Can one bullet be good for all big game in the lower 48 at both close and long range?
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- Опубліковано 20 сер 2024
- Going over a few of the reasons I like the bullets I do and why there are some very popular ones that I really dislike. Berger, Nosler, Federal, what bullets do you like/dislike and why? There are a lot of good ones and I only go over my favorite ones and one brand in particular that I do not care for.
I had a Hornady SST 139 grain shot out of a .280 Remington grenade on a 45 yrd shot. At the time it was the largest buck I had ever had a chance to shoot. Impact would have been about 3000 fps as the claim on the box was 3100 out the muzzle. Well, if not for me being absolutely certain that I didn't miss, I would not have found the deer and know what happened. It gave zero indication of being hit when I shot. It took almost two days of grid searching to find him. Zero blood. Bullet hit square on a rib just behind the leg and shattered. Internally the heart hand lungs were peppered with shrapnel. None of the pieces even made it to the far side ribs. I never shot the SST's again. I had killed at least 20 deer and hogs with that same load out of the same gun up to that point. Some even at 10 yds. I even told my story to Hornady and they confirmed a failure rate with those bullets at impacts of 2900 fps and more. They worked until they didn't. I switched to Barnes after doing my research and never looked back. To think some people shoot frangible target bullets at animals on purpose is crazy to me. What is worse these bullets get marketed to hunters. I would love to know how much game out there was never even followed up on due to people thinking they missed with these bullets. Burger bullets are target bullets. They are not hunting bullets. I don't care what anyone claims about them.
I have found some practical applications for cup and core bullets but I very intentionally keep my muzzle velocity's at or below 2700 fps specifically for this reason.
In all honesty if it is not bonded partitioned or monolithic it really should not be considered a hunting bullet. Cup and core bullets can have practical application when hunting but I do not believe they should be considered a hunting bullet, and primarily for these reasons.
You make some good points one thing to add to that is all these long range shooters nowadays who truly believe they missed and have injured animals. I see more and more of that all the time, I find more and more "Winter kills" that I don't believe were truly Winter kills when shed hunting but animals that eventually surcame to having been shot poorly with the wrong bullet and at extreme ranges in a lot of cases.
It would be really nice to see more of a push in the United States to hunt instead of long range target shoot animals. Hunters have truly started losing the respect for the animals these days and it is sad.
Glad I stumbled on this. People only focus on caliber and accuracy but never pay attention to performance
For hunting I have always placed performance over accuracy, if the accuracy is acceptable. Example, I'd choose a bullet that gave 1moa over one that gave 1/2moa if the on game performance was better. I'm not gonna shoot at an animal beyond 300 yards personally, so to me that is an acceptable variance. Again, we're talking hunting, not target shooting.
@@smartacus88 hunting big game: all you need is a bonded bullet that gives 2+ moa. and your fine. (oh thats the "is it as good as a partition' question, lol.
In my humble opinion after hunting 52 years, a dozen elk myself and over twice that many in our family, along with more mule deer than I can count, my favorite bullet is a Swift Scirocco, the second is the Nosler Accubond. The Scirocco bullets, out of every caliber I/we own, out to 600 yds kill like lightning. At long range (over 600 yds) the Accubond is a bit better choice (depending on caliber) as it has a thinner jacket. I started cutting bullets in half over 40 years ago. 20 years ago I finally settled on the Swift. I have a fist full of recovered bullets from elk from 100-500 yards. I've shot game with...you name it over the years. Nothing compares. Cup and core non bonded bullets have no place in hunting. Why? Because you can't always put the bullet in the armpit. Too many variables on game. Berger are amazing at killing paper! That's it.
Thanks!
I have not used the Swift Scirocco's in the field as of yet. As well as they have tested for me I would not hesitate to use them. I'm currently using the Nosler ABLR in most of my rifles and have had excellent results.
Thanks for your comments
Remington Core Lokt’s have probably taken more North American whitetail deer than all bonded bullets put together. Whitetails are not hard to kill.
Think about the days of the early American settlers thru to 1965 killing ALL game including grizzly, elk and moose. The first bonded bullet was the Bitterroot bullet commercially available in 1965. To say non bonded cup and core bullets have no place in hunting is highly debatable.
I will say that if you’re shooting a big fast magnum cartridge at close ranges, a non bonded cup and core bullet is a bad idea.
@@user-me3er7lm1o the op is talking about elk.
Proof again Berger makes ONLY paper punching bullets regardless of the colour of the label on the box. I load them but for targets only, not hunting. Great video summation once again.
EXCELLENT STUFF! My son shot a big bodied bull elk at 200yds chest on with a 270WSM, 136GR Terminal Accent at a muzzle velocity of 3200fps. The bullet traveled through 3.5 feet of bull elk chest on, through brisket, ribs, heart, lungs, liver and out the ponch of the opposite side in front of the right side hind quarter. The bull fell on it's nose and slid down the hill without so much as a muscle twitch! The bullet tracked like a laser through all the heavy bone, muscle, fat, and other Mediums encountered on it's path through the bull. We never hunt game animals with anything other than bonded bullets now that they are widely available in several varieties and weights for each caliber.
I took a BIG mule buck with my 270 wsm a few months ago, a HONEST 440 yards, I held about 16" over his back, and took his heart out. I found the bullet Under the hide, after it smashed through the knee. (I was shooting WAY down hill- I ASSUMED it was a solid 500 yards, kinda pissed off it was only 440). Oh, factory Winchester power max 130 grain 'bonded'. (I didn't have time to work up a hand load) so took off the shelf stuff, NOW, I am getting SUB moa with the 130 partition, AND 140 partition -- I haven't tried 150 yet. (accubonds are about 2 moa). - I have taken MAN MANY MANY big bucks and bulls, and the partition is GREAT.
Love a good frontal. They make for easy track job
@Jake Juvland frontal shot, yeah, NECK shot. If you shoot the body with a BIG MAGNUM, you're going to blow CRAP and worst through a ham or back strap! Lots of "ifs" when taking a body shot.
@jackdundon2261 yeah def lots of ifs. Softpoints seem to not push that far back with a 7rem mag inside of 50 yards. Never have taken a neck yet. I've heard it works well but my preference is the boiler. Awesome job on that muley BTW.
@@jakejuvland5147 I'm with you Jack. I've helped track elk that were neck shot with both rifle and arrows. The results were not good in any of the cases.
48 years experience. 42 moose, lost count on deer, but many 10 pt or up bruisers and 6 elk, including a massive 6x6. All of these with my .270 or 35 whelen.
I've used virtually every common factory load available.
For my money, and most in our deer camp, the barnes 130 gr ttsx is the go to. Virtually no meat damage. High shoulder a deer or moose, and they fall straight down dead.
Several of my moose were taken with 140gr nosler accubonds, with equally impressive results.
What I've learned about the other bullets is that they all kill. But the softer the bullet, the more meat u lose... sometimes both fronts on a deer. So no more of those.
.270 and similarly fast calibers need a stiffer bullet at normal canadian bush ranges.
And i wouldn't even think of a cup and core for moose. Not in the equation. Barnes or accubond. GMX have worked great too. Solid copper or guided metal..monolithic.
In the whelen, the old corelokt is hard to beat. Federal fusion, norma oryx, all work too. Have new box of barnes 200gr that I'm anxious to make a kill with. Maybe deer this November.
But.. the most impressive kill I've made is with 35 whelen, using 225gr nosler accubond. 200 yd quartering too shot, on a massive 6x6 bull elk. Instant, straight down, no ear flutter death.
This combo of penetration and expansion...whelen and 225gr AB might be as magic a combo as the .270 with the barnes 130gr.
In fact, take all my ammo away, and leave me those 2, for my 2 pet calibers, and I'm happy, regardless of location, and species.
What I will never shoot again, Based on several kills on deer, is the hornady SST. I JUST had to try them because if the marketing. Waste of money imho. .
total bullet blow up. Waste of a deer. Shot 2 good 10 pts in last 2 years... same results...only bullet fragments recovered from just inside ribcage on far side. WAY too soft for a .270.
Just my 2 cents ... 48 yrs of real world hunting experience and lots of game in the freezer.
The Federal Fusion 200 gr did an absolute bang up job out of my .35 Whelen on plains game from 150 - 600 lb at 40 - 300 yd. It held together at close range and expanded at long range. After seeing how it performed on Wildebeest and Waterbuck I think it could handle a South Texas Niglai just fine.
Do you think the 270 is a moose caliber
sounds like some good real world experience
The original Jack Carter designed Bear Claw's and it's recent decendents are the best bullets I've found. Bar none! A recovered 375 Bear Claw from my Mozanbique Sable is a pristine mushroom that weighs 296 gr. from the original 300 gr. bullet. They are all I hunt with. Randy. NC
It’s lame sauce that Federal hijacked them from Speer to give us hand-loaders the shaft! 🤬
I have heard sable are only 2nd to Cape Buffalo as far as being tough, good info
North fork are is very similar to the bear claw’s
Fantastic video sir, thank you for making it. Your mind on bullets is right in line with my thoughts, so thank you for testing literally the 3 bullets I was pondering between for my new 300WSM. 👍
7mm mag Trophy bonded tip has always worked well for me.
Taken many hog over 250lbs with 165gr and 168gr Trophy Bonded Tip from my 308. From literally 12 yards to 200 yards. Usually a body flip. Nearly always DRT. If they run, it's a few steps before they go nose down and slide to a stop. Never had to track. Bullets always held together and bloodshot was never an issue. They tracked perfectly straight through cartilage plate, scapula, heart & lungs, and then ribs/scapula/cart plate on opposite side. Always an exit and always blood.
Good feedback, tough animalz
@@JeffreyVelazquez Tougher that black bear, in my experience.
@@DBravo29er people don't understand how tough hogs can be if they aren't dispatched behind the ear
I really wanted my rifle to like the terminal ascent’s. First two shots at 100 yards went through the same hole. 3rd shot was 1.5 inches off. Then I got a 5.5 inch group at 300.
Berger 168gr hybrid hunter’s got a 1/2” group at 100 and under an inch at 300, though I realize that was likely a bit of a fluke. Still impressive. Thoroughly impressed with the accuracy of the bergers so I at least have my fallback round if I can’t find a good bonded bullet that my rifle shoots well. Appreciate the content!
I really like seeing your comparison with velocities and expansion it really makes a difference. We have hunting that is within a hundred yards I generally use Nosler partitions for that but we have other spots that we can 500 plus yards and that's where the Nosler accubond comes into play, it is not the most accurate bullet in my rifle but it's the best for longer range I shoot on paper at these yardages and know where my rifle is hitting. I have had speer bullets that my rifle loved but don't have any penatration on deer size animals you could just shoot a hollow point and get the same effect so I will stick to my accubonds for longer range and they do perform well at short range but if I am hunting a spot that I know I have no long range shots it will be a partition
I’m grateful to know that the trophy bonded top is a good Projectile. I bought some and 7 mm Remington mag 140 grain right in the middle of the ammo crunch. I payed double, So it’s good to know
I use the 140 TBT in my 7mm-08 and they have been an excellent bullets for me.
The Swift Scirocco II is outstanding as well. It is my go to in a 340 Weatherby Magnum. It is extremely tough and accurate bullet.
Agreed
Swift scirocco is an amazing bonded bullet as well 🤘
Yes it is
I think the federal terminal ascent is currently the best bullet on the market and what your ask of a bullet is. I love Barnes bullets. But I would love more reliable expansion at longer ranges. Even 300 yards with non magnum velocities. The LRX is getting there. That’s where the trophy bonded tip comes in play. 90% copper with a small amount of lead inside the frontal core to give you a little better expansion. The only downside is not the greatest ballistic coefficients and they are still fairly firm needing 1800 ft./s to get expansion. I love Nosler Accubonds. They are one violent bullet that still gives great penetration. Less fragmentation than the old standard Nosler partitions but they still flat out fuck shit up a little too much. The new terminal ascent is a combination of Barnes penetration, reliable expansion down to 1300 ft./s, don’t fragment the front core, and wicked ballistic coefficients improved on the trophy bonded tips. Pretty hard to beat that.
Barnes TRIED to kill me! Load data SUPER over listed! I am lucky to be alive, I lost 100% of respect OR trust with the Barnes name). they should be closed down. John Dundon Cascadia Oreogn
@@jackdundon2261my guess is you went straight to max ,,Barnes clearly says start low work up and start with a .050 jump,,,I love Barnes bullet it's all I shoot,,yup I do go too max listings in some rigs and in some I go beyond it,some can't get there at all depending on the rifle,,as for the jump most are jumping at the .125 and in mark v weatherby I have some jumping.200 they are accurate and deadly
@@jackdundon2261Barnes isn't responsible for you not following proper reloading procedures. I was going to say it's common knowledge that copper bullets build pressure faster in some barrels, but apparently that knowledge isn't as common as for some folks.
I agree with you wholeheartedly
Except for the thought about the bergers
Can they kill? Yes
But high bc cup and core bullets can have extraordinary failure
Some will even push upder the hide and ride along only to be found randomly under the hide completely without evidence of how they got there
You are spot on, I’ll never shoot a game animal with a Berger. The other three are great, the LR Accubond is a little soft, but it works great for deer sized game. Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your channel
Are you serious on the accubond ? Only deer sized game ? You can literally hunt deer sized game with almost anything .. Eg - ballistic tips , gamekings , ect ect.. The accubond is after all a BONDED bullet
I’ve killed, and I’ve watched friends kill, bull elk with Accubonds from an 06, 7MM Rem Mag and 300 win mag. The bullets weights ranged from 160 to 180 and shots varied from broad side to hard quartering shots at distances out to 350 yards. The Accubond is not too soft.
I'm guessing neither one of the other responders passed a reading comprehension class. He said the LONG RANGE Accubonds were too soft for his liking. He said nothing about regular Accubonds being too soft.
Taken elk and bear with the trophy bonded 180 grain out of my Kimber mt ascent 308, performance was perfect and my picky Kimber loves them.
Kimbers can be really picky. Thats awesome you where able to get such a good bullet to perform well in one.
@@simplemindedfella tried nearly everything else didn’t even like the 165 grain trophy bonded. Just picked up some terminal ascent 175’s to try.
I’ve appreciated the down to earth, no nonsense nature of your videos. I’ve yet to play with these projectiles but do have some trophy bonded tips and accubond long ranges on my reloading shelf for my 300 win mag. Leaning towards the 180 trophy bonded tip as a good all purpose hunting round.
I need to do some gel tests of my own someday, would be interesting to see what some of my more experimental or special purpose loads do in a block.
225 eld match at 2760 fps
120 Barnes tac-tx at 4050 fps (chrono confirmed, she’s a scorcher - this projectile originally designed for .300 blackout)
And yet to be loaded I have some real blunt and old school looking 250 grain hawk round nose bullets for the .300.
Terminal Ascent is a modified Trophy Bonded, made more aerodynamic and with a heat resistant tip (like the eldx) that improves both long range accuracy and low velocity expansion. My first few animals (distances of 90 to 300 yd) have all had impressive internal damage and 4-6 cm exit wounds. They are the most accurate factory loads in my 308 and my 7 rem mag.
The tip on the Terminal Ascent is not "heat resistant" as a design as that is simply a marketing gimmick by Hornady. The TA has a "hollow" tip to break up sooner and easier at low velocity. Federal's other polymer tips (Trophy Bonded Tip) already had a higher melting point than Hornady's "heat shield tip" and was out years before their claim.
Always interested in this kind of video from you. You've tested a LOT of bullets at a LOT of velocities -- and it's good to hear summaries and your opinions on them.
142gr accubond LR finally started grouping good in my gun, consistent 0.3-0.4moa and put a nice big black bear down in one shot at 150yds. 0.264cal hole in the hide, but the entrance hole and exit hole in the ribcage looked about the same! they're definitely my all-around british columbia big game bullet. unfortunately im down to my last 75 ablr's, so when those are gone, if i still cant find them, i have 143gr eld-x im reluctant to use.
thanks again for the content, sir!
I was AT NOSLER pro shop last week, they had a decent inventory in stock (first time I saw that in a LONG TIME). --and the prices were very nice (on the seconds). I picked up bags of 50 or 100 partitons for 33.00 a bag, and as low as 18.00 for some bags. (like going back in time 10 years).
Have u tried the norma bondstrike it's better than a eldx but the 130gr terminal ascent is best bullet in the 6.5 to me
I started using Swift scirocco 2 over twenty years ago to my 338 wm and after that it is the only bullet I use for hunting from 223, 7x57.308 and to 338 is terribly satisfied.
Another excellent option
I agree 1000% with everything you said. Terminal ascents are my #1 for hunting and if I can’t get them, my next choice is the nosler ablr. After those two, any bonded will have to do, but I’m really liking the Norma bondstrike bullets for long ranges. I say long because the lead seams soft to me. I shot an elk at 630 yards with no bone and the bullets had expanded way down to almost the boat tail. Not sure what would have been left of the bullet on game at say inside 200 with the bullet leaving the barrel at 3100 fps.
You like the ablr better than TBT???I've got 16 rounds left of TBT 160gr left for 7wsm n I refuse to pay 160 a box off gun broker so I'm having to switch to the Accubond soon got 2 box from choice ammunition and 3 winchester ct version of 160 Accubond I hope they do good have never shot Accubond before just the ABLR in 270wsm
@@jmgates09 the accubond is a tough bullet, but as far as bonded go, you can’t beat the terminal ascent, then I’d choose the accubond long range 2nd. The accubond LR in my experience, is a higher quality bullet for shooting at distance. It’s just picky with jump. I load them .120” from the lands. The regular accubond is a tough and solid bullet, but it needs at least 1800 fps to expand, where the ABLR will expand down to 1500ish fps or less. Either way, the trophy bonded tip, accubond, accubond LR, and terminal ascent’s, are all solid choices. My 7prc, 7 rem, and 7 saum, all shoot terminal ascents. My 300 wsm long action shoots the 210 grain nosler ablr and I’ve been beyond happy with them. The only problem with the terminal ascents are as you stated, crazy expensive. They’re twice the price of the nosler ablr, which I’ve been paying $108 for a box of 100. If you’re shooting the accubond, you’re really not sacrificing or losing anything. Google accubond expansion or mushroom, you’ll see they hold together really really well!
Where are you finding Terminal Ascent bullets for handloads?
@@bartb21 I haven’t seen them lately, but when I buy bullets or powder or primer or brass, I buy as much as I can afford. Right now Midway has powders like retumbo and h1000. Midway or sportsman’s warehouse online, usually has hard to find components. They don’t have the terminal ascent, but they do have .308 210 gr. Nosler ablr! I believe Drifters gear, was the last place I seen the terminal ascent for sale.
My choice would be a 165 Partition or Accubond from a 30.06 or a 160 Partition or Accubond from a 7MM Rem Mag. I’ve used Partitions in the aforementioned weights on everything from pronghorn bucks to bull elk with great results. If push came to shove and I had to pick just one, I’d use the 165 partition.
Partitions are another excellent bullet choice. And although I did take a nice bull elk at 598 yd with the partition out of my 338 win mag I still do not recommend it because of the low ballistic coefficiencies they are really not an ideal bullet for stretching out past 3 maybe 400 yds because of their low BC'S other other that minor issue with them they are one of the best hunting bullets ever.
@@simplemindedfella I agree 400 yards is a good max, but 95% of shots are inside 350.
@@simplemindedfella I dont know about you, but after 30 years of hunting public lands and 15+ B&C bucks and bulls, I have made EXACTLY 2 'long range' shots. A elk at 800 yards. and a big mule back at 540 yards the rest have all been under 200 yards. Even when I spot a critter at a mile, its easy to get to 500 yards, and closer if you try. Yeah, I have some, 'history' from a couple BAD shots with partitions. and was VERY pleased with the results.
I get 2 moa EASY with a partiton, and 1 moa with a LITTLE tweaking. EVEN 2 moa is good enough to what, 600 yards? MAYBE 800 yards? -- past 400 yards with a 9x scope you cant count points anymore! The only problem with the partition is the price, and availability these days, -- though last time I was at Nosler, they had a great selection of 'seconds' for CHEEP.
@@jackdundon2261 although I have done it and can't say I wouldn't again I really don't consider it hunting when taking shots past 500 yards. All my better critters that have a place on the wall were taken under 400 yards and most under 200.
There are a lot of good bullets on the market these days and I change it up just about every year now to get in the field experience so I can better represent the bullets I talk about not having just shot them into gelatin. (I am planning on using the 140 gr Badlands Bulldozer 2 in my 6.8 Western all of next season) I have a few I prefer and ones I really don't like. Berger's being one I don't. I have found as a good rule of thumb one should stick with bonded, partitioned, of monolithic unless hunting varmints.
@Simple Minded Fella I realize you're making youtube videos. And doing what you know.-- You do realize ANY bonded bullet will kill ANY large game animal if you put it in the right spot. Let the keyboard warriors argue over which is better... (six in 1 have, half a dozen in the other), but, as long as you get a full freezer. it works.
I am a MAJOR fan of Nosler, probably, the biggest reason: I live 90 minutes away (sadly, they are closed on weekends), but, I can buy "seconds" VERY CHEEP, and their products, even seconds shoot very well.
I bet that if I lived close to the sirrea plant, I would be an avid Sierra shooter.
The last time I was at nosler ( a few weeks ago), they had a VERY good selection of bullets. 22, 25, 6mm, 7mm, .308, 338, I expect the "shortage" to end pretty soon. -- I sure hope so.
I never was able to get the Accubond LR to group as good as the regular Accubonds, I am ab absolute believer in Accubonds my Elk Guide/owner turned me onto them years ago and boy was he right. After numerous elk, moose, deer with multiple follow up shots with Barnes I was amazed at the one shot knock down power of Accubonds. It is the only bullet I run and reload in all calibers now.
I’ve had great performance with the federal terminal ascents . I’ve taken two bull elk and a big black bear with them . Incredible performance on game
Well done, thanks for the research and empirical data.
Your welcome
The Federal Premium Terminal Ascent .175 grain 30-06 is excellent out of my Browning X-Bolt Stalker Long Range. The high ballistic coefficient, high energy, great weight retention and controlled expansion make this a deadly 450 yard combination.
Shooting the Deer gun 30-06 past 200 yards in deer or Elk is just asking for wounded and lost game.
@Moldovawineimporter Moldova Traders LLC what's wrong with a 30-06 past 200yrds? Honest question. Just getting into hunting since I was a kid after a 20 year hiatus and a 30-06 is all I've got. I've never shot anything past 100yrds so should I be worried? I have a 450yrd line
@@Lure-Bensonthis is an absolutely ridiculous comment. Go project your insecurities somewhere else. That combo is deadly out to the shooter's max comfort range.
The good old Partition is hard to beat. If you like the Partition design but need or want a bonded bullet The Swift A Frame is the way to go.
what's wrong with the partition? Play with powders, seating, primers. I might not get them 1/4 moa, but, 2 moa is EASY! and 1 moa achievable. If that's not good enough, then there is a serious issue!
@@jackdundon2261 nothing is wrong with the Partition. I said it's hard to beat.
Absolutely agree with this...will never hunt with Berger bullets again...a good bonded bullet is the only thing I shoot at game...good results with hammer bullets monos so far...gonna keep trying out the hammers
I am loving Hammer Bullets thus far. Only complaint I have with Hammer is they are hard on the budget. Hopefully we will start seeing more companies like Hammer, Cutting Edge, and Lehigh. A little more competition and we should see more of Lehighs prices in that market.
@@simplemindedfella yeah the hammers are tough to shoot at paper for load development but tune very fast and easy
Using Partitions for the last 44 yrs, haven't had a reason to change, I never fear a hard quartering shot, a hoop shot or a frontal shot when needed, sometimes that's all you get at a moose or elk, I hunted BC and AB , I didn't know what I'd see for sure, for many years, could have up to all 4 different tags, WT, MD, elk and moose, partitions got it done. Meat loss was something I was willing to sacrifice at times, most of the time, didn't have to.
Appreciate info & insight. Happy Father's Day you all.
Thanks for putting in the time to test this for us. I've got some 200gr TA's to load up for my prc but I'm hoping to get some 215s available soon
Your welcome
I told a banker friend back in the late 80s that it’s 99 percent bullet performance and 1 percent caliber. That statement is more accurate today than when I first uttered those words so many years ago. Barnes X bullets are top notch everything else wants to be them!
As true as that statement was back then you are correct in that with modern technology it is more true today.
I will have to disagree with you on Barnes for a couple reasons. 1, they set a standard back in the day that new companies that have come on the market have had to out perform them to be able to compete 2, the leavel of quality control they had seems to have gone away with the sale of the company. At least they don't run as consistent bullet to bullet and case lot to case lot as they used to. The last box of 0.264 TTSX bullets I got were all undersized enough to cause bad blowby reducing my muzzle velocities extensively.
With that said Barnes are still excellent and a good go to bullet for the average hunter that wants and or needs to use monolithic bullets.
Just about any of the monolithics on the market right now will give you real similar stopping power Barnes and Hornaday both making a good mass produced factory bullet and companies like Hammer and Badlands making much better bullets on the high ballistic coefficiencies side of things.
I shoot Hornady 150 SSt's in 308. Deer only. A good 165 bonded/A frame/Partition do great on elk.
Holy shit, this video needs more views!
Well done.
Thanks
Trophy bonded tip is amazing and never got the advertising to make them as popular as some of the other big names
Honestly , I'm a creature of habit , and just like my uncle who got me started Hand loading ( over forty years ago ) I've always used Sierra bullets probably 90% of the time because that's what he always used . They have never failed to perform on any of the game that I've taken .
Would another brand have worked just as well , probably , but if it's not broke , don't fix it .
I so can relate, I live 90 minutes form Nosler, so I (like my dad) shoot nosler; whats GREAT, they sell 'seconds' for SUPER cheep in the pro shop. and they seam to work really well. BARNES had some load date off about 15 years ago, damn near killed me. (put 124 grains of imr4350 behind a 180 grain bullet in my .30-378) NORMAL max load is 114 grains... NEVER trusted or shot Barnes since! - I have soem speer match king, YEAH! ACCURATE, but moly coated, so wont use them anymore.
Love the trophy bonded, trying the terminal ascent for a little better bc, the accubond has performed well for me too
I shoot berger out if my 280ai and 243. Along with barnes lrx, accubond lr, partitions and some others. I’ve noticed if I keep the bergers away from the shoulders they don’t damage a lot of meat. They poke a small hole and turn the organs to jelly but little meat going in. Only putting it right into the scapula does it really damage meat in my experience. Haven’t really had a deer take more than a couple steps if they don’t drop where they stand using Berger. That being said I’ve not taken a bad shot with them yet and I would be scared of the results. It’s always been a original diameter hole going in and nothing going out.
I am a big fan of the nozzler petitions great bullets 99% of my shots are under a 150 yd also a great fan of Sierra game kings
The Nosler Partitions are one of the top performing bullets for shots under 300 yards. One of my go to bullets for brush hunting.
Are the partitions not good at all ranges?
@johnt9490 their ballistic coefficients are pretty abysmal. That's why they aren't the best for long range shots. They shed velocity and accuracy at long range. Much better options for longer shots. For close range they're top notch. Maybe too much bullet for thin skinned animals.
Over many years I've killed everything with xpt, Hornady interlock, or core lokt. I've never used a premium bullet. Thinking back to the early 70s, I just don't see how my brother killed the biggest western Washington elk I've ever seen with a lowly 35 Remington and a core lokt bullet. Oh I remember, he stalked the herd and took his shot at 25 yards. I think they used to call that hunting. And for most hunters 100 yards is about the longest they shoot. I've made one 100 yard shot in my life. Everything else is 15 feet to 40 yards. I guess people do live where immensely long shots are the norm. But for me, I've never had a need for premium bullets. And my cup and core bullets have never failed me. Even black powder. A 300 grain .452 xtp over 90 grains of BP has absolutely flattened everything it hit. Like the first of God. So what have I been missing? I guess not much. Not where I live.
Use the right bullet for the job at hand. Remington CorLokt are an excellent hunting bullet used in the fashion they were designed for, deadliest mushroom in the forest.
Some of my Western hunts I have definitely taken some long shots but every one of them I could have cut the distance if I wanted to I was just being lazy. A marksman can hit their target well past 500 yds, a hunter will never need to.
Thanks for the informative video. Lots of good bullets on the market but I very much appreciated the Berger info. Due to the shortage of ammo here in Canada and hunting season in full swing there were several boxes of Fed ammo with these bullets in 30-06. I did a little research and decided to pass.
I've loaded up a bunch of the Terminal Ascents for my 270 WSM. Their performance and long range are just outstanding. I have the Trophy Bonded Tips loaded for my 300 Win Mag. I can't find any TA's for it yet. :(
300WM factory loads with TA are readily available these days
That’s why I use my 338 win mag with these bullets, you stay above 2000 fps way out past where you can hit anything
I use 155 terminal ascent in 7mm08. One of my favorite lead bullets. Honestly I do still prefer copper over lead. Like barnes lrx and hornady gmx. Shots are between 200 and in. When I have shots at 500 and in I use my 300 winmag with either of the bullets you showed or banres or gmx
I've been trying to get my hands on Terminal Ascent 155gr bullets for 7mm-08 for 6 months. Plenty of loaded 7Mags out there, little for components to reload. Glad to hear it worked for you.
@A Mac i am hunting for 277 sig fury or 6.8x51 cases to hop up 7mm08 and use 19 inch barrel
@@tylarhaugan7908 yeaowza, the fury is like 80,000 psi. How in the what in the why? I'm listening tho
@A Mac get 24 inch velocity from short barrel. Compact
@@tylarhaugan7908just put a 7SAW barrel on it and be done with it. Good brass is available, and unless you're receiver can handle 80k psi you're wasting your time looking for Fury or 6.8x51 brass.
I've had really good performance from Accubonds as well. Especially in magnum cartridges.
For my 270 Win, I prefer Partitions.
Lol that's why I stopped using Hornady for my 444 Marlin.. .100-150 yards it's a like a hand Grenade at the point of impact... junk IMHO... I'm surprised that it's not labeled as exploding ammo, or "great home defence" ammo.
Cant go wrong with partition bullets they really are one of the best
Agreed
You are completely right. Bergers ar fantastic for paper targets. But no good for anything else .
Burger Vld bullets do destroy a lot of meat. It is like a grenade hit the animal.
Totally would not recommend them.
I definitely agree with you.
Hopefully ammo comes back in stalk abundantly so I can try new amo.
You’re the #1 source for these kinds of tests in my mind. I just scored some 140gr 6.5 Match Burners and I’m really curious what their terminal performance would be. Any way I can send you a box to test?
Email me at simplemindedfella@outlook.com and I can get you a mailing address.
Wouldn’t want that Berger lead in my food, nice comparison
30-06. Nuff said.
That's a caliber, not a bullet.
@@zzz7zzz9 a caliber with many bullet options. 👍
Love your vids and conclusions. Thanks for all the hard work! Wish I could find some terminal ascents.... Guess I'll stick with Barnes 150 or 175lrx. I have some 180 Accubonds, but just read bad reports of those, 9" penetration out of .300wby. nope. Maybe a partition or a grand slam, if nothing else.
Hammer Bullets and Cutting-edge are a couple monolithic bullets that will handle really high velocities and yet still do very well at lower velocities. Throughout this shortage of bullets in general I have been able to still get bullets from them.
@@simplemindedfella I checked out those two manufacturers, definitely an option. I'll probably stick with 150ttsx & 175lrx for now, unless I can't get them to group, or a get poor performance on animal (not likely)... Until the Terminal Ascents become available and I can try a few of those. Off to load some up now, and group test tomorrow... Thanks!
Nosler ABLR will out perform the other two at longer range because of the drag factor, having rings on the bullet creates drag the more rings the greater the drag, the reason for rings is to give that copper somewhere to go when being compressed in the barrel, and the other two have thicker shanks, thus ABLR wins 🥇
Yes at extended ranges with the same grain weight and caliber bullets traveling at the same muzzle velocities the ABLR is a clear winner.
The TA has grooves, not"rings" or bands, like monos have. At most realistic hunting ranges those TAs will perform better than the ABLR will. Not until you get past where 99% of people need to be trying shots does the ABLR expand more than the TA. Maybe one day federal will get their heads out of their asses and actually make component TA projectiles available.
I agree 100% on this video.. Where are peeps finding the terminal accent for handloading ? , built ammunition seems available but not bullet by itself
Federal has not had any of their premium bullets available for a while now. Hopefully we will start seeing more components become available now that most hunting seasons are over. I would really like to think supplies will start catching up with demand.
I think federal would rather gouge us for loaded ammo than make the components available for reloaders.
seems like Barnes LRX bullets would also be good for all big game at all practical distances
I think it is noteworthy that the LRX is supposed to open reliably down to 1800 fps ...the Terminal Ascent from Federal is supposed to open up even at 1500 fps.
Great video, so the only ammo i can find these days because of the shortage for my 30-06 is Federal Premium 175 gr Terminal Ascent and was wondering if this would be a good choice for Whitetail, Moose and Black Bear with most shots under 150 yards!
Absolutely
Thanks for the info!
Absolutely all you need
possibly one of your best choices
Don’t hit any bones with a Berger .
Like; Partition, Accubond,Bearclaw.
Hold together and penetrate in worst case scenario’s.
Can you do tests with the Barnes TTSX and LRX and put your results in a video? Thanks for this comparison. Very informative. 👍
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Here are a few I have done.
@@simplemindedfella Thank you
@@hawkeye4497 your welcome
Have you used the Swift Scirroco II bullet? I have had great performance with it in my 300 Win Mag and it has a very high BC.
I have gel tested them and they performed very well. I have not as of yet used them in the field.
I use the Swift Scirocco in 270 and 300 win mag at 3000 fps and you can not blow them up at 50 yards. Really tough bullet.
@@jimjackson5836 yes the Swift Serroco is another excellent bullet. Good terminal performance in a broad velocity range.
@@simplemindedfellay by v
200 gr TA 300 win mag, an absolute deadly combo
My favorite is to go as heavy and HIGh BC as possible with a very soft bullet but still maintain 2700-2800 fps. It pounds them close and pounds them far. Example , 180 eldm out of a mid power 7mm
Could you tell me how to cut the bullet? I tried it with a grinder, but the cross section is too messy. Others ask you to try a water jet cutter. How did you cut the bullet?
I used a motorized wet-stone. It was a big pain, but it worked.
Good information. Good comparison. I'm wondering if Remington Core-lokt or Speer Grand Slam would have similar performance, and be used for deer, antelope, etc. And have you tried any of the Swift Sciroccos or A- Frames? The Speer Trophy Bonded Bear Claws also look to be high-quality, giving excellent expansion, weight retention and penetration. Expensive, but that's par for the course, these days.
I have played with the Swift Scircco's but not the a-frames, both are definitely good bullets.
Remington CorLokt bullets definitely have earned tgeir reputation as the deadliest mushroom in the forest. They are a good bullet if used properly, really the only thing I didn't care so much for with them was the low ballistics coefficiency hunting open sagebrush country but they are now offering them with a polymer tip and boat tail for better BC's.
I'd be interested to see the norma bondstrike versus the speer impact.
50BMG HE. Works against anything anywhere
Love the vids by the way.
Thanks
Great information... I have shot a 300 Win Mag for the past 20 years, but I recently purchased a new Springfield Waypoint in .308. What would be your recommendation for the best .308 ammunition on whitetail and mule deer inside of 250 yards? I hunt in a very thick brush area, so dropping the deer immediately is more important than not damaging the meat on the front shoulder. Thanks-
150 gr Nosler Partition. That's what I use in my 16.5 inch 308 for my brush gun and everything I have shot with it has been dead within 5 feet of where I shot them if not dropping on the spot. Your also good to 500 plus yards with average muzzle velocity and maintained energy of the 308. I believe the best cost for factory is in the federal premium line of ammunition, I believe they're still using partitions, you can get it directly from Nosler but their really proud of their ammunition. Sometimes shootersproshop.com will have blemished Nosler ammunition at a discount. I buy blemished bullets from them all the time and have had 0 issues, I'm confident their blemished ammunition would be just as good.
@@simplemindedfella Thank you very much for the information and your quick response!
@@treymartin2366 your welcome
What have you seen from Barnes or other copper bullets, and have you taken game with them?
I have use Barnes and have only really had one issue. I got a batch of 0.264 that where slightly under sized and didn't seal going down the bore so velocity and aceracy were bad. Other then that they have treated me well. Even the LRX takes a fair bit of velocity to open up and perform so the really aren't a good long range bullet yet they are an excellent bullet overall. I have also used the GMX and E-Tip and they are in that same ballpark as Barnes with the GMX giving the best low velocity performance.
Agree with almost all of his points, other than accuracy being #1. Bullet performance is #1. Too many people use a bullet with poor terminal performance because it shoots 1.25" groups and one that has awesome on game performance shoots 1.75". A half inch on a big game animal means NOTHING! Bottom line, a bullet needs to do its job once it gets there.
As long as you're not shooting past 100 yards, I would agree. The father the range the more critical the accuracy. No one should ever use fmj bullets for hunting, but a heart shot with an fmj will kill better than a non vital shot with any other bullet.
@@simplemindedfella I wouldn't even matter at 200 yds.
Will never use sst or eld on anything but paper ever again.
The only one missing is the Barnes ttsx/LRX.. I’m also gonna say the Speer hotcor and federal fusion get my good word aswell.. cheers
There are a few good ones I didn't list.
@@simplemindedfella Im new to your chaannel and I did just watch your test on the Barnes ttsx.. quite surprising results! They have always worked well for me but I’m not a long range hunter and don’t usually shoot past 300 yds! I wonder if the LRX would fare better at the 1800fps?
Looks like I have some videos to watch! Lol you have tested everything man.. I’m just gonna shut up and watch the results. Disregard my previous comment --^
@@Saa45MIV LRX performs the same on impact, the only thing they did for the LRX is change its shape to increase its ballistic coefficients. Still really good hunting bullets for those that actually hunt cutting the distance. Would definitely recommend them for 500 yards and in with most common rifles.
@@Saa45MIV I have gotten quite a few of the more popular bullets tested, still have a lot to get to.
Surprised you didn’t test Nosler Partition bullets. Many feel this bullet performs best over a wide range of velocities.
I have and will do more in different calibers. The Nosler Partition is an excellent option as long as you are not trying to push the out past 3-400 yards, the BC's are not good enough for keeping on target at distance. If 100% of your shooting is within 300 yards then the Nosler Partition is hard to beat.
Thank you very much for doing this vid.
Your welcome
@@simplemindedfella After watching this vid again and thinking of my personal search for the perfect bullet, a thought occurred, or call it a question. Do you have any good recipes for cooking lead? What few non lead bullets I tested, they all look more appetizing. Like it or not, they are probably the future, and I should be looking in to them. [sigh] Just when I thought I was getting this figured out too.
@@doghousedon1 Lead core bullets are not going anywhere anytime soon, yes monolithic is definitely the way of the future. Better majority of the monolithic bullets out there have similar performance there are definitely ones that transfer energy better like Hammer bullets and Cutting Edge bullets.
@SimpleMindedFella How would you compare the Swift Scirocco to the Terminal Ascent. From your videos they seem very similar. What are the differences and benefits you see from the testing?
Terminal ascent will hold together just a little batter and give a little better penetration but as far as stopping power they are pretty well equivalent. I wouldn't hesitate to use either one over the other, both good bullets.
@simplemindedfella thank you! I have a load right now with the 180 Sciroccos in my 300 win mag and they seemed similar but you’ve done the actual work comparing them. Comparing your low velocity work has me wishing I could send a list of questions. Great work my friend.
Yep the Remington core lokt.
😆
In your earlier gel test video, you stated that the Federal Terminal Ascent was not" your choice. What may I asked changed your mind?
I would have to go back through some of my test results and see what I didn't like in one of the test I don't remember right off hand.
I still personally use the trophy bonded tips from federal. I've kind of because of the price and availability gotten away from using Federals premium line they're more of a hybrid leaning towards the copper side and I really feel you should just go straight to a monolithic bullet with the options we have like hammer or badlands bullets that transfer energy quite well and have similar stopping power to a lead core bullet in general. If you can get the terminal ascents for a good price and you're gun shoots them accurately they are good. In the 0.264 caliber in something like a PRC that would be good because of how well they hold together at extreme high velocities and the only issue I've really had with 0.264 bullets in my 6.5 Creedmoor is overfragmentation and underpenetration at close range (even with one of my favorites the Nosler ABLR) and a PRC would simply increase that problem and requires a tougher bullet.
I found your video by chance posted on a forum, and randomly watched it one day after I shot a deer at 60y with 180g berger vld Hunter(2820 fps 7mm). Turns out you're spot on. I'm glad I watched this, and thanks for making it.
Have you tested any tsx bullets or have any opinions on them?
TSX bullets are an excellent bullet for the average hunter. They need a healthy 2000 plus fos to function properly so they are not a good long range bullet and even the LRX is not a good long range bullet but they are good bullets in general.
@@simplemindedfella thanks for your time. I ended up watching your videos for around 2 hours and saw your review on the GMX as well. Great reviews, thanks for making them
hello, is there any significant difference between TLR edge and Terminal Ascent, and thanks in advance
Perfect video. Which would you recommend for beats in Spain between 40 and 250 meters? I hunt with a 7mm rem mag and have a hard time finding a bullet that expands and penetrates well at this distance. I have used Core Lokt but some days better and others worse (I didn't like them). The one that has gone best for me has been Partition but there is no stock. If I had to choose, would I recommend accubond or trophy bonded tip to avoid pisting and have an instant save with a well-executed shot.
Thank you very much and good video!
If you're looking for something consistently in stock, I would go monolithic and go with badlands bulldozer 2. They have tested well and reviews are excellent. I will be using them exclusively in my 6.8 Western next year to obtain my own in the field experience.
I started my big game guided hunts in 1976 .
Since the Barns x bullet then all the other advancements of Barns Copper expanding bullets I don't see any reason to be shooting total crap lead core bullets that turn to lead bombs that cause the lose of at least 1/2 of the meat on the animal recovered.
I have also seen where lead core bullets are the reason for wounding then a nightmare of recovering the wounded animal or not finding the wounded animal at all.
Monolithic bullets definitely have their place and have come a long ways even just in the last few years bringing their performance up to and in some cases better then bonded and even Partitioned/A-Frame type bullets. Hammer leading the pack for accuracy and stopping power over the largest velocity ranges.
Don't get me wrong Barnes are excellent bullets and they really did lead the pack back in the day, before the family sold out. Still good bullets overall and I will continue to use them at times. I have had a batch that came in milled slightly undersized and I couldn't get them to shoot accurately to save my life and velocities where poor because gasses were escaping past the bullets. But I've only ever got that 1 bad match from them since they sold out and I still like them in general for 400 yards and closer shots as the copper they use requires high impact velocities to operate, much higher then a lot of their competitors and their competitors still hold up just as well with really high impact velocities.
Price is a big factor for a lot of people and monolithic bullets are not budget friendly.
@@simplemindedfella That is just liars bull shit that Barns copper bullets must have High velocity to expand and it show you read crap from idiots with the same level or less experiences in hunting and Guns and ammo than you have.
Barns has repeated done video's to prove that lie the Barns bullets don't expand is a lie.
I even shoot the Barns TSX 30 cal 150 grain from my AR 15 16 inch barrel from 7.62x39 with deer kills the bullets are recovered fully expanded .
That bull shit Barns bullets don't expand has over and over been debunked as a lie so many times but it's people like you with very little experiences in hunting that continue to parrot mouth crap you heard .
The one is the Barnes TTSX.
If we're looking at the product line and not a specific caliber that would be an OK bullet but they require so much velocity to open they are not a good bullet at all for distance hunting say you know that 400 yd plus out of the average rifle. I occasionally use them in a couple of my rifles but they're set up for shots within 400 yd so I know I can trust the bullet to actually perform.
As a young man who began reloading 40 years ago, premium bullets where outside my pocket range but I managed to purchase a few Nosler Patrition 30 cal bullets. Those dropped big whitetails not matter what direction they were facing, or at what distances. I made 10 '06 reloads for a friend; he took 2 sighting shots and with the others he killed 8 deer, each with only one shot, ranging out to 400 yards. I loaded my last 10 for another country friend, and then he called up to say they were the most accurate loads he had ever shot, following the afternoon 'he had shot them all into a mud bank' cause he felt like shooting some! Jesus, help me!
Me and my daughter use partition when its game on. First we don't shoot under 500 with that said its the best hunting bullet made. She shoots 6MMS
I shoot 270 win 300 RUM and my favorites 6.5 x284 over 50 years for me 22 for her and never loose a animal to that load. Not so meat friendly but some is better than chasing a animal.
Shoot over 500 yards please clarify, this thanks
@@paulmeek7964 Many happy hunts as a wish for you! Ater 500 yards, bullets drop like heck. Many years ago, when our varmint hunting took a heavy toll on the population, we pulled out usual shooting setup out to 500 yards. My friend and I put together a long barrel 264 Win Mag with an 18X scope, and used 100 gr HPs. We got in some spectacular shooting for a couple of years with that rig.
What the hell did you shoot that Berger into? No way you collected all that out of gel. Maybe into water, but that's not a fair comparison, because water doesn't compress. I shoot Bergers, Accubonds and looking at shooting some of the new monos. I've never seen the bloodshot from Bergers that you talk about. When and if the bullet comes apart it's in the chest cavity. I enjoy your videos. You are able to get out and do the tests that I don't have time to do. Looking forward to seeing what you test in the future.
I only use 10% natural gelatin blocks that I cast and calibrate for consistency.
Yes barns bullets and maybe cutting edge bullets
Hammer Bullets are another good one
@@simplemindedfella thanks I couldn’t remember the other bullets
Great video what is your opinion on the Nosler partition
One of the best bullets ever designed and it set whole new standards for good knockdown with exceptional penetration. Not very good ballistic coefficiencies so not a great option for longer ranges.
You should checkout Hammer bullets. No lead and always performs near or far. Check them out
Hammer is by far one of my favorite monolithic bullets right next to maybe a touch better maybe not than badlands bulldozers.
@@simplemindedfella heck yeah. Do a video on them. Good stuff for a lot of people who are not familiar with these thing.
@@briansupermag3918 I have some videos on both Badlands and Hammer bullets.
@Simple Minded Fella just subbed ya. Great stuff. You deserve more subs. I like the way you think and is on par with my views
Interesting stuff .
Great video. Subscribed
Thanks
I 1000% believe 308 diameter / 30Cal Nosler Partition or Accubond can take any game in North America.
Nosler Partition
What caliber and what cartridge?
What do you think about the Hammers?
If have not used them in the field yet, they tested very well definitely shoot accurately I think they'd be a great overall option. If I ever switch over to monolithic for my primary hunting bullets hammer bullets are definitely towards the top of that list.
Used a 308 168gr on a deer this year and it puched thru both shoulders and destroyed everything in between. To much damage for my liking, but it droppped the deer but qwick. Wouldn't probably want to use on a bear, because the exit hole being small due to dumping all but a little energy to exit the animal. The bear will dead if its a good shot, but if its a bad shot and having to track it with no blood trail in the dense woods would be scary and dangerous, due to the fat layer being closed it up and not letting the blood flow to track. If its open country i would have no problem in using them. The hydrostatic blast that they do is insane on game animals.
I agree. Burger vld bullets suck!!!!
They waist to much meat, barley get one inch of penitration and blow up like a hangranade!!!!! Definitely not a good bullet for hunting!!!!!!
I've got some 140 accubond loaded up for 6.5 creedmoor for elk should be good I'm running about 2750 out of my rifel
I have harvested elk with the 142 ABLR out of my 6.5 Creedmoor and really like there performance and would not hesitate to use the 140 Accubond in its place.
@@simplemindedfella shots will be inside of 300 and also this will be my whitetail load too and that heavy jacket might not do as well for that is why I chose the regular
Thoughts on the ELD-X bullets? They've been very accurate and deadly on Nilgai to 650 or so.
I have used and like the 143 grain ELD-X, I've also used the 140 grain ELD-M and got same result on whitetail and antelope out of my Creedmoor but I have very intentionally kept my muzzle velocities below 2700 FPS. Too much velocity with too close of a shot and the ELD-X line of bullets are c*** for hunting because they fly apart and don't penetrat. With my one Creedmoor I have the 140 gr ELD-M's averaging 2600 FPS and I have dropped whitetail out to 600 yards with that load. So yes loaded and used correctly they can be a good hunting bullet. The ELD-X is not a good option for committing to just one bullet for everything, you really need to stay with bonded, partitioned, or monolithic bullets if you want something that works well across the board and won't grenade on high velocity impacts.