I got on a lease that is 800 acres of rough big woods,that the longest shot anywhere at any angle will be about 150 yards,with most in the 30 to 50 range.
I have the Rem Model 7SS 20 inch bbl in 308 with a 2.5-8x36 Leupold.The gun will shoot just about anything you put in it.it will shoot just about any 150 gr bullet to 2950 or so in nice neat little groups.the 165`s do 2775 in just as pretty groups.
I have never shot anything with a roundnose bullet,but am thinking seriously about the 150 Hornady Interlock RN.The deer go about 250 lbs on the hoof and shots could be at any angle.

does the RN bullet give any advantage over SP bullets if you dont get much past 100 yards?

I believe that RN and FN bullets go to work faster. For instance if the bullet is headed for a broadside shot at the lungs and goes between the ribs on the first side there is not much to open up a spitzer. This is just theory but I think there is truth to it.

Of course there is always the requirement to balance the expansion ability with the penetration.

Long ago some rifleman shot the 170 30/30 bullet in 300 Savages for woods hunting. Now they make a 170 Partition.

Before were done here we will have you with a .338 RUM and 250 gr Failsafes if there is such a bullet.

If that what you want to use. They well work just fine. They have a shorter overall length than pointed one means you can shoot them in a slower twist. Round nose bullets are generally thought to be a little tougher then pointed ones of the same weith and make. But I havn't seen the differants in the game I have shot.

99 I got a 300RUM with the 26 inch tube and a 3.5-10X50 Leupold that I normally use,but for this place it wouldnt be quick pointing as the Model 7 and at these ranges I dont think I need a 180 going 3400.

Mr. Big i have a question for you. I too shoot a .308 with a 20"bbl and i can only get like 2800 fps w/ a 150 grain bullet. What powders brass primers are you using. Im loading 45.5 grains of rl-15 w/ fed. brass. Just curious b/c those are impressive velocities from a shorter tube. Thanks.

48 grs RL 15. and 47 grs Imr 4895,Norma brass and the Fed GM primer. both loads are .5 grs over the Hornady manual.

I have the 700 VSSF with a 26 incher and it doesnt do but about 50 fps faster with the identical loads.I either got a fast 20 or a slow 26.

[ 04-01-2003, 07:06: Message edited by: mr.big ]

mr.big
A mod 7 in 308 will be perfect for that type of hunting. I have used one quite a bit. I too believe that a round nose or flat nose SP tends to have more "thump" than pointed bullets. Based on my results on deer and pigs with my 450/400 and my 9.3x74R you might try this. Get some www.hawkbullets.com in the .035jkt in 180gr. round point. Drive them about 2300 to 2400 fps. Every deer and pig I have hit with these bullets has gone straight down. They mushroom BIG and give good penetration. The heavier bullet has more lead and will make a bigger mushroom.
If you really want the "Hammer of Thor" try the 200gr. at the same velocity.

Those Hawk bullets look like real performers. Might get some for my 45 Colt Carbine. I'm loading 300gr XTPs now but might change in preference to the .452x300x.025 bullets there.

Ruger#1

[ 04-01-2003, 12:37: Message edited by: Ruger#1 ]

would a 180 expanded to over an inch drive 2 feet through if the impact was around 2200 fps.if the shot is straight away on a monster it would be hard to pass up.

looks like a heck of a bullet.my RUM might like those 180 spitzers.

[ 04-01-2003, 15:53: Message edited by: mr.big ]

I have had excellent results on large mule deer with the 180 gr. Sierra round nose from a 20" barrelled Remington 660. I forget the load data as my loading notes were lost when I moved from Nevada to Arizona. IIRC, the powder was a near max load of H-335, but that was about 23 years ago. Now I use a 165 gr. Speer SPFB with W-760 from a Ruger RSI with 18.5" barrel. Longest shot I've had with at one is 250 yards. Killed the deer right dead. The other deer killed with that bullet did not retain the bullet as they passed on through.
Paul B.

Somehow I thought that Hawk bullets had been discussed here and the conclusion was that the core can blow out of the jacket and stick in the barrel. The Hawk design has a open base in the jacket which could result in the force from the burning powder to push the core out.

A friend of mine used to shoot these bullets and now he will not from what I said above. I have a sectioned one here.

Do a seach here on the topic and also at HA and 24HR. One of the topics is titled "Bullets That Blow Up Rifles"

I geuss I may go back to the old standby since there are so many varrying opinions on the HRN.

Anybody have anything bad to say about the 180 Partition at 2550?

180 gr round nose bullets work great on black bear in the bush from a 30-06. I wouldn't mind trying some 220's on bear.

I've used 154gr Horn RN bullets in a 7-08 model 7 w/18" barrel for the past two years around here. I haven't driven any over the Chrony but I seriously doubt they are doing any 2900fps. Be that as it may, the end results have been very gratifying however. If the deer was already wounded, I would not hesitate to try a raking shoot with a RN bullet.

mr big I use the 180's out of a 06 on hogs and its work fine,, should work for you also

Ruger#1 ,
What load are you using with that 45 Colt carbine and the 300gr xtp's? Have you killed anything with it?

I went back and checked my records and found where I got 2710 fps with the 180 Hornady FBSP and 50 grs IMR-4350.I had forgotten about even trying that but my records dont lie.that my be the exact load I use.It was point blank to 255 in a 5 inch circle and carried a pretty good whallop for that range.

one of them new 673`s in 350 Magnum would sure be nice.

I shoot a lot in very close quarters. Go with bigg slow bullets. Whatever your favourite caliber. You want the animal to buck off its legs and give you a second shot if possible. Slow is good, Trust me!

Mr. Big,
IMHO, todays spitzers are so very reliable that there is little to be gained through the use of round nosed bullets, assuming one has a choice. Quicker upset @ a given velocity is counter to penetration, period. The Nosler is the way to go, from what you describe.

my final answer.

Norma brass,Fed GM primer,50 grs IMR-4350 and the 180 Nosler Partition Protected Point at 2700 fps give or take a few.

I love and use those old round nose bullets in heavy for caliber bullets such as the 320 gr. 9.3, the 250 gr. 8x57, the 300 gr. 375 and they kill as good as anything BUT, I doubt they show any kind of superiority over a modern spitzer, in fact I know they don't...It is mostly another form of nostalgia, of which I am a serious victim......

A note on Hawk bullets, They are without a doubt the worst bullet I have ever used..They blow up, seperate much of the time and show very poor penitration even in the thick jacket designs..I have many on my desk that came apart when bone was struck..I have shot some 20 to 25 animals with them and I will never use another.

Just think about their claim, that they expand to huge size and penitrate like no other or something like that, and go figure, expansion voids penitration to one extent or another...you cannot have it both ways on heavy game. You can compromise.

I will give them one concession and that is they make bullets for many hard to find calibers and they may work well in old lever action and slow velocity calibers like a 45-70 etc...I don't know as I have only used them in 338, 300 H&H, .423 and .418 and 7x57 and without satisfaction on killing power...

I think for ranges out to 300 yards there fine and I like there on gam performance. They also look