Handloads for hunting

[FNG1001]

For a while I've been slowly getting more involved in hand-loading for all my cartridges. I have a Win Model 70 in 30-06 which is now on my radar to load for the upcoming hunting season (a few months early is better than late ) In the past I've used Norma Bondstrike (180gr), fantastic ammo just expensive and not as tight SD/ES as my handloads. Hornady ELD-X (178gr) is another I've used. All that being said, I've been considering using Berger Classic 185gr (hybrid ogive) hunting bullets, but after more research online and comparing reloading books, i started to look at other bullet makers as well and considered taking full copper bullets for a try. Berger has served me well in my other setups, but I've never hunted with them and am concerned with the level of waste meat some online reviews have reported as well as the amount of shrapnel inside the game.

What bullets do you recommend, or what do you recommend i look into next? Should I just give the Bergers a try? Anyone else use Berger hunting bullets and find them to be just fine without adverse effects? I stay within 300 yard of my animal, and mostly use it for deer/elk-size game

 

[KYAggie]

My favorite bullets in order for deer elk sized game are Nosler Accubond, Nosler Partition, Barnes LRX. They all do the job without wasting meat and have been accurate in my firearms. I consider the max range with a Barnes LRX to be where the bullet is still going 1800 fps, any slower and they don’t expand that well. All of these should be excellent at the 300 yards or less you mentioned. I don’t care for the Berger bullet bomb ideology. I’ve used Hornady SST’s and Nosler Ballistic Tips on deer and they made a mess; I can’t imagine how much worse a Berger would be. Now if I’m punching paper or steel, Berger all the way.

 

[supercorndogs]

You probably aren't getting 180s going fast enough in a 30/06 to do lots of meat damage and bullet fragmentation. Keep them under 2800fps.

 

[xsn10s]

I stay within 300 yard of my animal, and mostly use it for deer/elk-size game

My buddy's go to elk load for 300 yards and less was a 165gr Nosler Partition out of a 308 Win. So from a 30-06 a mild H4350 load with a decent 165gr - 185 gr will do well. I shot whitetails in Texas with 308 Win at 50 yards using a 165 gr Ballistic Tip and it was fine. I don't worry about the lead fragments since I cut away any bloodshot meat. I probably have lead poisoning from shooting PPC competitions using lead bullets. But I shot up to 1k rounds during one practice setting. There's a lot of lead ammo propaganda out there including how lead poisoning occurs. But it's YOUR hunt, YOUR health, and YOUR money. So if you are concerned about lead poisoning then pick a mono bullet and make sure of your impact velocities. Within your range limitations I don't see any problem keeping the impact velocity above 1900 fps.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

I’ve had good success with Berger hunting VLD’s on Whitetails. However, not much is left of the bullet and pass through is not always guaranteed. My last kill with a 115 VLD hunting left 50.5 grains of bullet under the skin on the off side of the shot. I will say his boiler room looked a lot more like hamburger than heart/lungs and he went only about 30 yards or so. However, accuracy with these bullets is as good as any I have put through a hunting rifle.

I have also used both Nosler Accubonds and Partitions. The Accubonds in a 35 Whelen are a bit tough for deer sized game but the Partitions particularly in 6mm and .25 are outstanding. My only complaint is that the .25 Partition and my .25-06 do not agree with accuracy at the very outside edge of barely acceptable. All that said, my longest kill ever was with a Partition and the blood trail was so broad, a legally blind hunter would have no troubles following it.

I am undecided as to which to use this year. I have just enough Berger 115 VLD’s and IMR7977 to last about ten more years with 20 rounds practice before each hunting season and 20 rounds reserved for hunting. (Of the twenty for hunting, only used three last year, killed a spike for meat, he hit the ground at the shot, got up on his forelegs so he got a second shot, then an 8 point and one shot, found him 30 yards later dead as a stone, all shots with the VLD. The spike probably would not have gone far if at all, but he was the first and we did need the meat)

Final thought, practicing for PRS type stages is darned good hunting practice. Quick follow up shots can be a life safer for the hunter and a humane dispatch for a wounded animal.

 

[hlee]

Barnes tsx bullets are deadly medicine in my 270 win. They shoot better than any factory offering I’ve found. It’s a mountain rifle with a skinny barrel, but it will shoot sub moa with them. For a hunting only load, I’m a fan.

 

[diggler1833]

The only thing I've ever killed with a Berger is a coyote...so no help there.

I've killed more than quite a few big hogs though with close to a dozen other bullet designs.

300 yards and in is the "easy button". Just stick with a manufacturer's bullet recommendation for the animal you intend to hunt, put the shot where it needs to be, and you will most likely have a very quick dispatch. You don't need to overthink this, unless you just want to be different.

I've found that Barnes anything (*that I've personally tried*) works very well from coyotes to 300lb boars.

My current .30-06 bullet is the 178gr AMAX until I run out of them in 10-15 years.

 

[30338]

Have shot many animals with Berger VLD bullets over the years and never had excessive meat loss. They'll pencil through an onside shoulder and then destroy vitals. Or punched through the lungs they perform well also. Family has eaten literally tons of meat shot with Bergers and other lead core bullets, no lead issues of any kind. So lead propaganda bs aside, I'd start with the Bergers and if I wanted to experiment in the 30 caliber bullets, I'd go to a 155 Scenar for second choice.

 

[FNG1001]

thanks everyone for your replies. ill read up on those bullets and keep the research going.

 

[FNG1001]

My favorite bullets in order for deer elk sized game are Nosler Accubond, Nosler Partition, Barnes LRX. They all do the job without wasting meat and have been accurate in my firearms. I consider the max range with a Barnes LRX to be where the bullet is still going 1800 fps, any slower and they don’t expand that well. All of these should be excellent at the 300 yards or less you mentioned. I don’t care for the Berger bullet bomb ideology. I’ve used Hornady SST’s and Nosler Ballistic Tips on deer and they made a mess; I can’t imagine how much worse a Berger would be. Now if I’m punching paper or steel, Berger all the way.

Any reason you chose the LRX over the TTSX or TSX?

 

[CaptArab]

At 300 yards I'd go down to the 155 class bullets like scenars and back off the recoil. They're pretty well proven terminally.

 

[KYAggie]

Any reason you chose the LRX over the TTSX or TSX?

Yes. It’s a little different design, has a higher BC, and opens up at lower velocities than the TTSX TSX line which needs 1900 fps for 1.7x expansion diameter. Barnes says the LRX opens up down to 1600 fps with 1.7x bullet diameter; if you want 2x bullet diameter then add 100-200 fps. Some of the LRX bullets like the 139 grain .284 bullet, open up to 1.7x at 1400 fps which makes it a great choice for deer and antelope. They make a 145 LRX .284 as well, but it opens to 1.7x at 1600 fps and I’m told is the longest and heaviest 7mm bullet they could make in this design that will stabilize in a standard twist factory 7mm barrel. I like the 2x expansion diameter velocities for better shock and the LRX gets to that around 1800 fps while the TTSX TSX bullets would need around 2100 fps; this effectively increases my useful range. This information is not on their website, I got it from calling them about specific LRX/TTSX bullets I wanted to use.