Need a bullet expert

[Lefty7mmstw]

Have you ever used/compared mono copper bullets (69gr) with flat base 100gr lead cores?

69gr monos will shoot a much flatter trajectory all the way to 500, have about the same wind drift as 100gr lead cores but the time of flight is shorter. So, the combined distance from center is smaller and time of flight is shorter. This means that shot placement is easier and that is job number one.

Sure, they are more expensive but it will save meat and pelt damage and, money wise, you will be ahead.

I have some of the gs custom pills loaded on my 338 win that my brother in law gave me. I use plenty of barnes tsx in my 270 and 375 h@h, but other than that I haven't really bothered. Either standard lead core or bonded lead core is just fine for my purposes and I am relatively cost conscious so I do watch that in what I use.
I didn't catch you were actually referring to the OP, and apologies to all if misconstruing what you said changed the tone of the thread.

 

[Gerard Schultz]

No sweat. I have a thick skin that I put on for forum use.

 

[north of 53]

I shoot a 6mm Remington and started using Hornady A-Max 105 grain. I started using them because my wife has had outstanding results using the 80 grain A-max on deer from 22-250 A.I. ( yes its legal here) That A Max bullet performs very well with fast one shot kills when put in the right spot.
Having said that I really can't disagree with the line of just using a good 100 grain bullet on for deer in in a 6mm/243, the truth is that if you put it in the right spot Deer are just not that hard to kill. If you are under 250 yards you would have to do a few other things wrong before a simple Sierra , Hornady , Spear or other bullet would not get the job done.
I have taken to using the A-max mainly because I like to reach out a little some times and then the better bullet can make a difference. I know the A Max is not designed as a hunting bullet but you will find a few people using for hunting with very good results.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Not sure what the highest weight bullet Nosler offers for the .243 caliber, but I shoot the 110gr Accubonds out of my .257 Wby, and it puts whitetails down like nobody's business.

 

[4bycamper]

That A Max bullet performs very well with fast one shot kills when put in the right spot.
Having said that I really can't disagree with the line of just using a good 100 grain bullet on for deer, the truth is that if you put it in the right spot Deer are just not that hard to kill. If you are under 250 yards you would have to do a few other things wrong before a simple Sierra , Hornady , Spear or other bullet would not get the job done.
I have taken to using the A-max mainly because I like to reach out a little some times and then the better bullet can make a difference. I know the A Max is not designed as a hunting bullet but you will find a few people using for hunting with very good results.

Amen to that.

Smaller deer fall to a center fire .22 for your evidence.

 

[17Fireball]

Have you ever used/compared mono copper bullets (69gr) with flat base 100gr lead cores?

69gr monos will shoot a much flatter trajectory all the way to 500, have about the same wind drift as 100gr lead cores but the time of flight is shorter. So, the combined distance from center is smaller and time of flight is shorter. This means that shot placement is easier and that is job number one.

Sure, they are more expensive but it will save meat and pelt damage and, money wise, you will be ahead.

Can you give me an example of one of these bullets. They sound like something worth looking into.

Not sure who thought I was shooting a deer with a .17 caliber bullet. I don't believe in even .223 for deer. I was referring to a .243 in this post for both deer and coyote. When I am deer only hunting I use a 30.06

 

[snox801]

I my be able to help a little bit. I also love the 243 and multi use it. For all the things you set are the same I use mine for. After a long search I ended up with the hornady95 gr. Superformance and the Winchester ct nosler 95 gr bt just edging out the sst. I can get all shots touching at 100 yards with these, and holds nice groups out to the end of my 400 yard range. Also put down hogs and deer fast well doing a nice job on coyote. Hope this helps.

 

[Gerard Schultz]

17Fireball, if you Google "69gr HV bullets in my 243's with 46gr S365" it will get you more information.

It is true that deer are not difficult to kill and that most any bullet available will get the job done. That is not the most important thing, though. Placing the bullet correctly is the first and most important and that is where the real differences are. Any bullet that makes shot placement easier than another, is the better bullet in my book. If it then does the same or better job when it arrives at the animal, that is a bonus.

A bullet should stand on two premises: 1. Help the shooter to place the shot. 2. Finish what the shooter started by absolutely not failing.

 

[lloydsmale]

might raise some hackles here but here goes anyway. Have you ever tracked a deer shot with a copper bullet for hours because it didnt open up enough? I have a few times. Anymore i wont use a barnes or any other solid copper bullet unless im shooting at least a 30 cal gun. Ive had p## P### luck with 24 and 25 cal barnes bullets on deer sized game even with the 257 wby. I shot about 30 deer a couple years back using barnes in mostly the 2506 and 257wby and sure wasnt impressed. Maybe if i was going after something a bit bigger like elk or moose but in those cases id use at least a 7mm of some sorts and most likely a .30 cal. Nope its cup and core bullets for this guy. they may ruin a lb or two more meat but i dont eat deer ribs anyway. When i shoot a deer i want it dead!

Have you ever used/compared mono copper bullets (69gr) with flat base 100gr lead cores?

69gr monos will shoot a much flatter trajectory all the way to 500, have about the same wind drift as 100gr lead cores but the time of flight is shorter. So, the combined distance from center is smaller and time of flight is shorter. This means that shot placement is easier and that is job number one.

Sure, they are more expensive but it will save meat and pelt damage and, money wise, you will be ahead.

 

[Gerard Schultz]

No hackles, we are exchanging information, after all. I have shot in excess of 1000 head of game and witnessed the shooting of a couple of thousand more. I have come to the conclusion that bullet design has a vast influence on how a bullet will behave when it meets the target, whatever the target may be.

Extreme example: One cannot expect the same behaviour from a solid bullet as what one will get from a match hollow point of the same weight and caliber, even though both are jacketed lead core bullets. There are obvious design differences, although they are made from the same materials.

More realistic example: One cannot get the same behaviour from a match hollow point and a partition style bullet, even when they are both jacketed lead core bullets. Once again, the materials are similar but the designs are different.

Another example: Will a jacketed lead core flat base bullet and a jacketed lead core boattail behave the same over a trajectory to 300? Design differences will ensure they do not.

Why then does the perception exist that all copper monos are the same? Surely design differences can exist between makes, that will result in different external and terminal ballistics.

Just as one should not assume that all jacketed lead core bullets behave in the same manner, so one must not assume that all copper monos behave in the same manner.

Question: How many copper monos are there in 69gr in 6mm/.243" caliber?

 

[Buffalobob]

I have used the Speer 85 grain SPBT on several deer and it is a good bullet for whitetail deer. Expansion is good but not excessive. Accuracy is fine for a moderate range hunting bullet.

 

[17Fireball]

I my be able to help a little bit. I also love the 243 and multi use it. For all the things you set are the same I use mine for. After a long search I ended up with the hornady95 gr. Superformance and the Winchester ct nosler 95 gr bt just edging out the sst. I can get all shots touching at 100 yards with these, and holds nice groups out to the end of my 400 yard range. Also put down hogs and deer fast well doing a nice job on coyote. Hope this helps.

I love that as a deer bullet but I would think it would be pelt unfriendly on a coyote. Can you tell me if you have killed coyotes with it and where hit and what happened to the pelt? I'd appreciate it.

Any idea what bullet Hornady uses in the superperformance?

 

[Outlaw6.0]

I've been shooting the 6mm's for well over a decade, my first rifle was in .243 which took several of my first heads of game. The bullet was the run of the mill cup & core 100 grain soft points. They work just fine.

on the other hand, I will also tell you that I don't use those bullets for game anymore. There was a comment somewhere above stating "wasting money on premium bullets". I will tell you flat out that is some of the purest BS ive ever heard. The bullet is the cheapest part of any hunt, from prairie rats to Moose. Does a high volume shooter need to shoot Barnes or GS? Of course not, but that is a specific scenario. Same as the elk hunter using cup & core. Not a good choice IMHO.

Testing, evaluating & identifying a one size fits all projectile is going to be a challenge. Which is why I shoot 3 different 6mm's from .243 to 6-284, all with different bullets suited for a specific task.

Can it be done? Sure, as most of the posters here prove, but there is ALWAYS a trade off, you have to give this to get that.

I've had great luck with the 87grn V-Max in my 243 for the light stuff up to Antelope. I use the 107 SMK in my 6-284 for the longer range stuff. I was shooting the 85grn Partition in my 6mmAI quite frankly because it shoots in the .3's. After shooting a couple critters with the light Partition at high velocity... I am switching bullets.. think landmine. I intend to use the 80grn Barnes TTSX with the AI at about 3600fps. We'll see how that works out.


If you really want to use the same bullet for everything, I think the 85-95grn area is going to be where you want (the 105 A-Max should be on your test list). I recommend sticking to the heavier end of the spectrum if I were intending to shoot Deer & not worry too much about the varmints. You can predict drop, but drift is a whole 'nother story.


t

 

[lloydsmale]

got to ask why you quit using cup and core 100s. Ive never lost a deer shot with one. On the other hand the .257 80 grain barnes was the worse offender of all the barnes bullet in punching through with very little damage of all the bullets weve tested so far. Even the 100s which didnt do great did a heck of alot better then the 80s. these were shot out of two differnt 2506s and two 257wbys. Use what you want but no more small caliber x bullets for this guy.

I've been shooting the 6mm's for well over a decade, my first rifle was in .243 which took several of my first heads of game. The bullet was the run of the mill cup & core 100 grain soft points. They work just fine.

on the other hand, I will also tell you that I don't use those bullets for game anymore. There was a comment somewhere above stating "wasting money on premium bullets". I will tell you flat out that is some of the purest BS ive ever heard. The bullet is the cheapest part of any hunt, from prairie rats to Moose. Does a high volume shooter need to shoot Barnes or GS? Of course not, but that is a specific scenario. Same as the elk hunter using cup & core. Not a good choice IMHO.

Testing, evaluating & identifying a one size fits all projectile is going to be a challenge. Which is why I shoot 3 different 6mm's from .243 to 6-284, all with different bullets suited for a specific task.

Can it be done? Sure, as most of the posters here prove, but there is ALWAYS a trade off, you have to give this to get that.

I've had great luck with the 87grn V-Max in my 243 for the light stuff up to Antelope. I use the 107 SMK in my 6-284 for the longer range stuff. I was shooting the 85grn Partition in my 6mmAI quite frankly because it shoots in the .3's. After shooting a couple critters with the light Partition at high velocity... I am switching bullets.. think landmine. I intend to use the 80grn Barnes TTSX with the AI at about 3600fps. We'll see how that works out.


If you really want to use the same bullet for everything, I think the 85-95grn area is going to be where you want (the 105 A-Max should be on your test list). I recommend sticking to the heavier end of the spectrum if I were intending to shoot Deer & not worry too much about the varmints. You can predict drop, but drift is a whole 'nother story.


t