Why/How do you pick the projectile to build your load around?

[snox801]

What I'm shooting + How far I'm shooting + Impact velocity = Bullet selection but I shoot Hammers exclusively

This is how I do it also.
I take the round I have, figure out what I'm using it for and pick the heaviest my twist can handle of shooting past 400 yards
Then I take said bullet. Example. 6.5 creed 147 eld 1/8 twist. I run the numbers out to lowest FPS it will open. Then I do the same with the heaviest mono like hammer and run the numbers. Usually I gain nothing but more drop at shorter ranges with the real heavy ones. So I find myself shooting hammers more and more. Plus they are the best performing bullets I've found when considering shots from 5 yards to min FPS

 

[Recon$$]

Everything has its + and -. Find what fits you and your style. I love bergers, I know to avoid shoulder or anchor shots and they go right where they should when I do my part. I got a 300 prc I'm working up loads for right now. I was about to settle on the 212 eldx but I ordered some 199 HH and might join the cult depending how they shoot. I'm actually hoping it goes well, I'd like to shoot a mono in this one.

 

[Hard rock]

This is how I do it also.
I take the round I have, figure out what I'm using it for and pick the heaviest my twist can handle of shooting past 400 yards
Then I take said bullet. Example. 6.5 creed 147 eld 1/8 twist. I run the numbers out to lowest FPS it will open. Then I do the same with the heaviest mono like hammer and run the numbers. Usually I gain nothing but more drop at shorter ranges with the real heavy ones. So I find myself shooting hammers more and more. Plus they are the best performing bullets I've found when considering shots from 5 yards to min FPS

Time 2 and 3 on your and Beans post

 

[Hard rock]

Time 2 and 3 on your and Beans post

But I do like light and fast for a given caliber

 

[snox801]

Everything has its + and -. Find what fits you and your style. I love bergers, I know to avoid shoulder or anchor shots and they go right where they should when I do my part. I got a 300 prc I'm working up loads for right now. I was about to settle on the 212 eldx but I ordered some 199 HH and might join the cult depending how they shoot. I'm actually hoping it goes well, I'd like to shoot a mono in this one.

That's was the tough choice for me wether to run the 199's or the 214. I wanted a bullet for max distance but I have a feeling I'd get more use out of the 199 and that speed would be great.

 

[snox801]

But I do like light and fast for a given caliber

I also lean that way unless it's me of what I'd consider my long range for caliber.
Or have two loads one light and real fast for under 500 and one heavier slower for over 500 yards

 

[DoneNOut]

This post has me doing a lot of self-reflection. Not in the mirror butterflies/moths either. "It puts the lube on the brass or it gets the stuck case remover again...."

 

[jrock]

My approach is to select my top three bullets when building a rifle. Usually all the same weight, just different brands/construction types. I load up and test the top two for accuracy. I Pick the best one, and hunt with it for a season. The next season, I switch bullets and see how they do.

There are too many options in this world to stick with a product you are not happy with for whatever reason.

 

[Jon Bischof]

We are all tempted to go with the bullet that gives us the best accuracy in our rifle. But that may not always be the best thing to do. We really ought to pick a bullet that we know will give us the terminal performance on game .

There are 2 different camps here.. There are the dead right there bullet people. And there are the entry and exit hole/blood trail people. I am in the exit hole/blood trail camp. So I avoid exploding fragment grenades. Accubond, Fusion, etc.

 

[ButterBean]

We are all tempted to go with the bullet that gives us the best accuracy in our rifle. But that may not always be the best thing to do. We really ought to pick a bullet that we know will give us the terminal performance on game .

There are 2 different camps here.. There are the dead right there bullet people. And there are the entry and exit hole/blood trail people. I am in the exit hole/blood trail camp. So I avoid exploding fragment grenades. Accubond, Fusion, etc.

^^^^^^^^^^^^100% This^^^^^^^^^

 

[QuietTexan]

There are 2 different camps here.. There are the dead right there bullet people. And there are the entry and exit hole/blood trail people. I am in the exit hole/blood trail camp. So I avoid exploding fragment grenades. Accubond, Fusion, etc.

I'm both somewhat equally, even the DRT vs exit hole is dependent on where I am and what I'm doing. Shooting on a small property where I don't want to animal to cross a fence line - DRT. Long shot or heavy cover where I'll have to take time to get to the initial point I shot the animal and look for him - exit hole/ blood trail. You can also get both in some situations - I thought the 180 HH would do both, but next plan is to use the 152 SH and 124 HH and see what they do. I almost decapitated a yearling via a neck shot with a 143 ELD-X last year, that was blood and DRT and shrapnel and everything all at once.

I know this was hunting oriented so it has the additional step of terminal performance to consider, but before that point (meaning match focused) my logic in setting up a chamber for a specific bullet starts with base-to-ogive and bearing surface lengths - I would like several bullets other than the one I spec it for to be functional, so I'll get a bunch of bullets in the caliber and decide on 3-4 bullets I plan to use. I haven't messed up bad enough to the point none of those work so far, which I attribute to all of them being able to seat at ~0.020" off the lands and still sit in the necks correctly. The big hunting magnums would benefit from this type of analysis also if you aren't buying off the rack or are re-barreling.

 

[Hugnot]

I primarily shoot rodents & like zippy bullets that go splat. Occasionally, I shoot deers with my .224 & 6mm rodent rifles. The bullets used for deers are solid copper bullets. For the 7.7 twist .22-.250 - Barnes 62 grain TTSXBT and for the 8 twist 6mm's - 95 grain Barnes LRX. Bullets usually shoot thru deers with broadside hits or close to after shoulder penetrated. Selection is based on penetration, stability, terminal velocity effects (expansion) and availability - death occurs quickly.

 

[Jmatt]

"Hit him right behind the shoulder.......no blood no bear!"

Don't take offense, and realize this is coming from someone whose never shot a bear............but in preparing to hunt bear for the first time this year, all I kept reading was "middle of the middle", not "right behind the shoulder!"

Is it possible that you shot too far forward and missed the vitals completely? I know as an archer I am always looking for broadside, tight to the shoulder, low. But that's whitetail, not bear.

Just a thought.

 

[DoneNOut]