by Rod_outbak » 10 Mar 2018, 7:11 am
I'm thinking that to get past 300 metres with consistency, you'll likely have to go with projectiles of 150gn or heavier.
Lets face it; shooting regularly beyond 300 metres, consistency will be almost as important as projectile style choice.
[I'm amazed you have had much success with the PPU factory stuff; I found it to be extremely erratic over much beyond 150 metres.]
I've shot a lot of the Speer 130Gn HP (Federal Vital-Shoks), as well as a couple of hundred of the 135gn Buffalo River (Sierra HP), and found them both to be getting erratic beyond 300 metres. ESPECIALLY if there is any sort of breeze.
I've had fair success with 150Gn Nosler Ballistic Tips, though the advice is they are a bit too light to be too consistent over long distance. They certainly hit hard at medium distance.
I dont do a lot of shooting beyond around 450 metres, so I have nill experience with anything beyond that, and most of my shooting is with lighter game than you are talking about.
I would think a hunting projectile with low drag in 165/8 or 178Gn? Maybe a Hornady 165Gn SST, or a 178Gn ELD-X. Both have decent ballistic coefficients, and should travel distance well. Both seem to be reccomended for pokking deer.
In the Nosler, the 168 and 180gn Ballistic Tips have decent BC's on them.
In Barnes, the 168 & 180 Tipped TSX projectiles have similar BC's(~.47), and are all-copper. Freaking expensive for what they are, though...
In Sierra, the 180Gn GameKing seems to have a Decent BC on it (just over .500)
In Speer, the Boat-Tailed rifle bullets in 180Gn seem to be roughly ideal for your style of hunting.
[I have a personal preference for polymer tipped projectiles, as I get less deformation in the tip, after the cases have been rattling around in an ammo box for a few months..]
That would be roughly where I'd start playing; if it was me.
Cheers,
Rod.
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