Favorite Hunting Bullet

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

For me, its mostly the Nosler Accubond and Ballistic Tips, I haven't used the ELD-X yet on game.

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.
Ron

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Berger Hybrids and Elite Hunters

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Speaking of hunting with "target" bullets..I am surprised that no one is mentioning Lapua Scenars. Too spendy IMO to practice with but is being highly touted on other channels as a do all bullet that is growing in acceptance.
Ron

I know there are some people that swear by them on another forum and post a lot of great animals that have succumbed to the Scenar. Of all the "target bullets", I've heard the most good things about the Amax. They seem to universally praised on the internet as a good hunting bullet. There are many that will argue against a target bullet for any hunting because the box says "target" yet everyday someone will post a story about how their "hunting" bullet failed. My favorite bullet failure is one that fails to exit but kills the animal dead in it's tracks. Personally, If it's dead on the spot, I don't need a blood trail to follow.

Chad, I'm seeing similar comments like yours concerning the "softness" of the Nozzler LRAB's for a viable game bullet, especially at higer MV's and under 200 yard impacts.

In a trade deal for the stash of bullets I did earlier this year in prep for getting deeper into 7mm's, that included heavier than I expected to use bullets in the 7x57 I'd picked up..there are couple box's of 7mm 150gr LRAB's and got to thinking, based on yours (and others) negative comments on using them at 7RMg (28-2900fps ??) MV's ...but what do you think about using them at say 26/2700 MV's for impacts on game at 100 to 300 yards....will those 150gr LRAB's stay together in that scenario? or do they need to be used only for practice bullets on paper?? They must not be selling well, as they are always listed in SPS at a closeout price.

Right now I'm planning on relegating my 7x57 (or a 7-08) to 140gr's as a max weight to keep the MV's as high as possible to be able to shoot flatter MPBR's @ 300 yards w/200 yard Zero's.

Most of the 7mm bullets I picked up in that deal, other than the 2 box's of 150gr LRAB's, are Hrn'dy 154gr IB's and some Speer 160gr SP's, along with 3 box's of Hrn'dy 139gr SST's - that I'm also a little concerned about on game w/MV's highr than 2700 up close - and use the 139gr Hrn'dy SP's as the DoAll everyday game bullet at whatever speeds shoot best.
Your thoughts?
Ron

I've been using the Nosler partition for over 45 years and IMO it is the best hunting bullet ever made. The accubond performs nearly identically IME, and often times it is easier to load for. There's a good reason every bullet maker compares tries to emulate a partition.

My least favorite hunting bullets are the VLDH, SST, and original Barnes X.

Redchevy approves this message.

Darn straight and ill say so myself just so its clear

You know I have read this forum a lot. I have been a member since '04 and read since this forum was here. I cant recall a complaint about the effectiveness/performance of a partition on game, and that is a very small list of bullets I can say that about. If you want to punch paper or shoot steel at 1000 yards you got no business shooting them. If your going hunting... which correct me if I'm wrong, is what this post was about I don't think you could do much better.

I hunt mainly with the Berger VLD. I take no issue with the loss of a little shoulder meat.
My freezer is full at the end of every season. What I want is dead right then and there.
I have had a few run but never more than a few yards. Looking or trailing deer is time better spent cleaning my kill or drinking beer. I have loaded and killed animals and loaded for friends and family using the A-Max and Accubond! Both very deadly as well.
And I agree on the Barnes got to get them over 3k FPS to work well. My boss shoots them in his 300 em and another buddy shoots them in his 243. Very effective in both guns

Hornady SST. I shoot them in 243, 300 BO and 308.

Nosler BT or Hornady SST.

Barnes STX

Guys,

please provide some details about what round and shot placement you use with the particular bullets, when reporting good and bad results.

Some bullets work well with one type of shot placement or size of animal and poorly with others. More detail will make the information more useful for others to analyze and evaluate for their own use.

Out of more than 100 animals in recent years, I have killed more with a 175 Sierra Match King from a 308 than all other bullets added together.

Never lost an animal with that combination, and most, but not all, have dropped where they stood.

Had a few make it 30 - 50 yards, but not too often.

It tends to tumble through causing significant damage, but benefits from placement through dense muscle and bone, essentially, the forward third of the deer.

Most of the time, shot placement is to the CNS, but occasionally may need some odd placement depending on the angle and situation.

It is not a particularly good choice for those who prefer heart, lung, or neck shot placement.

For the vast majority, I limit shots to close, inside of 250 yards.

However, a handful have been 250 - 500 yards and for those, shot placement was to the high shoulder.

The longest shot was an Axis walking at 472 yards when I put the LRF down. Shot to the high shoulder and he dropped where he stood.

Next favorite is the Barnes TTSX, and the one that I use most often in most rifles, Tipped Triple Shock, specifically the TTSX version only.

Not a fan of the X or TSX, as they do not open consistently. The TTSX has provided more consistent results.*

* the only animal I have ever lost was with a 260 120 TTSX. Shot a doe facing me head on at 125 - 150 yards. Shot placement was to the low neck, which should have put the bullet just below the spine or lower.

Her rear legs crumbled under her and she went down hard where she stood. Two other men were watching. We walked up to where she should have been, and she had vanished. There was a pool of blood, but then no deer and not a drop anywhere else. We looked for an hour and could not find the deer or even a drop of blood. It was unreal. After that, I dropped down to the 100 gr TTSX and upped the velocity to over 3100 fps. That bullet zaps them like a lazer beam. Longest shot has been 212 and it dropped like a rock. For the TTSX, go with a lighter than usual bullet and push it as fast as will maintain accuracy. Impact speed needs to be at least 2100 fps or greater, more is better.

Have used the TTSX with good results in 243 (80 gr), 260 (100 preferred, 120 works too), 308 (130 and 150), and 300 Win Mag (165).

Partitions are very good too, with most any rifle. Have used them in 243 (100), 260 (100), and 270 (130).

Most everything else seems to work fine too for deer.

Accubonds really have not provided good results on deer for me. They just punch through without much expansion, trauma or anything else. It makes a hole through and through, so the deer do not go far, but never had a DRT with it. They are too heavy of construction for 308 Win velocities on deer, at least in my very limited use of them and I avoid them.

Might have to try the Ballistic Tips again though, they are supposed to have heavier construction now and definitely cause massive damage, but they usually do not exit with 308 velocities.

You might be surprised about the exit. I used 150 NBTs @2850 muzzle for the last two years. Killed a mule deer, mature boar, 2 whitetails, and javelina. All but one of the whitetails were on the shoulders and they all exited. None took a step except the javelina which went about 10 yards. All shots were under 150 yards.

It has been years since I used the BT’s. Been hearing they are much improved. I’ll give them a try again.

Thanks for the feedback Scott.

Very good and interesting thread.

With BTs, slowing them down should enhance penetration and promote exits. MORE velocity causes more rapid and complete expansion which tends to limit penetration.

My favorites to date have to be SSTs and Accubonds. I shoot 129 SSTs out of a 6.5 creedmoor and they are deadly accurate with deadly results. Every animal shot with those bullets have been DRT with complete pass thru (shooting right behind the shoulder or even high shoulder). I shoot accubonds out of my 7-08 and 30-06. Again, very accurate and fantastic energy on game. Most have been DRT with a few only taking a couple of steps. Accubonds have provided great pass thru and blood.

Here is a little clip of the 130 grain NAB in action. This aoudad was estimated at 300 lbs. This is out of a 270 WSM at 370 yards. You can skip to 1:02 for a slow motion look at placement and performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FbMbf34a40&feature=youtu.be

That is an awesome Aoudad, ckat! Did I see the tape measure correctly at 35"? Nice shot BTW.

He was "officially" 34.75x35.75". Thanks, I was blessed to get him. The Accubond did very well. I was impressed!

Nosler BT,accubond,hornady sst, and Sierra game kings.