Different bullets for different applications and the impact this has on re-zeroing.....

[Antonyweeks]

Just wanted to see what folks' view on this were: I have a 30-06 and have tried three different rounds theoretically each round for different applications - the RWS Evo for muntjac / roe, the RWS HIT for bigger deer and then I have some of their 180gn H Mantel things for boar (not that I've shot any yet). All group really well but clearly the point of impact on paper is different for each. Do people simply rezero each time they select a round before going out for a specific quarry or is it better to have written down the different points of impact and so place the cross hairs accordingly - slightly the left and an inch up for example? Or forget all the marketing and simply choose one bullet for everything?! Currently my rifle is zeroed for the HIT rounds and I've shot everything from Muntjac to Sika stags with them. However, if a specific bullet is designed for a specific quarry type re-zeroing every time would take up a lot of time and rounds! Just wanted to know how other stalkers deal with this?

 

[Malxwal]

One rifle, one round, different rifles for small or big, but one can pretty much do the others job at a push.

 

[Daddy The Skunk]

Any deer, elk, moose or American pronghorn I can take with the same projectile. The only thing is the projectile must be able to penetrate and hold up on larger game.

 

[McKenzie]

I’ve managed 2 different bullets by having 2 different scopes in mounts & swapping over as required. Worked perfectly with Sako 75 & Optilocks. Much easier to have one rifle/one bullet though.

 

[Stalker1962]

Much easier to have one rifle...

"Beware the man with one gun...."

 

[dunwater]

Pick a load and stick with it, I once had a rifle that would put pretty much anything into a 4“ group at 100 but that was just luck and not something you can count on.

 

[Rhodesianjess]

Personally I only use two centrefire calibres, 223 and 243. Handload so both have much the same trajectory, making holdover much easier to calculate. Makes things a lot easier,from crows at distance to deer in deep undergrowth close up.
People that chop and change never seem to sure of the outcome when out with a rifle, one rifle and load chaps seem to do well.

 

[long_range_rob]

Generally one load per rifle and rezero if changing load. “An inch left and two inches high for this load” is never going to end well when shooting under pressure.

 

[Mungo]

Depends on the gun.

I have a .308 that shoots factory soft point 150gr and home loaded 168gr Eldm to the same poi at 100m, so I switch back and forth depending on what/where I’m shooting. In fact, this gun is so unfussy that I can more or less buy anything and shoot to 200m without worrying. Very useful as a back up gun!

I have a 6.5Creedmoor that I know needs 3 clicks up and 4 clicks left to switch between 140gr Federal Fusion (short range use) and 143gr Hornady eldx (long range use.

And I have a 6.5PRC that only uses one round, since I only use it at long range.

I have tried to avoid fiddling with the rifle set up itself. Once I’ve got a gun shooting the way I want, the absolute last thing I want to do is touch ANYTHING.

 

[Steff]

This is the sort of question that comes over you when you're lying on the sofa instead of being out and about.
Any of your current bullets is perfectly capable of dealing with a regular European wild boar. So take the one which is the most accurate and be done with it.

 

[srvet]

I tend to select my rifle for the day depending on the terrain more than the target species. Open ground gets a heavy barrelled 7 Rem Mag with dialable scope whilst dense woodland a lighter 20 in barreled 308. Most of my rifles are zeroed for one bullet weight/type that I use for whatever steps forth. The only exception is my 6.5x47 that is zeroed with a target load but shoots 1 inch higher with a stalking load with no further adjustment needed which is quite convenient if I need to use that rifle for stalking.

 

[stubear]

I'd stick with the 180gn H Mantel for everything - As I understand it thats pretty similar to the Nosler partition in design so that should cover everything from munty to red to boar with ease.

 

[Woodsmoke]

I decide what I want each rifle to do, then develop a load specifically for that rifle. My .270 fires 130 grain soft-point at around 2700fps (as opposed to 3000 for factory) to allow me to use it on everything from roe to red at sensible ranges with minimal carcass damage. My .308 is a dedicated woodland rifle, so that fires 180 grain round nose at around 2500, again for (mostly) roe and red. And I use factory Sako Gamehead 55 grain in my .223 as I've just not found any home load recipe that betters it for accuracy and practicality. Horses for courses, but to my mind you're better-served with multiple rifles rather than multiple rounds for the same one

 

[Heym SR20]

Firstly H Mantles are a messy bullet. I shot a Roe Doe on a Boar drive with a 7mm 173 gn. No need for a knife. Pretty much the whole front end opened up. Besides in Germany they have pretty much gone Non Toxic.

I am not sure about the Evo Green Bullet as its fragmenting and will leave bits in the carcass even though non toxic.

And that leaves the HIT - I have shot lots of Roe and they have all gone down dead with a nice clean carcass.

And as regards let your rifle tell you. Some will pretty much shoot most loads to same point of aim. Some won’t. And it depends on range. If it’s a couple of inches off at 100 and you are shooting into the boiler room of a reasonable sized deer at sub 100, it’s not going to make any difference, and choice of bullet is more important. You may get lucky in that you will a heavy bullet shoot to point of aim, and then have a light faster long range bullet shoot say 1 and bit high at 100 so gives you a long range option.

But as others have said stick with one bullet for most of your shooting. But if going on a trip for a different type of shooting, use the bullet for the task in hand and rezero, and check the zero.

If you are regularly shooting very different types of beasts then thats the job for two rifles in different calibres. Or if you will be seeing them during the same outing, load for the biggest - or get a combination gun with a large and small calibre rifle barrel.

 

[Heym SR20]

And as a follow up to previous post, most of my german friends were constantly switching between lead free and normal bullets, depending on whether they were shooting on state or private land. Never bother changing zero, but they are typically shooting at 50 yds with 100 yds being a long shot.

 

[caberslash]

"Beware the man with one gun...."

Until it breaks or he runs out of ammunition.

 

[Tim.243]

Just wanted to see what folks' view on this were: I have a 30-06 and have tried three different rounds theoretically each round for different applications - the RWS Evo for muntjac / roe, the RWS HIT for bigger deer and then I have some of their 180gn H Mantel things for boar (not that I've shot any yet). All group really well but clearly the point of impact on paper is different for each. Do people simply rezero each time they select a round before going out for a specific quarry or is it better to have written down the different points of impact and so place the cross hairs accordingly - slightly the left and an inch up for example? Or forget all the marketing and simply choose one bullet for everything?! Currently my rifle is zeroed for the HIT rounds and I've shot everything from Muntjac to Sika stags with them. However, if a specific bullet is designed for a specific quarry type re-zeroing every time would take up a lot of time and rounds! Just wanted to know how other stalkers deal with this?

From what I have learnt outside of shooting it that the more factors you have the more to go wrong....

When I was learning to use 2k paint for cars, Gorge used to say to much paint to many problems...

Floating up concreate Dad would say the more you fiddle with it the water will come to the top...

With the top clay shots they don't fiddle with chokes between stands like people at a charity shoot as the top shots will shoot a full and full all the time as their focus is the stand not changing chokes.

I shoot deer with one type of round in the .243 also (foxes at night) which is a 95gn

The .270 has a 150gn also for deer and foxes...

That way the quarry/back stop has my full attention with only one plate on a stick spinning around.

 

[Antonyweeks]

Thanks for all the replies. I think it's easy when relatively new to stalking to get taken in by tonnes of marketing and "need" for lots of stuff/different bullets ect. Have to say, using the HIT bullets seems to have done the job on everything I've shot so far. I suppose it's personal preference for most folks. H Mantel did group superbly though! Think I'll just stick to the one round. Haven't even got started on reloading which looks really interesting too.....save that for a rainy day!

 

[YoungGun]

Try Barnes ttxs - depending on the bullet weight it should cover everything in the UK. No personal experience on boar, but cannot envisage them being a problem.

 

[Woodsmoke]

think it's easy when relatively new to stalking to get taken in by tonnes of marketing and "need" for lots of stuff/different bullets ect

Be warned now. That doesn't actually stop with experience

I think the best approach for you would be to pick an appropriate bullet for your shooting (stick with the HITs by the sound of it?), and then learn your holdovers, etc for your particular combination