Looking for a new hunting bullet... Which one!??!

[One Hole]

I've killed two bull elk and dozens of deer with my 300wsm with 168 Barnes TSX and TTSX. The furthest shot was a 6x6 at 325yds. He lunged forward and crashed 10ft from where he was hit. Double lung broadside hit.

 

[One Hole]

I actually prefer the nontipped Barnes bullets. They seem to expand better. Plus I don't shoot over 400yds and don't take bad shots. Deer die really quick with a well placed ttx at 2500+ fps

 

[azwhitey]

I have had fantastic performance out of my 300 wsm with regular AB as well. I shot 150's for several years, and just moved it up to 180's last year. Have shot everything from coues, bears, antelope, and several elk... has never disappointed..
Whitey

 

[dciron]

I've got some 180 Swift Scirocco II I can send you to try out and test. Probably 40 or so. Free. PM me your info and I'll send them to you. I've got about 250 of them and they're a great bullet.

As I was reading this I was wondering why nobody brought the Swift Scirocco up. I've been away from big game hunting for many, many years and remember the Swift Scirocco and A Frames being very popular. Is their lack of favor today only due to their lack of high BC? If so, then if a hunter is limiting himself to 500 yards are they still a good choice? I appreciate feedback on this.

 

[Murph1951]

Woodleigh Weldcore they just don't fail.

 

[dciron]

I have a 300 WSM with 22" barrel and I love it. I tried several bullets before obtaining excellent accuracy pushing a 180 grain scirocco at 2880 FPS with 66 grains of super performance powder. It has performed flawlessly at close and longer range. My daughter killed a black bear out of a tree (hound hunting) at 25 yards. The bullet was found on the far hide with 70% weight retention, even after encountering bone. My son killed a deer at 600 yards. First bullet hit the hind quarter (missing bone) of the broadside deer due to my undercalling the wind and a second bullet hit the crease after a quick correction. Both bullets hit like hammers and both bullets exited. He also killed a bull elk this year at 250 yards. One shot kill. The gun/bullet combo shoots 1/2 MOA accuracy at 100 yards and sub 1/2 MOA at 500 yards. This is the most confident I have been in any bullet for a long time. Frangible bullets like bergers tend to do well at long range but less stellar at short range, especially if you hit heavy bone. The scirocco for me has been the best balance of energy transfer, weight retention, and accuracy that I have been looking for in a bullet for both close and far encounters.

The BC of 0.52 worried me at first, but at 6000 feet elevation the bullet is still going about 1950 FPS at 800 yards, which is beyond my 600-700 yard self imposed max distance for hunting. So unless you really need the bullet to perform beyond 800-900 yards I can confidently say that this is the bullet you are looking for.

I also had good performance out of factory 200 grain ELD-X but that was a bear at 525 yards and the bullet impacted spine and obliterated it. Not the best overall measure of performance but I was happy with what I saw. I would not be afraid to shoot that bullet if I couldn't find the 180 scirocco or if I couldn't get the scirocco to tune properly.

Thanks for sharing. It sounds like the Scirocco still preforms.

 

[skipglo]

IMO...drop down to 150 gr bullets, and slow them down a bit. By that I mean don't load to max, pull them back a couple hundred fps.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I have used Nosler Ballistic Tip or Accubonds for a great many years in several different rifles, from 25-06, 7mm R. Mag, 308 N Mag, and 338 WM from 30yds to 600yds with great results. Hit elk from the rear end and bullet stopped under front skin from front shoulder and down. If you are loosing animals, I would look at shot placement and learn how to track. My go to bullets has been Nosler, and not Partition either. At close range Partition, I have found and especially at higher velocity they come undone. That why I hold my shots down to 500yds and closer. Also I feel it's not hunting just making long shots. I spot and stock type hunter. Sorry about getting on your case on lost animals, but at the same time something is wrong. Do changes in bullet construction, I would like at Hammer bullets also. I feel they have a great bullet build. I have use them yet, but have them on hand.

 

[skipglo]

Personally for whitetail and black bear here in New England I have really good luck with the eld-match line of bullets. Run heavy for caliber in the 2800-2900 range and you'll be very happy with the performance. I dont have any experience with the 30 cals but I have extensive experience with the 140 eld-m in 6.5 and 162/180eld-m in 7mm. Even the 162 at 3150 from my 7mm rem mag did very well.

The 30s on deer are a whole different Animal. Heavies in 30 aren't the way. There just isn't enough resistance to a Deer. Your HEAVY( extremely light) 140 gr work for a reason.....they are matched to the size of game!

 

[Hoggetter]

I been using a 300wsm for 20 years and taken many different game animals with the regular AB180gr in a factory 24" barrel at 3000fps from 50yds to 550yds without any failures.
Then put a new 26" barrel and tried the AB180 grain bullets but the accuracy groups sucks, apparently they were coming a part in flight between 600 yards and 1000 yards because they were going 3150fps then switch to the ABLR190gr and the groups were .5 moa, but the performance on game was not what I liked got some of the closer Distances. So I switched to the Hornady ELDX 200gr in my groups tightened even more to .3 moa at 2980fps and the performance on various game animals have been awesome, I've killed antelope and deer under 100 yards and as far as 760 yards. and elk out to 600 yards, all the animals practically fell over in their tracks and only a couple fell within 30yds. The ELDX is a thinker shank at the base to retain some of the bullet mass giving it good penetration while the Front part of the board grenades in the animal. Just remember there's a lot of power and authority in a 200 grain bullet. Some of the thinner skinned animals at closer ranges looked like I could put a baseball bat through them, and at the longer distances, I usually find the bullet jacket under the offside hide dumping all of its energy into the animal.

 

[tonechaser88]

I've heard great things about hammer bullets also but I've also seen animals take a couple steps or even run a little ways shoooting monos because while they penetrate extremely well, if you don't make a perfect shot, they don't blow apart like a Berger or a softer bullet and create larger area of trauma and damage. There are several trains of thought on the perfect bullet or even on bullet placement. Some folks like to shoot out front shoulders so that the bone splinters out and creates damage also breaking down most critters on a front shoulder shot. My point is , it's hunting and there are a ton of variables and angles so with that said, I think if you don't mind a little meat damage, the Berger seems to be a good choice. They have a grenade like effect and cause mass area of trauma. I have had good luck with the ELDX. I've had perfect mushrooming out of a short barreled 260 rem w 143, I've had explosive core separation with a 230 eldx out of a 338. It's a function of velocity upon impact with most bullets. I used to shoot the 212 eldx out of the 300 wsm and it crushed , I think the 200 is also a very good choice. Sometimes with those closer shots I've had better luck with a little less velocity , bullet tends to stay together. With that said , sadly I've also moved away from accubonds as I've had a similar experience. Also been trying PVA cayuga for monos, only killed pronghorn with em so far but seeing good things. Good luck and I think a 300 wsm is a great choice for an all around rifle .

 

[DRock]

Terminal Ascent

Any hunt. Any range. Go beyond what you ever thought possible with Federal Premium® Terminal Ascent™.

www.federalpremium.com

This bullet is good from point blank to 1500fps

Are we every going to see these component bullets again? I had my backorder from Midway USA canceled for these. I have been using them in .284 caliber and they are the ideal hunting bullet IMHO.

Terminal Ascent would be my first choice. Scirocco would be my second.

 

[griz375]

So I have a 300 WSM I love but last few animals I have shot I am not seeing the results I want on animals and I actually lost a buck in Colorado this weekend. So I am looking to try and switch things up. Currently shooting the 190 ABLR. Recently scored some 200 grain ELDX before this all happened just to try them out. I just hear good and bad about every kind of bullet so looking for some insight. A buddy of mine says for smaller game like deer or antelope I need a softer bullet or possibly the speed of the gun and bullets are too much. I forgot to add... Seams like the closer the shot the less I see great results but the further shots seam to do better. 200 yards and in are not great but 300 out seam much better and my AR10 stones most things so I am trying to figure out how to solve the situation. Thoughts??

My 300wsm has been fired 5 times in the field resulting in 5 dead critters; 1 Moose, 3 deer, and a wolf, all were shot with the 190 ablr. I only recoverd 1 bullet which I found on the off side of the moose; it expanded perfectly. I personally would steer clear of the ELDX, my hunting pard shoot an elk through the shoulders this year at 185 yards with the 212gr from a 300 win mag; that bullet basically fragmented the largest piece we recovered weighed 37 grains. Personally in 30 caliber I prefer a 165gr for everything up to elk.

 

[Canhunter35]

In 30cal, I've had good luck with the 212eldx, mushrooms east, will work on thin game to heavy game, but not sure ur mag length on the wsm.
I've shot a lot of deer with 168eldms, amazing bullet out of a 308, don't see why it wouldn't crater deer if your mv is around 3k
Other option I would go for is a nosler ballistic tip, they're good bullets for deer and antelope