I fully understand that every rifle is an "individual and will like certain bullets and powders better than others. But which of the higher priced or premium hunting bullets seem to shoot better in a variety of rifles?? Barnes, Nosler, North Fork, Swift etc...
Posts: 125 | Location: East Texas | Registered: 11 October 2002
I've pretty much given up on the 'X'. I have always been able to get Nosler P's to shoot @ 1MOA or a bit bettter. It's not a MK, but it will do for my style of hunting.
Posts: 7752 | Location: kalif.,usa | Registered: 08 March 2001
I've had exceptional results with the new Barnes Triple shock vs the standard X bullet, This seems to be a theme that has been echoed in a few different places.
Posts: 1546 | Location: NC | Registered: 10 June 2002
For hunting bullets - Noslers or Swifts (the Swifts copper foul more and require more thorough cleaning but are a fantastic bullet ). Winchester / Nosler failsafes for ultra-high velocity. The barnes bullets are tough; but your gun will either shoot them well or very poorly in my experience.
Posts: 230 | Location: Alabama; USA | Registered: 18 May 2003
My most accurate loads, for some reason my rifles like nosler partitions the best. I have used Swifts Woodleigh's Trophy Bonded Bear Claws. All have shot well enough in my rifles. Barnes X well I have just one rifle that will shoot those well enough to hunt with. As for fail safes, my 338 loves them, so when needed they get the nod. Of the general bullets, I had my best results with Hornaday's and Speers. I never liked Boat Tail bullets for my hunting so all I can say is that most of the flat base bullets I ever shot, shot well some so well it will make you wonder about it. In an 6.5 x 55 a 120gr Barnes X yea one of those will all land under a quarter at 200 yards and they leave at just 3000 fps out of a 24 inch barrel. And it works very well on the Deer Carabou and the one moose I shot because he was there at the time. My only complaint about it, is that the rilfe needs a little bit more cleaning time due to copper fouling. Its a hunting load, so I don't shoot a lot of them. Makes a pretty good hammer out of a small bore rifle. As for the powder, well its Reloader 22 and a Federal Match 210 primer. Case is a Winchester Western from a lot of 2000 I bought a few years ago. I found that most rifles will shoot most bullets if the rifle is right to begin with. And at least one very well.
Posts: 1070 | Location: East Haddam, CT | Registered: 16 July 2000
Woodleigh .375 270gn PP for me. In my .375 H&H Sako, my friends Ruger 77 & Win M70 Stainless does not fail to produce .5-.75 inch groups at 100m. They are incredibly well made & consistent.
Nosler Partitions seem to be "hunting accurate" in pretty much every cartridge I've played with them. I like Xs too, but have only one experience - my 6.5 X 55 in which 120 or 140 grain XLCs will both shoot well under an inch. I've got a bunch for my .338 and some coming for a .243, so I'll get to work with them in more rifles soon.
Posts: 3305 | Location: Southern NM USA | Registered: 01 October 2002
I have had the best luck with Partitions. No luck at all with the Barnes x and so so with the Swift Sciroccos. I think maybe the new Nosler Accubond will shoot but haven't given it a good enough test yet.
Posts: 400 | Location: Murfreesboro,TN,USA | Registered: 16 January 2002
I've used NP's so long that they are the standard I use to judge most any PREMIUM bullet. They seem to shoot well enough in most anything. Used the Swift A-Frames a lot as well. they really hold together but I don't think they penetrate as well as a NP as they buckle and round out the tip upon impact. Very good accuracy though. Limited use of Trophy bonded Bearclaws. They shot well enough but never recoverd any from elk. Only tried the .375" though.
I use either Nosler Ballsitic Tips or the various standard flat base Sierra's as my ACCURACY bullets. Those two seem to deliver about as much accuracy as I can DELIVER off a bench.
I've totaly given up on the X bullets. They flat foul too badly for me. Other guys are lucky with them. Not me.
FN in MT
Posts: 950 | Location: Cascade, Montana USA | Registered: 11 June 2000
Off the bench I think Sierra HPBT's and Nosler Bal. Tips are both superb and won't cost you a small fortune. In the field I'm finding the Nosler Partitions are hard to beat. Best wishes.
I find that Nosler Partition bullets have proved to be very accurate in my rifles. In reading this thread it looks like there are other premium bullets that one can use however l have stuck with Partitions. What is the old saying? "if it ain't broke why ..........."
Good luck.
Posts: 104 | Location: Western Canada | Registered: 12 March 2002
I see a repeating theme here, and I have to follow. My Remingtom 770 BDL 7MM STW like the nosler Partitions best, tried the accubonds, Hornady SST and A Max, Sierra GK but went back to the partitions, consistant 1" groups at 100 yards while the best the others did was 1.25"
Posts: 61 | Location: Stockholm, N.J., USA | Registered: 10 May 2003
I don't know that anyone could call the Sierra Pro Hunter or the Game King a premium bullet, but they have been the most accurate hunting bullet I have ever used in my rifles, and their performance on game has been very predictiable. The Nosler B.T. is next when it comes to accuracy. The Partition has given acceptable hunting accuracy, but I have never owned a rifle that shot them as well as the others. Since I hunt with the 260 and the 308, I don't feel I need to shoot any tougher bullet than those three. If I do my job the above bullets will do their job.
While I traditionally have always used the Nosler Partition, I have had great success recently with the Barnes Triple Shocks in a Savage 16 LZ (Lazzeroni Patriot). Consistent 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups.
Posts: 28 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 26 June 2002