

Just wanted to do a bit of a fill-in regarding the ingestion of lead from a bullet.
I have been tested probably 4 or 5 times over the years at my own request to
see if my lead levels were elevated at all due to eating meat shot with lead core
bullets.

No test has shown me to have elevated Pb levels, so I went into my chemistry
background to understand the rationale behind the lead levels and lead ingested
into our digestive tract.

It appears the real danger lies in inhalation of vapor containing lead. This goes
practically directly into the bloodstream and does raise lead levels there. So bullet
casters, and anyone who melts lead should pay careful attention to ventilation
if you are practicing these endeavors. Additionally, most primers contain a lead
compound, lead styphnate, that can become airborn when firing ammunition. This
may be a hazard, particularly indoors with poor ventilation.

Ingested lead is very unlikely to raise blood levels of Pb any noticeable amount.
Here is why. Our stomach uses a somewhat weakened solution of Hydrochloric (HCl)
[aka muriatic] acid in the digestion process. HCl only reacts with lead very slowly,
and even when it does, the lead becomes coated with lead Chloride [PbCl2], a relatively
insoluable salt. This salt also prevents further reaction of the lead with HCl. Our
digestive tracts tend to evacuate rather quickly [c<24 hours] , so the reality is
that any lead particles are eliminated before any significant amount can be
absorbed from our digestive/alimentary tract.

Of course, there are certain studies that seem to indicate otherwise. But on closer
examination, most of these studies have an ulterior motive driving them, so tend to
be biased to the result they want. [If I may be so bold: fearmongering.]

Now, I am not saying it is wrong to want to use bullets that do not contain lead, but
I am suggesting that the danger may be blown well out of proportion when one considers
the facts. Dave.

 

[Freyr_255]

Regarding the above post about lead ingestion. I'll agree that any metal in it's elemental form is reasonably insoluble if ingested. I looked into mercury one time because I use it. You can essentially swallow it and be fine as long as it's elemental. If it's in an organic compound that's easily absorbed by your body, then you have problems.

Regarding casting. One of my friends does a fair amount and had his blood checked one day. Came in below average. So unless you're boiling your lead, I don't think vapour is much of an issue.

 

[rifleman762]

As I've gone into detail on another thread, I've had great luck on deer, black bear, and moose with a 30-cal 200gr ELD-X going 3000 fps. The bears and deer fall where they stand and the moose do the normal "look around for a spot to die" routine. I was proud of the bullet performance and damage to the vitals I was seeing with my heavy and relatively expensive bullets. Then my wife shot a whitetail buck with a cheap little 100gr Interlock from a 243 at 3000 fps. (I actually got the bullets for free from Hornady's "Get Loaded" promotion.) And it did the same thing: bang-flop with an exit wound. I guess the old faithful cup-n-core bullets still work pretty darn good!

 

[nowarningshot]

As I've gone into detail on another thread, I've had great luck on deer, black bear, and moose with a 30-cal 200gr ELD-X going 3000 fps. The bears and deer fall where they stand and the moose do the normal "look around for a spot to die" routine. I was proud of the bullet performance and damage to the vitals I was seeing with my heavy and relatively expensive bullets. Then my wife shot a whitetail buck with a cheap little 100gr Interlock from a 243 at 3000 fps. (I actually got the bullets for free from Hornady's "Get Loaded" promotion.) And it did the same thing: bang-flop with an exit wound. I guess the old faithful cup-n-core bullets still work pretty darn good!

This cant be true. Animals shop for Kevlar now. Most animals wont know the difference, its as much marketing as necessity. But it still is one of the smallest expenses in hunting, so if you believe it makes a difference spend the extra $10-15 per 50 projectiles.

 

[Lefty Dick]

I’ve probably used just about everything that’s commonly used for hunting bullets except Berger’s.

What I use is very much dictated by the cartridge.
.358 Win it’s a good old Hornady Interlock 200gr SP.
.25-06 it’s a 100gr TSX Barnes.
.280 AI it’s a 150gr NBT or Partition
.284 Win used to be 139gr BTSP Hornady Interlock’s, the new barrel prefers 140gr Partitions.
7x57 is either 154gr Interlock’s (RN or SP) or 139gr BTSP Interlock’s.
.280 Rem(son’s) 139gr BTSP Hornady Interlock’s
30-06 Rem Pump(20” bbl) runs 150gr BTSP Interlock’s
30-06 Zastava(sold this one) 165gr Sierra Gameking SPBT
30-06 Rem 700(sold long ago) 165gr Sierra Gameking SPBT
.308 Win(Palma/ftr rifle) 150gr Speer BTSP
.308 Win(Savage 11) 165gr Sierra Gameking SPBT
.270 Win(wife’s) 130gr Winchester Silver Tip(original aluminum tip)
.243Win 100gr. Sierra Gameking SPBT
.260 Rem 140gr. Sierra Gameking SPBT
7-08(Tikka) 120gr Barnes TSX
7-08(daughters 700 Rem) 139gr BTSP Hornady Interlock.
.270 WSM(sold this one) 130gr Nosler Accubond.

There’s no right or wrong bullet, match the bullet to the cartridge, match the bullet to the game, mono, cup core, bonded, partitioned, really they do work.

IMO most bullet failures come from shooter failure(wrong bullet choice, or poor shooting) you can’t expect a monolithic bullet to deliver advertised results when impact velocities drop below 1800 FPS, and you can’t drive cup cores into the 3000 FPS range without something getting funky either.

For cup cores the magical 2700 FPS rules supreme, for exceeding 3k monos or bonded or partitions.-

 

[coldmaker]

i tried the 168gr TTSX in my 300ultra loaded to 3150 fps
shot a large whitetail buck at about 125 yard and a doe at about 225 yard
two perfect shot 1/3 low and right behind the front leg.
both made a mad dash running about 150y before piling up.

they both died in the field they were out in, so no searching involved.
upon field dressing i noticed a hole about 1" in diameter in the lungs, but not the damage i like to see.
so i went back to the 180 partition and 200 accubond in that rifle and the 7mm mag i own.