well, after a long hiatus, i am picking up a rifle again. which copper bullet?
self imposed archery only vow. dumb, but fun.
now i just want to put an animal into the freezer. i've turned down my good buddies year after year to go to their secret deer spot, but not this year. i have already told them YES!. i have a 30.06, model 70..and a weatherby 257 magnum. i brought the 30.06 back from texas. i figured cheaper ammo. whatever. both rifles are great.
it just dawned on me!! times have changed. i now need to shoot lead free! wah! i have so many nosler partition bullets that i cannot use. wah!
it has been a very long time since i have pulled a trigger on a long gun. so, what grain copper bullet to you recommend for my old reliable 30.06? do i need to step up in weight?
educate me please.
deer and possibly a black bear.
What grain copper bullet? you need to ask the gun that question.
yea l2h is right my 30-06 loves 180gr in any type of bullet. I would just buy different weights or load different weights I use the e-tip in my 30-06 I havent tried barnes yet.
If you don't reload then I recommend the 150grns barnes loaded ammo. They also sell 168 and 180grns as well. If money isn't an issue then buy all three and see which is more accurate. However, I think all 3 should be accurate enough for big game so I recommend to buy one and stick with it.
Just remember for thin skin/light game animals, you want to go with lighter copper bullets. Anything heavier is pointless wrt killing power.
sancho got to ask, how many years with a bow did you go ? for me it was 20 years, that next year in X12 i dropped my first rifle buck with my dads Rem mod 722 in a 300 savage, boy was that sweet. Good luck with the long gun.
Last edited by slanttop357; 04-26-2012 at 07:34 PM.
The 30-06 is going to be WAY cheaper to buy factory for, and I also suggest trying something in the 150 to 165 range. Winchester with the 150 E-tip or the Federal with the Barnes 165 would be where I start. My best friend has a .257 Wby but he handloads for it. He killed a nice hog out here a few weeks ago with it using a 100 gr. TTSX handload and the hog went 20 feet. If you can afford it I would use that round for deer. Especially copper; it's gonna hit really hard.
It's good to have a plan. That way you have something to change.......
last time i shot my rifle..it was the .3006 to drop a bull elk. 2006. same year, a 120 gr nosler partition dropped a NM mulie. so it has 6 years. i mean i have not fired a rifle except my .22.
i will buy a few boxes. i dont care for tiny clover leaf groups anymore..altho my '06 will do it with my handloads using 165 gr gamekings with reloader 19 powder. my reloading days are over..my rifle shoots 1" groups with anything i put thru it so far.
thanks for the awesome bullet ideas.
150 or 165 tsx. the federal premium with barnes tsx shoot real good out of all my rifles.
You should drop DOWN in weight, not go up with non-lead as the weight retention is nearly 100%. For CA deer (pure breed mule deer on Catalina), with non-lead for 30-06, started with 165 and then 150 federal TSX (Barnes bullets used by Federal) but have now dropped down to the Federal 110 gr TTSX which you can get for $32/20.Originally Posted by sancho
http://www.thesportsmancave.com/fede...alshok-20.html
Another nice round is the Hornady 150 gr GMX which you can find for about the same price $30-32/20
http://www.bigsupplyshop.com/Hornady...2_p_11012.html
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/2H8112-1.html
Both of these rounds are screaming at over 3000 fps at the muzzle. The 150 from Hornady/Federal/Barnes and Winchester would be more appropriate for the bear (or hog). You just have to shop around to find the best on line price with low shipping cost.
Last edited by asaxon; 05-03-2012 at 12:04 AM.
All copper bullets are long for their weight (relative to their lead cousins). The reason you drop down is weight is that some guns may not stabilize the longer bullet due to the twist rate of the barrel. My Marlin 1894 44 mag will not stabilize the DPX all copper bullets, but my TC Contender shoots them fine. This stabilization issue is also why it seems most Barnes bullets yield their best accuracy when pushed along pretty quickly (at or near max powder loads). I love shooting the Barnes in my Muzzleloaders. No centerfire rifle hunting here, unless it's a pistol caliber. Good luck sancho, I smell venison cooking.
Think me not unkind and rude,
That I walk alone through grove and glen.
I go to seek the God of the wood,
And fetch His word to men.
[QUOTE=inchr48;2327768]All copper bullets are long for their weight (relative to their lead cousins). The reason you drop down is weight is that some guns may not stabilize the longer bullet due to the twist rate of the barrel. This stabilization issue is also why it seems most Barnes bullets yield their best accuracy when pushed along pretty quickly (at or near max powder loads).QUOTE]
Now you see why the man is the moderator. He knows what he is talking about. Tx
AS
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