Current Favorite Hunting Bullet per Cartridge

[dreamingWest]

The new TMK thread got me curious. Based on my experience and what I've learned on this forum here is my starting list. Admittedly, I only have direct killing experience with a few of these combos, but these are the current cartridges I own or have plans for in 2026.

I'm interested in RokSlide members edits and additions:

Cartridge (Twist): Bullet (Factory Loading if available)

.223/5.56 (1:8): 77 TMK (Black Hills)
.243 Win (1:10): 95 NBT (Winchester)
6 CM (1:8): 108 ELD-M (Hornady)
6.5 CM (1:8): 140 Tipped Fusion (Federal)
6.5 PRC (1:8): 147 ELD-M (Hornady)

*For my purposes, I'm assuming 18-20" barrel with a suppressor.

 

[handwerk]

I currently load for 10 different cartridges,
8 Barnes LRX
2 Barnes TTSX

 

[Choupique]

I'm still Fudd status around here - no match bullet kills to my name yet, no kills with my own reloads yet, but I'm working on that. Here's what I've been hunting with for quite a while now.

6.5x55 - 155gr lapua mega
.30-30 - 170gr federal blue box
.338 win - 230gr norma oryx

 

[jmcollier]

I hunt whitetail with a 7mm mag or .300 ultra mag but have always wanted to try suppressed 8.6blk or 375 raptor for sub-200 yard shots. My 7mm mag and .300 ultra mag have enough knockdown power but they have a muzzle brake so they blow the bark off the trees and leave my ears ringing every time I shoot. Thinking that suppressed 8.6blk or 375 raptor will have solid knockdown power while also being pretty quiet...

 

[Tradchef]

On mine and my lady's for big game this is what we have been using for handloads and factory

The lady's:

6.5CM - 1:8 twist -140 grain ELD-M and BTHP Gunner

7mm-08 - 1:9 twist - 120 grain Barnes TTSX

Mine:
300 PRC - 1:9 twist - 245 grain Berger Elite Hunter ( loading up some 200 grain Barnes LRX and 200 grain Accubond to try next)
340 Weatherby Magnum - 1:10 twist - 210 grain Nosler Partition, Barnes 225 grain TTSX
35 Whelen - 1:12 twist - 200 grain Barnes TTSX, 200 grain Nosler Accubond
6.5CM - 1:8 twist - 127 grain Barnes LRX

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

.300 Wby 180 gr Nosler Partition
.30-06 150 br Sierra Game King boattail
.257 Wby 117 gr Sierra Game King boattail
.25-06 " " " "
,220 Ackley Improved Swift 53 gr Sierra Bench Rest HP BT

Been shooting the bullets for many years, still great.....no reason to change anything.

 

[Luked]

7mm-08-120gr Noslers
6.5CM-143ELDx
6mm Arc-103 ELDx
243-95gr TMK
270 Win-140 TGK
300 WSM-175 TMK
300 Blk-120 Gr Barnes Tac-TX
223-77gr TMK

 

[Chris in TN]

It's honestly entirely velocity-dependent.

Below maybe 2600' impact velocity: Match style bullets
From maybe 2400' up to 3000' or so: Cup and Cores
Above 3000': Bonded.

Those are gross generalizations. I honestly don't do anything that puts me in a scenario where I really *need* bonded bullets, the lone exception right now being the slow-twist 25-06 that my dad hunts with. Hornady 110 Interbonds (because we ran out of NABs) at well over 3200'. But we used to load Nosler 115 Ballistic Tips at about 3200' with Retumbo and they worked fine. For that matter so did the 110 grain NBT at 3300'.

 

[EmperorMA]

The new TMK thread got me curious. Based on my experience and what I've learned on this forum here is my starting list. Admittedly, I only have direct killing experience with a few of these combos, but these are the current cartridges I own or have plans for in 2026.

I'm interested in RokSlide members edits and additions:

Cartridge (Twist): Bullet (Factory Loading if available)

.223/5.56 (1:8): 77 TMK (Black Hills)
.243 Win (1:10): 95 NBT (Winchester)
6 CM (1:8): 108 ELD-M (Hornady)
6.5 CM (1:8): 140 Tipped Fusion (Federal)
6.5 PRC (1:8): 147 ELD-M (Hornady)

*For my purposes, I'm assuming 18-20" barrel with a suppressor.

Looks like you are very closely-spaced in terms of what you can do with those rifles, as the .223 and .243 are interchangeable and the 6CM, 6.5CM and 6.5 PRC do much the same thing, although that PRC has a bit more gas.

I think you're leaving some BC on the table with the 6.5CM, though. I realize you might be using that cartridge/bullet combo for shorter range work simply because you have the PRC if you need to go long. But something like a 140 ELD-M, 142 ABLR or 143 ELD-X would perform every bit as well as the Fusion while giving you some extra ability to buck wind and have less drop if a longer shot happened to present itself.

I am a huge fan of the 140 ELD-M for precisely those reasons. I like the extra few FPS in the Creedmoor over the 147gr bullet and it pretty much turns your 6.5CM into a legit 600-yard rifle that works fantastic at 50 yards, too.

I know you have your PRC for long range work but if that buck or bull of a lifetime gives you chance at 550 yards and you're carrying your 6.5CM, having that 140 ELD-M up the spout is quite a satisfying feeling if you've been getting in your practice.