Average Grain Bullet?

[Quackin_Archer]

So theres a smallest grain, but what is the average grain bullet? What is your go to grain and brand bullet for deer and elk? Also what caliber? Thanks!

[Wazukie]

berger 180 gr VLD for my .300 WSM  or the 105 VLD for my .243

[h20hunter]

130 gr.....270

[D-Rock425]

I shoot 140 grain bullets out of my 7mm-08.  Puts bears down none have gone very far if anywhere at all.

[h20hunter]

Thats cause they are tiny bears. However....better than no bear!

[D-Rock425]

maybe so but they taste good.  I did let little Boo Boo go this year.

[HairTrigger]

160 or 165 are deadly

[bearpaw]

Barnes bullets in any gun that shoots them well, they go clear through the animal regardles of caliber or bullet weight in almost every case I've seen. 

[spikehunter]

165 

[HairTrigger]

Barnes bullets in any gun that shoots them well, they go clear through the animal regardles of caliber or bullet weight in almost every case I've seen. 

I will sell you or trade you all the barnes bullets we havelol

[Bob33]

Compute the Sectional Density.  SD compares a bullet's weight to its diameter.  Higher SDs are the result of more weight per inch of diameter.  All things being equal, higher SDs result in greater penetration.

The formula for computing SD is (bullet weight in grains / 7000) / (bullet caliber in inches)^2.

Example: 180 grain bullet, .308 caliber.  SD = (180/7000)/(.308x.308) = .27.

To achieve an equivalent  SD in a .257 caliber bullet, the weight would need to be about 125 grains:
(125/7000)/(.257x.257) = .27.

A significant consideration is bullet construction, not just bullet weight.  Here’s an example: Barnes TSX bullets are designed to retain nearly 100 percent of their weight upon hitting an object like an animal. That means the bullet weighs 180 grains upon entry, and if you recover it, it will weigh about 179.9 grains.  A Nosler Ballistic Tip, on the other hand, is designed to shed about 40 to 50 percent of its weight.  A Ballistic Tip will enter an animal weighing 180 grains, and if a portion exits its weigh will be around 100 to 110 grains.  The key is this: both bullets are designed to work the way they do.  You can waste endless amounts of your life energy listening to hunters argue about bullet construction and performance.  There are pros and cons of every bullet.  Most every bullet ever made has failed spectacularly, and performed marvelously.  Look around and you’ll find examples of both.  I’ll bet some dough that you’ll see examples in this very thread.

Using .30 caliber as an example, many hunters swear that 180 grains is the minimum weight to use for large game like elk.  Conversely, more and more hunters are going lighter by using the higher weight retaining monolithic bullets like the Barnes TSX.  I’ve read of many examples of hunters using 130 grain TSX bullets out of .300 magnum calibers, with wonderful success.

Personally, for .30 caliber I think any well designed bullet between 150 and 180 grains, that shoots well in your gun, and that you have confidence in based on experience shooting it, is a good choice.  And since this post started with a discussion of SD, that equates to a bullet SD of between about 23 and 27.  Compute equivalent values for your caliber of choice, consider bullet construction, and you'll have a good starting point.

[Emptyhanded]

85 gr. Barnes TSX in my .243 and 180 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips in my .300 WSM

[jaymark6655]

.308 180 Gr Hornady SST, but might be changing to the interlocks after seeing some deer hit by them posted on here (you only get half a deer).

[Quackin_Archer]

Hmmm. I am picking up a .300 WSM this week and am trying to decide between the 165 grains and 180 grains. I have been looking at the barnes, and have heard that the noslers dont cycle well. although the noslers shoot great (from what I have heard). What brand makes the interlocks? Federal?

[Bob33]

You can't rely on what shoots well in someone else's rifle.  Every rifle made has its own likes and dislikes, even the very finest.

I would recommend starting with 165 grains.  If you find a load that shoots well (i.e. your gun likes it), that should serve you well.

As for Noslers not cycling well, I've never heard that.  Again, every gun is different but a standard factory action should have no trouble with any common load.