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Favorite Hunting Bullet #7001856 12/19/17 03:57 AM
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I grew up using Core-Lokts. I started reloading about 10 years ago and tried Interlocks, SSTs, TTSXs, Lapua Megas and Speer Hot Cores. With the exception of TTSX, I've use plain old non bonded bullets. Many of them were flat based. They all worked great but I'm a moderate velocity guy. For medium game I have used 257R, 6.5x55, 308, 338 Federal. I'm usually pushing bullets at 2700-2900 FPS . At those speeds regular bullets work extremely well.

My all time favorite hunting bullet is the Nolser Ballistic Tip. I've killed more with them since I started reloading. I find at the velocity I push them, they kill like lightening and exit. I generally shoot through the shoulders or neck. I've tested them in magazine packs and found, even if they spit their core, they still retail 50-60% of their weight because of their heavily tapered jacket and solid boat tail design. This is not far off from the Partition that was designed to retain 65% of their weight.

The Nosler Ballistic Tip may not have the highest BC or be bonded but it has been very good to me in the cartridges I shoot. For medium game, it's my go to bullet.

If you have favorite, please share it. There are no right or wrong answers since it's based on what you shoot and your own personal experiences.



Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7001882 12/19/17 04:09 AM
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I've used tons of Nosler bt and before that the old bronze tip's the preceded the nosler.

These days myself and my dad have started running Berger vld with great results.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7001884 12/19/17 04:12 AM
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Not sexy or new, but Core Lokts have put a ton of meat in my freezer. Everything from right under my stand to 350+, the 130 grain .270 load has done the trick. They don’t get much love here, but it’s my go-to for deer-sized game.

Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7001906 12/19/17 04:27 AM
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I'm not sure that you can generalize the answer to this one. In some cases, it might be a Swift A-Frame, in others a TTSX, in others a Berger VLD and in yet others it might be a plain Jane Core-lokt. Is an A-Frame really any "better" than a Core-lokt in a .30-30 for a 50 yard shot at a whitetail? Sometimes a rifle will dictate your bullet selection and there are many factors at play in a question like this. Bonded bullets and BC are mentioned in the original post, but BC isn't meaningful at ranges under 300 yards, which is 98% of normal hunting, and bonded bullets aren't needed on deer, which is 95% of big game hunting in the US.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of premium bullets, and there are times and places where they're worth ten times what they cost, but they certainly aren't **necessary** for 90 to 95% of normal hunting opportunities. The "best" bullet is the one that shoots accurately in your rifle and is well-suited to your intended target.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7001918 12/19/17 04:38 AM
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This outta be a good thread and I'm interested in what people have to say. Care to elaborate on the vld? Do they perform well at shorter distances? Say 100 yards? Do they destroy unnecessary amounts of meat like you read about or is that overblown internet talk?

Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7001930 12/19/17 04:54 AM
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I have a few favorites... Depends on cartridge and intended game to make my choice. In general, the Nosler Ballistic Tips and Sierra GameKings get the nod for me.

The NBTs get some bad publicity, but I have had overall great success with them since 1994ish. To me, certain ones really shine - the 95gr 6mm and 115gr 257 bullets are awesome. The 140gr 7mm is nasty when moving fast in a Rem. Mag., but I have moved away from them in the 7mm-08. The press claims that the 120gr 7mm is "extra tough" for the silhouette shooters, but I have never tried them.

For great accuracy, reliable performance, and low cost, the Sierra GK is wonderful. I am really liking the performance of the BTHP GKs. The BC is pretty poor, but the terminal performance more than makes up for it with me.

I did use the Nosler Accubond for my aoudad hunt this year, and I was very impressed.

Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7001934 12/19/17 04:59 AM
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For me, its mostly the Nosler Accubond and Ballistic Tips, I haven't used the ELD-X yet on game.

Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7001947 12/19/17 05:17 AM
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Day in day out I've had more success in the non magnums with Sierra SGK's & ProHunters more than any other bullet & used them in a couple 243's, a 257Rbts, a pair of 25'06's, but mostly several thousand over 40 years in more than a dozen 270's of all makes, an occasional 30'06, and a couple 300 WMgs. The SAKO Classic Grade 300Wmg I had would stack 180gr ProHunters all in one hole if I was on my game that day.

This last BACO 270 with less than a 100 down the tube was broke in on PH's. I shot some leftover 5-6+? year old reloads into a moa 2-3 hole touching out of a 5 shot group during final sight in's last month....and punched a big cull buck's ticket like I'd never taken several years of trigger time off...bang, clean pass thru, 20 yard run and flop DRT with no wiggle...missed the aiming point by 1 1/2" when he began to canter as the trigger broke, and got a caliber size entry and 25 cent piece exit at 100 - 125 yards. Easy Peasy with reliable equipment.

Only other long term use in a bullet brand and style was in the early '80's in Speer SP's, when I got 8-10K+ more ?? bullets and bought out a dealer who was closing them out at $2.50/$3 a box & wound up with about 150 box's in several calibers, and sold traded what I didn't want to shoot. I also like Nosler Red Box FB SP's mostly in 270's which was the BT design pre the delrin tip & had a severe blowup on game in a 1st Gen BT with a super hot way over max load and quit using BT's altogether until the 15-20 years ago. Never could get NPT's to shoot moa's reliably but the Hunting BT's and NAB's have been good to me too.

Not a lot of expience with Hornady's but no complaints...got 700 on the bench right now in 7mm's in a couple weight and shapes.
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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7001968 12/19/17 05:56 AM
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I would probably say the Accubond for all around killing game. They’re a good combination of penetration and deformation with a fair BC for a bullet with just killing in mind.

I haven’t had a chance to kill anything with the ELD-X, but I’m hoping it kills as well, to take advantage of a better BC.

And one of these days, if I ever get my .338 built, I hope the same out of Cutting Edge bullets.

Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: JLP83] #7002017 12/19/17 11:35 AM
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Originally Posted By: JLP83
This outta be a good thread and I'm interested in what people have to say. Care to elaborate on the vld? Do they perform well at shorter distances? Say 100 yards? Do they destroy unnecessary amounts of meat like you read about or is that overblown internet talk?



My buck this year was at 130yds and the 80gr vld was running around 3100 when it hit him. Entrance wasn't overly large but lungs and top of heart were liquid and exit was almost 3" in diameter. I stay off meat unless I feel it is absolutely necessary to anchor the animal and if that's the case all bullets I've used damage a ton of meat. The stereotypical behind the shoulder shot is best with vld or any other c&c bullet in my opinion.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7002021 12/19/17 11:45 AM
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For deer I usually shoot Sierra Gamekings. They are my favorite. I really like Partitions and Accubonds but they are twice the price and I shoot a lot. I also load 139 Hornady Interlocks for a 7-08 and have been satisfied with on game performance.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7002169 12/19/17 02:16 PM
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SSTs for my 243. 270 just won't shoot them well at all and I can't figure out why. I am using 140 Gamekings in it.

Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7002185 12/19/17 02:26 PM
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When I started hunting I shot my first deer with 130 grain Remington bronze points out of a 270. No real complaints with them but they were expensive and hard to find. I switched to 140 grain ballistic tips, I liked them a lot, never had a bad experience with them, but I couldn't always find them either, the 140's were not everywhere. Then I switched to corelocks and was also happy with them for the most part. The next year I started reloading and loaded some 150 grain ballistic tips. They were almost explosive massive damage, I didn't like them. Then switched to 150 grain partitions and have never been happier with a bullet. Every few years I try something new because I get bored and the partitions are expensive. Went to 150 grain hornady interlocks and was pretty disappointed in their terminal performance. Still shooting the partitions and likely will keep it that way.

In my 243 I have been shooting sierra prohunters and really do not have any complaints... but when they are gone I have a box of 100 grain partitions waiting to take their place.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7002252 12/19/17 02:56 PM
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Berger Hybrids and Elite Hunters

Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7002301 12/19/17 03:17 PM
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For basic hunting with your standard cup and core lead bullets, I like the SST, ELD-X, A-max, Game Kings, Pro Hunter, ELD-M, VLD-H, and Elite Hunter. For premium bullets, I like the Accubonds. I can always get them to shoot good and customers like the performance on game. It's a tough bullet and you get the best of both worlds for expansion and penetration. The best bullets for DRT shots is no doubt the VLD-H. That bullet is Thor's hammer for devastation on game. It tears it up. But as a hunting bullet, some would say this bullet fails because it damages so much meat. It depends on your personal preference. The tried and true style A frame bullets, like the Partition and A-frame, have worked well. For these to be more effective, I like them heavy for caliber. The don't have the highest BC and sometimes do not have match grade accuracy, but for hunting purposes, they work great. Personally, I shoot the Hornady SST and InterLock bullets the most. I have always liked the SST performance on game and they shoot really good. IMO, it's one of the best overall hunting bullets.

My 2 least favorite bullets are the Barnes TSX and the Nosler LR AB. The Barnes TSX bullets are great for one thing- penetration. But the solid copper bullets lack the hydrostatic shock that lead bullets have. They simply do not have the shock value as a similar lead bullet. To up the shock, you have to drop down in weight and push it really fast. When these TSX bullets get North of 3000 fps, they begin to copper foul the barrel really bad. Bad enough that after 12-15 rounds you will lose accuracy and need to clean the copper fouling out. Yes, they do work and I load and sell a lot of them. But they have their draw backs. PH's in Africa like this bullet because it offers the deepest penetration and you generally get an exit for tracking blood on the ground.

The LR AB is too soft of a bullet., I often damage the front of the bullet from the seating die because they are so soft. I have also had accuracy issues with them. They typically do not shoot that great. I have not gotten the warm and fuzzies on this bullet yet. The only one I will say that does work well is the 129 LR AB in the 6.5 CM. I have shot some good groups with these in testing. But the .308" 190 and 210 LRAB and .277" 150 grain have not shot as well as I'd like. And close range impacts with this softer lead, bonded bullet will still shred this bullet up.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7002342 12/19/17 03:35 PM
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This thread shows a lot of love for the Accubond which is very well deserved most of the time. I've had great results with them out of my Browning Short-trac 7mm WSM @ 2900 fps. On the other hand, I also shot an exceptionally large hog through the shoulders at 165 yards and it failed to completely penetrate the beast. Now in all fairness, the hog was very big and the bullet (.284 160 gr) was moving really fast (7 Ultra @ 3300 fps), but the experience made me switch to the Barnes TSX/TTSX, which were both equally accurate in this particular rifle. My experience has also been that Chad's comments about shock vs penetration in the TSX/TTSX are dead on target: less impact shock and more linear penetration. At the end of the day, I think you look for the qualities that are important for your particular situation and go with a bullet that meets those criteria.

BTW, I've never used the LR Accubonds and really appreciate the info, Chad.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7002390 12/19/17 03:59 PM
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I think the LRAB should be perfect in cartridges that produce modest velocities, if you can get it to shoot to your satisfaction. I'm working with the 129 LRAB in 6.5 Grendel amd hope to see it work well on hogs. My Grendel has a 16-inch barrel and it looks like I'll be limited to about 2300 fps. Hopefully the bullet will like those lower impact velocities and penetrate well. First I have to see if it's gonna shoot, though.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: RiverRider] #7002401 12/19/17 04:04 PM
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Originally Posted By: RiverRider
I think the LRAB should be perfect in cartridges that produce modest velocities, if you can get it to shoot to your satisfaction. I'm working with the 129 LRAB in 6.5 Grendel amd hope to see it work well on hogs. My Grendel has a 16-inch barrel and it looks like I'll be limited to about 2300 fps. Hopefully the bullet will like those lower impact velocities and penetrate well. First I have to see if it's gonna shoot, though.


Yes, that would be a good combo!!! Can you seat the bullet to mag length and the bullet ogive still be above the case mouth?


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7002647 12/19/17 06:02 PM
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Yes, I think so. I have some loaded for testing and I'd have to look closer to be sure but they looked fine as I was seating.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7002731 12/19/17 06:38 PM
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I really like the Accubond LR 129 in my .260 CTR. I don't thoroughly examine the bullet after shooting but I have had really good luck with accuracy and it has dropped everything I have shot with it, 5-8 coyotes, 10+ pigs and 2 deer.

Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: scottfromdallas] #7002759 12/19/17 06:55 PM
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All of these have done a fine job for me.

.308 Win, 178 gr A-Max
.260 Rem, 140 gr A-Max
6.5 Creedmoor, 140 gr A-Max, 140 gr ELD-M
7mm-08, 162 gr A-Max, 162 gr ELD-X
7 Rem Mag, 180 gr VLD-Hunting

The VLD-Hunting has done fine at 50 yards, and done fine at 750 yards.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: RiverRider] #7003062 12/19/17 09:51 PM
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Originally Posted By: RiverRider
I think the LRAB should be perfect in cartridges that produce modest velocities, if you can get it to shoot to your satisfaction. I'm working with the 129 LRAB in 6.5 Grendel amd hope to see it work well on hogs. My Grendel has a 16-inch barrel and it looks like I'll be limited to about 2300 fps. Hopefully the bullet will like those lower impact velocities and penetrate well. First I have to see if it's gonna shoot, though.


I bet it does well in a Grendel. I’d never attempt them in my STW. They’re a niche bullet, I’d say.

Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: J.G.] #7003066 12/19/17 09:52 PM
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Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
All of these have done a fine job for me.

.308 Win, 178 gr A-Max
.260 Rem, 140 gr A-Max
6.5 Creedmoor, 140 gr A-Max, 140 gr ELD-M
7mm-08, 162 gr A-Max, 162 gr ELD-X
7 Rem Mag, 180 gr VLD-Hunting

The VLD-Hunting has done fine at 50 yards, and done fine at 750 yards.


Those A-Max’s are wonderful bullets.

Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: Sneaky] #7003294 12/20/17 12:27 AM
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Originally Posted By: Sneaky
Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
All of these have done a fine job for me.

.308 Win, 178 gr A-Max
.260 Rem, 140 gr A-Max
6.5 Creedmoor, 140 gr A-Max, 140 gr ELD-M
7mm-08, 162 gr A-Max, 162 gr ELD-X
7 Rem Mag, 180 gr VLD-Hunting

The VLD-Hunting has done fine at 50 yards, and done fine at 750 yards.


Those A-Max’s are wonderful bullets.


They really are.

"Those are taget bullets, you shouldn't use those to hunt with."

Whatever, there's a pile of dead bodies in their wake, to suggest otherwise.


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Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet [Re: ChadTRG42] #7003325 12/20/17 12:50 AM
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Originally Posted By: ChadTRG42
Originally Posted By: RiverRider
I think the LRAB should be perfect in cartridges that produce modest velocities, if you can get it to shoot to your satisfaction. I'm working with the 129 LRAB in 6.5 Grendel amd hope to see it work well on hogs. My Grendel has a 16-inch barrel and it looks like I'll be limited to about 2300 fps. Hopefully the bullet will like those lower impact velocities and penetrate well. First I have to see if it's gonna shoot, though.


Yes, that would be a good combo!!! Can you seat the bullet to mag length and the bullet ogive still be above the case mouth?



I have confirmed that this is possible. I understand that you can be limited to a greater extent depending on whose magazines you buy for an AR in 6.5 Grendel. I bought ASC magazines and I have been led to believe that these allow the longest COALs.


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