What's your favorite bullet

[Brian in Montana]

SSTs are largely the same design as the BTSPs. It's a secant ogive shape with the core and jacket mechanically locked together, but the SST has a ballistic tip to cause expansion more rapidly on impact. They're both really good bullets.

 

[mtmuley]

Just a pet peeve, but every plastic tip isn't a "ballistic tip". The Ballistic Tip is a bullet line made by Nosler. mtmuley

 

[10Dogs]

Folks....I have shot about 10 whitetails with Nosler factory loaded Partitions @ 30-06 in 150 grains.
Many of these deer I ended up shooting 2X's, BTW every shot is where I would have bow shot the same deer ( behind the near leg).
Has anyone found these bullets to be "too hard" for whitetails??
2019 we are heading West for Elk = so should I stick with these bullets for that trip??

10Dogs

 

[VikingsGuy]

Just a pet peeve, but every plastic tip isn't a "ballistic tip". The Ballistic Tip is a bullet line made by Nosler. mtmuley

Is it Kleenex or is it facial tissue?

 

[mtmuley]

Is it Kleenex or is it facial tissue?

Hardly the same thing. Gun guys know what a Ballistic Tip is. mtmuley

 

[Conical]

SSTs are largely the same design as the BTSPs. It's a secant ogive shape with the core and jacket mechanically locked together, but the SST has a ballistic tip to cause expansion more rapidly on impact. They're both really good bullets.

Well said, and yes "sst's ( Super Shock Tip) are hornadys version of noslers ballistic tip. The same basic principles.

 

[Brian in Montana]

Is it Kleenex or is it facial tissue?

LOL

I've definitely come to refer to all tipped bullets as ballistic tips. I know better, but just don't ever think about it.

 

[Don Fischer]

Well said, and yes "sst's ( Super Shock Tip) are hornadys version of noslers ballistic tip. The same basic principles.

I think I read where the Hornady plastic tip is actually different than the Nosler Ballistic Tip. Something to do with the SST tip not failing to temp in the air.

 

[mtmuley]

I think I read where the Hornady plastic tip is actually different than the Nosler Ballistic Tip. Something to do with the SST tip not failing to temp in the air.

That's the gimmick of the ELD-X and ELD-M series of Hornady bullets, not the SST. mtmuley

 

[N2TRKYS]

Folks....I have shot about 10 whitetails with Nosler factory loaded Partitions @ 30-06 in 150 grains.
Many of these deer I ended up shooting 2X's, BTW every shot is where I would have bow shot the same deer ( behind the near leg).
Has anyone found these bullets to be "too hard" for whitetails??
2019 we are heading West for Elk = so should I stick with these bullets for that trip??

10Dogs

I haven't found them to be too hard. Heck, I even had good expansion on a coyote with a 160 grain Partition in my 7 SAUM.

If you don't like the performance of the 150s, try some 165 grain Accubonds in your 30-06.

 

[Canuck_76]

If I was told that I could only use one type of bullet for the rest of my life I would choose Nosler Partition without even hesitating.

I'm fond of Accubonds, and really keen to experiment more with the ttsx and e-tip, but it's really hard to argue with this logic. If there could only be one choice, near or far, through game both thick and thin... you can't beat the Partition.

 

[Don Fischer]

That's the gimmick of the ELD-X and ELD-M series of Hornady bullets, not the SST. mtmuley

I've been using Hornady spire point/Interlocks only for hunting for a whole lot of years. You'd think I'd know that! I wondered why Hornady didn't bring out the bonded bullet sooner, I like the idea left over from Speer Hot Core days, Hornady's were a bit more accurate so I went with them. Something I'd really like to see in bullet's is the old Speer Mag Tip, much like the core lock. I remember when Speer brought them out. They showed a photo's of a bullet leaving the barrel and the tip melting off, really liked that idea. I tried a box of Speer 140gr 6.5 bullet's in my 6.5x55 recently and couldn't get them to shoot well at all. Always though the hot core was just about it, but didn't get as good of group's with it over the Hornady except with a 7mm rem Mag. Boy did that thing shoot. It would put those bullet's into 5/8th inch all day long!

Just a though, At this point in my life I find that really modern up to date premium bullet's don't impress me. Over the years I have had just to much good luck with cup and core bullet's. But I thin k that they have made way for the premium bullet's so people can shoot light bullet's at extreme velocity without them breaking up. That and the BC's that serve little good at any normal hunting range.

 

[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...

I've used Hornady Spire point's and Inter locks for about 45 years. Never ever had one fail!

 

[375H&H]

Barnes TSX for my 25.06 and 375. Have shot speer and they broke up a few too many times. Also shot Nosler partitions and they seemed to be erratic in a few of my guns as well as not perform the best. My dad loves the partition in his 300 win mag, but I am a Barnes TSX guy every chance I can get.

 

[James Waggoner]

Love the Partitions and the Value of a Berger or SST.

I've shot quite of a variety of bullets developing loads for my 6mm-06 and found these to be my favorites....
Partitions in 95 and 100 and Berger in 95 Classic Hunter and 105VLD.
If I had to pick just one it would be the Partitions. The best value is the 95grn classic Hunter. I use untrimmed 270 cases on my rifle and trim them to the Max my Chamber will allow, for the long slender VLD Bullets to get the Jump minimized...by the way, I'm not recommending using a longer case to anyone, it is with very careful measuring of my chamber that I do, and my rifle is a falling block single shot that i'm not endanger of crimping long necks like a bolt action would.

IN my 7mm-08 for hunting it's the 120 or 140grn Barnes TTSX...it's the most accurate out of my rifle, and I've tried BT, Partitions, SST and GameKings.
SST is the best Value for me in this caliber. Haven't tried Bergers in 7mm yet.

 

[Don Fischer]

Favorite bullet for hunting? hands down the Hornady bullet's, which one depends on which rifle. Truth be known, I've been using them only for over 40 yrs and never have regretted it. I prefer them over premium bullet's. Something about bullet's though, I believe I could have chose most any brand of bullet and found a load I could be happy with, with few exceptions. I tried Sierra's back in those days. Great varmint bullet's but way to explosive for hunting game. Today's may be better. I tried Nosler partitions in those days, all they made were partitions and not only expensive but accuracy left a lot to be desired by me. Those old partition's seemed to always shear off at the partition, newer one's I understand don't. Speer was bullet of choce for a 7mm mag back then. held together as well as Hornady spire points but a bit more accurate in that rifle. To a young man with an ego, about an 1/8th in better accuracy made a world of difference. I was pretty well settled on Hornady when Nosler came out with the balistic Tip and report's of failure's kept me from trying them. But I did finally in a 243 and I could not get the accuracy with them I got from Hrnady V-Max, by a lot more than 1/8tgh inch!

When i got my 6.5x06 I had decided to go Nosler Partition with it, 140gr. They shot very well in it as did the 125gr Partition but expense kept me practicing with Hornady's 140's. The Hornady 140 and Nosler Partition 140 shot to the same point of impact. But elk season rolled around and no Nosler's loaded up so I used the Hornady. Two shot's at elk with that rifle and two dead elk that never moved. Hornady's are the best depending on your experience with them and how you feel about bullet's. If you think you need a partition, Hornady doesn't make one. If you think you need a monolithic bullet, there are several and I doubt one is any better than the other, they all maintain 100% of their weight as a rule. If bonded is your thing, and I could be swayed in that direction, look for wht shoots best in your rifle and what you have confidence in. Whatever it is it will do it's job if you do your's!

 

[JohnCushman]

I've shot many animals with Federal Fusions out of my various calibers and was always happy with them. They were very accurate, deadly on animals, and an awesome price. On my hunting with Randy I needed to shoot Noslers bullets, so after reading through many threads and talking with friends, I decided to give Accubonds a try. I handloaded them and was very happy with their accuracy in the right load. I shot a deer with a 165 grain AB out of my 30-06 at 265 yards and it was brutal. The buck's legs came right out from under him and he dropped where he stood. There was little damage to any meat. I'm definitely a believer in them and will start loading them for my wife's .308 and my .300 WM and my wife's 7 mag. I load ballistic tips for my 25-06 and they are brutal on antelope.

 

[Biggs300]

300 Win Mag - Nosler Partitions
25-06 - Nosler Accubonds or Sierra GameKings HPBT
9.2x62 - 250 gr. TTSX or 286 gr. NP's

For all my other calibers, (no longer going to be hunting elk) I'm moving to Sierra GameKings where it makes sense. Over the years, I've used them to sight-in rifles and break in rifle barrels because they are inexpensive. Of all the bullets I've tried, they are hands down, the most accurate in most all my rifles and are easy to reload. My brother has used them for years and I am fine with taking a chance with an occasional core separation. If they made a .366 bullet, I would probably use it my 9.3x62.