What are you favorite LONG RANGE hunting bullets?

03 April 2015, 11:54

Blair 338RUM

25 calibre: I like the 115BT for roos...they are quite amazing. They set up fast even at very long range; but I run them very hot so the velocity is up there. I hit a roo at 1450 and the thing just rolled over dead.

7mm: 168 Berger Hunting or the 162 A-Max which is more frangible.

308: I've only used the 208 A-Max out of a 300 RUM...and 180 Scirocco's

338: I have used the 210 Scirocco in my 338 RUM for shots out to 650. A friend uses the 300 Berger out of a 338 Lapua for roo busting.

03 April 2015, 16:22

7mmfreak

My choices are the same as Blair's except I don't have a .338

03 April 2015, 16:54

matt salm

I've used the 200gr Accubond in the 300 RUM with complete satisfaction out to 1180 yards. Muzzle velocity was 3250 out of a 30" barrel and expansion was excellent on both an elk at 850 and a mule deer at 1180.

04 April 2015, 02:39

Blair 338RUM

That 300 RUM of yours works!

04 April 2015, 08:45

Navaluk

.284 berger 180 grain.

04 April 2015, 11:15

Grenadier

quote:
Especially those you've successfully used to kill big game with at ~750 yds and beyond.

That rules me out!

05 April 2015, 08:42

Ackley Improved User

I’ve been reading Brian Litz lately, and he’s convinced me that when it comes to killing big game at very long range – say 1000 yds +/- 500 yds – that 1) shot placement into the vitals trumps other measures of terminal ballistics, 2) also, all else being equal, a higher impact velocity will be more lethal than a lower impact velocity, and finally 3) that terminal bullet performance is intimately connected to external ballistic performance.

Thus, higher BC bullets at higher impact velocities are best, because they are more inherently accurate at very long range; because, they are more immune to drop and wind deflection and have a longer "dead space", making it easier to hit the vitals at the highest possible velocity.

That being said, it would appear that VLD bullets, such as those provided by Berger hunting bullets and Nosler LR Accubonds, are the bullets of choice. But, this doesn’t mean other bullets won’t work, it’s just that the odds are better with the high BC bullets fired at relatively high velocity.

I'm going with the Berger VLDs and Nosler LR Accubonds.

05 April 2015, 13:30

Blair 338RUM

I've never shot any animal bigger than a roo at ranges over 750 yards. But we do get to shoot a lot of them and the one salient thing I've noticed is that generally they drop to the shot easier than at close range when they are disturbed by the muzzle blast etc. It must be a lack of adrenaline.

High BC bullets kill better? As long as they set up quickly and are frangible. The high BC makes life a lot easier when it comes to doping the wind; this the only tangible advantage I can see.

07 April 2015, 04:53

AnotherAZWriter

quote:
Originally posted by Ackley Improved User:
I’ve been reading Brian Litz lately, and he’s convinced me that when it comes to killing big game at very long range – say 1000 yds +/- 500 yds – that 1) shot placement into the vitals trumps other measures of terminal ballistics, 2) also, all else being equal, a higher impact velocity will be more lethal than a lower impact velocity, and finally 3) that terminal bullet performance is intimately connected to external ballistic performance.

Thus, higher BC bullets at higher impact velocities are best, because they are more inherently accurate at very long range; because, they are more immune to drop and wind deflection and have a longer "dead space", making it easier to hit the vitals at the highest possible velocity.

That being said, it would appear that VLD bullets, such as those provided by Berger hunting bullets and Nosler LR Accubonds, are the bullets of choice. But, this doesn’t mean other bullets won’t work, it’s just that the odds are better with the high BC bullets fired at relatively high velocity.

I'm going with the Berger VLDs and Nosler LR Accubonds.

I have a ton of respect for Brian Litz; he is the most knowledgeable when it comes to ballistics, but I don't think he has shot much game at long range. Frankly, if I were you I would be worried about the bullet holding up at close range as much as it not performing at long range. I once shot a sheep at 15 yards - topped a ridge on a stalk and there he was.

I think Blair's observations are salient; high BC would have nothing to do with terminal ballistics, to say nothing of construction. I might be dead wrong, but one reason the Nosler LR bullets are difficult to get to shoot is the boattail is solid, whereas the Berger is lead. Bullets with more weight forward are more difficult to get to shoot accurately, but the Nosler on paper would seem to offer better terminal ballistics. You need all three: BC, accuracy, and terminal ballistics. IMO, you pick two of the three and compromise on the third.

07 April 2015, 07:48

matt salm

That's pretty much why I've stuck with the 200gr accubond. The BC is more than respectable, and it is a damned good performer on game. Expansion on an elk at 850 that was centered vertically and 6" behind the shoulder provided a 2" exit and a 40 yard blood trail. Terminal performance was very good. On a large mule deer at 1180, I was able to pick the heart out of the cavity with no knife work as the top of it was gone on a broadside shot. I have seen a a couple deer taken with the 7mm Bergers, and while they do work, they're a little explosive for my taste out of the 7 RUM even at extended ranges. That is only my take on it with only a couple examples I was present to witness. I did not see anything wounded, one deer at 750 was shot a second time, but the first one would have done it, the buck was still standing and got another 180 berger....we didn't get much meat off that front half.

07 April 2015, 15:46

Blair 338RUM

quote:
Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
"high BC would have nothing to do with terminal ballistics, to say nothing of construction. I might be dead wrong, but one reason the Nosler LR bullets are difficult to get to shoot is the boattail is solid, whereas the Berger is lead. Bullets with more weight forward are more difficult to get to shoot accurately, but the Nosler on paper would seem to offer better terminal ballistics. You need all three: BC, accuracy, and terminal ballistics. IMO, you pick two of the three and compromise on the third".

Much better expressed than I could; and an interesting point about the solid base on the ABLR and it's effect on accuracy.

If you are fairly certain than your shots will be in excess of 300 yards I would go with the Berger. If you might get closer shots then the ABLR.

Has anyone had any experience with the Barnes LRX? A friend of mine had a 264 WM varminter which loved the 120gr TTSX......they seemed to work well out to ranges of 400-500 yards but he couldn't hit anything much beyond that range, so I can't vouch for them at extreme ranges.......though their construction would lead you to believe that they would be too "hard".

07 April 2015, 23:23

ZekeShikar

quote:
Originally posted by matt salm:
That's pretty much why I've stuck with the 200gr accubond. The BC is more than respectable, and it is a damned good performer on game. Expansion on an elk at 850 that was centered vertically and 6" behind the shoulder provided a 2" exit and a 40 yard blood trail. Terminal performance was very good. On a large mule deer at 1180, I was able to pick the heart out of the cavity with no knife work as the top of it was gone on a broadside shot. I have seen a a couple deer taken with the 7mm Bergers, and while they do work, they're a little explosive for my taste out of the 7 RUM even at extended ranges. That is only my take on it with only a couple examples I was present to witness. I did not see anything wounded, one deer at 750 was shot a second time, but the first one would have done it, the buck was still standing and got another 180 berger....we didn't get much meat off that front half.

EXACTLY WHAT MATT SAID!
Been there, done that.

I'll add that everyone likes to talk about the "long" shot but way more often than not we experience the "short" shot were a bullets of proper construction are appreciated.

There, my 2 cents for free,
Zeke