Continuing on from a previous post ,what are your favourite premium bullets for 30 cal magnums 300 win-300 UM)for game around 100kgs (200lbs) and less (pigs ,goats, small deer etc).
Here are the parameters ,180gn ,good accuraccy and B.C for longer shots. Good weight retention on close up shots (bonded cores?). Good expansion at lower velocities on longer shots. Cost doesnt realy matter. I use 180 barnes for bigger game.
I know its hard to have your cake and eat it ,but which bullets are your favourites? I have always used woodleighs for nearly everything but my 300 weatherby doesnt shoot them well at all.
I,ll get the ball rolling by asking about the Hornady interbond.

In a 300 Mag for any game 100 to 1000 lbs it is hard to beat a 180 Nosler Partition.

I'm finding that the Nosler Accubonds are almost as accurate as the Barnes Triple Shocks. The Accubonds are designed to expand and lose the front part, then the petals fold back to the rear and the bullet continues to penetrate and retain 60-70% of its weight.

The Nosler Partitions are indeed a fine bullet but I have never been able to get good accuracy. The Interbonds you mentioned have accuracy problems from what I've heard.

The Barnes Triple Shocks are very accurate, but there have been reports of insufficient expansion at higher velocities.

JMHO


Without guns we are subjects, with guns we are citizens

Barnes TSX
The most accurate, best penatrating, best weight retention (>98%), and the best killing bullet on the market.
Try The 168gr and 180gr. Find a good load and then forget about it. You can hunt any thing in america and most any African game with that one load. When you do settle on the load. You will be able to spend your time learning how to shoot your rifle and hunting, instead of wasting your time worring about bullets and loads.
I know that the gun writers and many members of this forum who are nothing but armchair Hunters won't like this advice. They prefer cogitating on charts and graphs of loading manules to killing game. Don't worry about them just make a good stalk and put the bullet where it's suposed to go, and there will be meat in the camp that night.

Actually, the GS Custom bullets and Bridger bullets are the most accurate bullets on the market, according to my experience. Both will shoot 3 shots touching at 100 yards and I am not that great of a shot anyway.

500gr
Maby youshould get a little more experince.

The North Fork bullets are at the top of the chart in my scale of best bullets. I have taken them to Colorado, Alberta, Alaska and Africa, you simply cannot beat them. Nosler Partitions were my bullet to beat, now it is the North Forks. "you can shoot anything you pick up, regardless of size, with practice.

I have heard really god things about the barnes TSX though have not moved trying them yet. In part because I have found the Swift Scirocco to be so good for medium sized game. I shoot the 165gr out of my 300 Wby with incredible accuracy and had four one shot kills with it this season on an elk, two mulies and a whitetail.

quote:

Originally posted by 500grains:
Actually, the GS Custom bullets and Bridger bullets are the most accurate bullets on the market, according to my experience. Both will shoot 3 shots touching at 100 yards and I am not that great of a shot anyway.

If when you mean Speer's Grand Slam bullets then you and I have very different experiences with them. I've never been happy with any of the different calibers I've tried.

As to the topic I think that almost any bullet is totally adequate for 200 pound game using a .300 Magnum. If one wants a premium bullet almost any of the bonded bullets or the nosler partitian will be better and more than adequate.

One can split hairs on these offerings but IMO the Swift A-Frames and the Northforks are among the best.

I use only premium 180 gr. bullets in the .300 Win. Mag. for all sizes of game, from dik dik and Coues deer to eland and moose. I don't think it matters that much as to exact make, just as long as it's a true premium bullet that won't blow up. My current rifle shoots 180 gr. Nosler Partitions better than anything else, so that's what I use at the present.

AD

I,m already using the Barnes TSX and found it to be the most accurate so far. The problem is that they dont seem to expand a great amount on smaller game at longer ranges. I was after a bullet which will expand quickly on smaller game. I will try the Hornady interbonds and Balistic tips and see how they go on the smaller stuff. Hopefully they will have the same POI as the Barnes TSX

Vapodog,
GS Customs is a So. African monolithic bullet, has nothing to do with Grand Slams.

I use the 200 gr. and 220 gr. Noslers in my 300 H&H and have for years....but Northforks, Woodleighs, and GS Customs are outstanding bullets and none to them will fail you...

I only use premium bullets in the fast magnums.

OOH Dr B--you sure know how to make friends telling people to get more experience and telling us how many on this forum are cogitaters and arm chair hunters. You will make lots of friends here talking like that!! On second thought you won't make friends ANYWHERE with your attitude.

my experience has been that for deer, (using either a .300 Winnie or 30-06 with 180 grain) if you hit them correctly, (as with any bullet) you don't need a "premium" bullet.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't use premium bullets, or that other people's experience is different. Everybody's experience is different.

I like the regular Sierra Boatail Gameking hunting bullets for deer. Its usually one shot, down they go, no questions asked.

When I here anyone say that a certain, single bullet of specific make is THE "most accurate", etc., bullet on the market, what they're usually saying is that the bullet in question is the most accurate in THEIR RIFLE(S). There are few hard and fast rules in determining a 'most accurate' hunting bullet other than to buy a selection of bullets or ammunition, and then get to work loading and shooting. That'll tell you all you need to know, and it's the only testimony that truly counts.

AD

You did mention High BC so a lot of the ones mentioned already will have to give way to others. My picks are GS Customs (man how I yearn for a US Distributor) Partition and Accubond. Love all three.

quote:

Originally posted by Dr B:
500gr
Maby youshould get a little more experince.

Dr. B,

I know your style is to be an ignorant, abrasive ass. Keep it up.

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:
When I here anyone say that a certain, single bullet of specific make is THE "most accurate", etc., bullet on the market, what they're usually saying is that the bullet in question is the most accurate in THEIR RIFLE(S). There are few hard and fast rules in determining a 'most accurate' hunting bullet other than to buy a selection of bullets or ammunition, and then get to work loading and shooting. That'll tell you all you need to know, and it's the only testimony that truly counts.

AD

AD

Out of 10 different rifles I have loaded at least 3 different types of bullets for in the last year, all of them have shot the TSX best. I have a selection of 21 diffent types of bullets in miscellaneous calibers on the shelf. Maybe I'm prejudiced and give more credence to the belief in the TSX, but if I were going to look for an accurate load, I would start with the TSX.

I would prefer to shoot the Nosler Partition because I like the way it performs on game, but I can't get it to hold a candle to the TSX as far as accuracy is concerned.

And, no, I am not a salesman for Barnes. Although that has to be an easy job nowadays.


Without guns we are subjects, with guns we are citizens

quote:

Vapodog,
GS Customs is a So. African monolithic bullet, has nothing to do with Grand Slams.

Thanks Ray.....

cr500,

Color me old-fashioned.

I use 180 grain Nosler Partitions in my .300 Weatherby Magnum, the accuracy is super and the cartridge as loaded with this bullet has yet to disappoint me or let me down (as long as I've done my bit).

I also loaded Nosler BT's when the rifle was purchased to develop a load and see just how well the barrel would do (Blaser R-93 barrel - it shoots VERY well) but have never used the Nosler BT's in this cartridge on game. If I was forced to have to go to another bullet for the .300 Weatherby right now I'd begin with the .308" Nosler AccuBond.

Woods

You say you would like to use the Partition bullet but don't because it can't compete with the Barns TSX bullet as far as accuracy.

I am wondering how much of a difference in accuracy you are talking about becasue I would think, generally speaking, that even a minute of angle difference wouldn't make that much difference in a hunting situation. I say that because over the years I have taken many deer with rifles that didn't have minute of angle accuracy and still shot better than I could shoot them in a hunting situation!

22wrf has a point -

that difference between the TSX and the partition may look big at the shooting range, but most likely doesn't mean squat out in the field.

i owuld suggest doing some work with the partition. changing the load slightly,, or even the seating depth, could shrink the groups dramatically at the range, which would give you much more confidence in the field.

and confidence is what matters most!

You might want to consider a 165 gr load for the size of game you are hunting. The 180's (especially the bonded ones) dont expand as much as I'd like in whitetails or mule deer. I get more dramatic results on deer sized game with standard 165's BT's or SST's from Hornady. I've never had a problem with penetration on deer (even at 3200 fps). I shot one last year at 30 yards. The SST went through both lungs and out the far shoulder. You can also get a TSX in 168 grain that has a fairly high BC if you want to go that route.

I've had the best luck with FailSafes and A-Frames would be a close second. Just started playing with Sciroccos but haven't shot enough of them to really form an opinion yet.

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:
I use only premium 180 gr. bullets in the .300 Win. Mag. for all sizes of game, from dik dik and Coues deer to eland and moose. I don't think it matters that much as to exact make, just as long as it's a true premium bullet that won't blow up. My current rifle shoots 180 gr. Nosler Partitions better than anything else, so that's what I use at the present.

AD

Ditto, hard to put much better than that......DJ

My 300 Wby. shoots the 180 grain Nosler Partition to well to change right now, and it performs reliably on everything I need it to.
Doug

I happen to like the GS, and yes, I am talking about the Speer Grand Slam. I have shot a lot of whitetails and feral pigs with Grand Slam bullets, and have yet to have one "fail". I have seen them open holes in a pig's neck you could shove a softball through, and have had them cut through deer ribs so cleanly they didn't even shatter the rib bone itself. Looked like it had been cut with a hole saw.
Now, having said that, I DO believe the Speer GS should be limited to medium-sized game. I took a 5X5 bull elk in Idaho in 1997 with a 150-grain GS out of a .270. Did the elk die? Yes, without a doubt. But I was fortunate, got both lungs AND the heart. The bad part was that the bullet broke up inside and didn't come out at all. (We found a 39-grain chunk of lead against the skin on the off side.) I don't classify this as a failure, because the bullet did its job, dispatching the bull cleanly. I WILL say, however, that I prefer an animal to tell me where he went. It is somewhat disconcerting to not find a blood trail, and the big country out west can hide even a big animal extremely easily...
I vote Woodleighs, Trophy Bondeds, or Swift A-Frames for the really big critters...

165 Interbond is my bullet! Jay

Hornady.

Arm chair hunters Dr. B? I think not for the most part, hang around you might learn a thing or two...

I know from your post and that one bullet arguement, your experience is not a heck of a lot or you would know that their are lots of bullets as good and perhaps some better than Barnes X..so save that old BS for some other forum, these guys are the real thing for the most part...

Nosler BTs have been the most accurate hunting bullets I've run across. Sierra BTs are also accurate, but I like the polymer tips.

Nosler Partitions. I have never had a failure or a lost animal using them. So for me, if it ain't broken, don't fix it!

Dr. B: Since we're all a bunch of {sic} armchair experts, suppose you tell us about your vast hunting prowess with the TSX? I happen to like the TSX,so far they've been accurate in three rifles but terrible in another. I've yet to use them for hunting but
There are many here with proven bona-fides tht have had great experience with other bullets. I have limited experience, but I happen to like Partitions, A Frames and Hornadys. So tell us, how did you come to your conclusion that the TSXs are best? jorge

I wanted to stick with 180gn bullets because I would like the bullets for lighter game to hit in same point of impact (or close as possible)to the 180gn Barnes my rifle shoots very well. The TSX will be good for bigger game ,but I wanted a bulet I could slip into the mag and hit in the same spot but expand quickly on smaller game with the same zero. I have bought some Balistic tips and interbonds and will give them a go. I will see how they go on pigs and dingos. My thinking is that the BTs will expand very quickly on smaller stuff. If I,m shooting red deer, African plains game and such I will use the Barnes TSX or interbonds. I will try out the interbonds and BTs on my next pig hunt. After dropping some pigs ,I might set them up for some full length body shots and recover the bullets for inspection.

I have found the TSX to be the most accurate bullets out of my 25-06 and 300rum. This last fall and winter I used the TSX exclusively on 14 deer& 4 hogs. I found that the TSX penetrates through 98% of the game I shot at ranges from 50 to 300yds, but I believe the bullet to be alittle tough for deer. Numerous double lung/heart shot deer ran to far before giving up the ghost. Shoulder shots would drop em on the spot. For deer next season I've loaded accubonds/interbonds and plain old interlocks which worked so well for years. I hope I can get one of the three to shoot as well as the TSX in my rifles.

Stevo

quote:

Originally posted by stevo:
I have found the TSX to be the most accurate bullets out of my 25-06 and 300rum. This last fall and winter I used the TSX exclusively on 14 deer& 4 hogs. I found that the TSX penetrates through 98% of the game I shot at ranges from 50 to 300yds, but I believe the bullet to be alittle tough for deer.
Stevo

DITTO!

This is how this thread started

quote:

Here are the parameters ,180gn ,good accuraccy and B.C for longer shots. Good weight retention on close up shots (bonded cores?). Good expansion at lower velocities on longer shots. Cost doesnt realy matter.

Accuracy
Ballistic Coefficient
Weight retention
Expansion at low velocity
Expansion at high velocity

The TSX's are excellent performers in 4 out of 5

The problem comes in with high velocity (close shots) where the TSX can lose their petals and not cause enough damage.

Several times on these forums accuracy and shot placement have been touted when posters were making their case for using Sierra Match Kings and Nosler Ballistic Tips. I have seen many times where bullet performance was put second behind accuracy. My experience is that the SMK's and NBT's are not as accurate as the TSX's.

quote:

For deer next season I've loaded accubonds/interbonds and plain old interlocks which worked so well for years. I hope I can get one of the three to shoot as well as the TSX in my rifles.

Stevo

Exactly where I'm at but I'm going to try Accubonds and retry Partitions because it seems most of my shots are from 50 to 150 yard anyway. Still want a pass thru for blood trail.


Einstein: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result

Partitions and Accubonds, like a walk in the park.

Roland

As was alreay said several times, it all depends a lot on your rifle, but concerning the Hornady Interbonds, I personally experienced excellent accuracy (consistantly 3/4" or better at 100 yds) with the 154 gr. 7mm offering out of a 7 Rem. Mag. (Savage.) They were absolutely destructive on the whitetail I took with them last fall. Admittedly, the cartridge is a bit much for the small Eastern deer I'm used to, and may have caused a bit too much meat damage. However, both rounds I fired passed through completely, including the finishing shot that struck the spine first and then passed entirely through, and out the bottom of the chest. Just my 2 cents...

quote:

Originally posted by cr500:
I wanted to stick with 180gn bullets because I would like the bullets for lighter game to hit in same point of impact (or close as possible)to the 180gn Barnes my rifle shoots very well. The TSX will be good for bigger game ,but I wanted a bulet I could slip into the mag and hit in the same spot but expand quickly on smaller game with the same zero. I have bought some Balistic tips and interbonds and will give them a go. I will see how they go on pigs and dingos. My thinking is that the BTs will expand very quickly on smaller stuff. If I,m shooting red deer, African plains game and such I will use the Barnes TSX or interbonds. I will try out the interbonds and BTs on my next pig hunt. After dropping some pigs ,I might set them up for some full length body shots and recover the bullets for inspection.

If your rifle shoots 180gr Barns well why do you want to change? It seems the slight benifit you will get will be at a pretty high cost in time spent developing it. Do the Barns really perform that poorly on smaller game? I also think it will be unlikely at 300 mag ranges that you could change between two bullets/loads and not have to re-sight your scope. Just an observation, but even on my middle class budget I'm finding that specialization (one gun, one scope, one load for one purpose) makes life a lot more enjoyable then one rifle with several different loads and scope combinations to do several different tasks. Maybe I'm just less capable of being organized then most.

My do everything load in my 300 Winchester magnum is the 200 grain Speer hotcor spitzer. Sorry it's not a premium bullet but they are way over rated anyway. The Speer bullet works fin on light game at 2900 fps.