For somebody that's been shooting and hunting as long as I have I'm an ignorant SOB about bullets. That's because I'm the type that says stuff like, "Never kick a sleepin' dog" "If it ain't broke don't fix it," "They always worked! Why change?" Like nothing ever improves. I've shot mostly Winchester Power Point, Remington Core Lokt, and reloaded mostly Sierra Game Kings and Pro Hunters.
One thing that caused me to be like that was when I was fairly new to hunting, like mostly back in the 60s and 70s every time I failed to down a deer that I knew I had hit well, I was using something other than one of those I mentioned above. I shot a doe one time at a whopping 30 yards with my .270 and it ran off like it hadn't been touched. I know as well as I'm sitting here typing this that I hit that deer where I was aiming but it put it in overdrive and virtually flew to the next zip code. Never found that deer.
I had ordered some bullets from my local FFL and he screwed up and ordered me Speer bullets. About 10 years later he did the same thing again and I suckered in again, only this time it was 100 grain 6mm bullets. I had ordered Sierra Pro Hunters and he got me Speer somethings. Same results. I tried to track the deer and found a few dabs of blood, then saw it standing about 100 yards over on the next hill and he took off from there never to be seen by these eyes again.
And as recently as 5 years back I shot at a nice buck about 100+ yards out that was slowly walking almost directly toward me, resting my rifle on the side of my make shift blind and he just kept walking. I shot again and he put it in gear and sped up. Then I shot a third time and he went to warp speed and made for the tree line beside me. I looked for that deer for 4 hours with no luck. Again, I'm sure I hit it. That was with my 8x57 with 150 grain Hornady Interlocks. Stuff like that will destroy your faith in humanity, I tell ya.
After a couple more incidents like that, with various bullets I pretty well have circled the wagons and I only use those three for hunting. I do have one exception. I have a 9.3x62 that I've killed one deer with (Actually only shot at one deer with) that I do use a Speer bullet in, a 270 grain Hot Core that I was very impressed with. But for everything else I'm afraid to venture out past those few bullets. I really want to try Accubonds and a few more but when it comes down to it, I just fear trying anything on game. Ain't that crazy?
As for my 7mm Rem. Mag. I shoot 160 grain Sierra Game Kings. It's an old Savage Model 110 pre accu trigger and the most accurate rifle I own. Those 160s hit like a freight train and at 2900 FPS will put down what you shoot at in a hurry a long way out there, or as far as I'll shoot, which is only about 400 yards..
Last edited by Filaman; 04/16/19.
