How to Choose a Hunting Bullet (The 3 Main Types)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
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Hunting bullet selection is more important than the cartridge, rifle or scope! The bullet is our direct connection between hunter and game. There are many different hunting bullet designs and they all work in different ways. All the choices can be bewildering. How do you select one wisely?
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Barnes ttsx and Nosler etips are all I use for mule deer, elk and pronghorn. Mono metals bullets are the jam. Don’t want lead in my meat or left for the vultures. I use a 338 win mag with different grain projectiles. Hand loads are customizable for each species. 160gr up to 265gr depending an game
Excellent!
My go to is the nosler partitions for over 40 years on everything. No problems 😊
I am very pleased with Swift Scirocco II (bonded) bullets. From 15 yards to 200 yards they hold up and drop whitetail.
A good bonded bullet is a great choice!
Excellent choice.
My Dream: a modern PARTITION with High BC and plastic tip would be perfect. Now I just use federal terminal ascent
Where do you get Terminal Ascent bullets?
@@texpatriot8462 i’m in canada and here it’s easy to get.
@@texpatriot8462 Look in ammo seek
ELD-X give match grade accuracy and are great for paper. However they have very inconsistent terminal effects and should be avoided it the feild. Just my opinion.
So far I like them, but I hear what you're saying. Choice is a great thing!
No truer words spoken. Next year will be my 54th yr in the field. Don't buy into advertising hype. Buy into truth, facts and results.
When it comes to my 6.5cm the ELDX and Berger 130gr VLD hunting have both done excellent on game.
This past year and this year I’m using my .308win last year I used a 180gr interlock flat base, they did the job well. However I noticed a big difference in internal damage and distance the game ran between my 6.5mm kills. This year I’m using a 165gr interlock. Next year I’m hoping to try the CX bullets
Winchester Power Points have been working for me for decades
Always had massive core jacket separation from 150gr cup and core bullets from my 30-06 within 100yds. I shoot shoulders and have anchored most of my deer even 200lb bucks but hardly ever get an exit wound. Not saying im right lol and as i learn about ballistics the more im leaning to switching to bonded bullets.
Bonded bullets tend to hold together well, but still might hang up under the off-side hide and fail to exit. I've had that happen with them. But they do hold together well and typically expand well too. Best of luck this season!
Another great video Guy
I did have a bullet come apart at short range on a Mule Deer Buck. At that point, I switched to the high quality bonded with no problems. Now I am starting to add the all copper to the mix. Thanks for the video! It is very much in line with my experience.
I have had good luck with Barnes TSX.
@@winstonjones7519 me too, and TTSX, LRX
You are a very smart astute hunter. Great choices.
I found that the mono metal bullet I use (Peregrine Bullets' VLR4 and Glider) gives 100 - 200 ft/sec better velocity at the same pressure levels of an identical weight lead core bullet. I got the 134gr VLR4 up t 3230 ft/sec out of my 26" 30-06. Loaded it down to 2900 and successfully hunted blesbok up to 250 yards. They pass clean through with less meat damage. I do prefer the softest lead core bullets with violent and rapid expansion for headshots for maximum margin, but the VLR4's headshot performance is nothing to scoff at. The Peregrine Glider which is a mono metal match bullet either pencils right through or tumble violently but they are not a hunting bullet.
I've heard from others that Peregrine makes a mighty fine hunting bullet. Thanks for the report!
@@guyminer3168 You won't regret it. I have shot them in three different rifles now. They are easy to tune as well. In my .308 I get .25 MOA accuracy all day. If you struggle ask for my help.
I'd loaded some 120gr hollowpoints for my 7RM, thought it'd be a good bullet for WT, had one in on top, saw a moose, about 175 yds, forgot that little detail, shot it, hit a rib, deflected up to spine, dropped it on the spot, but, did need a second shot to kill it. Only 4 times I've shot big game with a cup & core, other times were factory loads, RWS DK and a Hornady interlock, everything else has been a Partition. Was impressed with the DK, not with the interlock. I have monometals on hand, one gun I have will be using them as it has to, oddball cartridge and gun, have to match factory ammo on it. I started reloading to be able to use Partitions, 44 yrs ago, they have not let me down, 7RM, 338Win, 7-08, 6.5CM, I can depend on them to do what needs doing, with the shot parameters I'm looking at, with whatever critter I am looking at. For what Partitions cost vs what a hunt costs, it's cheap insurance.
Wow, glad you got that moose! Seems like you have a lot of hunting experience. Cool.
Wise beyond your years. I concur with 54 years in the field. Happy Hunting.
Had some cup and core come apart out of a 30-30. Didn't penitrate and honestly was super disappointed.
Bummer. What was the range and what was the game shot?
@@guyminer3168 100-125yd decent size bull elk. Was my grampas rifle model 94 win and my first elk.. Would say mabey slightly under gunned. If I where to do it again I'd go to atlest a bonded, or aframe/partition. I feel 30-30 is probably a it slow for mono and I'd like to load more then one bullet at a time.
Jackets stayed in the shoulder.
@@clidester18 - interesting, thank you. I think Barnes makes a mono specifically for the 30-30. Nosler makes a Partition bullet for it. Best of luck to this season's hunts!
Nice Video and useful...
Best copper bullet is the Lapua Naturalis, best bonded is Swift A-Frame.
Agreed 100% 👍
$8K for an Elk?! You can shoot 5 or more Eland in South Africa with that money!
8k is overpriced for elk, but it’s always going to be easier to hunt in country than traveling overseas.
Might as well be plugging a slo-elk 😊
8k is cheap for a fully guided elk hunt with lodging, food, guides, and all that extra stuff. They go up to 20k in CO, WY, and MT on some game ranches. Most of these guys paying these prices aren't hunters, just want the bragging rights. They want to be warm and comfey until its time to pull the trigger, then go back to their cabin while the guides do the rest.
@@echofoxtrotwhiskey1595
“Easier than travelling overseas “???
Are you dreaming. You get a passport get on a plane and the PH will pick you up at the airport. Rent a good rifle from the PH. A friend of mine had a choice of 375 and 300 Win M70’s with Zeiss Diavari scopes with ballistic turrets!!
He shot 14 animals in 10 days.
Including a buff, ( free range), 44” Sable, Zebra, Eland, a Copper Springbok and a White
@@Blair338RUM Go check the price of a flight from the U.S to Africa. And then compare that to driving across the country.
30-06, Ramshot Hunter. 178grn ELD-X. deadly accurate.
That's what I used on my last elk! Worked great.
I wish there were more youtubers putting out real world bullet info rather than parroting talking points promoting tougher and tougher bullets as if animals are starting to wear body armor.
I'm using the thin jacketed eld match at moderate muzzle velocity, getting a much wider operating range than so called "hunting" bullets, and still passing through with lots of blood to follow on a short track job when the animal doesn't drop on the spot.
Cool. Ya, I do most of my hunting with cup and core hunting bullets. I think that's been clear in all my videos. I've used the monolithic bullets some, and the premium or bonded bullets some. Have had great success with Hornady, Berger, Sierra & Nosler cup and core bullets.
😀👍‼️
Good comment about using a lighter weight copper/copper-alloy bullet. It might be useful to explain that copper is less dense than lead (less than 80%), so a 150-grain monolithic bullet is roughly the same physical size as a 180-185 grain cup and core. A 180-grain monolithic copper bullet is very large, about as big as a 225-grain cup and core and may not stabilize in a regular 30-06 or 308 barrel.
Yes, sadly I have used the wrong bullet in a close shot situation and lost a cow elk. I reloaded a 180 gr eldM in a 7 mag with a 40 yrd shot. Knocked her down but she got back up and was gone!
I don’t know what was thinking. You would think that it would keep me humbler. In some ways, it does.
Good to see you Guy.
thats a Match bullet, i know you say they work, but its a Match bullet not intended for hunting. but hey America do what you want i guess
Started with Core Lokt and then went to Nosler Ballistic Tipped. I currently have 3 different factory loads using a monolithic bullet to try as well as a bonded bullet. The goal is to get away form lead and see if my .243 likes the loads and bullets and be able to compare to my known standard. The bonded bullet is in case I cannot find any monolithic factory ammunition and I want something that holds together better as I have young children and I found a small lead fragment in my deer sausage a few months ago. For the 7mm-08 I just bought though, the plan is to go monolithic from the start but I also got a bonded bullet that's readily available to try in it as well. I'd like to hand load but I'm just not sure about having the time. However there's a reason why I'm subscribed to this channel.
Thanks, I really appreciate your knowledge!!
Sierra GK or Speer Hotcor are my favorite cup and core.
many hunters myself included, have switched to all copper bullets, not out of necessity, but by choice. I use the Barnes vortex 62 grain TSX in 556 and have had excellent results out to 200 yards. I have never lost a deer with them and most have dropped immediately. They open rapidly penetrate deep and do tremendous damage along the way. Plus my family isn’t ingesting any lead.
Good stuff Guy!!❤
I load 165g game changers in my 308. Velocity at 2724. Dropped my first white tail with this bullet at 334 yards.
Barnes X U will never be sorry.
That's right.
I have all 3 but use mostely Barnes ttsx
I was hunting in an area with longer shot opportunities and used a 300 win mag with factory 200 grain eldx. Of course the Mule deer popped up at 100 yards and I put one behind the shoulder half way up the lungs . It dropped like it was spined. Once i opened it up it was nothing but shiny lead on the inside and had thrown shrapnel up into the spine taking out a good chunk of the back strap. Pin hole exit. Havent used eldx since.
Dang! Loss of backstrap is no bueno. Quick kill though, gotta give it that. Thanks for the report!
So true.
Excellent choices based on real world results.
I have used mostly Sierra bullets for hunting mule deer and have had reliable performance with my 30-06 rifle. When I chose hunting bullets for my 308 Norma magnum, I chose Speer bonded core bullets, but I have not had any game results with that rifle.
212 grain ELD-X out of a 300 win mag has proven to be a very inconsistent round at all ranges. Killed two moose with them (one at 40 yards another at 300 yards) and had very inconsistent results. I did recover both moose. Unfortunately, I did loose a bear with the same bullet. The bear lived and I have pictures a year later with the impact area and bald spot on the high shoulder. The bear is still roaming the hills to this day. Bullet dynamited on the shoulder and never penetrated. Needless to say, all my 212 gr ELD-X's are now used for subsonic blackout. Won't use or suggest the bullet to anyone.
Have used and still use a lot of Nosler Accubonds with stellar results. Nothing bad to say about he Accubond or Partitions.....both work great and can be handloaded very accurate.
Most of my rifles are now being switched over to Monolithics, Hammer Hunters to be specific, and they are AWESOME. Terminal performance has been outstanding. Accuracy is second to none. Ease of loading fantastic as well. Nothing bad to say about these bullets. As mentioned, mono's like speed. Make sure your barrel twist will stabilize the bullet and you will have great results.
What do you think about the nosler ballistic tip? I have never used them getting ready to do some load development with them in my 270 in 130 threw 150
@@WayneGent-t2l
I'm not a huge fan of hunting with with the ballistic tips due experiences many years ago. As a cup and core, the jacket and lead core would come apart and fragment, causing inconsistent results. Supposedly Nosler has corrected this problem with slightly thicker jackets.....though I'm not convinced that is the case. All that being said....I'm sure they would kill and have killed a lot of North American Big Game.
I do shoot a lot of ballistic tips though. They are identical to the accubond line (length, weight, design (shank / ogive / tip length, etc.) and POI is identical in my 300 wsm and 6.5 creed. They are cheaper than accubonds and at one point were more available. I shoot them at the range and then use my accubonds to hunt with.
If I had to pick the ballistic tip or the Accubond to shoot / hunt with.....it would be the Accubond hands down. Please do not confuse the Accubond with the Accubond LR....which is complete garbage in my book.
@rebel1988yota the eldx seems tk eb thr same issue nosler had but hornady want to slap the higher B.C number on the box
Just like they made the inferior 100 gn interlock 6mm with .405 over the flat base .385 that held together better when it doesn't really matter within 400 yards
please try Hammer bullets and Cutting edge
and McGuire Ballistics
I recommend people watch Mason leathers channel. Just to get an idea of what the different bullets do at 100 yards. He shoots them in a jail block not for accuracy just performance.
iI use hornady match rounds 6.5 140 , 6.5 prc 147 , and 230 atips out of my gun choices. i dad bad experience with copper so im not a fan , not saying they dont work but it was a no go for me
Thank you
Your picture of fired ttsx which i use sometimes showed a wicked sharp edge of xpanded copper. The one dead condor back in 60-s that ca. dept fish/ game acknowledged a COPPER JACKET TORe UP CONDORS GIZZARD KILLING IT. THE MASCOT JACK TRIED BANNING LEAD BULLETS THEN. The ca. fish and game to popular mechanics magazine all figured the incident as a ruse.phony. the jacket was guilty not lead poisening.
Enjoyed it!
Just got a batch of gorilla's 300+ grain solid copper to play with.
What do you think about the nosler BTs never used them. And getting ready to do some load development with them in my 270 win
I used 162 grain hornady a-max in 7mm-08 last season on deer. The performance was lethal but was really messy and no blood from entrance wound. I only found a small shard of copper jacket. I do not recommend even though you’ll find forums talking about how good they are on deer. I bought some eld-x in 162 grain to try this year. They are quite similar to each other although the eld-x is slightly longer and the bullet seating depth is different. I used the same 41 grains of h4350 that I e been using since 2011 for the a-max and adjusted the seating depth until I was getting pretty much the same accuracy. On a good day with a steady rest my ruger m77 Hawkeye will clover leaf at 100 yards. I watched a video a while ago where you guys discussed the eld line and thought I would give it a try. Burgers are my next choice if these disappoint on game. For target the a-max was a great choice. My rifle liked them, for game they mess up perfectly good meat and you’ll never know how much of that round ended up on your table after it disintegrated. You guys make great content! Thanks!
Thanks. I hope the ELD-X works out better for you. Gavin and I have both taken game with it, with good results.
All of my hunting was done 24 years ago in high school. Used the sierra 180gr round nose for everything. Bought 3800 250gr spitzer boat tails for my 338wm january 2009 before i got crippled. Currently trying to learn about new bullets to work up loads for my 6.5cm amd '06. Really imterested in the cx line, but i got 212eldx to try in the '06. Will also get the 165cx.
I can't figure out those folks who shoot a deer with a fragmenting bullet and it falls over dead then they find the bullet that has come apart and they say the bullet failed.
Yup.
All kinds a people/ just like supposedly in a voting booth.
Fool. It's the catastrophic damage they cause. Once you become a better seasoned hunter and harvest enough animals you might better understand. Here's hoping.
I see my truthful comment removed. No worries here. Ignorance is not an excuse. There is a vast amount of knowledge and experience to tap into out there.
Lots of wasted meat produced out there. Listen to truth, real world results not hype. There are excellent choices out there to explore. Happy Hunting
" I man gots to know his limitations" Dirty Harry 2
Just bought a pack of 150 gr CX 30 cal for my 308w but yet to try them, the bullet looks superb..I’m hopping to get 2950 fps
Should be possible. Best of luck with them!
I started switching to non lead shot and bullets where possible a couple of years ago to limit my exposure to lead. After looking at manufacturers web sites i noticed that some monolithic bullets ( Barnes and Nosler ) expand into 4 petals while others (Sako blade and Hornady CX) appear to expand into main 5 petals. Does expanding into 5 petals vs 4 make it easier to expand or harder? if you look at the edge of the petals as cutting surfaces / edges does 5 petals offer more cutting area than 4?
The two main things that you need to consider with hunting ammo is how rapidly and reliably that bullet will expand on impact and whether or not it expands excessively as to reduce penetration.
I'd not lose sleep over 4 vs 5 petals, but if I had to guess the 4 petal might open up more reliably.
Wouod more depend on velocity and how soft the copper is
I have almost exclusively used cup and core bullets, to include several match bullets, to take game. I took one buck with a Nosler acubond at 186 yards and the bullet fragmented so badly on entry that I had to throw away the whole front shoulder. Complete jacket/core separation. The only thing left of the bullet was the copper base on the off side. Been wanting to take game with mono metal bullet but just haven’t been successful yet. Maybe this year.
Colorado parks and wildlife are issuing Less than half the amount of tags from last year. Presumably the wolves will eat the other half of the usual harvest. Not sure I’ll draw this year.
Wow - I've had only great performance from the Accubond, near or far. Best of luck on your tags!
Years ago, I had problems with nosler ballistic tips coming apart at close range.
I know that they've toughened them up. The early ones were pretty soft. Heck in recent years I've even taken elk with them.
@@guyminer3168 good to know. They were very accurate.
Until recently I was using just home grown hard cast with exit holes and no tracking jobs, now venturing into the world of monos and others.
Though the good old fashioned hard cast has kept our freezer full for a very long time.
You use cast for hunting? Do they have to be hollow point? Would flat nose do the job on deer/elk?
Yes I use my cast bullets for hunting, they will expand alittle depending on the tin/antimony content.
I’ve used them on beers,deer, hogs, a bison. They are the original hunting bullet of the 1800’s just harder construction with tin added
@@45-70Guy - yes - they do a fine job, particularly with deep penetration on big game!
I'm a big fan of Hornady interlocks or Sierra gamekings, but I've been looking into TTSXs. I just worry about lack of expansion because most of my shots are at 80 - 120 yards. I've heard that TTSXs don't expand if traveling too fast.
Ah, they've expanded just fine for me. They're a soft copper with a wide hollow point under that tip. We did a video on the TTSX's last year, you should be able to find it on the UR website or on TH-cam.
@@guyminer3168 I will check that out
@@guyminer3168
May not be of help but my .243 hand load is an 80 grain Ttsx @3400 fps from a Tikka Superlite. It has done great so far but haven't extended below 1800 fps. Penetration has been really good and accuracy is excellent for 3 shots (stacks if shooter does their part). The light fluted barrel gets hot quick but still under an inch 5 shot group. I have always used cup and core 100 gr ( Interlocks ) in .243. Farthest whitetail taken with them was 425 yards. Resting off an old wooden fence post. Two steps and down. That old Interlock has been a good bullet in lot's of chambering for a very long time.
@kentuckywindage222 its not even old anymore.
They replaced the flat base 385 b.c with the boat tail. 405 one about 20 years ago
@@WayStedYou
Hornady introduced the Interlock 47 year's ago. I've been around quite a bit longer than that but I still consider it an older bullet design.
Great video
Thanks!
Hay 416 barrert ❤ reloding
Why does Guy whisper? I have to turn up the volume more than other videos.
All of the bullets you have there are great, but I'll put the ole Speer Deep Curl, Hot-Core, Grand Slam, or Fusion (made for Federal) up against any of them. I won't use a BT type bullet on light skinned game such as smaller Whitetail, they just blow up and shed those jackets too easily, excluding the TTSX coppers.
You just named several excellent bullets! Speer makes a fine bullet and the Fusion bullets are impressive for sure!
@@guyminer3168 Been reloading for over two decades, and came from a family of shooters and reloaders. I've leaned heavily on Speer for a lot of applications and I've noticed a lot of folks tend to overlook Speer and focus on the hottest new brands.
Forced to use copper for hunting and hate them, I never use them unless I have to.
Which bullets, cartridge, game and ranges? What's happening that you don't like? Looking for info, thanks!
@@guyminer3168 Well, the E tips couldn't get decent patterns in 270 or 06s. the GMXs went through deer and the one I did find at about 75 yards with 7x57 hardly expanded. Hope it helps. The Horn. TAP in 223 are very accurate though.
@@mikecampell - Thanks! I agree Hornady TAP ammo in 308 and 223 is very accurate. Interesting results. I appreciate your input. Am going to continue to explore the lead-free bullets. I sure got great results from the CX and my 30-06, and have also had good results with the TSX and TTSX from a few different rifles.
Just my opinion, #1 unbeatable performance on target is the partition. #2 I have been impressed with the ELD-X. For copper bullets I've been super impressed with performance in target with the Hammer Hunter. Burgers just blow up target, I will not hunt with them any more. Nosler accubond and accubond long range I've had zero expansion before, on target. So those are out for me.
Interesting, thanks for the report!
I have heard copper bullets want a very clean barrel to give good accuracy.
They need you to start with a clean barrel. Once you've got it fouled with all copper bullets, they don't require any more cleaning than usual, other rounds
The issue comes in if you've been shooting regular cup and core bullets and have the barrel fouled with that, and then try switching to Mono without doing a deep clean.
it's a myth. Been shooting Barnes TSX, TTSX, LRX since they became available, all mixed in with other bullet types while testing. Just returned from the range today testing 3 new rifles, all Tikka T3x, stainless 270 Win, stainless super lite fluted barrel in 308, and a blued Hunter in 30-06. Shot 40 rounds through each. As I've seen for over 20 years, makes no difference. I cleaned all of them to bare metal right out of the box and all got TTSX shot through them first, to get on paper, then started testing groups. Then, on to Federal Swift Scirocco ammo, Hornady ELDX ammo, PPU, Federal blue box power shock, Rem Corelokt, Fiocchi Swift Scirocco, Hornady American Whitetail, then Berger handloads, ballistic tip handloads, then back to Barnes handloads. The TTSX shot extremely well out of the gate, then at the end of the entire testing session. I've never experienced the need for the monolithics needing a clean bore to start. And I've done this many times with a huge variety. I've also done the opposite and started testing Barnes handloads after the bore had been fouled with up to 200 rounds. No difference, able to achieve excellent accuracy with dirty barrels.
It's a Tikka everything I put in my tikka so far shoot expectable