How do you choose a BULLET for load development?

Carlos Danger

Carlos Danger

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    • Jan 29, 2019
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    #1
    I've seen a few threads in here regarding choosing a bullet specifically for hunting applications. My question is regarding target shooting and load development.

    I won't clutter this up with specific rifle / reloading info (unless it's required to answer my question), but I will give the basics. One match is 300 yd benchrest and the other is 850-1000 yd silhouette.

    Been reloading for 3-4 years. The two rifles I'm speaking about, for the purposes of this question, are both RPR's one in 6 Creed and one in 6.5 Creed. Both have aftermarket barrels and muzzle brakes. I have many other rifles in various calibers in both bolt and gas platforms.

    Amassed a respectable amount of bullets in Barnes, Hornady, Berger, DTAC, Sierra, etc. I understand the aspects of charge weight, brass, primer, seating depth, neck tension, etc.

    If you had a particular rifle, and say 5-6 different bullets (all that will work within the twist rate of your barrel) what determines which one you choose to begin your development? How do you choose?

    As with hunting, I suspect the use application may have an impact but hoping for some insight. Thanks in advance.
     
    #8
    Carlos Danger said:
    Ok, let me refine the question a little. Beyond a specific brand, if you had multiple weights of the same brand, how do you decide?
    Click to expand...

    My bullet selection process is easy. Im not a tinkerer. Im not a Guinea pig. I’m not sponsored or given shit for free so whatever I buy I expect to work - so I use what’s tried and true. I’m not rocking wildcat cartridges. Everything I shoot has been in the field for years before I even bother chambering rifles for it.

    With that mindset it’s easy to select a bullet - just see what everyone else is using. There’s a reason why the majority of folks will settle on a particular bullet/load for a certain use case. Why are PRS guys using Berger 109s in 6GT, for example? It’s the easy button.

    Don’t try to inject some high science into something that can make load development a 45 minute affair.

    You know those guys who buy some off brand polymer striker fired pistol because they want something different? That’s not me - not when it comes to life saving equipment like firearms.

    Glock 19 with Gold Dots please.

    The end.
     
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    #9
    So are you asking how we make up our decision on which bullet to shoot? BC, cost, availability, reputation of the bullet, application of use. No one same answer for everyone.
     
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    #10
    Eurodriver said:
    My bullet selection process is easy. Im not a tinkerer. Im not a Guinea pig. I’m not sponsored or given shit for free so whatever I buy I expect to work - so I use what’s tried and true. I’m not rocking wildcat cartridges. Everything I shoot has been in the field for years before I even bother chambering rifles for it.

    With that mindset it’s easy to select a bullet - just see what everyone else is using. There’s a reason why the majority of folks will settle on a particular bullet/load for a certain use case. Why are PRS guys using Berger 109s in 6GT, for example? It’s the easy button.

    Don’t try to inject some high science into something that can make load development a 45 minute affair.

    You know those guys who buy some off brand polymer striker fired pistol because they want something different? That’s not me - not when it comes to life saving equipment like firearms.

    Glock 19 with Gold Dots please.

    The end.
    Click to expand...
    I can appreciate the "tried and true" approach. Look at it this way. If I posted up "what do you like to use in your 6.5 Creedmoor?" I'd get hundreds of different responses. If you had a new rifle, and had chosen everything for hand loads, except the bullet, and you had 4 or 5 different weights from the same manufacturer which would you choose to work with?
     
    #11
    Carlos Danger said:
    I can appreciate the "tried and true" approach. Look at it this way. If I posted up "what do you like to use in your 6.5 Creedmoor?" I'd get hundreds of different responses. If you had a new rifle, and had chosen everything for hand loads, except the bullet, and you had 4 or 5 different weights from the same manufacturer which would you choose to work with?
    Click to expand...

    I would, and did, choose the 140gr ELDM for PRS and 143gr ELDX for hunting when I used a 6.5CM for PRS. I still use a 6.5CM for hunting.

    I now use a Berger 109 in 6GT for PRS.

    Too many people using the above bullets to know anything other than tiny bug holes with small SDs means I screwed something up.

    Freakshow says the ELDX works.

    79CF6380-AF28-487A-A9CF-6E0FA0B7FE98.jpeg
     
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    #12
    Eurodriver said:
    I would, and did, choose the 140gr ELDM for PRS and 143gr ELDX for hunting when I used a 6.5CM for PRS. I still use a 6.5CM for hunting.

    I now use a Berger 109 in 6GT for PRS.

    Too many people using the above bullets to know anything other than tiny bug holes with small SDs means I screwed something up.

    Freakshow says the ELDX works.

    View attachment 8074753
    Click to expand...
    OK. Berger probably makes more than one weight that you could've used. Why did you chose that weight?
     
    #14
    Carlos Danger said:
    I can appreciate the "tried and true" approach. Look at it this way. If I posted up "what do you like to use in your 6.5 Creedmoor?" I'd get hundreds of different responses. If you had a new rifle, and had chosen everything for hand loads, except the bullet, and you had 4 or 5 different weights from the same manufacturer which would you choose to work with?
    Click to expand...
    You're looking for some magic here that just doesn't exist. In one minute you could sort the bullets you have and come up with a short list on the obvious features.
     
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    #18
    My ethos is to commit to using all the same "ingredients" for the life of a barrel. IDK how the hell anyone learns much of anything about some of these components when they switch "recipes" every 100rds or so, especially bullets.

    I don't do that, I pick my components, enough to smoke a barrel with, and figure it out. It has worked every time. I don't choose anything too far off the beaten path, but I commit to what I'm going to use for a whole barrel and I feel like that has allowed me to learn a lot as a reloader, but more as a shooter, since my rigs are drama free as compared to a lot of guys who seem like they are on a life-long load development quest.

    I choose my target bullets with one main criterion first: can I get enough of them, hopefully the same lot? (For me this is 2000-2500 in 6mm.)

    Second, ideally, I'd like to stick with bullets that are already proven, bullets that are common enough and "industry standard", no surprises.

    When I started down the bolt-gun path the Berger Hybrid 105's were all the rage, and then the 109's, but to this day I haven't found enough of them in one lump quantity to bother with. They are pricey though, so maybe that's a good thing lol.

    So far I've shot ~4k 108gn ELD-M's (what I learned to reload for rifle with, I still like them, wish I knew then what I know now about bullet-jump with them), ~3k 115gn DTAC (love the DTAC's, well, loved... until they disappeared until just recently). Then, through COVID, when DTAC's became perennially sold out, I took a chance and ordered 500 or 1000 112gn Barnes Match Burners because I had noticed their published numbers were similar to the DTAC's and there wasn't a whole lot else out there available... The 112gn MB's have shot great for me and I've shot over 4k of them and have ~2k more on the shelf.

    I'll probably try something else next, especially as more shit becomes more available than it has been in forever, but the Match Burners may have turned me into a cheap bastard because a ~.300 G7 for 20ish cents a bullet is half what some of the others go for.
     
    Last edited:
    #19
    CK1.0 said:
    My ethos is to commit to using all the same "ingredients" for the life of a barrel. IDK how the hell anyone learns much of anything about some of these components when they switch "recipes" every 100rds or so, especially bullets.

    I don't do that, I pick my components, enough to smoke a barrel with, and figure it out. It has worked every time. I don't choose anything too far off the beaten path, but I commit to what I'm going to use for a whole barrel and I feel like that has allowed me to learn a lot as a reloader, but more as a shooter, since my rigs are drama free as compared to a lot of guys who seem like they are on a life-long load development quest.

    I choose my target bullets with one main criterion first: can I get enough of them, hopefully the same lot? (For me this is 2000-2500 in 6mm.)

    Second, ideally, I'd like to stick with bullets that are already proven, bullets that are common enough and "industry standard", no surprises.

    When I started down the bolt-gun path the Berger Hybrid 105's were all the rage, and then the 109's, but to this day I haven't found enough of them in one lump quantity to bother with. They are pricey though, so maybe that's a good thing lol.

    So far I've shot ~4k 108gn ELD-M's (what I learned to reload for rifle with, I still like them, wish I knew then what I know now about bullet-jump with them), ~3k 115gn DTAC (love the DTAC's, well, loved... until they disappeared until just recently). Then, through COVID, when DTAC's became perennially sold out, I took a chance and ordered 500 or 1000 112gn Barnes Match Burners because I had noticed their published numbers were similar to the DTAC's and there wasn't a whole lot else out there available... The 112gn MB's have shot great for me and I've shot over 4k of them and have ~2k more on the shelf.

    I'll probably try something else next, especially as more shit becomes more available than it has been in forever, but the Match Burners may have turned me into a cheap bastard because a ~.300 G7 for 20ish cents a bullet is half what some of the others go for.
    Click to expand...
    I have a couple thousand MB's in 6 and close to 3500 in 6.5. Couple thousand 147 ELDX and maybe 1500-2000 DTAC's in 6.
     
    #20
    Eurodriver said:
    My bullet selection process is easy. Im not a tinkerer. Im not a Guinea pig. I’m not sponsored or given shit for free so whatever I buy I expect to work - so I use what’s tried and true. I’m not rocking wildcat cartridges. Everything I shoot has been in the field for years before I even bother chambering rifles for it.

    With that mindset it’s easy to select a bullet - just see what everyone else is using. There’s a reason why the majority of folks will settle on a particular bullet/load for a certain use case. Why are PRS guys using Berger 109s in 6GT, for example? It’s the easy button.

    Don’t try to inject some high science into something that can make load development a 45 minute affair.

    You know those guys who buy some off brand polymer striker fired pistol because they want something different? That’s not me - not when it comes to life saving equipment like firearms.

    Glock 19 with Gold Dots please.

    The end.
    Click to expand...
    This. I looked up PRS data "What the Pros Use gor 6.5" Found a list of about 3.
    Go to my fav bullet retailer--do they have any of those? Yes?
    Buy them.
    140 Gr ELD-M. #1 or 2 amog 6.5 shooters and in stock. Bergers also on list. Never in stock (pandemic!)

    Go through the reloading threads. See what people are using. Frank has been going on about lighter faster bullets, so maybe try a 130 gr in 6.5

    In my 308 every one was screaming about 185 Berger Juggernaut + 2000MR. As a bonus I get to say "Juggies" a lot. If you want something different--pick something different.
    Sometimes you feel like a nut. 155gr Lapua Scenar in 308
    Sometimes you dont: 200 gr ELD-X in 300 WinMag
     
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    #21
    Carlos Danger said:
    I can appreciate the "tried and true" approach. Look at it this way. If I posted up "what do you like to use in your 6.5 Creedmoor?" I'd get hundreds of different responses. If you had a new rifle, and had chosen everything for hand loads, except the bullet, and you had 4 or 5 different weights from the same manufacturer which would you choose to work with?
    Click to expand...
    I'd go for the highest BC (or weight for hunting) that I could safely shoot at 2800 fps+

    (sorry for the double pst)
     
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    #23
    OP in that situation id probably pick whatever blew my skirt up, and two or three more known accurate bullets, like 142 SMKs, and see if I get what I’m after. If I do, I’m done. If I have to, I’ll try them all. If I really want extreme precision, for the most part, the barrel picks the projectile.
     
    Last edited:
    #27
    ive experimented with a ton of bullets over the years...i narrowed it down to the following for most everything based on my experiences

    a lighter weight for caliber Vmax for light skinned pests/varmints

    typical south tx hunting ranges (inside 300 yds) a Hammer/Barnes solid for shooting animals I'm more concerned with eating because in my experience i lose less to bloodshot/fragmentation

    longer range hunting opportunities, a Berger elite or classic hunter...they beat solids in accuracy and wind

    a Berger hybrid or long range target for target shooting/matches...which weight doesnt bother me, but i typically run near the top of the weight for caliber for the BC gains...ive had similar success running 6.5mm 130 and 140s in matches for years, so which i grab doesnt really concern me
     
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    #29
    You mention two different shooting scenerios that might require different bullets. Benchrest at 300yds is going for precision. Long range silhouette is accuracy and precision. Depending on your situation, wind in particular, you may find that lighter faster flat based bullets may be an advantage short range with heavier, higher BC boat tail bullets being the best for long range. I can tell you that for long range Bergers seem to be the preferred bullets but Hornady has made some inroads.
     
    #30
    Doom said:
    You mention two different shooting scenerios that might require different bullets. Benchrest at 300yds is going for precision. Long range silhouette is accuracy and precision. Depending on your situation, wind in particular, you may find that lighter faster flat based bullets may be an advantage short range with heavier, higher BC boat tail bullets being the best for long range. I can tell you that for long range Bergers seem to be the preferred bullets but Hornady has made some inroads.
    Click to expand...
    Appreciate the input. I suppose the original question would illicit a myriad of responses. There are so many variables to be taken into account that would have an effect on the overall desired results. I was just hoping there was a yardstick by which someone gravitates toward one weight vs another, not one manufacturer over another.
     
    #31
    It's really about ballistics and what you need to accomplish the intended goal. Lighter bullets are flatter shooting so short range at varying distances the error in range estimation is not as big a factor. But lighter bullts are more affected by the wind. Shorter ranges (<300 yds) favor lighter flat based bullets for precision unless wind is a factor then the heavier boat tails may be the better choice. Beyond around 600uds the heavier boat tails should be used. Of course the rifle has a say in all of this. Custom versus commercial chambers will often favor different bullets. Your chambers may favor a specific bullet/bullets depending on the reamer used.

    Because the 6 and 6.5 are both hard on barrels you might want to consider one the shorter range rifle and one the longer range rifle to cut down on load development. I would suggest that if you have the oputunity attend some matches and see what others are shooting.
     
    #32
    I like to pull the trigger alot, so that means barrels are a consumable. It also means availability of bullets, brass, powder and primers is a real concern. I'd rather have all Spear for handgun, but can't find them all the time, and I normally can find Hornady, so I buy them. Also for handgun, I work out plinking ammo and self-defense as separate options to keep the cost down. I'm working on 357 and 44 mag hunting options that work in revolver and lever, so that requires decisions and compromise.

    For rifle, hunting and ELR are my main interests, so I consider those options independently. I also like to play around with mid-range plinking out to 1K or so. I'm biased towards Berger in both instances and when they come in stock, I try to buy big numbers. Not long ago, I nabbed 1500 Berger 109s so that will last a little while. But I also picked up some 110 A-Tips because they shoot well in my rifles.

    I don't want to spend all my life and barrels comparing bullets but it's good to have a number 2 choice and maybe even a number 3, again because of availability. Plus, you might read that many shooters like a certain product for calibers you have, for example 300 PRC and 338 LM for me. But in my guns, I don't always see the same results as reviews in gun magazines or shooters here. My 300 PRC happens to love 230 A-Tips. My 338 loves Berger 300 Hybrids and I can normally get them locally, so there you go. BC and BC consistency is huge in ELR, so that helps sort out the mess. Look at AB's data while picking options.

    In spite of all the above, using part of your handloading/shooting bandwidth to make limited comparisons is worth your time. And again, availability is part of the why, and trying to find what works in your rifle is another reason to compare. Stockpiling barrels that work well is expensive, but is not a bad plan.
     
    #33
    Carlos Danger said:
    Appreciate the input. I suppose the original question would illicit a myriad of responses. There are so many variables to be taken into account that would have an effect on the overall desired results. I was just hoping there was a yardstick by which someone gravitates toward one weight vs another, not one manufacturer over another.
    Click to expand...
    Intended range. And bullet BC are the measures
     
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