Hunting with 2 different bullet weight

6.5x55swm

6.5x55swm

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I hunt with a 270 win. The walk to my tree stand, there's a lot of choppings and open fields. When i'm walking to my tree stand, my rifle is loaded with 130gr Noslers bt for long shots. When i'm in my tree stand, i unload my rifle and put in 150rn. Am i nuts?? When the rifle shoots 130gr bullets it's 2 inches high at 100yds. When i shoot the 150gr,it's 1 inch low at 100yds. I guess i'm worried that the 130gr bullets would deviate more than the 150gr. Opinions please!
 
I don't see a problem at all with what you're doing, just as long as you spent some range time and figured out the differences and compensate accordingly. I hunt a fair bit with the .375 H&H which is well know for placing different bullet weights in the same place. The .270? I'm not sure, range time will tell :)
 
I like to use the 150rn in the woods and the 130gr for anything past 200yds. I figure a 1 inch drop at 100yds with 150gr is plenty good for the woods, this way i don't have to adjust my scope. I hunt the bush and open fields in the same day, i just don't trust a 130gr bullet in the woods..too many branches in the way.
 
Your 150 grainer won't perform or duck branches any more than your 130 gr. bullet will. Don't fall for the miscompection that a slightly heavier bullet will do better, certainly not in the 150 to 130 gr. category goes. I shoot a 265 gr. Hornady in thick bush, although it may fare better, deflection is still any issue. Having said that, heavier bullets at slower velocities may fare better.
 
I used to load 160gr KKSP's in my .270 for pushing bush and switch to 130's when moving into open country.....................Harold
 
Don't take this as an insult, but you are out to lunch.

The 150gr bullet form a .270 isn't going to drop very much more at 300 yards.

And the 150gr won't "buck brush" any better than the 130gr will.

Okay, if you know what you are doing, and/or adjust scope accordingly, you can use 2 different loads. But why bother? Pick one and stick with it, they will both work in both applications.

I do use reduced loads for close range grouse shots, but they are a different animal altogether.
 
Lets look at terminal bullet performance too. The 130 is a better deer bullet in my opinion. In most configurations the 130 opens up faster and drops more energy into the deer usually resulting in faster kills and less tracking. I have shot several deer with 150's and they have all died but the bullets were all complete pass throughs with some deer going 150 yards with lung shots. Either way pick one and stick to it.
 
130s may deflect more than 150s, or they may not. A bullet hitting a branch wont act consistent in its directed path towards target from one shot, one branch, to the next shot. Load your rifle with what you have confidence in, if the 150's hit close to point of aim at 100 yards, keep using them when up in the tree and keep the ballistic tips for the walking.
 
Gatehouse said:
Don't take this as an insult, but you are out to lunch.

The 150gr bullet form a .270 isn't going to drop very much more at 300 yards.

And the 150gr won't "buck brush" any better than the 130gr will.

Okay, if you know what you are doing, and/or adjust scope accordingly, you can use 2 different loads. But why bother? Pick one and stick with it, they will both work in both applications.

I do use reduced loads for close range grouse shots, but they are a different animal altogether.
Click to expand...

X2......Well said!
 
Agree with Gatehouse, pick one load stick with it, then you know exactly where its going to hit. Switching loads isn't going to gain you anything.
 
Plus or minus 2" at 100 won't matter, but why bother using two bullet weights? As mentioned, a 150 will blow up just as fast as a 130 if it hits a branch.
 
Won't gain you nothing? The 160gr would go through a deer North to South jumping them out of thier beds at close range and the 130's don't.Jack O'Conner used to comment of the convenience of this trait for the very same reasons usually the ability of the .375 H+H to place different wieghts of bullets in the same proximity.Good enough for me as I've field tested it and so have others........................Harold
 
I wasn't going for range with the 160gr CIL bullets as I was kicking deer in the a$$ at point blank out of their beds and drilling them lengthways.I routinely shoot moose with 130gr Hornady handloads no problems.The former load is strickly for bushwackin..................Harold
 
i'll try to find the article i read in a gun mag years ago...but basically the old notion that slower and heavier is better is erroneous...they proved through experimentation that a higher velocity was the key to less deflection..and i have to agree with the guy saying you're out to lunch..why don't you just stick with one bullet...if the 130 shoot most accurately then use those? keep it simple..a deer isn't going to notice the difference and a higher velocity actually deflects less than a slower velocity. That being said you shouldn't take a shot through brush anyway just because you feel safe with a heavier bullet..pick your shots wisely and one bullet weight will do whatever you need it to do.
 
Pick a cartridge and either buy or load a few boxes. Shoot it til you know it well and then use nothing else. Changing is making problems where ther are none. Either 150 or 130 is fine(my money would be on the 130) if you are confident and capable with it.
 
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