Here are my "go-to" bullets for the cartridges I hunt with:

.270 Winchester - 130 gr. Nosler Partition

.300 Winchester - 180 gr. Nosler Partition Protected Point

.338 Winchester - 250 gr. Nosler Partition

.375 H&H - 300 gr. Trophy Bonded Bearclaw

.416 Remington - 400 gr. Swift A-Frame

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What is your go to bullet when starting a hunting load for medium sized game?

I find that for hunting purposes most of my rifles will shoot normal Hornady Interlocs just fine. If I'm hunting deer, black bear, sheep, or moose they will perform as expected as long as I'm not pushing them much faster than 2900fps.

I spend more time searching when I'm experimenting with the premiums for my light, very fast loads or loads for big tough critters. This tends to be cost and time consuming. I don't bother for deer, ect.

I honestly have not loaded Nosler Btips for myself because they are softer than I want and they only come in 50 counts for more $$ than a box of Ilocs. I've loaded some Speer Hot Cor accurately for a friend's 7mm but have only tried them in my 308 myself without success. Why fix what's not broken.

Hornady Ilocs are my go to bullet when starting a fresh load.

I use Nosler Partitions almost exclusively. I don't really get to kill that many animals a year and they have never failed me. The $4-$5 difference per box is meaningless when you consider the time and effort put in to a hunt. I will say that I'm going to be trying some new Nosler Accubonds in my .270 WSM. My guess is that they will be accurate like a Ballistic tip and perform much like a Partition. I have used Ballistic tips in the past with excellent results. I haven't seen any of the so called "failures" that some people claim happens with them. I've neck shot several dear with B-Tips, completely destroying the spine, and still got a nice quarter sized exit hole !!!



bowhuntr

I use partitions in my 25/06. Excellent results so far and the accuracy is more than exceptable. I soon will be the ownwer of a 270WSM(have one on order) and for a lazer like that I'm going to go straight to the 130 gr. Interbonds. They also come in 100 counts and are not much more expensive than the Ilocs.

For many years, at least 90% of the time, the Nosler Partition bullets in 7mm. .308 and .338. I'll add, however, that in my 7mm(.280 Rem.), the 139 gr. Hornady Interlock bullet is sudden death on Mule deer and antelope.

FWIW. L.W.

Boiler
For Texas goat deer (small) I use Sierra Pro Hunter bullets.
For feral hogs some of which are rather large and tough ,I've used Nosler Partitions for years in 30-06 and recently in 243. They work like a champ every time.
If I was dealing with the game you guys have in BC, I'd use the partitions and not worry about the extra few dollars. The Partitions I've bought in the last few years have been very consistent in length , weight and concentricity. Many years ago they were somewhat erratic IMO. Recent mfg have been very accurate for me.
good luck
Covey16

Nosler partitions or Hornady interlocks, from 243 to 416.I do not use plastic tip bullets on anything larger than 250lbs.animals. I've seen to many not penetrate.Also use barnes,woodlieghs,and others.

Nosler partitions. A bullet for almost anything.

It all depends on what I'm hunting. I hunt more moose than deer in Canada and have been using the Speer Grand Slam for some years now. I also like the Nosler Partition. Between those two bullets I don't much require anything else. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Guess I'll be the odd ball here and go with Sierra Gamekings or ProHunters. Medium sized game I consider to be whitetail. Although I have used Nosler Partitions, I just don't see the need for them on a 150-200lb deer. The cheaper Sierras do wonderfully and are just as accurate.
Now elk or moose would be a different story, and I would probably jump up to the Partitions for that.

For deer, caribou and sheep I use a 180 grain Ballistic Tip out of my .30-06. I think that the people who talk about the B.T. being too frangible have never actually shot them in weights suitable for the game they are hunting. I have shot over 2 dozen of our big-bodied interior mulies (some of which tipped the scale at well over 350 pounds)and have never recovered a bullet as all have been pass-throughs.

I also load up with the Nosler Partitions if the LEH gods have presented me with a moose tag. I have never been disapointed in the Partition. The Hornady Interlock is also a very under-rated bullet and it's accuracy in most rifles is second to none. It too will kill game if used in applications for which it is designed.

A new bullet I have been playing with in my daughters .30-06 is the 180 grain Speer Deep-Shok. It's accuracy so far is close to what I can obtain with a ballistic tip. If it performs as well on game as it does shooting into water-jugs I think it may become a new favorite all-round bullet for me.

Well I'll be an oddball too but I stick with Barnes "X" bullets for everything but varmints. They always penetrate and never fail to expand for me and I've never lost an animal shot with one of them. Rich

Although I lately have used mostly Interbonds and Interlocks,when I have a gun that will not shoot anything else, a Sierra prohunter almost always shoots good groups.

The 139gr Hornady Spire Point is mine. Have used it for 34yrs in Three 7mags that I have had. Even before it was introduced as the Hornady Interlock in 80 or 1981. I have bigger and faster guns with even Premium bullets, but that's my sure shot bullet for Deer and Elk to just grab and go with out any Hesitation of Performance or Accuracy.

I use alot of Hornady bullets for target shooting and experimenting with diff. loads in my rifles, but have yet to take an animal with one. For hunting it's been Barnes X's and a couple other premium bullets.

Another satisfied Nosler Partition user here, and with a preference for their Protected Point bullets if available in the caliber and weight I'm looking for.

I will use Hornady Interlocks for load development if there's a bullet of the same weight as the Partition, but will switch to Partitions for the final hunting load development after I've zeroed in on the powder charge with the Interlocks. I do use Interlocks for lower-velocity hunting loads, like for the .45-70, however.

For big-bore hunting loads I also favor Woodleighs, again the Protected Points if available.

Sierra Rules

Nosler partition 160gr in my 7mm RM, Lapua 55gr sp in .222R

/Niklas


ljungblom@chello.se

To be honest woodleigh's will finish up being my go to bullet in every calibre as quite often there about the same price for us in Aus as speers & hornady's and sierra's often run a bit dearer again.

I used Nosler Partitions exclusively since 1976 for my .300 Win mag. It would do wonders with 180 grain and 200 grain Partitions. I took Deer, Elk, Caribou, and a Brown Bear with no complaints from the bullet end. When I got a .340 Wby for a second Alaska trip I started playing with Barnes bullets both coated and uncoated. They performed well for me and still do in particular rifles. I then started to play with larger stuff, as is .358 STA and .416 Rem and Rigby. On a tip from Ray Atkinson three years ago, I discovered North Fork bullets. ----- Now they are my GO-TO bullets exclusively. Phenominal accuracy for so tough a bullet make them ideal for all types of applications for my type hunting. I hunt Colorado every year with Alaska, Canada, and this year African trips thrown in when possible. I still use the other bullets if a particular rifle will group them satisfactorily, but the North Forks are so good, they are what I pick up first with a new rifle. For Deer sized game shoot anything you desire, unless it is the fast stepping Magnums, then premiums. If it is larger than Deer sized game, for me it is North Forks, without a doubt. Good shooting.

I admit that Partitions are my favourite bullet just cause I can always count on them expanding and retaining optimum wieght at pretty much any velocity that I'll ever be using.



When I start a load for a new rifle or start working on a load for a friend, I start with the Ilocs, as long as it's for medium sized game. I may end up with something differnt as my end result but thats where I start. Most times it ends there too.



For my 25/06 I like 100gr. bullets. They shoot fantastic in my A-Bolt. I will not use anything that is not considered controlled expansion. The deer I hunt up here are comparable to Butterbean. No messing around with Ilocs in my opinion. 100gr. Ballistic tips are comparable to paint balls on a 400lbs muley at those velocities.



Partitions and X's are where I go with my 25. I may try the A-frame but with the T3 270WSM on the way, the 25 will probably become my blacktail tool. She's fun to shoot at the range too. 5 shot MOA with 75gr V-Max.

If I'm in a hurry on load development I always reach for the Nosler Partitions.



I only got burned once - that was my first trip to RSA, where I got the Protected Points (180 gr, .308) by mistake. The didn't open until they hit bone (if then) when shot at 2600 fps from my 308 Win. Made for a lot of tracking.



This was when they first came out, which was why I didn't know to watch out for the difference. They may have changed the recipe by now, but I still would use the NP/PP only for 3000 fps or higher velocities.

Nosler Partition

Nosler Partition up to the 300 Weatherby. Above that, Swift A Frames. If you hold me to one bullet, it would be the Nosler Partition. jorge

I built a 358 Win on a Savave 11 action with 24 inch bbl and am more than happy to pay for Nosler Partitions when hunting. The 2500 fps MV is perfect for this bullet and it kills with authority under a wide variety of conditions and angles.

If I had to face down a griz I would not give a whit whether I had the 358 with this bullet or a 338 Win Mag.

Ever since I started handloading, I have tried to be open-minded as far as bullets go and not being "married" to a single type. In my favorite deer rifle (7mm Rem Mag), I shoot 150gr Nosler ballistic tips. Couldnt ask for better accuracy. Since I try to neck-shoot most closer shots, I havent had the failure that alot of my friends have. The 130gr Barnes XBT is my choice in my 7-30 waters contender. I've only shot a few animals with it (deer and hogs) and havent had a single one of them take a step after pulling the trigger. One bullet that seems to be overlooked is the Speer Grand Slam. In my opinion it is superb. Outstanding accuracy with devastating results from my 270win. But if I had to choose one bullet, I believe i'd have to go with the rest of the guys and vote for the Nosler partition. I've seen very consistant accuracy and great terminal results in every gun that i've seen it fired from.

i usually use sierra bullets for initial workups then switch to a premium bullet. A couple of rifles like the Barnes XLC, and a couple like the Nosler's. I've never gotten that great of accuracy results with the Grand Slams or speers.

Medium game.....Nosler BT's in '06 class cartridges or 'light' magnum loads. I get a lot of lost meat for no quicker kills in full power loads in my 300WSM (with BT's). For anything that required more penetration, (wild pigs comes to mind down here), partitions.

Partitions in my .257 Wby, .300 H&H and .338 WM. For my .416 Rem I've been using 350grn X-Bullets.

I also shoot 250grn roundnose Hornady's in my .338 for practice ammo.

165 gr. 30 cal. Remington bulk bullets, 30-06 or 308.

-.22s - Cheapo TNTs
-.24-thru-.375 - Nosler Partitions. Have been using them more than 40 years and haven't found any animals tough enough to require me to change now.
-over .375. - Barnes-X where available (if made for the diameter being loaded). Kynoch solids for the really big stuff.

AC

I use Nosler bullet's in every hunting caliber I have including the 45-70 and my .454.

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Just my opinion.Jayco.

If I could only have 1 bullet type to use in everything it would be Nosler Partitions.
But Nosler Accubonds are starting to sneak up. I've only shot 1 elk with them so far but they've shot superbly in 6 or 7 different rifles. They were designed to fly like ballistic tips and hit like partitions - so far they seem to.

Noslers, Woodleighs, and Northforks all suit me..but mostly Noslers because they are available locally.

When the chips are down, I "go to" the TBBC.

Speer Hotcor's and Hornady interloks for me. If I hunted anything bigger than elk or moose I'd go partitions.

love the tbbc's they have always worked for me at hyper speeds and penetration

For my .308 it's Barnes XLCs in either 130gr (deer) or 168gr. (elk, some day). For my 45-70 guide gun it's Remngton 405gr. JSPs. I will probably switch to Hornady 350gr.s for the majority of hunting though.

If I had to pick one bullet it would probably be the Barnes TSX. Just started using it last year and so far I am very impressed.

In the 30+ big game rifles I own and use, I prefer Nosler Partition bullets and I have used many others, including premiums. I use the Noslers from my .243 Win. to my .375s and use Kodiak Bonded Cores and Swift A-Frames in my heavy loaded .45-70s for bear protection.

I also use and respect Hornadys, but, have never shot an Elk or moose with them and I use some Speers in my 9.3x74R drilling. My least favourite bullet was the Winchester Silvertip and I would never again use these on living animals. Overall, I think that a premium bullet is the best choice for hunting in B.C. and I am starting to use the Partition Gold Moly Free with outstanding results in terms of accuracy.