What are the most important aspects that should be considered for the selection of bullets? Velocity retained down range , energy ft-lbs , accuracy ,a combination of these. My self I look for the flattest , fastest , hardest hitting ,with reasonable accuracy.I have shot antelope , deer , moose , bear all with the same load , seems to be working for me , and it's easier to load one type of ammo than loading 120 , 140 ,160 gr bullets and change the sighting of my rifle. How do you guys select an all around load , if there such a thing?
Bullet selection ............
- Thread starter deerslayer
- Start date
I always use accuracy with a good quality hunting bullet as the limiting factor. The difference between 2800 and 2900 fps is irrelevant, if the grains are 140 or over I feel confident killing anything in North America and a good quality hunting bullet is also a must.
The choice of good quality bullets out there these days is almost endless so the trick is to find one that shoots well out of your particular rifle and go with it.
Ivo
BTW I have shot many species of big game in Alberta with a .264 Win Mag loaded with 140gr Sierra Gamekings and they are super accurate.
The choice of good quality bullets out there these days is almost endless so the trick is to find one that shoots well out of your particular rifle and go with it.
Ivo
BTW I have shot many species of big game in Alberta with a .264 Win Mag loaded with 140gr Sierra Gamekings and they are super accurate.
deerslayer
I agree with what ivo has stated. Accuracy is #1. I guess though I look for different things depending on what I'll use it for. In a coyote/gopher bullet I want a really accurate hollow point that is some what fragil. When it hits something , ie a rock or the ground I want it to fall apart. On the other hand a bullet for my 270 I'm not quite as concerned on the accuraccy as holding together and retaining weight. A nosler partion would fit the bill here for me.
As stated you pick what you like and try to make it shoot. If you can't you peddle it and start over. Thats the fun of loading----no one said it was easy----Cowboy
I agree with what ivo has stated. Accuracy is #1. I guess though I look for different things depending on what I'll use it for. In a coyote/gopher bullet I want a really accurate hollow point that is some what fragil. When it hits something , ie a rock or the ground I want it to fall apart. On the other hand a bullet for my 270 I'm not quite as concerned on the accuraccy as holding together and retaining weight. A nosler partion would fit the bill here for me.
As stated you pick what you like and try to make it shoot. If you can't you peddle it and start over. Thats the fun of loading----no one said it was easy----Cowboy
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Cowboy, I disagree strongly.
Accuracy is a secondary requirement to terminal performance when we are considering the choice of a big game bullet. The bullet must upset in a predictable fashion so that penetration on the target game animal is sufficient, yet so expansion creates a wound volume which will result in a quick and humane death. The bullet must expand in a predictable fashion over a very broad velocity range, especially when we consider the various cartridges used in hunting today. Very few modern bullets will not shoot 1.5 MOA, and that is more than sufficient for big game hunting accuracy. Consider that if you can shoot up to your rifle it means that no bullet will land further than 3/4 MOA from your intended POI. What the bullet can do when it gets there is the real issue.
Accuracy is a secondary requirement to terminal performance when we are considering the choice of a big game bullet. The bullet must upset in a predictable fashion so that penetration on the target game animal is sufficient, yet so expansion creates a wound volume which will result in a quick and humane death. The bullet must expand in a predictable fashion over a very broad velocity range, especially when we consider the various cartridges used in hunting today. Very few modern bullets will not shoot 1.5 MOA, and that is more than sufficient for big game hunting accuracy. Consider that if you can shoot up to your rifle it means that no bullet will land further than 3/4 MOA from your intended POI. What the bullet can do when it gets there is the real issue.
