Super-Duper-Whamo-Ammo

Where would I start? Easy. I'd pick up a couple different weights of factory loaded Remington Core-Lokts appropriate to the game I'm going after and see which grouped best in my rifle. If I could find one that shot better than the others, and that under two inches, I'd use that. For example, my 700BDL .30-06 likes the 165 grain factory loads -- shoots right at one inch, which is plenty good for my purpose. 150 grainers open up a bit in that rifle.

Only if I found that none of the inexpensive factory loads grouped well would I start the search for something that did.
 
Funny thing, despite Roy Weatherby's fortune in advertising, velocity does not kill. A hole in the heart from a 290 FPS arrow or a 2900 bullet will generally kill just about as fast.

I have found a far better result in my older years shooting moderate cartridges at moderate velocity than ever shooting "magnums' at super velocities. (NOTE< this is game hunting, not varmint killing. Ain't not a thing wrong with turning grass rats and like into bits and mists.)

I just spent a few weeks with an older gentleman who had gotten tired of being beaten up by his favorite 06, getting him used to a new 35 whelen. Well hold on, you say, thats not steppin down, well it is when your back to throwing a 225 grainer at 2100 fps. He's got a big smile on his face, he's accurate out to 250 yards, and no deer hit with 225 grains of soft lead and copper is going to leave the scene. The two south missouri hogs he just shot died on the spot.

My deer hunting lately has all been with a 180 grain RN .308 bullet meant for a 3030 being shot from a .300 savage. 2250 Fps kills deer nicely and leaves virtually no blood shot meat. My brass stretches not at all, my 60 year old rifle loves the lower pressure, and my shoulder has yet to voice a complaint on the lower recoil. (not that a 300 savage is a kicking brute anyway.)
 
I tried some factory loads recently for my .30-06 to humor myself before sending a rifle back to WW. They didn't believe the rifle had a problem because all I'd shot through it were my pet loads.
So I bought some good stuff and some garden variety stuff. Shot a five round group with each of four types of ammo. Yep, you guessed it, I spent over $100 to satisfy my curiousity. Only one would come close to my factory loads. One round from a manufacturer I often recommend even had a primer FTF! Very disappointing! I've decided that the rumors are true. Accuracy standards for ammo companies and rifle manufacturers are probably in the 3-4MOA neighborhood because most hunters are not capable of doing any better. Quite frankly most hunters may brag about longer shots but a 3-4MOA group is adequate for shots on large game inside 100yds, where most successful hunting shots actually take place. If expensive ammo gives a hunter confidence and his rifle is reasonably well sighted in then we have a good chance for a favorable outcome.
 
The velocity thing, yes I think they load them up hot, depending what it is. I acquire or repair guns I pick up cheap and don't want to reload for. I was shooting a .243 model 99 savage and bought a box of Federal,a box of Winchester, and a box of Remington. Neither the Federal or Winchester would shoot under 3 1/2 inches @ 100 yards. I had sticky extraction, which you get on lever actions loaded too hot. The Remington was right in there and really extracted smoothly. As far as paying more for super expanding bullets, the factory stuff I tried does not shoot that great, and I never had any luck with accuracy when reloading them either. Most of the teflon pointed stuff shoots good, but its not much more than a hollowpoint anyway. Would I pay more for super duper bullets? No, I would rather hit what I aim at with standard factory ammo.
 
I think it's a combination of 2 things. We handloaders tend to be very careful about our loads, powder charge, seating depth, etc. 2nd is the projectile, bullets with higher copper content tend to be less accurate. We handloaders have seen this with partitions, A-frames, barnes x, etc. They don't want to conform to the barrel like a lead bullet. a barnes bullet either likes your barrel or it doesn't. If your barrel is slugged to the exact same dimensions of a Barnes x it tends to shoot really well and if it's not, well.... most are not.
 
When I bought my Browning 338 back in 1994,I purchased one box of Rem. 250gr PTD Soft PT, One each of Fed. & Win. equivalent loads. I then tested them. I liked the Rem. loads and went back and bought the whole case and a partial of another, all with the same lot number.I've shot two moose, and two deer with that big gun. Now I'm trying for an Elk. I've yet to see a legal one here in WA. State. I can hand-load 250gr loads for this rifle using Nosler bullets, but I can't get much more accurate than those original Remingtons. They give me a 1 1/2" group at 100yds. My opinion is that, if using factory loads, find a bullet weight the rifle likes,then find the brand and lot number,and buy as much as you can. Practice as much as you can using the same ammo as you do when you hunt.
 
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