Bullet Selection for Big Game

Fall Guy

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Lots of threads popping up asking about bullet selection. So I thought I would generalize the discussion.

What will or has affected your final choice of bullet type and manufacture when reloading?

Other than anecdotal evidence, unless you have shot lots of big game animals, or seen lots of animals shot, recovered lots of bullets and analyzed the damage, who really knows what works? Is a 'one of' experience just that?

Manufactures claims are questionable and confusing. How does paying more for a bullet ensure that you will receive better performance? Why would a manufacture make so many bullets in the 180 grain range for example? (Hornady has 5 .308 180's) Why is it that the 15 grain increment, 150, 165, 180, appears so critical?

Or should I just go buy a box of 180 grain Winchester PP's for $16.94 and shoot another moose and deer this year? ;)
 
What has affected my choice is seeing recovered bullets and examining bullet wounds.Also when I first started hunting I asked alot of questions. At that time there was really only one "premium" bullet that being the Nosler partition.Since the rifles I shoot when loaded with apropriate weight for the game, give me about 2800fps, I switched from the Noslers to Hornady Interlocks.That was over ten years ago. I should also mention I do all the load development and reloading for my hunting buddies,all Interlocks. Since then a s**t load of game has been taken by me or my buddies. They worked great.So,ask,examine and try;)

BTW what are you shooting? If MV is less than 2800fps you should be OK with PP's
 
I hunt with several different people each year and see quite a few animals killed with various cartridges and bullets,so I do get to see how the various bullets perform on game.Of course for me to hunt with a bullet,it must also be accurate in my gun.Therefore my choice is based on both accuracy and performance on game.
 
Bullets of the same weight in several styles represents the fact that a specific weight of bullet might be useful in a broad range of applications. Match bullets, which have no place in the hunting field, are aerodynamically shaped for long range stability, and might be made to closer tolerances of weight and run-out than other types of bullets. The round nose bullet has a reputation as a brush buster when loaded to moderate velocities - deserved or not. In some rifles with worn throats the round nose bullet due to it's long straight sides might be the only bullet which will shoot accurately. There is also an argument that round nose bullets are better hunting bullets because they tend to leave a larger entry wound than a spitzer. By contrast, the boat-tail spitzer has the most aerodynamic form for long range performance, and the shortest bearing surface which may result in higher velocity due to less friction in the rifle barrel. The flat base spitzer has the advantage of short length which takes up less room in small capacity cases and feeds well in self loaders due to it's spitzer shape. In some cases there might also be solids available. A full metal jacket might be a thin jacketed match bullet or a military bullet, neither of which is suitable for use on game. The military bullet might be deviously designed to increase it's wounding potential by breaking or tumbling, which is the true reason why these things should be never used on game. A true solid comes in two forms - one is a spitzer for taking fur bearing animals with little pelt damage, the other is a flat nose or hemispherical nose for maximum penetration in exceptionally large game.

Because of this media we share, there is no such thing as anecdotal evidence any longer. Failures come to light very quickly, and fact is separated from BS almost as quickly. Therefore, you never have to shoot a single animal with a Barnes TSX to know that it's a good game bullet. On the other-hand, you don't have to be a ballistician to know that a Winchester 180 gr Power Point launched at .30-378 Weatherby velocities will probably fail on a large bear.
 
Most bullets are made and marketed to hunt the hunter, the bullet companies send lots of free samples to gunwriters who in turn write up wonderful stories about the bullets and people buy into it and thats how bullets are sold. The wild game are no harder to drop than they were 20 years ago or 100 for that matter, the moose doesn't know its a Failsafe or a tsx and doesn't care. The most effective bullet on big game remains as it always has...a big wide,heavy bullet, striking the animal in the right place, no phony 4 pc. bullet, no marketing strategy, just like always!
 
Don't want to sound like I'm blowing my horn here, so will just post observations over the past 45 + years. In that time I have been privileged to hunt a lot of land, and shoot a lot of game. I have also seen a lot of additional game shot. For many rifles, premium bullets are probably not needed, but I have never seen the harm in using them, even when a conventional bullet would work. I have shot a lot of game with the venerable Nosler partition, and know from personal experience that it works well. I have also seen some dramatic disintegration of cup & core bullets when they have been chased too fast, or have hit heavy bone. If a bullet comes apart [loses it's core] in an animal, it has seen the last use by me. I do like exit holes, but don't expect them every time. Of all the Partitions I have shot at game, approximately 20% did not exit and were recovered. My collection of Partitions now stands at 18. I also have about 40 cup and core bullets that have been recovered from downed game, some of these are nothing more than a partial jacket. I am going to continue to try the newer Accubond, since 3 dead animals is not enough to form any sound opinion. The Barnes TSX will also get tried this year. I have not used Barnes previously because former offerings showed "iffy" accuracy, but the TSX is looking very good, so I will try them in one of my 6.5's and a 270 Winchester. I look at it this way. The bullet that kills a game animal costs very little in comparison to the other "trappings" needed to hunt these days. Therefore it may as well be a good one. That way I don't have to wonder what went wrong as that 6 point bull elk keeps right on trucking after he should have hit the ground. JMHO, Eagleye.
 
my decision is based on what cartridge I am shooting and what my intended uses are for that particular rifle

if Im going for predators like coyotes or wolves, accuracy and explosive impact is important to me. Bullets like the Nosler Ballistic Tip and Hornady Vmax are my go-to choices.

For deer, Id be happy with something that expands good but has enough penetration to exit, something like a Hornady Interbond or Nosler Accubond.

for bigger game like elk and moose, tough deep penetrating bullets are the order, I go straight for the Barnes Triple Shock X, although there are alot more options, like Nosler Partitions, Accubonds, A Frames, etc etc. I want bone breaking power so I can take any reasonable shot offered.

that being said, Ive found bullets like the Barnes X and Nosler Partitions perform very good on deer sized game as well, so if Im going on a mixed bag hunt for moose/deer, I'll stick with the big game load.

I love Hornady Interlocks for off season practice, but when fall rolls around, I go with a premium bullet. Like a flying insurance policy. :cool:
 
btw accuracy, very important, but not everything

Id rather hunt with a Trophy Bonded Bear claw that shoots 2" groups at 100 yards then a Sierra GameKing that shoots .75" groups...

there is more to a big game bullet than accuracy!

 
true north said:
BTW what are you shooting? If MV is less than 2800fps you should be OK with PP's
true north, I purposely left out caliber to avoid that discussion. ;)



Boomer said:
Because of this media we share, there is no such thing as anecdotal evidence any longer. Failures come to light very quickly, and fact is separated from BS almost as quickly.
How true. In reference to your bullet descriptions, the 5 Hornady's are hunting bullets, their Match (A-Max) bullets are 178 grain and I also excluded the FMJ. Multiply this by the different weights and the different manufacturers available and the bullet choice can be daunting.



ben hunchak said:
Most bullets are made and marketed to hunt the hunter
I agree. Go read the manufacturers catalogues. Lots to choose from.



Eagleye said:
That way I don't have to wonder what went wrong as that 6 point bull elk keeps right on trucking after he should have hit the ground.
I guess what I am really getting at are the 'near misses' Eagleye. I believe that any animal properly hit will go down - no matter the bullet (or sometimes caliber :rolleyes:). I guess this discussion is all about if the shot was less than perfect, what bullet would you want it to be and why?


For deer, Id be happy with something that expands good but has enough penetration to exit, something like a Hornady Interbond or Nosler Accubond.

For bigger game like elk and moose, tough deep penetrating bullets are the order, I go straight for the Barnes Triple Shock X, although there are alot more options, like Nosler Partitions, Accubonds, A Frames, etc etc. I want bone breaking power so I can take any reasonable shot offered.
Mr. Bartell, you sound like a salesmen for the above companies. ;) How do you know that the particular bullets you spoke of will do as you claim? Are you convinced that one bullet, one weight is not the way to go?

I will admit that I have been leaning and practicing the (obvious) way of 'cheaper' bullets for paper and premium for hunting. My premium choices being Barnes, Nosler and Hornady. (2 of the 3 I have shot with very good results in my rifles on paper only)

Why hasn't anybody chimed in on weight? :eek:
 
Weight? Well, I think that would depend on the game hunted. Sure you could use 220 RN's on 'yotes, but a lighter weight might be better;)
Until very recently, all .30 bullets have been designed with only one cartridge in mind, the 30-06, that means 150gr at @2900fps, 165 at @2800 and 180's at 2700. Their performance window is large enough to include other chamberings(.308 win &.300wm come to mind) shooting a little slower or faster. Shape ,as it says at the begining of most load manuals is to be determined by the hunter depending on terrain and what shoots best in his rifle. I shoot a 30-06 using 180gr Hornady SP at 2800fps. Everything I have shot or seen shot with this bullet in this cartridge was a bang-flop. A Nosler partition could not have worked better,matter of fact they didn't when I used them in my '06. Now, having said all this, if I were going after Grizz with a 30-378 I'd would sooner use a Partition (heavier too) not based on my own experience, which is none with the 30-378, but the collective wisdom of other hunters that use speedy 30cals on big things.
 
Fall Guy said:
Mr. Bartell, you sound like a salesmen for the above companies. ;) How do you know that the particular bullets you spoke of will do as you claim?


I've shot about a dozen or more critters with Barnes X personally, I know what they'll do

Ive seen and heard enough about Interbonds and Accubonds to know they'll work, and have killed once with an Accubond.

I do not need to shoot 10 bull moose with a Nosler Partition to know that when loaded in a suitable cartridge with a suitable bullet weight, performance will be excellent.

Bullet selection doesnt need to be too complicated, if you can actually see and know what each one does, and weed out the non-choices. :dancingbanana:


 
Don't tug on Superman's Cape ....

Nosler & Barnes have great earned reputatations ... both
were around before Tod was born. Takes a wise young man to
accept good advice. Us older ones found out by trial & error.
 
Fall Guy said:
Why hasn't anybody chimed in on weight? :eek:

I conducted an interesting experiment pertaining to bullet weight last year. In the test I fired bullets at close range (20 yards) to simulate shooting a large animal with expanding bullets. The testing media was wet drill mud, useful because not only does it give an index of penetration but also provides a tempoary wound channel which does not close, and from this test I was able to arrive at a number of conclusions from the observations I made.

The bullets in question were the Barnes 270gr X @ 2800 fps and 300gr X @ 2600 fps and the 380 gr Rhino at 2300 fps. All bullets were fired from my .375 and velocities recorded on my Ohler 35P. All 3 bullets penetrated to exactly the same depth of 32". From this I concluded that within type, a bullet penetrates in proportion to weight. The wound volume increased proportional to the expanded diameter. The 380gr. Rhino had by far the largest wound cavity, despite the lowest velocity. The Rhino also expanded to .92" compared to the .72" of the X's.

DSC_0008.jpg
 
beretta boy said:
Don't tug on Superman's Cape ....
Holy crap! From legendary to legendary superhero! ;)

todbartell said:
Bullet selection doesnt need to be too complicated, if you can actually see and know what each one does, and weed out the non-choices.
That's the problem, getting past the marketing hype and understanding what really works.

Not, unfortunately, having infinite time and money to work up loads for my rifles, I have started at the top and will work my way down.
 
Or should I just go buy a box of 180 grain Winchester PP's for $16.94 and shoot another moose and deer this year?
Have those expensive "Premiums" killed that moose deader than the cheap bullets?
Stick with what works.
 
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