The right bullet
- Thread starter Gills
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Yes Sir, We've made just about every bad shot you can think of, they do the same thing every time, It's beautiful
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That's too bad you do not want to use the 195 Berger; that would be a perfect match and would be "my" prime choice. I harvested an elk at 931Y out of my .300 WM with 190 Berger and the 195 Berger would have more authority beyond 1KY.
littlebighorn
Well-Known Member
I had the 195g Bergers shooting great in my 28 Nosler, but I have a premium elk hunt coming up and I started to have nightmares about one blowing up on a big bull. I switched to the 177g Hammer Hunters and they shoot even better. I also sleep well knowing I have the right medicine. I will report how it goes in September.
LOL! Below was taken with 215 Berger traveling at 2850 FPS (MV) out of .300 WSM at 250Y ...
I'm seriously considering switching to monolithics, either Hammers or Badlands. I've shot a decent amount of stuff with Bergers and they've ALWAYS worked but honestly I'm more concerned now about lead fragmentation. The frangible nature of Bergers is what makes them so effective (aside from the fact that they are extremely consistent and easy to load making shot placement reliable) but I purposefully shoot high shoulder and I've found a decent amount of lead particles dispersed throughout a lot of meat. That said the 7mm 190gr LRHT kills like lightening.
In my line of work, I've seen and treated a decent number of people shot by firearms and when you get x-rays of limbs where bullets impact bone, especially with bullets that have a frangible nature, there are dozens, sometimes hundreds, of small pieces of shrapnel dispersed through the wound channel. I don't want to be eating lead and I don't want to be feeding lead to my kids.
Hammers seem to have an excellent reputation, but I haven't shot any. I'm going to try them this fall based upon what seems like unanimous excellent terminal performance.
The Badlands are decent bullets, but I didn't get to test them at distance on animals this past year. I shot 3 deer at ~ 30 yards with the 147gr 7mm. Golf ball size exit. They shot ~ 2/3 MOA, maybe slightly less, at 500 in my 7SS but I didn't try real hard to get "the load". I also watched a video of a guy shoot a moose at 500 yards with the 147…it was toast after the first one but he put a second in for insurance. Both passed right through.
In my line of work, I've seen and treated a decent number of people shot by firearms and when you get x-rays of limbs where bullets impact bone, especially with bullets that have a frangible nature, there are dozens, sometimes hundreds, of small pieces of shrapnel dispersed through the wound channel. I don't want to be eating lead and I don't want to be feeding lead to my kids.
Hammers seem to have an excellent reputation, but I haven't shot any. I'm going to try them this fall based upon what seems like unanimous excellent terminal performance.
The Badlands are decent bullets, but I didn't get to test them at distance on animals this past year. I shot 3 deer at ~ 30 yards with the 147gr 7mm. Golf ball size exit. They shot ~ 2/3 MOA, maybe slightly less, at 500 in my 7SS but I didn't try real hard to get "the load". I also watched a video of a guy shoot a moose at 500 yards with the 147…it was toast after the first one but he put a second in for insurance. Both passed right through.
I will be using Badlands and Cayugas this season.
I don't want to oversimplify this, but a well constructed bullet that groups at the ranges your are comfortable with is the simple answer.
I have shot Nosler AB, swift scirocco, Hornady interlock, and a handful of others.
The Hornady interlock for instance, not sexy, but my 30-06 is a tack driver with it. I tried Nosler AB in the '06, but the interlock beat it to death at the range. If I ever wonder *** during load development my go to is the '06 load at 200 yards. It will tell me if it's me or the load work up. I usually take this combo when I develop a new load just to make sure I am not having a bad day. Heck we all do, just some won't fess up.
Now my 280, AB is the ticket. In a 300 WM, the Nosler partition is fantastic. It varies. And to the next point, this is why reloading is a PITA, always trying to make it a little better…..! **** hobbies….!
The only disappointment I have had was a Speer bullet that made the outgoing side look like it was hit with bird shot. The deer was recovered, but absolutely no exit hole. Just fragments in the opposite rib cage. Never ran that bullet again.
I have shot Nosler AB, swift scirocco, Hornady interlock, and a handful of others.
The Hornady interlock for instance, not sexy, but my 30-06 is a tack driver with it. I tried Nosler AB in the '06, but the interlock beat it to death at the range. If I ever wonder *** during load development my go to is the '06 load at 200 yards. It will tell me if it's me or the load work up. I usually take this combo when I develop a new load just to make sure I am not having a bad day. Heck we all do, just some won't fess up.
Now my 280, AB is the ticket. In a 300 WM, the Nosler partition is fantastic. It varies. And to the next point, this is why reloading is a PITA, always trying to make it a little better…..! **** hobbies….!
The only disappointment I have had was a Speer bullet that made the outgoing side look like it was hit with bird shot. The deer was recovered, but absolutely no exit hole. Just fragments in the opposite rib cage. Never ran that bullet again.
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In my 28 I use the 180 Berger, I've only taken 2 deer it's to much if you hunt for meat. 1 Moose 401 yards half dozen steps and nose dived, 1 elk 327 yards stood for maybe a second and fell. All messed up the vitals. At a 1000 yards I was holding 4 moa for wind and with 28 it was .5 same day shooting 1350 was 2 moa. With my 28 in very strong winds 700 yards and closer I hit a twelve inch target with no wind holds. The farthest I've shot my 28 is 1960 yards first shot hit and 3 out of 5 on a 36" target. Just my examples. I am on my second gun and it's second barrel, it's just too fun to shoot!
The eld-x's in 178 gr do very well on elk. A friend of mine took my 7mm saum on an elk hunt last year double lunged a bull quartering away at 623yds he found the bullet in the opposite shoulder of the hide. For the most part bullet stayed together. A lot of tissue clotting/gelling on the inside.
I have also used them on whitetail out to 800yds most times they don't go any where or just 30yds.
I am looking at cutting edge bullets to try. Every year that crew goes out west for long range hunts and their bullets seem to perform well at distance.
I have also used them on whitetail out to 800yds most times they don't go any where or just 30yds.
I am looking at cutting edge bullets to try. Every year that crew goes out west for long range hunts and their bullets seem to perform well at distance.
