What's your favorite bullet

[MThuntr]

270 Win = 140gr Partition
7mmRemMag = 160 gr Partition
300WSM = 180gr Partition
7mm-08 = 140gr E-tip
6.5 Creedmoor = 140gr Nosler RDF (target shooting only)
30-30 = 150gr PowerPoints

 

[ddavis83864]

Excellent groups from my Tikka T3x 300 Win Mag using the Barnes Vortex ammo with a 165gr TTSX bullet.

 

[Don Fischer]

For my .270 Weatherby Mag, its the Winchester 140 gr Failsafe. They are not manufactured anymore, a dumb decision by Winchester. I purchased ten boxes when that was announced,so I'm stocked. GJ

If they had been making money on they they would still be making them.

 

[Don Fischer]

I agree. I would actually prefer it not have a very high retention. I want the bullet to dump all of its energy into the animal.

To a point maybe. But a bullet that expend's all it's weight on the hide wounds but doesn't kill much. Then a bullet that expends all it's weight inside the animal, if the animal runs off some, it won't leave a blood trail to follow. And that same bullet hit's good meat and the destruction of meat is greater for no other reason than expending all it's energy in it. We have now an onslaught or magnum cartridges driving bullet's really fast and about the only bullet's I would depend on in one of them is a monolithic type bullet. But I don't shoot magnums anymore. They sure do kill things but not any better than the standard cartridges I use at the range's I;m willing to shoot.

Of course, what you like in a bullet and what your willing to accept is a personal thing.

 

[grandejuan]

If they had been making money on they they would still be making them.

My understanding is QC rejected "to many" bullets so the simpler XP-3 was developed. Win never made them available to handloaders. Now they sell a tipped ACB with lubilox coating in their loaded ammo and CT sells a dated ballistic tip to handloaders. I would think that there is money to be made by Win somewhere but don't count on the corporate bean counters to have that kind of imagination. GJ

 

[Don Fischer]

I can't disagree Redman, both my dad and I have used NAB's for years in .277, .308 and .338 and have yet to have one fail. They are top-shelf balistically. I guess there may be more accurate bullets, and there may be tougher bullets, but I haven't found one that's better at both. It's hard to mess with what works...

Well, I have used Hornady spire points/inter locks for years and have never had one fail! What's that prove? You placed your shot's well!

 

[belly-deep]

We have now an onslaught or magnum cartridges driving bullet's really fast and about the only bullet's I would depend on in one of them is a monolithic type bullet.

Accubonds, Partitions, and some of the Ballistic Tips can all be shot out of magnums just fine.

 

[belly-deep]

My understanding is QC rejected "to many" bullets so the simpler XP-3 was developed. Win never made them available to handloaders. Now they sell a tipped ACB with lubilox coating in their loaded ammo and CT sells a dated ballistic tip to handloaders. I would think that there is money to be made by Win somewhere but don't count on the corporate bean counters to have that kind of imagination. GJ

They never made factory 270 WBY mag????

 

[mtmuley]

Accubonds, Partitions, and some of the Ballistic Tips can all be shot out of magnums just fine.

Second this. mtmuley

 

[grandejuan]

They never made factory 270 WBY mag????

The thread is about favorite bullets, not loaded cartridges. I hand load the Failsafes in the Weatherby and my daughter's .270 Win. GJ

 

[belly-deep]

The thread is about favorite bullets, not loaded cartridges. I hand load the Failsafes in the Weatherby and my daughter's .270 Win. GJ

Now you've got me confused. You said they never offered "them" to handloaders. Were you talking about Failsafes?

 

[grandejuan]

I have 10 boxes of .277, 140 gr Failsafes.which were sold for hand loading. The XP-3 bullet was only sold in factory loads. Win sells a plastic tipped Accubond in factory loads now. Combined Technology sells lubilox coated ballistic tip bullets that is available to handloaders. Sorry for the confusion. The Failsafe was a hollow point made of lubilox coated gilding metal that opened into a 4 point flower that looks like most monometal bullets. It had an enclosed lead core inside of separate aluminum and steel caps enclosed by the gilding metal of the bullet base with an aluminum base cap to prevent loss of the lead core, a very complicated design. GJ

 

[Dougfirtree]

I don't really have a favorite bullet at this point, I've had good experiences with lots of them. However, when I head to Wyoming in a couple of weeks for elk and antelope, I'll be using 160 gr accubonds from my 7mm-08. Not too zippy, but very accurate and I imagine they'll do the job if they hit anything.

 

[Conical]

I was raised hunting with 165 grn hornady btsp's out of my old 30-06. I never knew anything else. I tagged 8 elk and over 10 deer with them. They never let me down, not once. But a few years back i decided to try out the 165 SST's WOW, I've killed two bulls and a buck with the sst's and they are devastating to anything they connect with. Im sold on them for life.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I don't really have a favorite bullet at this point, I've had good experiences with lots of them. However, when I head to Wyoming in a couple of weeks for elk and antelope, I'll be using 160 gr accubonds from my 7mm-08. Not too zippy, but very accurate and I imagine they'll do the job if they hit anything.

Just out of curiosity, not a criticism, why 160gr? Conventional wisdom seems to suggest 140gr are a 7mm08 sweet spot?

 

[Dougfirtree]

Just out of curiosity, not a criticism, why 160gr? Conventional wisdom seems to suggest 140gr are a 7mm08 sweet spot?

I think a 140 would work really well. I guess I just tend to err on the side of heavier, slower bullets for a given caliber, especially when elk are involved. I do put some stock in sectional density and its relationship to penetration (though I think many people overstate it). And, when you match up the 140 and the 160, the 140 does have a flatter trajectory, but it doesn't have much advantage in terms of power. The high BC of the 160 more or less makes up for the slower push.
On a ballistic calculator, at 300 yards (and 7000 ft. elevation), I get:

140 grain: 2373fps 1751fpe
160 grain: 2183fps 1692fpe

And I was pretty generous, giving the 140 2800fps. I think with my 22" barrel I'd be more apt to get 2750 or so.

All that said, I don't think I'd use this load again. The next time I go after elk I'd like to play around with the 145 gr TTSX LR. The numbers on that bullet are really impressive if your rifle likes it pushed fast with RL 17, etc.

No question though, the 140 would be worthy choice. I shoot a 145 grain Speer Hot Cor here at home, for deer.

 

[Don Fischer]

125 grain Slick Trick magnum

A 125gr Slick Trick magnum? What in the world is that?

 

[JohnCushman]

A 125gr Slick Trick magnum? What in the world is that?

A broadhead LOL I'm mostly an archery hunter

 

[gregt9146]

300 WSM 165 Accubond or Barnes 168 TTSX
7MM-08 140 Accubond

 

[Don Fischer]

I was raised hunting with 165 grn hornady btsp's out of my old 30-06. I never knew anything else. I tagged 8 elk and over 10 deer with them. They never let me down, not once. But a few years back i decided to try out the 165 SST's WOW, I've killed two bulls and a buck with the sst's and they are devastating to anything they connect with. Im sold on them for life.

I'm wondering what the difference was in the two?