Bullet choices

powdergun

powdergun

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I know this is a topic that has been beaten to death resurrected then beaten to death again and again and again ..... But my question is a bit more specific

I've used a few types of bullets hunting deer and have had a variety of experiences examining terminal performance on retrieved deer from both myself and others and this is what I have found.

1) Barnes ( won't shoot worth crap in my guns so never hunted with )
2) Hornady interloks - terrible. so so accuracy and every deer travelled a good deal requiring a second shot. For some reason they did little damage as they went through the kill zone.
3) Nosler ballisic tips. Excellent accuracy. Animals died quickly with most dropping right away or only taking a step or two.
4) Speer mag tips. so so accuracy but three bears hit by them dropped in their tracks.
5) Berger hunting bullets. Same performance as the ballistic tips.

Based on my experiences The Bergers and Ballistic tips are my go to bullets but I do not hunt Elk or Moose. However, I may be going after these animals in a few years as I have the time and they are plentiful in my neck of the woods. What would you fellows suggest as a good bullet to use or should I stick with what is working for me now. I am well aware of the arguement for controlled expansion but seeing first hand the success for the ballistic tips and bergers on mulies and white tail I'm just wondering.

BTW I am a 7mm fan with a 7 08 and a 7 RM in the cabinet and possible more in the future.
 
For large game, Nosler Partitions have been the standard against which bullets have been measured for many years. I have not found anything that I can honestly say I think works better. I would advise you to start with them. I do not think Bergers or Ballistic Tips are a good choice for moose or elk.
 
1) Barnes ( won't shoot worth crap in my guns so never hunted with )
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How many weights and styles did you try, how many powders, and how far from the lands did you seat them? I don't have a single firearm that wouldn't shoot at least moa with the TSX or TSX seated .050" off of the lands. In the 7mms my 7mmremmag and 7mmstw rifles do very well with the 140gr TTSX. None of my rifles liked the old Barnes X.

3) Nosler ballisic tips. Excellent accuracy. Animals died quickly with most dropping right away or only taking a step or two.
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The Accubonds generally shoot very similarly, and are a bonded bullet that holds together better.
 
What kind of Barnes X's were you shooting? The original ones? I've been shooting Barnes X's in one form or another since they came out 25+ years ago. It's true that the original one's were a little "choosey" whether or not they liked a particular rifle or not, but they've sure improved them over the years. In fact, with the advent of the TSX and the TTSX, in my experience they're now one of the MOST consistently accurate bullets made.

Second, Ballistic Tips have changed a lot over the years as well, with many of the "Hunting" models being beefed up. One's that come immediately to mind are the 100 gr .257, the 120 gr and 150 gr 7mm, the 168 gr and 180 gr .308, and any of the larger than .308 models.

I own both a 7-08 and a 7 RM. My elk and moose load for the 7-08 is a 160 gr Nosler Partition over a maximum charge of Ramshot Hunter forright around 2700 fps from it's 22" barrel.

My "all-round" 7 RM load is a 140 gr. Barnes TSX, but only because my rifle shoots it so well. Mine's a Parker Hale and has a slow twist, so won't stabilize bullets over 150 gr very well, resulting in poor accuracy with every 160 gr bullet I've ever tried, and most 150's as well. If it weren't for that, my go-to elk bullet for that one would be either a 160 gr Partition or Accubond.

If I had to use a BT in either the 7-08 or the 7 RM for elk it would be the 150 gr hands down, although in the 7-08 I'd think hard about running the 140 gr Accubond instead, and have a good one-load-for-everything load. Accubonds tend to shoot as well or better than BTs and act like Partitions when they hit. As for the 7 RM, I'd try both 160 gr Partitions and Accubonds before going backwards to a 150 BT. The 150 BT will do the job on either elk or moose, but IMHO not as well as the 160 Partition or AB.

I would absolutely and unequivocably stay VERY far away from Bergers when it comes to elk or moose.

YMMV
 
Both my 7's like 140 gr bullets so the accubonds sound interesting. I know that with a lot more tinkering I might get Barnes to shoot well but I've never been the overly patient type with reloading. I'll try a few things and go with the winner.

One brand I don't hear a lot of talk about is Speers. How do their bullets stack up against Noslers etc these days ?
 
to the best of my knowledge, Speers are pretty much mid range bonded ammunition on par with the Hornady Interlocks. Their new Deep Curl bullets are just another variation of that. That said I have no doubt they will do the job if you do yours.
 
If you have (and it sounds like you do) a lot of confidence in Nosler, I would go
with with their Partitions. I find them to be not quite as accurate as Ballistic Tips,
but certainly more than satisfactory for hunting.
 
There is a thread on 24h talking about which btips are stout. Among other pictures they show a sectioned .308 in 168 and 180gr next to an accubond. Those 168 and 180 are very stout indeed!

h ttp://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/7062362/all/Nosler_BT_the_stout_ones_list
 
I really like the Nosler Partition. They always work and they shoot well in my rifles. And speaking of the 7mm RM, I have used the 175gr Partition on game as light as 100lb Sitka Blacktail and as heavy as +1000lb moose.
 
powdergun said:
Both my 7's like 140 gr bullets so the accubonds sound interesting. I know that with a lot more tinkering I might get Barnes to shoot well but I've never been the overly patient type with reloading. I'll try a few things and go with the winner.

One brand I don't hear a lot of talk about is Speers. How do their bullets stack up against Noslers etc these days ?
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Which X's did you try? IE. how long ago - were they X, TSX, or TTSX? It will likely make a HUGE difference if it was the old X's.
 
I've shot lots of game with partitions and they served me very well, and I am also aware of the benefits of a bullet that stays together, and that there are masses of hunters who seem to measure a bullet's quality by it's weight retention and not much else.

However, in regards to tougher, controlled expansion bullets...

Two holes (entry and exit) are better for tracking animals because you find more blood, but I honestly have not noticed two holes actually killing faster. For example, massive Yukon/Alaska bull moose can bleed to death inside his own abdominal cavity in 10-15 seconds, with little or no blood leaving his body. Been there, done that, more than once. As you know, the "two holes is better" mindset is usually espoused by those who favor premium bullets that retain most/all of their weight.

I've found that when a hunter hits an animal in a classic broadside shot in the boiler, tougher, controlled expansion bullets tend to do the least amount of damage of any bullet I've tried, and these kind of results can get the newer hunter thinking they missed, or delivering multiple follow-up shots, often with similarly little effects. Tougher bullets will kill on nice broadside shots, of course, but they seem to consistently take longer to do so.

So, IMHO, there is a place in the field for lightly constructed, rapid expansion type bullets, as there are circumstances where they kill very well. I think a veteran hunter who is in on a hunt where he can really pick his shots may be better off with a Berger hunting VLD, for example, but that same hunter may want to go with a Partition if he's hunting in a quick run-and-gun type hunt.

The most important thing is just to know your bullet, and be confident with it.
 
7mm rm 63 gr of IMR 4831 under 140 gr I don't have any other powders right now.
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If you have only tried one load, and one powder, you didn't give the bullet much of a chance. And you still haven't answered, as to how far you seated them from the lands.
 
I did however try a few different loads that is just the best I got.
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All with the same powder?



Did not measure that.
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I have found that with the monometal bullets, if you seat them too close to the lands, accuracy can be quite erratic. As well, you need to remove all fouling before starting with the monometals, if you want the best accuracy.
 
I just may have to give them another go. I've got a 300 wby that has been a safe queen for almost 20 years now. Perhaps that may be my next project.
 
I harvested a bull elk on Thursday with a 210 Berger vld I was expecting good performance I made a good heart shot on my bull once I got him skinned out I was trying to locate an exit wound I found bullet fragments from his neck to his rear tenderloin to his spine that bullet exploded its also flying at 3065 a bit fast for such a big bullet either way my elk was killed am I happy with the performance not one bit I have hit te 1100yrd gong with mine just not going to hunt with them anymore my 2 cents
 
Gary D said:
to the best of my knowledge, Speers are pretty much mid range bonded ammunition on par with the Hornady Interlocks. Their new Deep Curl bullets are just another variation of that. That said I have no doubt they will do the job if you do yours.
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Speer Mag Tips are not a bonded core bullet. Rather, they are plain vanilla cup and core, with the core being injected as a liquid into the cup. The Deep Curl is a bonded core bullet, with the jacket and the core being chemically fused before being swaged.

Both are quite good hunting bullets.
Ted
 
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