Ammo Question

[Cagunman]

I hunt with a REM 700 in a .270. I have been buying Winchester 150gr at Walmart. I have noticed that I can get 130gr, what exactly is the difference? I also notice that I can buy Remingtons 150gr at about $7.00 more per boxe/20. Can someone enligthen me?

 

[toebako]

The difference is 20gr.
seriously though the 130 will/should shoot flatter than 150's. The lighter bullet is more for deer and the 150 for elk moose. When I had my 270 I shot 140's cuz they shot straight and flat. My gun liked them. Find the bullet your gun likes and shoot it. 20 grains in weight is not enough to worry about.

 

[Cagunman]

Well I'm heading out on a moose hunt in September, so 150 it is.
Thanks

 

[Kilo Charlie]

Just so you know for sure, the "grain" of ammunition is the weight in grains of the bullet itself and has nothing to do with powder. Many hunters think it means there is more powder in the case, hence it's more powerful. Not so.
There are 7000 grains to the pound.
In general, lighter bullets, lighter-skinned animals, more expansion, less penetration. Heavier bullets, heavier beasts, deeper penetration, less expansion.

 

[Cagunman]

Education is a wonderful thing!!
Thanks

 

[Private Skidmarks]

As toebako noted, 150grs are generally better for a larger animal such as your moose, bear and 130grs are generally better for smaller, lighter skinned animals such as deer. Generally.

Bullet construction also plays a role in what you may want to choose for your hunting ammo. Premium ammuntion tends to use bullets more suited for the game you plan to hunt and although more expensive, will last a couple of seasons for the average hunter. For hunting moose, you might want to select an ammunition that utilizes a 150gr bullet that holds together better for maximum penetration like a Nosler Partition rather than a bullet that is meant to open up quicker on thinner skinned game like a Nosler Ballistic tip.

Also, you may find that your 270 prefers one weight over the other. I have a 270 with a 20" barrel that definitely prefers 150grs only while another with a 22" barrel likes the 130grs. I gave up on 140grs altogether. But your mileage will vary and the only way to find out is try a box of each. I reload so trying different weights with premium bullets is not that expensive and only costs me my time. But it gets you out shooting more and that is a good thing.

Cheers!

 

[TrevorW]

Intersting!
Ok so this might sound dumb , but how do I tell what my rifle prefers? Just shoot a bunch of different ammo through it and whatever one groups best is it ?
I just bought a remington 799 in .223 so it would be cool to hear some feedback as to what grain ammo would be good to use in it!
So far I have only tried winchester white box 55gr and it was ok !
sorry not tryin to hijack your thread!

 

[dumbdawg]

Intersting!
Ok so this might sound dumb , but how do I tell what my rifle prefers? Just shoot a bunch of different ammo through it and whatever one groups best is it ?
I just bought a remington 799 in .223 so it would be cool to hear some feedback as to what grain ammo would be good to use in it!
So far I have only tried winchester white box 55gr and it was ok !
sorry not tryin to hijack your thread!

you just answered your own question in reguards to which bullet your gun likes
back to the original question if you reload you may try differnt loads as well

 

[Winnipeg Toymaker]

I shoot a savage 12FVSS and it being many years old, it has a certain preference to bullet weight. I started out reloading 55 gr FMJs that I bought bulk. They patterned like pepper no matter the powder load. A buddy loaned me 3 - 69 gr. sierra match bullets and WOW...they touched each other at 100 yards. I then tried Hornady 75 gr match, they were alright but 75 gr Sierras were better. The 69 Gr proved the best until I experimented with the crimp die I bought . After crimping a few 55 gr FMJs and shooting them, they patterned within a 1 3/8 inch circle. what an improvement. So I use the 55gr as gopher fodder and 69s at the range to 200 yards. My son's .223 only likes the Hornady 75 match which pattern very small at 200. This shows that different guns like different bullet weights. It does take experimenting to find just what shoots the best.

 

[bearhunter]

Kilo Charlie, good description for a newbie to learn from without to much detail.

toebako, the heavier bullet will shoot flatter over longer ranges and retain more energy than a lighter bullet. At shorter ranges, you are correct but as the distance increases the lighter bullet sheds energy and therfore the trajectory drops off faster.

As far as one bullet weight being better for smaller or larger animals, the old truism for standard ammunition still is the rule.

With modern ammunition though, depending on its construction, that 130 grain bullet will be just as effective on moose as the 150 grain conventional bullet. The new premium bullets are incredible these days.

I am a heavy bullet supporter. Shoot the heaviest bullets you can stand the recoil on and that your rifle likes is my motto.

I have had it proven to me on more than one occasion where the lighter weight, heavier constructed bullets will actually perform as well or better than their conventional equivalents.

Old habits die hard though and I also have a bad habit of buying enough components to wear out a rifle when I find the combination I like. So I probably won't be switching to the rather expensive albeit excellent premium bullets in my lifetime.

 

[sunray]

"...shoot a bunch of different ammo through it..." Yep. As many brands and bullet weights as you can. Shoot for a group only. Sight in when you find the ammo your rifle shoots best. The price of the ammo means nothing. It does get expensive though. Reloading is the way to go.

 

[TrevorW]

you just answered your own question in reguards to which bullet your gun likes
back to the original question if you reload you may try differnt loads as well

I shoot a savage 12FVSS and it being many years old, it has a certain preference to bullet weight. I started out reloading 55 gr FMJs that I bought bulk. They patterned like pepper no matter the powder load. A buddy loaned me 3 - 69 gr. sierra match bullets and WOW...they touched each other at 100 yards. I then tried Hornady 75 gr match, they were alright but 75 gr Sierras were better. The 69 Gr proved the best until I experimented with the crimp die I bought . After crimping a few 55 gr FMJs and shooting them, they patterned within a 1 3/8 inch circle. what an improvement. So I use the 55gr as gopher fodder and 69s at the range to 200 yards. My son's .223 only likes the Hornady 75 match which pattern very small at 200. This shows that different guns like different bullet weights. It does take experimenting to find just what shoots the best.

"...shoot a bunch of different ammo through it..." Yep. As many brands and bullet weights as you can. Shoot for a group only. Sight in when you find the ammo your rifle shoots best. The price of the ammo means nothing. It does get expensive though. Reloading is the way to go.

Awsome thanks! I do plan on reloading eventually!

 

[H4831]

These threads always get so confusing, for a new shooter. For the benefit of the new shooter, it should have ended after the good posting of Kilo Charlie.
The question was answered, so buy the bullet weight of your choice, probably 150 if it is primarily for moose, or 130 if it is primarily for deer, but either will do.
Forget completely about what your rifle "likes." Your Remington 700 should shoot either weight completely satisfactorily. Just get the cartridge brand and bullet weight of your choice, and sight it in.
To stop all further confusion for the new shooter, this is as far as he needs to read on this posting.

For you people who insist on finding out what bullet weight your rifle "likes," I have a suggestion. Get the rifle tuned and bedded.
I have done this many times. When you get a rifle, carefully fire five shots, one after the other, with the best rest you can get and using a hunting type scope. If your group is good for a hunting rifle, say on the order of 1¼ inches at a hundred yards, it will likely shoot all standard weight bullets well.
If the group is strung out, say the last shot is maybe 4 inches, or more, from the first, the barrel has too much pressure on it, at some point.
Rifles with plastic stocks may be different. I can't stand the sight of them, so have never fired one. What I am saying here, may not apply to plastic stocked rifles, I wouldn't know.
The well bedded rifle may still shoot a bit different point of impact with different bullet weights, but any normal weight should shoot a good group. If you are lucky, you will have one like my 30-06 Swede. After some careful bedding, it will make the five shot 1 to 1¼ inch group at 100 yards, with a mixed array of 165 and 180 grain bullets!