For those of us who aren't able to handload their own ammuntion. What is your favorite over the counter ammo? It could be private labels as well, as long as you bought it. If different caliber's deserve different brands so be it. I tried a search figuring this one would have been done before but couldn't find one.
Posts: 359 | Location: Long Island, New York | Registered: 28 November 2004
I usually start with Federal Premiums, because they load Nosler Partitions in a number of their cartridges. Since I also prefer NPs for my handloads, if the Federal factory ammo shoots well I duplicate the velocity in my handloads so that I'll always have an off-the-shelf alternative if I have an unexpected shortage of handloads.
Posts: 1079 | Location: San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 26 May 2002
I've used Federal ammo with TBBCs in .375H&H many times on moose with no problems. The same goes for Norma TXP (Swift A-frames) in the same calibur. But, I've recently gone over to handloads so I can get exactly what I want.
Erik
Posts: 2662 | Location: Oslo, in the naive land of socialist nepotism and corruption... | Registered: 10 May 2002
Federal is very good. I have also had very good luck with Remington A-Frame ammo out of my .375 H&H and 416 Rem Mag. The A-Frame is very accurate out of my two rifles.
I like Federal and Winchester ammo. I have found the Federal Premium Nosler Partition loads for the .300 Win. and .338 Win. cartridges to be excellent, as well as their Trophy Bonded .375 H&H and .416 Rem. loads.
Winchester's Fail-Safe ammunition has served me extremely well in the .300 Win. Mag. as well as the .375 H&H. The F-S is an awesome bullet if your rifle shoots it well, and Winchester's velocities are right up there where they should be.
I like Federal, they have a good varity and they have Woodleigh softs and solids..They also have Nosler..The Nosler 416 bullet is about the best soft point bullet that I have ever used on Buffalo..Its construction is of the old type with the partition more in the center, but with a much beefed up jacket..It flat works, expands some and penetrates like a solid, leaving you with the front lead blown away and a one inch shank to push through, the end result is a mushroom resembling a Barnes X with a bit less cross section, they kill buffalo with aplomb I will assure you of that...
The above only applies to the 416 caliber...I am not sure about the other calibers on buffalo as they have changed the design on them and I have not tested them, but I'd bet they perform up to snuff as they moved the partition further forward....
Posts: 42226 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
Another vote for Federal. I used 180gr TBBC's in my 300WSm and 300gr Nosler Partitions in my 375 H&H on my pg hunt last May. Great performance from both.
First off, welcome to AR.com. I see it's your first post.
As you can see, great board, with lots of good info & great posters.
Now, to the question, I'll go out on a limb here and recommend Federal.
If I'm not shooting handloads, it is almost always gonna be Federal Premium. Their hunting stuff is loaded with appropriate bullets, their varmint & target stuff is top-notch accuracy-wise. Matter-of-fact, some of it shoots better than my best handloads. (I'd love to get their "formula" for a few different loads....)
I'm also part of the Federal chorus, but this year I bought Rem Core Lokt 140 gr. in 7X57 and they worked just fine on whitetails. Could it be that hitting them in the right place is more important than hitting them with the right load?
Quote: Now, to the question, I'll go out on a limb here and recommend Federal
That's funny.....loved it.....LOL
Personally I haven't bought a factory loaded shell for so long I can't remember when. Having said that, Federal has erased the excuse that I can load premium bullets and can't buy them. They've listened well.
Forty years ago Federal meant "junk".....certainly not the case today.
Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003
Federal Premiums across the board--except for the couple of calibers I shoot that Federal doesn't offer.
The Federal Premium loads I've used with TBBCs, Barnes Xs or Nosler Partitions have been remarkably accurate in all of my rifles and are deadly on game.
I have used Hornady's softs and solids in .458 Lott on cape buffalo and been very happy with them--Federal doesn't load for the Lott, although I wish they would. When I recently contacted them about it, they said they have no plans to offer the Lott, at least not in the near term.
I also have a fairly large stock of the old Hirtenberger ammunition laid up for my .375. I can't find it anywhere anymore. It is also pinpoint accurate and that 272 grain ABC bullet is a great performer on everything from antelope to buffalo.
Posts: 13757 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003
My favorite ammo was when my son and I bought 6600 rounds of 22 Long Rifle...Rem. I think and it is in cheezy boxes of 525 rounds that will break open in an eye blink. It does not kill near as well as the normal CCI Mini Mags that we have always shot but....there WERE 6600 rounds and inexpensive at that. What is so good about that you ask? Wait until you have 3 granddaughters that want to shoot all day along with a couple of thier cousins and the only thing they can say it seems is, "Grampy, can you load this one?" After 4 good days they are now down to about 3,500 to 4,000 rounds. I have such a hickey on my thumb from loading clips. They even let me shoot now and then. Green gourds growing on the ranch that are about the size of a baseball are great targets too! Oh...throw in my vote for Federal Prem. anything.
Posts: 1529 | Location: Texas | Registered: 15 December 2003
I have only shot 7 animals in my life with factory ammmo:
-my first antelope -two deer in college using guns we could sign out and use -two caribou with borrowed guns -two buffalo
I shot the buffalo with Swift A frames/Remington ammo, simply because they were plenty accurate and it is a great bullet. I also handloaded Hornady solids for backups, but only shot one that wasn't needed (both buffalo dropped in their tracks).
Posts: 7581 | Location: Arizona and off grid in CO | Registered: 28 July 2004
Does anyone have experience with Norma Factory Ammo? I know their brass is supposed to be great and they use Barnes Solids and Swift Softs. It must be good stuff. The only place I can find it is through Cabelas. Just wondering if anyone has tried it? Thanks.
Posts: 54 | Location: GA | Registered: 15 July 2004
I seldom shoot anything out of a factory box, but one that I do like is Remington Safari grade, nickel plated brass, with Nosler Partitons in 375 H&H. These cartridges shoot very well in my rifles, and are easy to find in the outback wally world, nere most hunting country! Most of my shooting is in double rifles, and even in my other rifles the loads are vertually all handloads!
Posts: 14634 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: 08 June 2000
I have tested all of the factory ammunition in .375 H&H and .308 Win for various articles. For those calibers I think Federal has the best variety of loads available. Go with the Nosler Partitions, they are great bullets. The more I use them, the more I grok the design.
jim
Posts: 4166 | Location: San Diego, CA USA | Registered: 14 November 2001
I second the Win Fail Safe in both the 300 and 270 gr in the 375. Also like the Federal 180 gr barnes triple shock in '06 and the Federal 130 gr in 270.
I hate to reccomend much from big green but truth is their Safari grade 300 gr SAF in 375 is hard to find fault with. It has worked well on buffalo pigs and nilgai and eland for me. Very accurate in my rifle.
Posts: 1701 | Location: Western NC | Registered: 28 June 2000
Winchester ammo shoots the best in my rifles/shotguns/pistols. For big bores, probably gay-square (would like to try Kynoch, haven't seen them mentioned). Federal, only used it in my shotgun, and in 8 X 57 mauser, winchester beat it out by a smidgen. cast mine for winchester!
Posts: 497 | Location: Illinois | Registered: 27 May 2004
Has to be Federal, used Trophy Bonded Bear Claw in both my 375 H&H and for my Weatherby 300. Extensive practice (over 200 rounds)before our safari this year with these proved this was the ammo to use. Results in the bush, including shots at 300 yards, no feeding problems and 95 to 97% bullet retention. Straight shooting hard hitting.
Posts: 201 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 21 December 2003
Remington's 300 gr. Swift A-Frame load really should be great, but I bought a specific lot of it that gave me some trouble. I experienced a sticky bolt lift with every round I fired during initial tests, so I had to shelve that lot of ammo and run with Winchester and Federal. That particular .375 never showed a sign of indigestion with any other factory load or handload before or since, so I'm certain that was a very hot batch........
I don't reload and don't have any intentions of starting.
I use Federal almost exclusively now but I everything I've ever shot out of my 30-06 groups nothing short of phenomenal. My .338 Win. Mag. is a little more ammunition sensitive but it's BOSS equipped and the Federals (yes even Sierra Game Kings) seem to do a little better than say Winchester Fail Safes.
Posts: 932 | Location: Delaware, USA | Registered: 13 September 2003
After 4 good days they are now down to about 3,500 to 4,000 rounds. I have such a hickey on my thumb from loading clips. They even let me shoot now and then. 
Green gourds growing on the ranch that are about the size of a baseball are great targets too!
