The Best Bullets and the Best Powders

[freddiej]

Who makes the best bullets and who makes the best powders.

Anything written here has to be taken as opinion and overall experience. it also depends on your value system when rating projos and powders.

I have always relied on Barnes bullets and I have always found Hodgdon's powders to be better in my guns. this will not always be the case.
I now also include Berger and certain Hornady projos in my trusted projectile category. I also now have much more powders I trust. I do not like the Vihta Vouri powders at all. the reason is simple they are hyper sensitive to temperature change. Accurate arms was my favorite powder for my 270 winchester until they cut the AA3100 powder that I depended on for my hunting loads. then they dropped another powder that I relied on for my 9MM practice loads. then the other 9MM powder got cut from Hodgdon's line up. I am so disappointed in both powder manufactures. it seems that "Long Shot" shotgun powder will take the place of HS-7 and AA #.. dang I forget that powder's name. I have also been ambivalent to Alliant Reloader series due to lackluster results in my and my friend's rifles.
my reloading bench is filled with many brands of projos, many brands of powder, and most all brands of primers. mostly from experimentation. I should sell off the stuff I do not need or want and clean up the stock area.

For me, the best projos are Berger and Barnes. the best powders come from Hodgdon's except for a very few special applications. this is me, no one else will have this combination. my favorite primers are Federal and Winchester. my favorite brass is Hornady, Nosler, and Lapua. I will not turn down Norma for a good price.

 

[freedough]

I like hodgden 4895 and varget bullets I prefer nosler

 

[SilverbulletMAG]

No Nosler?

 

[basinman]

I mostly hunt so I use Hornady and Nosler bullets. I also mainly use Hodgdon powders although I do have an 8-pound keg of SRB-118 (Service Rifle Ball) powder I bought years ago for a really good price that still I use for 5.56 and 7.62 x 51.

 

[TRG65]

As has been said, the proposition of a best bullet and best powder or even lines isn't 100%

When I'm looking for easy accuracy, I get Berger and hogdons. However, Berger charges more than I like to pay, so I use Hornady ELD-M for matches. I guess that would make hornday best because they are more affordable and sufficiently accurate??? my 6.5x47 and 6.5Creedmoor loads also use RL16 and not any H powders, because I get more velocity from the accuracy loads.

Likewise, some folks hunt with Berger, but I don't, I tried them, wasn't impressed. I've used Nosler, Swift, and Hornday all with better results on game.

If I was to make a recommendation to a new reloader. I'd say Berger and H-whatever for a match gun, and Nosler accubond and H-whatever for hunting. Those seemed to be the easiest combinations to get accuracy and consistency. However, there are lots of other factors.

 

[338 dude]

Added more bullets to the voting poll,
Don't know why it isn't allowing to vote.

Expired

 

[Gater]

I have been shooting competition and reloading for more than thirty years when we where shooting the service rifle matches the majority of shooters shot Sierra 168 BTHP in the .30 M1A and .69 in the mouse gun eventually they came out with the .80 & 90s for the .223 now that the eyes are older and knees are shot F-class is the game and it's Berger's when I first started using Berger's they weren't that popular and weren't that expensive now the price is up and so are the number of shooters using them

 

[Turtle566]

Hi, here in oz, the only powder brand I use is ADI (Australian Defence Industry's), l have found that their powders are extremely temperature stable.
The projectiles that l love for hunting (222) Roos is the Speer SPBT 55g & the Hornady V-Max for vermin extermination, the speer's are a reliable cheaper round but I have used Nosler Ballistic Tips & they are great (but pricey).
The projectiles l really want to try are the Sledgehammer Hammers in 243, but we cannot get them here unless they are purchased in the USA and sent to me as a gift! The people that live in the United States are extremely lucky to have the best range of guns, ammo, and very relaxed laws,(please protect your firearm rights, as it's a bitch here).
Regards
Graham.

 

[Konarex]

I noticed Nosler isn't an option on the poll. I prefer 160grain Nosler Accubond and 175 grain Accubond Long Range for hunting with my 7mm Remington mag and Nolser 115 RDF for competitive shooting with my 6 creedmoor.

 

[Gater]

Where and how do we vote on our favorite bullets ?

 

[Window]

H1000 for all My Weatherby's 270 mag to 30-378. I've switched 11 hunting rifles this year to the Hammer Hunters and all with exceptional results for accuracy out to 800yds. Can the Hammers be added to the voting list?

 

[animalpest]

As a professional shooter, I have many different bullets from most manufacturers. They are all used for different purposes and animals.

Most bullets are Sierra or Nosler from .22 cal up to .308 cal, with either Sierra BTSP or Nosler BT or Accubond. I use some Speer for certain work (e.g. 125 gn .308). Love the Hornady V-Max in my 25/06. I also use Woodleigh in my .375 H&H

For powders, I almost exclusively use ADI, mostly AR2207 (.222), AR2208 and AR 2209 (everything else).

 

[crkckr]

I don't hunt anything edible with anything but Nosler Partitions. For everything else, my go to is either Sierra or Hornady. I don't live all that far from Sierra and taking a trip there to buy seconds is like turning a kid loose in a candy store! The only thing that slows me down is my budget. I do so love going there, honest! It's funny, when I lived in CA, they wern't far up the road from me and my buddies and I used to buy bullets that were all mixed up by the pound for essentially scrap lead prices. I still buy them by the pound but they're sorted into specific bullet types these days. They still have to be individually weighed (I have a few .22 cal. ballistic tips with no core... 14 gr each. They should scream with a few grains of Unique or Bullseye!) and occasionally trimmed of plastic or lead but they still shoot pretty durned good. I get a kick out going thru them and finding the occasional oddity. Ah, the things that amuse us older kids!

As to powders, I have a bit of everything, except the VV powders, which are a bit rich for my budget.
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[Bingoc]

Include Swift as a bullet mfg.