I know this is an open ended question and there are a million different reasons. I overthink everything lol! Thanks for your responses. I shot 3 animals this year with the factory loaded 212Eldx and I'm not impressed. All out of a CA 300PRC. 2 died, 1 got away. 2 harvests were a blacktail buck and buck antelope. Both at 400 yards and the entrance hole was huge with no exit. The one that got away was a nice boar black bear at 200 yards. Hit him right behind the shoulder...No blood and no bear.
Why/How do you pick the projectile to build your load around?
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nksmfamjp
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Are you hitting heavy bone? Shoulder, leg bones?
A 300 PRC under 600 yds can easily power a tougher bullet. Why not an Accubond, Partition, Barnes or Hammer?
Sometimes I think we get into ELD-X, ABLR or Berger hunting bullets and then hit bone at normal ranges and get bad results.
A 300 PRC under 600 yds can easily power a tougher bullet. Why not an Accubond, Partition, Barnes or Hammer?
Sometimes I think we get into ELD-X, ABLR or Berger hunting bullets and then hit bone at normal ranges and get bad results.
DoneNOut
Well-Known Member
I've heard some bad press about the ELDX bullets, but that is absolutely unacceptable. Sorry you had just terrible experience with your intended harvests. I haven't heard anything bad about Hammer bullets. Lots of dead game pictures here. I've had great success on TX hogs with 200gr Nosler Accubonds out of my 300WM cruising 2900fps MV. Shots within 400yds put the hard smack on them. Performed as advertised.
What I'm shooting + How far I'm shooting + Impact velocity = Bullet selection but I shoot Hammers exclusively
MagnumManiac
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This is why I do not hunt with ANY Hornady bullets!
I tried the 208g A-Max out of a 30" barreled 300WM on our Sambar deer….worst decision I ever made. Shot was a tad over 600. First shot was behind the shoulder quartering away, deer dropped and I racked another round. Deer got up and started hobbling downhill, hit him again but from the other side to the first hit, no reaction so I hit him a third time in the spine. Stag was still breathing when I got to him but passed soon after.
The entrance holes on all three shots could have fit large Grapefruits in them, no pass through and the meat was peppered with shrapnel.
This was the day I no longer used CHEAP Hornady bullets.
As to choosing a bullet.
I look for accuracy as NUMBER ONE, then performance on game, this manifests itself in many different ways, but personally, I use bonded bullets, except Partitions, almost exclusively.
Of the bonded variety, I use Swift, Nosler, Speer and Woodleigh.
I'm using a lot of ABLR bullets lately. Their accuracy is very good for me so far and the performance at range is second to none. Have used them below the 1300fps lower limit and they expanded….barely.
Was testing more this weekend just gone and had groups go from triangular to vertical to horizontal, the only other bullet I ever saw that was with Berger OTM's.
There wasn't even a breath of wind, so know it was the tune coming in and out.
Cheers.
lancetkenyon
Well-Known Member
Find a bullet that hits where you want, will do what you want it to, at the ranges you want to do it in. Easy, right?
For a CA .300PRC (1:8" twist), I have two recommendations. Berger 215 Hyb and 199 Hammer Hunter.
For me, and me only, I like Berger Target bullets for long range hunting. They have a slightly thicker jacket than the Hunting bullets, and accuracy is second to none. Putting a bullet in the right spot is #1. Getting it though the first 3" is #2. Then wrecking everything inside that next 8-12" is #3. Add those 3 up, and you get dead animals. For me, Berger = 6 (1+2+3).
For a rifle that is used for closer in work (out to 600-800), a mono is a good choice too. I like Hammers for this. They are crazy accurate, and super easy to find a load for. And....they are CONSISTENT. Bullet to bullet, lot to lot, year to year.
I usually get exits on most game. If not, I have found the few bullets I have recovered just under the offside skin if they are broadside. If they are quartering, I might not find the bullet if it doesn't exit, as I do the "gutless method" on game. Only had two that I can think of that didn't exit and I didn't recover the bullet.
2 holes are great. But an animal that drops and stays down works just as well.
If you can get a rifle that shoots a LR load and a mono at the same POI at 100, you are golden. Use the mono for close, and the other for stretching the legs.
For a CA .300PRC (1:8" twist), I have two recommendations. Berger 215 Hyb and 199 Hammer Hunter.
For me, and me only, I like Berger Target bullets for long range hunting. They have a slightly thicker jacket than the Hunting bullets, and accuracy is second to none. Putting a bullet in the right spot is #1. Getting it though the first 3" is #2. Then wrecking everything inside that next 8-12" is #3. Add those 3 up, and you get dead animals. For me, Berger = 6 (1+2+3).
For a rifle that is used for closer in work (out to 600-800), a mono is a good choice too. I like Hammers for this. They are crazy accurate, and super easy to find a load for. And....they are CONSISTENT. Bullet to bullet, lot to lot, year to year.
I usually get exits on most game. If not, I have found the few bullets I have recovered just under the offside skin if they are broadside. If they are quartering, I might not find the bullet if it doesn't exit, as I do the "gutless method" on game. Only had two that I can think of that didn't exit and I didn't recover the bullet.
2 holes are great. But an animal that drops and stays down works just as well.
If you can get a rifle that shoots a LR load and a mono at the same POI at 100, you are golden. Use the mono for close, and the other for stretching the legs.
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This is interesting. In mid 80's I bouhgt an old (1959 WBY), came with 6 boxes of ammo from 110, 150 and 180. Original owner bought it when he bought the rifle new (he was stationed in W. Germany). Shot all those the first day and got a black and blue shoulder.
Time to reload. No way I could afford to buy WBY ammo. (Mid 80's)
When I walk into the LGS, I was not sure what to buy. My loading experience had been 9mm Luger. I bought a Lyman handbook, liked the way Nosler Ballistic tips looked, Decided 180 sounded about right for the 300WBY, I have never loaded any other brand of hunting bullets since then. I played around with all others, and I have one rifle setup for Barnes, but only hunted with Noslers,
When I took my son to Africa, Obama years, I drove 3 years each way to get 200 NAB and 200 Nosler Partitions. Set up my rifle for the partitions and my sons for the AB. Very happy hunt! 7 annimals each
In Texas, we harvest, so anything really kills, but I still load Ballistic Tips. Load those in my 22-250, 243, 270 and 30.06.
When things get better I will try Hammers.
I just picked them for the looks, and happy ever since!
Time to reload. No way I could afford to buy WBY ammo. (Mid 80's)
When I walk into the LGS, I was not sure what to buy. My loading experience had been 9mm Luger. I bought a Lyman handbook, liked the way Nosler Ballistic tips looked, Decided 180 sounded about right for the 300WBY, I have never loaded any other brand of hunting bullets since then. I played around with all others, and I have one rifle setup for Barnes, but only hunted with Noslers,
When I took my son to Africa, Obama years, I drove 3 years each way to get 200 NAB and 200 Nosler Partitions. Set up my rifle for the partitions and my sons for the AB. Very happy hunt! 7 annimals each
In Texas, we harvest, so anything really kills, but I still load Ballistic Tips. Load those in my 22-250, 243, 270 and 30.06.
When things get better I will try Hammers.
I just picked them for the looks, and happy ever since!
Hard rock
Well-Known Member
Sounds like the 208 a-max is best for dinging steel
DoneNOut
Well-Known Member
Uh OH! I'm running 208gr Amax 30" 300WM 3050fps for 1 mile shoots. Only shot steel with it so far. Should I ever hunt something with that 22lb gun I better find something else, or hit them farther away with the Amax.
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I killed a couple of hogs with 208 in 300 AAC subsonic. Factory loads
DoneNOut
Well-Known Member
I've killed 60-70 with 168gr Amax 308 WIN. Murder pills! Lol.
whirlwindjml
Well-Known Member
The eld x is just an amax with an interlock barb in the middle and a fancy new harder tip. At 400 yards on antelope and blacktail from 300 prc I would expect it to be explosive still. As long as you stay out of the meat and don't need the hide it should be ok.
If you made a good hit on the bear I can't imagine how hes not dead. We've had lots of success in my local elk hunting friends and like them. But like tires, bullets seem to have ideal uses and conditions, some better than others for certain conditions.
Like lance mentioned.. even a target bullet can be used well for hunting if ya know when and where to poke it.
If you made a good hit on the bear I can't imagine how hes not dead. We've had lots of success in my local elk hunting friends and like them. But like tires, bullets seem to have ideal uses and conditions, some better than others for certain conditions.
Like lance mentioned.. even a target bullet can be used well for hunting if ya know when and where to poke it.
