Bullet bullets and more bullets

[orionsoracle]

I would like to know what ever body is shooting out of there 50 calibers? Right now I am going with the BO,and why the heck are they twice the price of say the Hornady 325 grain FTX? That doesn't make any sense to me at all. Bullet coefficients are darn near identical,and they Hornady has more weight. I would just like to know what the general consensus is when it comes to bullets that everyone shoots out of the 50 cals. Sorry all you 45 cal dudes,this ones not for you unless you also shoot a 50...lol Thanks

[tar12]

All though I am now a .45 cal dude I have and will still continue to shoot my .50.I have sent just shy of 200 deer on to their happy grazing grounds with a .50 cal. Approx. 1/3-1/2of them hit the ground with 44 grn of AA5744 behind a 300 grn XTP.I only had to track one that Quentin shot a little far back.I did not like the fragging that XTPs,SSTs and the like unleashed on deer.Way to much collateral damage for me. As my disease progressed ;D I wanted a 300 grn bullet that would really shine at 200-300 yds. The requirements for this bullet were that it had to be accurate.did not frag and take game cleanly at ANY angle and leave 2 holes.Rifleman introduced me to the 300 grn BO.It met every requirement that I had. IMO, it does not get any better for the .50 cal. as it covers any situation.I do not know the reason behind the price discrepancy between the 2.But I do know that the BO flat works! BTW,do not be so quick to count out the opinions of the .45 dudes as most if not all cut their teeth on the .50 cal and have a wealth of info. to share with you newbies! ;D lol

[zakjak221]

Well said Tar!
The BO is definitely the king of the heap--as far as .50 bullets go-IMO.
I have also had great results with the 300 gr. Remingtons.

Mark

[dannoboone]

I think they are a little too proud of the BO's as well, but let's
face it, Hornady shells out bullets by the ka-zillions which cuts
their production costs way down. Undoubtedly, if Hornady should
choose to make a premium bullet similar to the BO, said bullet
will probably be 75% the cost of a BO (or less).

[redpep]

Smokeeter's custom 300gn .458 remington with an orange mmp

[mike3132]

Any bullet that shoots good in your gun and you like is the right choice. Every bullet Ive shot deer with in the Savage has hammered them and thats been 300 XTP, 300 XTP Mag, 300 Hornady HP, 300 Remington HP, 245 Barnes Spitfire, 285 Barnes Spitfire and 250 Barnes Expander. Pick a bullet you like, dial it in and go hunt. Mike

[Richard]

Well said Mike!
Richard

[orionsoracle]

Forgive me if it looked like I did not want they 45ers opinion. I figured that most did start with a 50. I was just looking for info on 50 caliber bullets. Im not here to insult anyone,just looking for ALL the info I can get to be a better marksman with my 50. Thanks to all!!!!!!!!

[jims]

I am in the minority here. I have tried all in the .50 but like the 250SSTs the best. The reason is they have proved to be the most accurate. They are not as tough as the Barnes Originals but shoot better. That is the key for me. A whitetail deer is not really a tough animal to kill IF hit in the right spot. I am in no hurry to harvest, I can only take one buck where I hunt so there is no rush necessarily. I have taken good bucks in the first ten minutes of the gun season but then I am done, that is OK but I like to get out more than that.
With the 250SSTs I can place the bullet right where it is needed. I have never lost a deer with them or had to "track" more than a hundred feet or so even on a heart/lung shot. If I use the high shoulder shot the deer drops right there even though on occasion not deceased. Thus my reasoning, accuracy first because shot placement ensures a deer.
If I was hunting Cape Buffalo or an animal with fangs or claws or that could stomp on me, then the BO would be my first choice but then on some of those the kill zone is bigger also. Just my minority opinion.

[Dave W]

Nov 19, 2010 20:30:51 GMT -5 jims said:

I am in the minority here. I have tried all in the .50 but like the 250SSTs the best. The reason is they have proved to be the most accurate. They are not as tough as the Barnes Originals but shoot better. That is the key for me. A whitetail deer is not really a tough animal to kill IF hit in the right spot. I am in no hurry to harvest, I can only take one buck where I hunt so there is no rush necessarily. I have taken good bucks in the first ten minutes of the gun season but then I am done, that is OK but I like to get out more than that.
With the 250SSTs I can place the bullet right where it is needed. I have never lost a deer with them or had to "track" more than a hundred feet or so even on a heart/lung shot. If I use the high shoulder shot the deer drops right there even though on occasion not deceased. Thus my reasoning, accuracy first because shot placement ensures a deer.
If I was hunting Cape Buffalo or an animal with fangs or claws or that could stomp on me, then the BO would be my first choice but then on some of those the kill zone is bigger also. Just my minority opinion.

Also in the minority, 250 FTX for mainly the same reasons Jim mentioned, primarily accuracy.

[stubblejumper]

Ive been shooting the Hornady 325 ftx over RL 7 with excellent results in my gun. That said they may not shoot as well in yours. The price is right and terminal performance has been great. A heavier bullet seems to be a better choice with slower powders for my set up.

[tar12]

Nov 19, 2010 19:47:45 GMT -5 orionsoracle said:

Forgive me if it looked like I did not want they 45ers opinion. I figured that most did start with a 50. I was just looking for info on 50 caliber bullets. Im not here to insult anyone,just looking for ALL the info I can get to be a better marksman with my 50. Thanks to all!!!!!!!!

Buddy,
You did not insult anybody! ;D I love the great bullet debates! ;D All of the bullets available to us will kill deer,some just do it better than others! Buy you up a bunch and start shooting! There is nothing like first hand hair experience!

[pposey]

250 sst's and speer 300 grain .451 protected points both 2300fps and under



speers will shoot through 30 inches of deer

[boarhog]

I have gotten just as good accuracy with BOs as with XTPs, etc., but I am very interested in seeing how the 325 gr FTX performs on deer and hogs.
Boarhog

[tar12]

Nov 19, 2010 23:53:17 GMT -5 boarhog said:

I have gotten just as good accuracy with BOs as with XTPs, etc., but I am very interested in seeing how the 325 gr FTX performs on deer and hogs.
Boarhog

The hammer of Thor comes to mind! ;D

[wilmsmeyer]

Since I can't freakin sleep tonight......for some unknown reason...

I have killed deer with the following:

250 Barnes MZ - from knight at 1,950 MV
245 Barnes Spitfire - From Savage at 2,700 MV
250 Barnes TMZ - Savage at up to 2850 MV
250 Nosler PT - Knight at 1,950 MV
240 XTP (.429) - Thunderhawk at 1400 MV
300 XTP - Savage at 2,500 MV
300 Rem - Savage @ 2,500 MV
330 Flat nose hardcast - Savage at 1,400 MV

I may have missed one.....and Mike is right, they all killed deer fine. I will say that the jacketed bullets above at Savage speeds raise holy heck at close range. The coppers are extremely reliable on any shot but long range accuracy is mediocre in my Savage. The 240 XTP at 1,400 fps would do the job and fully penetrate most times at this slow speed yet explode at 2000 fps at the newer knight speeds of late 90's. Saw it happen and switched to the Noslers and MZ's when I got my Knight. A real sleeper is the big flat noses going slow. I would love to try a .458 flat nose in the 325 gr range going about 1800 fps.

The year the 325 FTX will get bloodied up...maybe as early as a few hours from now. My suspicion is that it will be as destructive as the fraggers mentioned above. But, boy do they ever want to make bug hole groups all day, everyday, at ranges up to 200 yds.

The Rem's were also about as accurate

I'm slowly coming around to the belief that heavier and wider (300+ grains and .458 dia) is the answer to consistency and better accuracy with the .50.

And yes, hair testing 1st hand on approx 100 deer has spoken volumes for me. And out of all, or any, bullet "failures" I've had, no deer have been lost. Hmmmm....Mike is right.

That's 2 nights in a row I can't sleep....opening day only hours away

[whyohe]

I have shot and still shoot the SSTs and like them. got a doe this year with one to the neck. i have also shot the 290 barns TMZ with some accuracy and got one deer with it. and my friend shot his doe with my gun and that bullet. does the job. I to am of the minority cause i havent shot the XTPs or the BOs. I think i may have to invest in trying them.

[orionsoracle]

I see many of you like the XTP bullets. With the .452 diameter,which sabot's do you prefer?

[spaniel]

Nov 19, 2010 23:53:17 GMT -5 boarhog said:

I have gotten just as good accuracy with BOs as with XTPs, etc., but I am very interested in seeing how the 325 gr FTX performs on deer and hogs.
Boarhog

Ask and receive

This 325 FTX was launched at a MV of 1950 fps and impacted the front of a buck at 10-15 yards, obliterating the lungs/heart and stopping back in the rear ham (it traveled the full length of the deer):



A coyote shot with this load at about 140 yds, notice the huge exit wound:


I shot a doe at around 180 yards with it too, the damage was equally impressive. If I was set up for sabotless sizing and wanted to deal with the recoil I would be shooting this smokeless.

Modified to add: Retained weight would have been 20-30gr higher except I did not find the bullet until it jammed up in the blades of my burger grinder.

[orionsoracle]

I am deffinately trying that 325 FTX. WOW Nice shot placement Spaniel and thanks for the input. Why are you not using smokeless with that load?

[orionsoracle]

I just looked at the Thor bullets website. Are their bases recessed? Are those to be shot sabotless?

[spaniel]

Nov 21, 2010 9:51:53 GMT -5 orionsoracle said:

I am deffinately trying that 325 FTX. WOW Nice shot placement Spaniel and thanks for the input. Why are you not using smokeless with that load?

Thanks!

a) I get a nice flat trajectory with the 200SW with less recoil
b) I just got into smokeless this year and did not want to jump right up the experience/expense curve to sizing and shooting sabotless since I have a .45.

At a MV of 1950fps (and with the added mass of a 777 charge) recoil was on par with my 300WM, albiet in a lighter gun. In my Savage at smokeless velocity, I am sure it would exceed it.