Preferred hunting ammo?

Pogue

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What do you guys feed your hunting rigs and what kind of results are you getting? (Is your game dropping or are you tracking them? are you wasting meat with a certain type of projectile?)

Thoughts on projectile weight vs speed? I know the subject has been covered on countless forums but I was hoping to hear some CFF feedback.
 
I hunt deer and I like Federal Fusion. Short tracking, good blood trails. The type of bullet that you use depends on what you’re hunting. Deer don’t need overly tough bullets and a bullet that’s too well constructed may not perform like you’d like against a softer target. Meat loss is a product of shot placement. Neck or lung shots will minimize meat loss.

Weight vs speed is a toss up for me too. I’d lean toward speed for smaller framed animals and weight for larger ones.

So for deer-sized game go with cup and core or lightly constructed/bonded bullets like Fusions, CoreLokt, Game Kings, etc. For bear or bigger boned animals I’d lean toward heavier, stronger bullets like Partitions, A-Frames, Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, or Barnes bullets.

Come to think of it, a mid-weight bullet in your chosen caliber in a Partition would pretty much cover all the bases.
 
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About the only thing I hunt with anymore is my S&W 629 in 44 Mag. The load I use is hand loaded using a 185 grain Hornady soft point over a healthy dose of 2400. It achieves right at 1700 fps from the 6" barrel and I've never had a deer go more than 8 to 10 feet before expiring.
What I particularly like about it is the accuracy. Most of my shots are taken between bad breath distance out to 75 yards. It is equipped with a Leupold 2X scope and 1" groups are very easy at 75 yards.
 
I usually shoot core lokt out of my 30-06 and have never lost one. At close range it will blow right thru, and I’ve had them take a leg off before. That happened when hunting with a buddy that didn’t give me a good estimate of shot distance. I carried my 06 when I should have had a shotgun. I wouldn’t shoot any thing with a ballistic tip, a cup and core is all you’ll need for nc size deer. This year I’ll be hunting with my grandpas 3030 with core lokts.
 
Deer hogs and other vermin get nosler accubonds. The 25/06 is a 110 gr and the 308 is 165gr. They work great and are very accurate. I load my own.


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Thats a loaded question for sure.
Depends on distance.
What my gun shoots best.
Accuracy is of utmost importance.
Bullet construction is secondary to accuracy.
I’ve killed them with hard lead solids that don’t deform at all and hyper fast hollow points that explode like grenades.
Depends on distance and that dictates shot placement and that tells me what bullet construction.

Pick a bullet that your gun shoots the best and stick with it.
 
ps ... an excellent bullet in a lever gun, 30/30 or .35 rem, is the Hornady FTX. They load it in there Leverevolution ammo.

I hand load all my deer whacking stuff and this has been an accurate bullet in the above mentioned calibers.
 
For the 30-06 I use Remington 150 g soft points. Not all DRT but if I do my job I see them fall.
44 and 357 mag I have used a variety of hollow points and flat points. Same results.
CF

I'll be going with the 357 mag carbine this year as shoulder is still hurting from surgery. May use a 158 g LSWC this year.
 
I use 110gr accubonds and 120gr SST in my 6.8.

Only the accubond has caused damage to the meat. But we are talking less than a half pound as the 2 does have been heart shots and the buck a lung shot.

I try to minimize shots that are gonna smash through the upper shoulder even if it cost me an extra couple yards of tracking.

Haven’t worked anything up for my 358win
 
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All my rifle deer kills have been with 180 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips. None made it more than ten yards. Good through and through lung shots kept meat loss to negligible amounts.

The cartridge is .30-06 but I found the most accurate powder charge yielded a modest 2,610 fps., also achievable with .308.
 
It was recently pointed out to me that I’m not supposed to be hunting with what I’m using. (Fgmm 168 bthp). It’s the only thing I’ve ever shot through my hunting rifle (5R rem 700 .308) and it loves them. (They certainly do the job, although I’ve had to track a few). Deer, Hogs, and a nice Ram so far.

I’ve read these rifles like the 168-175 grain range, but had noticed some 200+ grain hunting rounds at Cabelas last year and they’re the first things I thought of when my faux-pas was pointed out.
 
It was recently pointed out to me that I’m not supposed to be hunting with what I’m using. (Fgmm 168 bthp). It’s the only thing I’ve ever shot through my hunting rifle (5R rem 700 .308) and it loves them. (They certainly do the job, although I’ve had to track a few). Deer, Hogs, and a nice Ram so far.

I’ve read these rifles like the 168-175 grain range, but had noticed some 200+ grain hunting rounds at Cabelas last year and they’re the first things I thought of when my faux-pas was pointed out.

165gr -175gr bullets in a rifle are plenty big for everything in Nc


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And re-reading though scdnr handbook the only thing I can find about fmj’s is that they’re prohibited on WMA’s, so it looks like I was in the clear to start with. Still going to switch to a legit hunting round this season.
 
It was recently pointed out to me that I’m not supposed to be hunting with what I’m using. (Fgmm 168 bthp). It’s the only thing I’ve ever shot through my hunting rifle (5R rem 700 .308) and it loves them. (They certainly do the job, although I’ve had to track a few). Deer, Hogs, and a nice Ram so far.

I’ve read these rifles like the 168-175 grain range, but had noticed some 200+ grain hunting rounds at Cabelas last year and they’re the first things I thought of when my faux-pas was pointed out.

Match bullets wouldn’t be my first choice for hunting because of differences in construction, but if they work then they work.

And those 200gr bullets are much better suited for a .30-06 or .300WM than your .308. Not that they won’t work, you’ll just lose case capacity. Don’t see many people go past 180gr in .308 and as a previous poster stated, you’re good with lighter bullets than that.
 
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I picked up some steel case plinking ammo. Those damn Ruskies must be like Indians on a blood trail.

IMG_20181007_105006676.jpg

BTW, filthy stuff. Definitely needs cleaning after a session with even a few of these.
 
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I go with big & slow.
325gr Hornady FTX out of a 458 SOCOM.
(100-150 yds max)
Works for deer, coyotes, etc.
No or minimal tracking required.
 
I use 110gr accubonds and 120gr SST in my 6.8.

Only the accubond has caused damage to the meat. But we are talking less than a half pound as the 2 does have been heart shots and the buck a lung shot.

I try to minimize shots that are gonna smash through the upper shoulder even if it cost me an extra couple yards of tracking.

Haven’t worked anything up for my 358win
I hunted with the 120 SST for years with great results for two years until I had one blow up on a shoulder. I would love to keep using them but have gone to the 110 grain Pro Hunters. I hunt a lot of swamps and cutovers where tracking deer is a nightmare even with a good blood trail.
 
I hunted with the 120 SST for years with great results for two years until I had one blow up on a shoulder. I would love to keep using them but have gone to the 110 grain Pro Hunters. I hunt a lot of swamps and cutovers where tracking deer is a nightmare even with a good blood trail.

That’s why I switched to a 110gr accubond. I have seen what your talking about and why I was careful with shot placement just for that reason.

The accubond in mine is stupid accurate, good speed and hits hard. Leave a nice blood trail.

I could never get the prohunters to group decent.
 
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I like Fusion, it's all I shoot in the .30-06, 165gr will kill anything that walks the contiguous US states, and it's very accurate in my A-bolt and my son's Rem 700.

In .243 we have switched it up, and the $12 a box Winchester 100gr PPs seem to do well on deer.

In AR platforms, I like Nosler BTs. They seem like they're accurate with the faster spin rates, and they fly true esp in the .300 blackout out to 175 yards.
 
That’s why I switched to a 110gr accubond. I have seen what your talking about and why I was careful with shot placement just for that reason.

The accubond in mine is stupid accurate, good speed and hits hard. Leave a nice blood trail.

I could never get the prohunters to group decent.
The went with the prohunters is I got a deal on a bunch of the older SSA ammo. They are nowhere near as accurate as the SSTs but shoot minute of deer at 300 yds. Is the accubond offered in a factory load? If so I will give them a try.
 
Rifle
.223 Black Hills 77gr Sierra MatchKing
.270 Win any 130 gr PSP
.308 Win either 150gr PSP or 165 gr BTSP
.30-06 Springfield 150 gr PSP
7x57 139 gr PSP or 175gr RN
8x57 170 or 196 gr PSP
.41 Mag 270 gr WFN

Pistol
.41 Mag 210 gr JHP or 215 gr LSWC
.44 Mag 240 gr LSWC
 
And re-reading though scdnr handbook the only thing I can find about fmj’s is that they’re prohibited on WMA’s, so it looks like I was in the clear to start with. Still going to switch to a legit hunting round this season.

I tried the FGMM last year for accuracy sake, but did not like the jacket separation that resulted in copper jacket fragments in meat. Since I cook for my family, I don't want my daughter to get ahold of something that she doesn't know she's not supposed to eat. They did the job though, as most anything with that amount of power would.

I did wind up switching to the Fiocchi 165gr. Sierra Gamekings. I found that every polymer tip round had such rapid expansion that meat loss was high and I can't always guarantee a perfect through and through to avoid it.

I have recently switched to a Steyr Scout in .308 Win., running a Leupold FX-II extended eye relief scope. Should do well inside of 100 yards in the mountains where I hunt.
 
The went with the prohunters is I got a deal on a bunch of the older SSA ammo. They are nowhere near as accurate as the SSTs but shoot minute of deer at 300 yds. Is the accubond offered in a factory load? If so I will give them a try.

They used to be as SSA used to have them factory loaded. I haven’t bought factory ammo for mine in almost 2 years so idk if they still do or not
 
A lever gun is on my short list. I'm looking at the Winchester 1886 in .45-70.

I’ve got to pick up a lever action or two. Marlin 336 in .30-30 is a necessity and I haven’t decided if I want my big boy to be an 1895 or something in .450 Bushmaster.
 
I’ve got to pick up a lever action or two. Marlin 336 in .30-30 is a necessity and I haven’t decided if I want my big boy to be an 1895 or something in .450 Bushmaster.
I had a 1895 Winchester in .405 Winchester; hate I ever sold it.
 
Teddy Roosevelt called it his “medicine gun” for lions. If it’s good enough for TR in Africa, it’s good enough for me.
Agreed. The main reason I let it go was ammo availability. When ammo started getting scarce, .405 wasn't being produced any more. It eventually came back, but my next big bore will be a .45-70.
 
Has any one used the lever evolution ammo from hornady. I saw some at academy and thought about trying it in my Henry 357, and my marlin 3030 this year.
 
Has any one used the lever evolution ammo from hornady. I saw some at academy and thought about trying it in my Henry 357, and my marlin 3030 this year.

I wouldn't bother with the LE Ammo in .357. Your effect range on deer with that gun is less than 100 yards regardless of trajectory. The .30-30 might benefit from the extra 50 yards.......
 
I wouldn't bother with the LE Ammo in .357. Your effect range on deer with that gun is less than 100 yards regardless of trajectory. The .30-30 might benefit from the extra 50 yards.......

The LEVERevolution bullets push the MPBR (impact +/- 3in from POA) out to 232yds. It’s a pretty cool design that gives a .30-30 more than enough legs for the types of shots most of us should be taking.
 
The LEVERevolution bullets push the MPBR (impact +/- 3in from POA) out to 232yds. It’s a pretty cool design that gives a .30-30 more than enough legs for the types of shots most of us should be taking.
Just because you can doesnt mean you should. We have some LE ammo sitting collecting dust for the .35 rem because i wont let my teenage son take a shot over 150 with it. He has a .30-06 for beanfields...but if you only have one option its a good product.
 
Just because you can doesnt mean you should. We have some LE ammo sitting collecting dust for the .35 rem because i wont let my teenage son take a shot over 150 with it. He has a .30-06 for beanfields...but if you only have one option its a good product.

All I shoot right now is .270, and I certainly wouldn’t take a .30-30 into its world. Just saying that the old girl has longer legs than most give her credit for.
 
Last 2 years I’ve been using my standard 16 in AR running 55gr Hornady American Whitetail line of ammo. Basically your standard Spire Point. That said, I’m hunting areas deep in the woods that rarely ever goes more than 125 yrds. I’m sub moa out to that distance and only taking head and neck shots that I feel very confident in ( I don’t shoot through brush). I’m in it for the meat and that drives a lot of my decisions in this regard. Minimal meat damage, dead on impact so no time lost trailing and getting the meat cooled down. And I’m a doe hunter first. When there is a buck worth shooting at on the cameras AND the freezer is full, I’ll switch to ole reliable .30-30 pushing a Hornady jacketed hollow point (150gr?) and take aim at the boiler room and shoot through some questionable stuff as needed. On the rare occasion I hunt a field where I can stretch the legs, I run the 308 with Hornady 165 BTSP or 165 SST since the dope lines up pretty close to my 168 BTHP plinking load.

As others have pointed out, lot of variables go into this and all should be considered. You still won’t have a clear answer on what is right, as this cat can be skinned in many ways, but you can eliminate at lot of the wrong.
 
I want to hunt a bean field and reach the maximum ethical (1000ft/lbs) range of 175gr. .308 Win. on my Sig SSG.
 
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