What bullet

[bronko220002]

I currently shoot the 300 gr Hornady SST bullet out of my .45 Knight (sized to bore) and they shoot very very well. For my CVA Scout SML should I continue with the 300 grainer or drop down to the 250 gr. This is going to be a hunting rifle for deer and black bear out to 300 yards.

 

[bgiles]

I have been shooting Barnes 250 grain TEZ or MZ sabot bullets for deer for ten years. Both bullets have given me very good results with pass throughs almost every time. I recovered one bullet under the opposite shoulder blade. This year I was able to hunt with a centerfire rifle for the first time. I shot an eight point buck with a 110 grain Barnes 300 Blackout with essentially the same result. I didn't see an exit wound until I skinned the deer and the blood trail was minimal. I don't see much correlation between bullet weight and performance, but do believe that solid copper bullets have very good terminal performance. My 250 grain bullets have a muzzle velocity of around 1600 FPS where my 300 BLK has around 2400 FPS. I might switch to a heavier bullet for black bear, probably 300 or 325 grain.

 

[bronko220002]

thanks....I forgot I posted this thread and started another! There are so many options. The Furys have my interest but not sure I want to spend the $$ on them. If I do I'll try both the 250s and 275s

 

[Hatchet Jack]

I shoot the Barnes 290 grain TEZ out of my smokeless Encore. Bullet to bore smooth form. Very accurate and performance on deer is so far perfect.

 

[MrTom]

The Furys have my interest but not sure I want to spend the $$ on them.

That's an odd statement after tossing out the coins to do a conversion. Finding what met my needs bullet-wise was fairly simple with my Patriot, but if those bullets I have decided will work had not met my muster I would have been happy to fork out the jing to find one or some that would. And I still buy some of the high end stuff to shoot when I hake the Patriot out to play and yes it costs some money to find that maybe what I have is really the best or maybe that I have been missing out. A few bucks is not going to stop that quest.

 

[smokepolehall]

I actually use .40 XTP bullets i test loads. They are cheaper than most, i even hunt with them. I am in close range i use a lighter powder load

 

[bronko220002]

That's an odd statement after tossing out the coins to do a conversion. Finding what met my needs bullet-wise was fairly simple with my Patriot, but if those bullets I have decided will work had not met my muster I would have been happy to fork out the jing to find one or some that would. And I still buy some of the high end stuff to shoot when I hake the Patriot out to play and yes it costs some money to find that maybe what I have is really the best or maybe that I have been missing out. A few bucks is not going to stop that quest.

Tom you make good point. I've been tossing around getting the Furys but because the SSTs shoot so good I'm undecided if I should get the .40s or the .452". With deer I don't see an issue but I hunt black bear every year in PA and as you know or can find out they can get pretty big. There have been several that were 600 lbs and a few over 800. I want something that will hit with authority to a couple hundred yards with enough KE, expansion and penetration to do significant internal damage.
I know I can chronograph the velocities then run a program to get KE but those programs don't figure in and can't account for penetration. Its like the guide carrying a .45-70 when asked why he didn't carry a modern magnum cartridge. His response was, because a grizzly ain't dangerous at 300 yards! I've hunted with the .45-70 for blackies and harvested a few and none went further than 30 yards after the shot. Now none of mine were behemoths they were respectable. (I did lose a big one to a .308 after putting 4 rounds in its chest when it ran into another hunter 150 yards away who finished him off with a shot to the head)