Favourite bullets and why?

[ChesterP]

We place so much emphasis on rifles, pet loads and kit that I've often wodered why there's not more in depth discussion on bullets. I thought I'd kick off by naming a few firm favourites in the field and why:

#1 Sierra Gameking 150's in 30 cal. One of the most reliable stoppers I've used, relatively inexpensive and superb accuracy. Never really felt the need to try anything else but will likely be forced over to monolithic either when costs become more reasonable with scale of sales or when forced over;

#2 From the same stable, TMK69's and 77's in .224 (223). One of the most accurate on the range from my rifle resulting in a 2nd in comp with a .218" 100 yd 5 shot group and most devastating vermin control rounds used with explosive stopping power at close range and reliable expansion at longer ranges

#3 Lapua Scenar 139's: they are a marriage made in heaven for the 6.5CM and resulted in my first 3/4moa 1000 yd group from a factory rifle

#4 Sierra 190 Matchkings....ditto for the 308 even at modest velocities regularly printed moa at 1000 for me on the better days!

 

[Foxyboy43]

Yep - very important aspect of rifle shooting. For me bullets of choice are:-
.17 - 17gns Hornady (despite split cases) - excellent accuracy and lights out for long-range bunnies;
.222 - 50gns Hornady Vmax - very accurate and superb fox round, absolutely devastating wound channel;
6.5x55 SE - Sierra 120 gns Prohunter and 130 Gns Sierra Gamechangers. Very accurate and both are very effective on roe upwards; and
.308 - Sierra 125/150 gns Gamekings - another great round, super accurate and excellent for reds downwards.

 

[Jon P]

Don’t home load so my go to bullets has always been Federal Powershok in .243. 308. 30-06 and 300 win mag. Now having to change over to non toxic for most of my
Deer shooting so trying RWS Green in 308 and 30-06.

 

[phaedra]

Another vote for the 139gr 6.5 Scenar.
I shoot them in two 6.5 Creedmoors, a Tikka Tac A1 and a Bergara BMP.
Both will consistently produce about an 8mm O/D single hole 5 shot group at 100yds if I do my part.

Also the .30 167 Scenar and Nosler 168gr Custom Competition.
Consistently 1/2MOA or better at 100yds in my two 308's, my 300 BLK shoots them around 1MOA which is about as good as it can do with the 16" barrel.

 

[Rory]

1. Hornady .30 150gr Interlock flat base (3031). Brilliant bullets. Great on deer and very accurate too.
2. Sierra .30 175gr Match King. Great and reliable accuracy, love these heavy bullets.

 

[Lancaster]

Berger 52gn FB target, .224 in a .222, most effective and accurate foxing bullet I have ever used, even better than the 52gn A Max that I used to use.
Had a quick scan on my load development spreadsheet and the last 5 batches I have made up had 3 shot test groups after tweaking for bullet and powder batches of around 0.4" edge to edge at 100yds.

 

[Utectok]

Yew tree 114gn 6.5 tlr good for all uk deer and fatal at normal MV to about 450m. Great bc and super sonic at 1k for gong ringing activities. Very hard to load inaccurately

 

[Malxwal]

6.5 123 Amax. Sierra .224 #1390 55gr Gameking HPBT. Both just so easy to tune and excellent terminal effect.

 

[User00040]

Anything with lead in it

 

[Muir]

Cheap ones that kill game.~Muir

 

[Malxwal]

Cheap ones that kill game.~Muir

Becoming a rare species.... Even the old favourite Sierra Gameking softpoints are approaching 50p or more each now (if you can find them).

 

[Acm]

Nosler 165g and 180g partitions in a .30-06. And the 85g in .243 while I had one.
For my first 4 years of stalking I used them exclusively in a tikka blued wood stocked and a Schmidt 8x56.
Simpler, cheaper times.

Now using nosler e tips and no complaints, but not that many deer under my belt with them yet.

 

[Rhodesianjess]

In 243 , for last 30 ISH years, 90 grain Speer SP flat base. Been using them that long that they've changed from PSP to Hot Cor . Now driven by Vit N140, moderately fast,lit by CCI BR primer. Had three rifles in that time, they've all shot well with much the same load. Very nasty on fox, acceptable carcass damage if bodyshot on deer.
223 55 grain PPU, driven by Vit N133,lit by Federal primer. Again not too fast, little carcass damage and again very nasty to fox. Load more for accuracy, not looking forward to having to develop new loads in non toxic but hey-ho, that's the way it's going.

 

[wildfowler.250]

Accubond. Punches clean through with a nice exit and not significant carcass damage.


Unlike the ELDX I’m using in the Swede which are blooming accurate but bruise a lot..

 

[Howzat]

Sierra gamekings .30cal 150g do everything for me in 30-06,from roe to driven boar.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Barnes TTSX used them for so long i don’t even look at any other bullet.

Although the fox has come a close 2nd and after shooting
281 of them and no losses they are a good projectile that do the job.

 

[Heym SR20]

Over the years have used many different bullets and loads. Hornady softpoints, RWS Soft points, ID classics, Cone points and H mantles, Geco soft points, Remington Corelocts etc. Norma Soft points and in various calibres from 243, 25-06, 270 and 7mms. They were all accurate, but depending on shot placement and size of bullet sometimes you got failure to properly penetrate into heart and lungs, or you typically lost a shoulder from mess made by bullet.

About five year I started using the Fox bullet in 7x57 and 7x65r, and more recently the Peregrine VRG3 and VLR4 in 223 and 243. They just work well. Accurate, give good penetration and 1 to 2” good wound channel straight through the beast. And minimal mess beyond that.

Fox bullets are very easy to work up an accurate load. It’s just pour powder into case, seat bullet and they work. Peregrines seem a bit more sensitive to finding a node.

Fox are not sleek bullets and probably not the choice for those wanting to shoot beyond 300m. Peregrines may be better.

For gong bashing I will continue to use cheap solid target bullets by PPU or Sellier & Bellot in the 223 until there is a monolithic alternative, but on any animal its Fox or Peregrine.

 

[trickie]

Berger 130gr for my 6.5 cm, medium load, accurate out to 1000 yards, sadly currently unobtainium, I do have a small stock.

 

[lochty]

PPU 140 grain soft point for my 7mm 08. Think I paid £22 a box for them.....

 

[Smellydog]

Always been a fan of Speer hot core products and TNT range for vermin.
The only time I had a 308 hotcore bullet come apart was on a 10yd red stag's neck from the front. The fragments were under the thick hide at the back of its neck.