28 Nosler - Best Hunting Bullets?

[kai]

I'm building a custom 28 Nosler with a 26" Proof carbon barrel and was planning on using the Berger 195 gn EOL bullet with a custom chamber throated for the long Berger 195 bullet.

After seeing reports of inconsistent terminal performance with Berger bullets, and concern about shedding a lot of lead fragments in the meat, I'm considering other bullets.

The barrel will be custom chambered for the bullets used so I'd like to decide on the bullets I'll be shooting before I have the chamber cut. I'd like to keep the bullet's BC high to minimize wind drift.

The gun will be mainly a long distance deer and elk gun to 800 yards but may be used at closer ranges.

What bullets would you use in a 28 Nosler for longer and for closer ranges?

 

[WeiserBucks]

160 Accubonds have a well deserved reputation for great performance on game if you don't like Berger. Hornady 180's look promising but I have zero experience with them.

 

[L.Sherm]

180 bergers.

 

[Sykes]

160 accubonds worked well for me on two elk last season. A bull at 280 yards, was glad I waited for the cow to clear him or I may have got her too I think! And a cow at 300
I'm going to try some 180 bergers this year

 

[Axl]

I have a couple 28 Nos. 180 Bergers in one and 162 Eld-m in the other.
The 162's shoot a little flatter than the heavier bullets at 800 both work well on Elk

 

[Tidus56]

I personally use the 180 Berger Hybrid in my 28 Nosler. But after seeing photos and hearing stories from guides, they have seen best performance with the ABLR and the ELD-X. I wont throw shade at the bullets they have seen poor results with, but I will say the 195 is one of them. I have 500 195s on order, oh well.

 

[tbrice23]

I had excellent performance with 175 Berger Elite Hunters at 3220 fps MV.
5 for 5 one shot kills.

 

[kai]

I'm wondering if the ELD-X 175 grain, Accubond LR 175 and the Barnes LRX 168 would perform well and if I could load them to shoot out of the same chambered Proof Carbon barrel.
It would be convenient to be able to shoot different bullets from the same barrel.
I hand load and plan to load the cartridges long to maximize range and minimize wind drift.

This will be my first gun in this caliber. I'd appreciate any comments on selecting various high BC bullets that would shoot well from a single barrel that will be chambered for the selected bullets.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

Who is cutting your reamer?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

If 8" twist I would shoot the 177g Hammer Hunter. I will be building a light weight rifle with Proof barrel in 280ai in 8 twist to shoot the 143g Hammer Hunter for 700-800 yard hunting.

These bullets will solve all the questions you have.

Steve

 

[kai]

Most likely will be having JGS cut the reamer.

 

[bigngreen]

I run two bullets, out to 600ish I run the 177 Hammer and it's treated me well, at distance I run the 195 Berger and it's been excellent, I've heard of some inconsistent results from guys I trust but then some of use have seen outstanding results. ALR's were crap, I'll never shoot them at anything I want to eat!!

 

[kai]

I run two bullets, out to 600ish I run the 177 Hammer and it's treated me well, at distance I run the 195 Berger and it's been excellent, I've heard of some inconsistent results from guys I trust but then some of use have seen outstanding results. ALR's were crap, I'll never shoot them at anything I want to eat!!

Thanks for sharing your comments. I never considered the 177 Hammers and when Steve of Hammer Bullets suggested them, it got me to look at the Hammer line of bullets. ... surprisingly wide selection.

Also thanks for your comments on ALR's. I was considering using AB's at closer ranges and ABLR's for longer ranges but had also heard that the ABLR's were fragile and put lots of lead fragments in the meat.

How are the Berger 195's in terms of shedding lead in the meat?
I've heard that they shed most of their weight as lead fragments out to as much as 20 inches from the bullet path. I'm a meat-eater and don't want to eat lead.

 

[bigngreen]

Having frag in your meat is a function of shot placement and meat preparation not a bullet function. Every bullet that expands and sheds weight has the ability to put frag into meat, our bodies do not metabolize lead frag it has to be in an extremely fine form that we breath or that can directly enter the blood stream. We should be way more concerned about the environment and lead contamination the animal was in than the bullet. Other animals have digestive system that will break down the lead like in the condors case.
I cut wild game commercially for years and we ran plates in our grinders that would take out anything hard or even very stiff stuff and you would never find lead in the meat we cut, you would find copper though which worries me more as a meat cutter than anything else. Lead frag tracks along the bullet path so if your bullet goes through the vitals behind the shoulder the frag is in the body cavity, clean up a very small entrance area, there may be a little around the exit also, very easy to clean up. Lead frag is extremely easy to clean up, copper frag is extremely hard to track and find in meat.
I started shooting Berger's for meat quality and have been extremely happy but I evaluate each bullet regardless of manufacture on it's in merits, there are Berger's I don't like. I pick my shot placement based on meat quality and lethality and am very OK with passing a shot.
I shoot Hammers also because they are lethal as hell compared to other copper bullets, I can put them into more shot positions and that is why in some cases I use them closer, extreme lethality with some ruggedness. I do need BC also, I know some will down play BC or over play it also but it's easy to run the numbers and get a reasonable idea of the best impact velocities and ranges based on that for each bullet.