How to Pick a new hunting round?

[Panda Bear]

If I've a problem with choosing bullet's it that I'm just not willing to change from one that has never failed me. Been about 50 yrs now with Hornady soft point type bullet's and never a failure on the part of a bullet.

Same here. If its not broke dont fix it, so I didn't try. My father used a 30-06 with 180 gr partition on everything before he gave it to me and it was the only rifle ( and bullet ) I used for several years and if I was to use it today, I would not change anything. Everything I shot ( and did my part correctly ) died.

I used a 348 a few years back and liked it so I started using it and again with only one bullet. Bear to Wolf.

But that doesn't mean it is the best thing to do, it is just what worked and works for me

Also, I think many here ( or some anyway ) like to take a different combo ( rifle/bullet ) for different animals. Since I dont, for the most part, that also has to be taken into consideration. ( I do use the 275 H & H for goat and sheep, but again I use the same bullet weight and bullet manufacturer every year) sooo maybe I am just boring !

 

[3855WIN]

That is probably a great way to go about it, to make sure you have a bullet that will perform on your game and at the distance you want it too.

I’d try a Nosler Accubond

 

[CubSlayer]

I'll answer in humble-pie mode because I don't reload, so its always factory ammo for me. Of course, this does involve an indirect bullet choice. In my experience, the bullet is the only major change between commercial rounds.

As a short-range woods hunter, cartridge accuracy is a secondary concern for me. I make sure that the round is not wildly inaccurate in my gun. (This turned out to be the case on what was once my "go to" bear round).

Once a cartridge proves itself better than 2 MOA, I focus on other factors. Performance of the round on game is an obvious choice. I am still weighing the whole copper-vs-lead thing, and am starting to suspect that people are overstating the performance of copper for political reasons. I will say, however, that I recently had to shoot a bear's forearm and was pretty pleased with the performance of the copper bullet, though it failed to exit.

As a bear hunter, exit hole size is a major concern. I'll take a 2 MOA cartridge that makes a big hole over a 0.5 MOA round that doesn't exit any day. For this reason I'm starting to favor bonded lead over copper. Seems to expand more, but I've never hit large bone with a Fusion, so I don't know how that would go.

Consider bullet speed too. Some people hate Core Lokts, but they work well for me. I suspect this has to do with the modest speeds (2400-2700 fps) I shoot. I wouldn't choose one over 3,000 fps.

When my daughter wanted to hunt a black bear with a .243, I pulled the Core Lokt and bought Nosler Partitions. Would be fine with Core Lokts if it were a .308.

 

[LongCut]

I would start by narrowing it down to 2 caliber choices, or bullet types for the sake of this thread. Then start a thread indicating that you have decided to get either A or B, list what you intend to use it for, then sit back while 9 out of 10 people recommend every caliber/bullet other than the ones you said you want!

That seems to be how these turn out on every forum!!

I am not a neck shooter, but I have had very good success with CoreLokt (shoots really well out of an old R600 I have. Also killed lots of deer with trophy bonded bear claws, Nosler Partitions, and now I just killed my first critter with an Accubond (very accurate out of that particular rifle over a broad range of distances)

If your gun doesn't like it, it doesn't matter if you do......