Which Bullet

[Nufo]

I'm getting ready to start loading for my A303 and am looking for suggestions on bullets. I know that my guns shoots 150grers real well so I would prefer to stay with that gr. Any suggestions on a bullet type that will be good on hogs and still good for Black tail deer?

Thank you,
Mike

 

[larrysogla]

Any of the tough construction bullets that will shoot well in your rifle should be OK. Lots of choices, Barnes TSX, Winchester Fail Safe, Nosler Partition, Nosler Accubond, Swift A-frame, Swift Scirocco II, Trophy bonded bear claw, Speer Grand Slam, Hornady Interbond. Bullet disintegration upon bone hit can cause you to lose that boar. Better hammer the hog with tough bullets that will smash bone and reach the vitals. Better yet, use enough bullet weight(180 grains) that will penetrate all the way through and through and will produce good bleeding on the exit wound. It could save you hours of tracking willy-nilly on small and few blood drops on tangled growth and weeds. Once you drop the hammer on that hog, the REAL work begins. The least you want to do is to waste precious DAYLIGHT hours tracking invisible blood drops. Hammer the game and whack it hard enough to anchor it. My personal choice is the Barnes X(Barnes TSX now on their current catalog, an improved version). But of course that is always, just my 2 cents. 'Nuff said.

 

[bighorn67]

I've used 168 grain Barnes XLC and had great results. They are super accurate and literally drop game in it's tracks.

Dave

 

[wmidbrook]

Your 150 grain bullets will work fine if you stick with the better bullets like the ones LarryG listed. I've shot a lot of hogs with the 150 gr. partition in .30 cal over the years....no problems except when I used a Sierra BTSP in 150 grain...lol.

 

[captdavid]

I shot ten pigs in the last year and one deer. It's usually a deer or two more and a pig or two less. Be cause of this I lean to a pig bullet that will do well on deer. I like a deer bullet that opens quickly and a pig bullet that will penetrate well. The best compromise in 308cal is a Nosler Partition,, second choice would be a Hornady Interlock. I prefer the 165s, but a 150 would be fine. BTW the Remingonton Corelock would be my third choice if price was a great concern. capt david

 

[Nufo]

Thanks for all the advise. Maybe I should designate my Savage model 99 in 308 as my pig gun and shoot the heavier bullets and then load better deer bullets for my 30/06. I just like shooting the A303 better as its completely redone with a barrel, stock, trigger and nice redfield scope.

Mike

 

[captdavid]

One other suggestion, now that I know that you have a 308, is to use 180 Power Point. My 308 is my loaner gun and it has had sucess on pigs and deer using 150 Power points. For pigs only I'd choose the 180s. capt david

 

[Speckmisser]

Nufo,

If you shoot those 150gr bullets well, then there's no reason to master two guns for two different kinds of hunting (unless you want to).

I'm a big advocate of using one gun for everything, rather than having a specialized gun for each type of game or hunt. There's a ot to be said for that level of familiarity with your weapon.

The 150gr Core-Lokt will kill any pig you shoot well with it, especially driving that bullet out of a 30-06. If you're reloading, try a Nosler Partition or Barnes, and there's no reason to change bullet weight if that's what your rifle likes best.

Personally, I've opted to go the other way and shoot 180gr Noslers out of my 30-06, and I use this load for everything from blacktails to elk with plenty of success.

Finally, there's always compromise. Probably the most versatile 30-06 bullet weight is the 165 gr. Try it out and see how it shoots in your rifle. It can give you the best of both worlds.

 

[Rancho Loco]

a 150 grain TSX out of a 30-06 would be an awesome pig and deer round, IF your rifle likes it...But with the reviews it's getting (and what I've seen) that should be no problem.

H414, H4350, and RL19 are real popular in that recipe.

 

[wmidbrook]

I agree that the TSX is an awesome bullet. I know some guys at a hunting club who between them, took 17 hogs last year...most of those with the TSX in .257, and even a few in .243 and .308. I haven't made the time to develope any loads with those...not sure I will have the time any time soon.

I shot a 150 lb boar last year with a 165 grain TBB in Federal HE--my primary .30-06 really digests 150 gr the best with the powders I've tried out so far. I haven't had good success reloading 165's yet. I have one marginally acceptable reload using 180s with H4381. But, with RE19 my '06 shoots sub MOA groups with the 150 grain all day long....suprisingly, the 165 TBBs Federal HE loads shoot the same requiring no scope adjustments--those are reserved for elk.

I've got an A303 too--it seems to shoot almost everything I thrown at it so far just fine except the 125 grainers I tried out....lol.