In a hunting load I look at the bullet manufactures recommendations for the game I am hunting. I try the bullets for accuracy if I can not get accuracy then I don�t use them. If the accuracy is there then I make sure it will work in my rifle magazine. If the bullet has to be loaded out to long to work properly and won�t fit in the magazine or has a chance of coming out due to recoil then I try another bullet or bullet weight. When I fine a combo that will fit the magazine and won�t come apart then I fine tune the load as much as possible. I make sure that the speed it up but if it affects the accuracy I drop back as much as necessary. It takes a lot of time reloading and at the range to get a load that I like for each firearm Also to contend with is powder that is temperature sensitive it may work well in the cool weather but not in the heat. Fortunately the manufactures are dealing with extreme powder issue and hopefully it will not be a concern in the near future.



BTW I weigh every powder charge in my rifle and pistol hunting loads. It gives me confidence knowing they are as prepared the best I can make them. It is a confidence builder knowing that they will perform the way I expect them to.

Ok, I'm boared so here goes. I read & talk w/ a lot of shooters who strive for those little tiny groups but don't really seem to care about the velocity & bullet performance. I'm talking hunting loads here, not target loads.
The question for all of you is; when working up a hunting load do you only go for accuracy or do you look for a balance between accuracy/velocity & bullet terminal performance? Please no SMK vs NP blah, blah unless you must. I'm just curious how most of you aproach your hunting loads.

Fred:
If I declare that I have a "Good" load for my rifle then everything you mentioned is inclusive.
Accuracy
Velocity/Good game bullet with a high BC.

Notice I did not same premium, because as I see it they are not always needed.

Cheers.

If I'm loading a "premium" bullet that likes some speed to expand I go for high velocity with acceptable accuracy. If I'm loading a "conventional" bullet I look for a moderate velocity load and dink around trying to find gilt edged accuracy. Once I get to my goal I say "case closed" and load up enough to last a while.
JCN

"an extra 100fps means nothing if the bullet misses the target" .....an old varmiter once told me!
But....and it's a big butt, if you're shooting big game (deer, elk, etc.), missing your point of aim by an inch isn't going to make a big difference. I usually opt for a little more energy,thus I tend to up the speed, and take a 2-3in. group, as most of the game I shoot at are less then 100yds.and an inch either way doesn't matter.
Of course this is just my 2cents!
Besides,...I can't hold a 1 in group, off-hand, out of breath and excited!

All of my loads are hunting loads. Because I am going to be hunting with it, except for my 30-30, I will use a premium bullet. For Deer sized game there is no need for the premiums, unless you are shooting something very fast, then use the premiums. I use premiums on game larger than Deer sized, and realize that is not necessary, I just like the insurance of the better premiums if I get that shot of a lifetime presenting itself. ----- All that said, accuracy is my big thing with all loads. Yep, I like those super small groups, as in one holers. I will work until I achieve them will all my rifles, or not own the rifle long. This is my hobby so do not call me an accuracy freak, because I have time to do it, this is what I enjoy. Those that don't want to shoot that much, so be it, go spend your time with what you enjoy other than shooting. ----- I call the line at 350 yards, the good premium bullet will shoot accurately to that distance, beleave me, all you have to do is put in your time. As for speed, I like it also, and you can achieve both, however if I need to give a little speed, I have no problem with that, as long as the accuracy is there. Good shooting.

I usually go for both and really have yet to be disappointed. I really haven't ever not been able to find a load that gives me the speed I want with the accuracy that I want. If one or the other is suffering greatly I make a change, like switch powders etc. until I find the right combination that gives both. With my 338/378 I specifically try to work up a load that gives the velocity I expect. With the custom barrel, the gun is not finicky about bullets and will shoot almost anything well but if the speed is not up to par for the 29" barrel I switch to a different powder that'll make the most of the longer barrel, otherwise I'm not getting my monies worth out of the longer tube.

I go for accuracy first and foremost. My theory is that you choose the chambering based on the velocity range you need your favorite bullet to operate, then load for accuracy within that cartridge's operating limits. If you need that last few fps, get a bigger cartridge!

Of course, I put a floor on my loading at about 10% below max. If I can't get decent accuracy within that range of top velocity in a cartridge, it's back to the drawing board!

I load 6.5x55,7-08,308 and 30-06. I see no need for premium bullets as I hunt pigs and deer. All guns have shot sub 1", three shot groups. I practice shooting under hunting-type conditions. Tiny groups are not important to me. I try for hunting groups 1-1.5" with my sporters and one inch with my heavy barrels at about factory specs. I've set a personal foot lbs of 1500 at around the maximum range that I will shoot. All these will do that. I personally think that sub moa groups and maximum 'book' fps are way overrated when it comes to field use. my $.02, capt david

I load for accuracy. A hot load that misses does me no good whatsoever. I have a .22-250 and several years of shooting it has convinced me that my prime accuracy occurs at 3600fps with a 52gr. bullet. I can load it up to shoot much faster, but it's hard on the barrel and I'll lose some of my accuracy. The same is true of my .17Remington. Rifle shoots great at 3900fps with 25gr. bullets, less than great at higher velocities. A decent chronograph will let you find the bullet speeds at which your rifle performs optimally. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

This has been the topic at work with several co-workers, and like one says, "I bet the deer don't care how fast the bullet is going, because its still going kill him."

the late Bill Jordan used to say "speed is fine, but accuracy is final" when talking about gunfighting... but I believe it would apply in this situation as well....

Cal, that is an interesting comment on your .22-250. Mine consistently shoots in the mid .3's with 52gr JLK match bullets chrono'ed at an average 3550fps. I've pushed them up to 3700, but the accuracy is not there. I look for accuracy in all my rifles, and with few exceptions find it somewhere below max loads. Now, accuracy requirements are somewhat subjective, and how necessary is a 1, or even a 1/2 MOA big-game rifle? After all aren't most shots well within 300 yards? Most of the elk I've shot were within 100 yards. Picture this: after hunting most of the season you finally spot just the head of an elk at say 130 yards as it lays in its bed in a thick grove of aspen trees. Lets say you are indeed shooting a rifle capable of MOA or less accuracy, and you, the shooter, are capable of maintaining this accuracy, at this range, in the field. It's do-able isn't it? The cow I'm describing never knew what hit her. My 30 cal. and 7mm magnums don't need to squeeze out every last fps to be deadly, but sometimes they do need to be deadly accurate, even at short range.

First, for me, is accuracy...

If two or more loads shoot the same, then I select the one with the higher velocity.

I would say accuracy is most important but, speed and accuracy together is even better.

Most quality rifles will shoot well below moa w/ published max+ loadings. I have just a couple of rifles that don't like the hot loads but, most of my hunting rifles will shoot .5"-.75" @ 100 yd. w/ the hot loads.

It's just personal preference, just go w/ what you feel the most confident w/ while afield.

I am a firm believer in "Faster Velocity = Faster Death." I think we can all logically say that faster vel. produce more internal damage.

I have dropped big whitetail bucks w/ a 30-30 win but, I have also put some rounds right through the boiler on some and had to trail them for over a hundred yards.

I have never had a deer run far when shot at magnum velocities. Most of the time they drop at impact when shot w/ the magnums.

Good Luck!

Reloader

Thanks for the input guys. The reason I ask is I've had great accuracy (3/4MOA) from say my son's 06: 180grSGK @ 2650fps. Same rifle w/ 180grNPs @ 2750fps comes in just over 1MOA. I settled on this load as his elk/deer combo. load. To me, a better bullet @ a bit higher vel. at the loss of 1/4MOA is worth the trade. If I were shooting prairie deer or antelope only, maybe I would switch over to the SGK but in the field I'm not sure the small accuracy advantage is that important.

I've got an idea. This is an off shoot of how I practice hunting conditions. 1st, take one small sand bag and place it on your shooting bench or the front of your truck. Step back 15' with gun on safety and bullets in magazine. Have someone time you. You have 20 seconds to walk to the 'bag', set up and shoot three times. I'll bet your groups with both loads will be indistinguishable and well over 1.5". Next try the same thing, standing, using shooting sticks. If your like me the groups will be way over 2". It's nice to shoot small groups from the bench, but in the field they really mean very little. My $.02 capt david

Philosophically, this is an interesting question, sort-of the Holy Grail of Reloading. Many of us I would surmise have hunting loads that shoot "well" and yield good velocity, but may not be our "target" loads that we attempt to impress our friends with.

Hunting however is too broad a topic for a simple answer here, of course. Simply put, if your game is big, close, and slow, your accuracy requirement would differ from someone shooting PDs across a distant Lubbock pasture. Sometimes you get lucky and the bullet you want to use performs great and yields terrific accuracy.

I suppose, since most of our shots are less than 300 yards, and most of those way less, I tend to go for accuracy in deference to velocity, within reason. But I love to experiment...