Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles How would you rank big game bullets?

I’m rating the bullets I have experience with. I hunt deer and pigs, sometimes shoot Aoudads. Just my opinion

Nosler
Barnes
Bear Claws…whoever made them
Sierra.

Oh so many choices and not enough time. Are you saying those are the only bullets you've ever used/ tried? No Hornady interlocks? Winchester powerpoints, Remington corelokts, Speer grandslams, Federal fusions, Swift, north fork, etc etc..

Tough bullets
1. TTSX
2. Accubonds

Cup and core bullets
1. Sierra
2. Hornady

YMMV

Yep. Did use Grand Slams in a 25-06 for a while, great bullet.

My favorite is partitions. But I also shoot a lot of interlocks. Years ago, before the interlocks it was CL’s.
I have had only two failures with bullets after 60 years of hunting.
Sierras 30-06 & 165 grain - expended so fast it didn’t get through the doe’s shoulder.
Speer 105 grain 6mm. It took 6 rounds through the lungs to drop a pronghorn.
I’ve used and liked many bullets though.

PS: I believe that Sierra fixed their problem with that bullet. I’ve never used Sierra bullets on anything bigger than varmints since then. That was maybe 30 years ago.
I find that Speer bullets are often good bullets. I just have not used many since then.

I guess it depends on the game I'm hunting. Thick skinned game like African critters are best taken with Swift Aframes IMO. They also work well on elk.

My list in order of most use-

Nosler Accubonds
Nosler Partitions
Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunting
Swift Aframe
Hornady Interlocks

Varmints-
Nosler Ballistic tips/Varmageddon
Hornady Vmax

I would try the Barnes more but it seems every time I've tried to load them I couldn't get the accuracy I require from them- especially compared to what I'm already shooting. My good buddy Silver Bullet uses the TTSX almost exclusively and they shoot great for him so there must be something I'm doing wrong with them..

Bob

Of the bullets i have experience with
1. Tough bullet for Me ....Barnes TTSX/TSX
2. Best cup/core hunting bullet ....Hornady Interlock

I have also killed deer with Sierra Pro Hunters, Sierra Gameking, Remington core-lokt, Nosler Accubond,Nosler partition, Nosler Ballistic tip, Hornady SST, Hornady FTX, Hornady Interbond and Federal Fusion..and probly several more, this is off the top of my head......Hb

killed more deer with Speer hot cores than anything else.

Nosler by a mile......specifically partition, AB, BT. Runners up include a 139 Lapua Scenar, and Barnes TTSX, have used a bunch of different bullets though.

Hanco, I haven’t had a bad experience with any bullet I kept in its velocity at impact window. Started on Speers, went to Interlocks then found SPS and geeked on NP & NAB for a long time. Now I’m playing with TTSX & LRX. They all do the job if the shooter does his or hers. Never been really let down if I made a good shot.

Started with Hornady and Remington a long time ago.

I have used Nosler partition and their BT bullets.

Tried to use Barnes bullets in 25 caliber but quit them when they would not open up,even when hitting bone.

You don't hear much about the Hornady Interbond, but the 154s out of a 7STW have performed great on 10 Roosevelt elk. I bet on eight of them I found the bullet under the opposite hide, perfect mushroom.

Same here. I've used others but no doubt my favorite is the Speer Hot-Cor. Over the years i've always had excellent results on deer with Hot-Cors in various calibers.

Nosler Partitions
Swift A-Frames
Hammer
Federal trophy bonded
Hornady
Lapua
Barnes

Interesting that no one cited Berger VLD Hunting bullets, or the ELD-X Hornady's.

Me, been a Partition guy forever with Swift A-Frames coming in a close second.

Partitions
Accubonds
Hornady Interlocs
Corelocks

I gave up on Barnes when some X bullets failed to expand on game. For standard velocity rounds, I always start with Hornady. I’ve had mixed luck with Sierra GameKings. Some were way soft, and some way hard. Life is too short and good tags are too hard to draw to risk a bullet mishap.

For mags, I start with accubonds as in general, I find it easier to get great accuracy. Having said that, some partition loads have shot 1 hole groups in some guns….

#1 - mono’s: preferably Barnes or Hammer

#2- partition design: Nosler or Swift

#3 - Hornady Interlock or a bonded

memtb

Nosler Partition
Nosler BT
Hornady IL

Barnes is always my first choice. If they don't offer a bullet to fit the application I'll look at Hornady, Speer, Sierra, Woodleigh or others in no particular order.

Strikes me as a tough assignment unless you specify MV or, better, impact velocity range.

A 150 gr Speer BTSP might be perfect for deer from a .300 Savage, especially at distance.

OTOH, a 50 yd opportunity with a .300 Roy with 150 gr bullet would almost beg for a TTSX.