If all the round nose bullets were still around that Hornady use to make, ( and Speer) I'd be using them, over a spitzer.
I'm a round nose fan, and also Heavy for caliber high sectional density....
for 30 cal, in my MN days, I used the 220 grain RN factory ammo in my 06 every year for deer hunting... only problems I ever had was when I tried something else....
I've casually taken several deer at 300 plus yards with the 220 RN ( Federal factory loads) across swamps, when they hadn't noticed me on the other side... one I remember the exit wound was just a small hole, with 3 kernels of corn laying in the small bit of blood on the ground when I flipped it over...dime sized hole going in... gutting it tho, it looked like someone had stirred its lungs with a chain saw....
180 RNs also did the same but the 220s did it better.. its my 06 GoTo bullet for deer or anything bigger when I need the thump....
since I started handloading, when I got to Oregon I either load Sierra or Hornadys in 220 grain RN.. using 4064 at 2450 fps, or pump it up to 2650 running 4831SC..non reload manual powder charge...
its also the bullet I'll load with my 300 Win Mags, at a hair over 300 Weatherby velocities, running H 1000...in the 2900 fps range...
that sectional density allows them to be trucking right along out there, even if they are RNs, when the MV gets pumped up out of that 300 Win...
but then if I had them available for the 7 x 57 still, I'd be using the 175 RN in it as first choice for most situations...I've saved enough for elk hunting using 40 grains of 3031, which gives me more velocity than Hornady's manual says I should get...
and wish I had accumulated a couple thousand of the 154 RN before they ended that bullet's life...
all of those round noses, I've had them penetrate pretty darn deep considering their MV...
I remember Blue Dot testing in the 7 x 57, and had some 175 RN Hornady's testing over the chrony at 1800 fps MV.. with a large pine tree 100 yds away as a back stop... was surprised to find the 175s had pretty much all penetrated thru 18 inches of tree diameter.. which means it wasn't as an effective back stop as I had hoped... but the mountain side behind it did...
my GoTo bullet in the 8 x 57, is Speers old 170 grain SMP, which is pretty much a round nose...same there, high velocity or low velocity it penetrates far better than expected....
I keep the philosophy, that a big percentage of game is taken under 100 yds... and stretch that to 200 yds, the percentage numbers go much higher.. like 95% of most game..
and most of my game ever taken has been 200 yds or less...
I love ballistic tips, partitions etc.... but truth be known, my first love is Round Nose bullets... I think most hunters either don't like them or have completely forgotten about them, mainly because NEW and TRENDY drives the market in this country...
Everyone wants a 500 yd 'capable' load and bullet to take a deer, at usually less than 100 yds...forums like this have people brag about taking something at long yardage, but that is the exception rather than the rule... and I think there is something macho in that...which I don't need....
not to knock those that do it, and I know there are some guys on the campfire that can do it all day long, but they also have the specialized equipment to do so.. and also do a lot of practice all year long....
but for me, its the Round Nose... and heavy for caliber... and in 30 cal, be it 06 or 300 Mag.. the 220 RN is the first I reach for... the 180 is second.... the 150s I use if I am loading for kids, at 30/30 velocity...) which I have been known to use for myself when I'm in that kind of mood...
and for my 7 x 57s...they have seen a lot of the 175 and 154 RN down their barrels...
blame my love for them, probably more on nostalgia first and they just plan work in all circumstances I've needed them to as my second reason...
Flame on!
