How many bullets do you try in new rifle?

[FEENIX]

To be honest, I used to only shoot Nosler AB's and Berger CH in .284 and .308. Tried Sierra GK's and Nosler Ballistic Tips and they were meh in my rifles. I tried Hammers and they were super easy to get good results. Hornady AMAX shot amazing in my .308, but I questioned their terminal performance on deer sized game. Now I'm attempting to develop different loads for different bullets and weights. Couple that with a cabinet full of different powders, and the experiments are seemingly endless. I really could not care less about burning out a barrel. A new barrel would only restart my mad science experiments.

I have had a pretty good experience with A-Max (primarily 178s), not in .308 WIn but in .300 WM on antelope and deer size game up 600Y; no experience on elk size game.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

You know the more I think of it, the more I realize that if you set your expectations as to accuracy you would like, ( MOA ) from the Rifle/ Bullet/ Load/ Scope Combo ,and terminal performance you need on the game, and you actually achieve that almost perfect result , and log all your data, and save and date all your targets, then the Experiment is over. After that you're just having fun shooting and trying other stuff and comparing it to your already achieved perfect load. For my East Coat Deer Rifle, Ultralight, in 270 Win, that load development was done 10 or 12 years ago, never changing it . Now my Savage Target gun with the Mc Millian factory Stock, in 308, I keep bouncing between Hornady 110 Grn and Berger 115 Grn Target back and forth. makes me nuts, because I can shoot one bullet so well at two or three range session and screw it up in a match, then try the other and it shoots so well at range sessions and not so good in the match. I have come to the conclusion; I just can't shoot in a match!!!!!! I think I'll take up Golf or Pickle ball. But keep deer hunting !!!

 

[BrentM]

I think I may have a problem. I just can't stop trying new bullets and probably will burn a barrel out before testing is complete. The wise and experienced person would probably focus on tried and true bullets and leave well enough alone. I do know that sometimes a particular rifle/barrel has preferences that shoot well and others that just don't. I shoot more .284 bullets than any other in my rifles. I got lucky in my .308's and found a bullet that met expectations early in load development. So how many do you test in a new rifle.

Here is the current line up for my 280AI.
View attachment 484772

Usually just use what I know works very well and never look back. I don't mind trying new stuff but have zero desire to run a pile of bullets designed to do the same thing. If my comp rig is going to shoot 105 bergers or 108 eld's, thats what I use. For hunting if I like a eldx or A Tip or eld or whatever, I load it. I have not had an issue getting low sd and excellent accuracy out of any rifle I've reloaded for in a decade.

 

[mongo4567]

For hunting guns, I have two or three go to bullets (sierra, nosler) based on how they perform on target and accuracy. When shooting for fun and extreme accuracy, the possibilities are almost endless.

 

[xsn10s]

Usually just use what I know works very well and never look back. I don't mind trying new stuff but have zero desire to run a pile of bullets designed to do the same thing. If my comp rig is going to shoot 105 bergers or 108 eld's, thats what I use. For hunting if I like a eldx or A Tip or eld or whatever, I load it. I have not had an issue getting low sd and excellent accuracy out of any rifle I've reloaded for in a decade.

I'm basically the same way. when I started loading I sampled a wide range of bullets. I haven't had the chance to hunt a ton of big game but everything I shot was harvested with one round, luckily I never needed a follow up shot on BG. That's using Speer Magtips, Nosler BT's, PT's, AB's and Hornady round nose soft point. I plan on using Hybids, ELDM's amd MB's in the future. Maybe even some TMK's.

 

[K.E.C.]

You know the more I think of it, the more I realize that if you set your expectations as to accuracy you would like, ( MOA ) from the Rifle/ Bullet/ Load/ Scope Combo ,and terminal performance you need on the game, and you actually achieve that almost perfect result , and log all your data, and save and date all your targets, then the Experiment is over. After that you're just having fun shooting and trying other stuff and comparing it to your already achieved perfect load. For my East Coat Deer Rifle, Ultralight, in 270 Win, that load development was done 10 or 12 years ago, never changing it . Now my Savage Target gun with the Mc Millian factory Stock, in 308, I keep bouncing between Hornady 110 Grn and Berger 115 Grn Target back and forth. makes me nuts, because I can shoot one bullet so well at two or three range session and screw it up in a match, then try the other and it shoots so well at range sessions and not so good in the match. I have come to the conclusion; I just can't shoot in a match!!!!!! I think I'll take up Golf or Pickle ball. But keep deer hunting !!!

GOLF IS WORSE THEN SHOOTING GUNS. I used to golf, and it's addicting.
Just like trying different bullets.
You try different clubs and golf balls.
Now I shoot at the hundreds of golf balls I bought over the years. They do make a great target to shoot at.

 

[Allen Kitts]

I don't see the problem. That's what so fun about this game there are so many options. I have lots of loads that shoot really good and some even shoot great but when I read something interesting here on a post or walk into the LGS and see some new fangled, best ever built, bullet I have to try it, you just never know when you might find Nirvana. In today world nothing is cheap and they make lots of barrels for replacement. Have a great day fella's.

 

[Allen Kitts]

You know the more I think of it, the more I realize that if you set your expectations as to accuracy you would like, ( MOA ) from the Rifle/ Bullet/ Load/ Scope Combo ,and terminal performance you need on the game, and you actually achieve that almost perfect result , and log all your data, and save and date all your targets, then the Experiment is over. After that you're just having fun shooting and trying other stuff and comparing it to your already achieved perfect load. For my East Coat Deer Rifle, Ultralight, in 270 Win, that load development was done 10 or 12 years ago, never changing it . Now my Savage Target gun with the Mc Millian factory Stock, in 308, I keep bouncing between Hornady 110 Grn and Berger 115 Grn Target back and forth. makes me nuts, because I can shoot one bullet so well at two or three range session and screw it up in a match, then try the other and it shoots so well at range sessions and not so good in the match. I have come to the conclusion; I just can't shoot in a match!!!!!! I think I'll take up Golf or Pickle ball. But keep deer hunting !!!

Pickle Ball is all the rage these days and way cheaper.

 

[emp1953]

I think I may have a problem. I just can't stop trying new bullets and probably will burn a barrel out before testing is complete. The wise and experienced person would probably focus on tried and true bullets and leave well enough alone. I do know that sometimes a particular rifle/barrel has preferences that shoot well and others that just don't. I shoot more .284 bullets than any other in my rifles. I got lucky in my .308's and found a bullet that met expectations early in load development. So how many do you test in a new rifle.

Here is the current line up for my 280AI.
View attachment 484772

I have tried 4 bullets in my reloading adventure. I load .243win, .270win, 30-06, .223. I started with Sierra Game Kings in my first rifle 30-06. Good accuracy but I wasn't happy with performance on whitetails. I went to Grand Slams and was unhappy with the performance on black bear, no expansion. Then Nosler Partitions and all was great with my shooting world, then I tried Swift A-frames and they performed slightly better than the Noslers. So I found what worked early on and stopped looking. Never have loaded or fired a mono bullet. I stocked up on Game Kings early in all 4 calibers, then stocked up on the Noslers so that no matter what the market does I'll always have them to reload, now if CCI200 primers only became available again I'd be set. A lot of my rounds get shot through other shooters rifles at the range when they are having goofy performance issues.

 

[emp1953]

Can you provide the details of your .270win load. Thats my favorite rifle/caliber. Mine is a Sig 970SHR.

 

[Mike Matteson]

When I purchased my Weatherby Mark V Ultra-Light rifle, used, I wanted to start right off testing the 130 Grn. Nosler Ballistic Tips, for my 270 Win. I had seen how they work on deer while on a hunting trip years earlier. The Ballistic Tips worked very well with both H 4831SC and also IMR 4350 powder. In my rifle which has a 24-inch barrel. 4831SC produced so many ragged one-hole groups, so that combo of powder and bullet became my number 1 choice for whitetail deer hunting. I also use the same 130 grn Ballistic Tips, with IMR 4350 for my friends Model 70 featherweight, also a 270 Win, with a 22-inch barrel. His rifle likes that powder with that 130 grn bullet. The approximate velocity from my rifle is 3000/3025 fps . The bullet is accurate in my rife and devastating on Whitetail Deer!! Several one-shot kills. I don't know how it could be any better!!! That rifle is my "go-to " deer rifle . No further bullet testing required for that rifle, or my friends Model 70 . Sometimes you get lucky. For Target and Comp guns, the testing never ends.

I seen over 150 deer go down with 130 Sierra bullets a great many years ago. Those bullets did the job.
My hunting loads have been Nosler BT, & AB over the years. Their BC has been good, seem to act better than what they state.

 

[WYMIKE]

Can you provide the details of your .270win load. Thats my favorite rifle/caliber. Mine is a Sig 970SHR.

Please try this recipe in your .270 Winchester. Nosler Brass, FED-210M primer, 58.0 grains Hodgdon H4831sc, and a 145 grain Hornady ELD-X bullet, seated at 3.25". Adjust the load accuracy with different seating depths as the bullet likes a little more jump. Start 10% less with this load.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

If you are asking me to share my load information with you , I'm happy to tell you what I use. This is not a recommendation in any way, that YOU use this load in YOUR rifle. I use matched Win Cases , separated by weight, Ex;186.0 to 186.4 grns or 186.5 to 186.9 grns . after Trimming and all neck prep. 59.5 grns of IMR 4831SC, 130 Grn Nosler Ballistic Tips, and Win LR Primers. COAL is not very precise.as I find I can get as much as 5/1000th difference due to the deformation of the tips. 3..340 to 3.345 is a Ball Park, OGIVE 2.797 to 2.799 works pretty good and feeds well in the internal magazine. Today I shot several rounds 2.803 to 2.805. As this is a Hunting Load, in a Hunting Rifle, I like to have one round in the chamber, and two in the magazine. I expect this load produces 3000/3050 fps Muzz. Velocity from the 24 inch Bbl. I use 3000 fps for the math on the JBM Ballistic App. With a 100 yard Zero, I have 1 inch of drop at 150 yards and 3inches of drop at 200 yards and 6 inches (or 2MOA) or drop at 250 yards, and 11 inches ( or 3MOA ) of drop at 300 yards. That means I can easily hold over out to 200 yards and never touch the turret, until I range a deer at 250 yards or more. 350 Yards would be my personal choice for Max Hunting Range for this load. I'm sure younger eyes can easily stretch that to 400 yards. ( 6 MOA) drop at that range.
The new Leupold VX5 3X to 15X 30mm main tube, makes it all work. IMHO the 130 Grn Nosler Ballistic Tip, in 270, is an excellent Whitetail Deer Bullet.

 

[emp1953]

Was this photo in or around Jackson NC?
I am using 51gr H4350, Federal Brass, CCI200 primers, Nosler 150gr partitions. Gives me 2884 fps. I was using 130gr partitions but the guides asked me to change things up, That bullet was destroying too much meat, The 130's also used 51gr H4350 cranking out 2950fps. So to make the guides happy I moved up to the 150. It does less damage. My Sig970SHR has a 24" barrel.