Bear/White-Tail Bullet Selection

[bascott1]

I love fusions, I shoot a 270 wsm with federal fusions. All I ever heard from guys around home in the southeast was you can’t kill elk with a 270 wsm or with federal fusions. But have 4 bulls dead with it, 535 yards, 450 yards, 500 yards and 80 yards. Three of them one shot kills. Couldn’t kill a mtn goat with anything less than a 300 RUM and heavy bullets, got one of those also. First shot jacked his whole day up, second one sealed the deal. Better take a 300wm for ibex in Kyrgyzstan, 270 wsm and federal fusions, 300 yards and dead right there. 30-06 and 165 grain fusions would be tough medicine for anything in the lower 48.

 

[Ditt44]

Remington Core-Lokts. Probably killed more game than all those others combined.

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

I was listening to the Vortex Nation podcast where they had some guys from Barnes on. They gave a general summary saying that the TSX is good for 0-300 yards. TTSX lets you stretch out to about 500 yards. LRX extends past that. Of course all that depends on the caliber itself as well. I was trying the TTSX out over the TSX to provide room for longer shots as I improve as a shooter. Which 180 gr where you using?

TTSX. The tip will give you both a higher B.C. when that matters, and initiate reliable expansion.

 

[AlabamaMountainMan]

Based on all the feedback it seems like the correct answer is to just pick whichever makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside and run it which definitely makes me feel better hearing that none of these are "wrong" options.. I have a box of each left over right now. I will probably just start with one and test out each one over this next year and see if I can get some "in the field" testing done. I appreciate everyone's feedback. Going to start with Precision Hunter since it was the last round I tested and my rifle is still zeroed for it. Will try out the Barnes, Fusion, and TTSX this year as well if I am fortunate to get a chance to pull the trigger that many times.

 

[Conky]

The $20 extra dollars is peanut in the scheme of things for your hunt...buy the accubonds and don't look back

 

[NVVAHunt]

I know not on your list but the SST bullet from Hornady would be another option for the ranges you are shooting. I’ve shot them on deer for years out of a 270 and 30-06 and they have been great. ELD-X is for long range, for 300 yards and in the SST is great and cost effective.


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[Honyock]

Accubond or Core-Lokt

 

[AlabamaMountainMan]

Adding an update for anyone who may have future questions like I did. I took another trip to the range and decide to start with the Barnes 168 TTSX this hunting season. It is just noticeably and consistently more accurate than everything else I tried. My rifle just really seems to like this option. Going to use on my October bear hunt and will deer hunt with it until I take a deer. If it performs well, I will likely keep using. If I don't like the performance I will switch to the Hornady Precision Hunter 178 ELD-X for the next bear hunt and deer hunt. Will just keep trying all the options suggested in this thread until I get the performance I am happy with.

 

[Taudisio]

Adding an update for anyone who may have future questions like I did. I took another trip to the range and decide to start with the Barnes 168 TTSX this hunting season. It is just noticeably and consistently more accurate than everything else I tried. My rifle just really seems to like this option. Going to use on my October bear hunt and will deer hunt with it until I take a deer. If it performs well, I will likely keep using. If I don't like the performance I will switch to the Hornady Precision Hunter 178 ELD-X for the next bear hunt and deer hunt. Will just keep trying all the options suggested in this thread until I get the performance I am happy with.

They should work just fine, pick your shot placement, I would recommend breaking shoulders so the bones can act as your fragmentation. You may just have longer blood trails than with the lead alternatives, but you will have exit wounds.