Author Topic: Non-premium bullets (Read 1207 times)

Questor · « **on:** February 25, 2008, 08:14:47 AM »

The price of bullets these days has led me to re-discover the joys of using non-premium bullets.

Castaway · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2008, 08:20:53 AM »

Questor, come on over to the dark side and start shooting cast.

skb2706 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2008, 08:24:26 AM »

Personally within the CONUS I have yet to see any point in them at all. It is however an effective way to seperate you from your money. I hunt elk, deer, antelope and a host of small game animals all over this state and others. Good shooting trumps premium bullets all day.
Other than a very short trial using Barnes TSXs I never left the lightside of standard grade bullets.

1sourdough · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2008, 08:52:39 AM »

I agree, no reason to use a partition in a 30-06 for a whitetail hunt. I may use one when hunting with a 243. I have over 2000 FMJ 30 cal 150 grn bullets I got for free. I even use them to get the scope close then do a final check with the hunting bullets, usually sierra or hornady.

jhalcott · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2008, 08:55:30 AM »

Back when I was shooting "silly wets" the fad was Nosler bullets. it did not seem to matter what caliber or target. If you did NOT shoot Noslers you could not win! When I went to the line with a 30-30 loaded with CAST,there was a general snickergoing around.
After I had ran all the chickens and pigs a small crowd was watching me,hoping I'd miss the turkeys,I guess. Well I only got 6 of them and 7 rams. I never missed a ram, just rung the ones that did not fall. I felt great as that 33 was MY best score to date. Even the 7-08's with 150 Noslers were having trouble that day. Funny winds and hard set rams (before the 3/4 foot rule) made for some sore losers. I still shoot cast and BULK bullets.

Questor · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2008, 09:23:40 AM »

Castaway:

Fear not! I shoot more cast bullets than all others combined, except 22LR.

But I only do commercially cast bullets. Reason is that 200 grain SWCs for 45ACP and 240 grain 44 magnum bullets are readily available, and lead for casting is not (at least in my area.) So the option is to use shot but if I do that, then there are no cost savings in casting my own.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #6 on:** February 25, 2008, 09:24:58 AM »

so how on earth did grand pa kill deer with plain old bullets ?

BRL · « **Reply #7 on:** February 25, 2008, 11:32:57 AM »

All I've used are Remington Core-Loks starting back 20 years ago, when premiums weren't around yet. I was 20 years old, in college and didn't have a lot of money. I just got used to buying that green box. Have never shot a premium bullet and don't see the need to, for my use.

Dave in WV · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2008, 11:58:41 AM »

I've never experienced the joy of "premium" bullets.

Shooter973 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:01:18 PM »

Hey, it's great to hear from some other guys that have some common sense. Ya don't need premium bullets if you can shoot and are a hunter instead of a "long range shooter'.
Rem and Win cup&core bullets have done the job for years. The closest I get is shooting Rm. Bronze points. I started using them 40 yrs. ago because they didn't deform in the mag of my 30-06 and they carried well. Fore runner of all the "Plastic" tipped bullet around now. I bought 1000 of them and am still shooting them as my main hunting bullet.

flintlock · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:03:47 PM »

If they keep going up, even CoreLokts will be considered "premium"...

Questor · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:46:17 PM »

Don't forget Speer Hot Cor bullets. Very good! They're one of those products that don't get much attention in the press because they have been around for quite a while and they just plain work.

Bubber · « **Reply #12 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:37:02 PM »

I live 18 miles from the Nosler factory. Since I started reloading about 10 years ago up until two years ago the only thing I ever stuffed in a case was Nosler's factory seconds. They were 2/3 the price of anything else I could get my hands on and I can't see a difference in performance.

The only downside is the west side of town is a MOFO to get through and sportsman's warehouse is only 8 miles away and right off the highway. It is almost easier to pay an extra five dollars a box than to drive through yuppieville and get my blood pressure up.

corbanzo · « **Reply #13 on:** February 26, 2008, 06:56:55 PM »

I do love my premium cast bullets

Besides the TSX's i use for hunting, everything is whatevers cheapest!

corbanzo · « **Reply #14 on:** February 26, 2008, 07:03:33 PM »

Speaking of those cheap lead bullets...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=az1I.taLoHPU&refer=australia

chutesnreloads · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2008, 02:31:30 AM »

Those rem.bronze points.....Dad bought 1000 of those 20+ years ago.Now I have that 30-06 and probably enough bullets to pass on when I'm too old. Oh yeah....and they still shoot great.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #16 on:** February 27, 2008, 03:53:33 AM »

I have been a fan of Corelokt bullets for some time. I always buy them by the 1000 pack. The best deal going. I have not seen other jacketed hunting bullets in 1000 packs at comparable prices. I just bought 1000 .277 inch 130 grain Corelokt to feed my hungry AR15. They are, in my experience as accurate as any hunting bullet.

Cheese

AtlLaw · « **Reply #17 on:** February 27, 2008, 04:20:56 AM »

Quote from: Cheesehead on February 27, 2008, 03:53:33 AM

I have been a fan of Corelokt bullets for some time. <snip> They are, in my experience as accurate as any hunting bullet.

Cheese

Your experience mirrors mine! I went through the premium bullet phase like just about everyone else. Now I feed my sporting rifles Rem CL's almost exclusively! They are at least as accurate as I am! Still use Nosler 180 gr. BT's in my 338/06 for my deer hunting with that rifle though. Sadly they don't make them any more but I've got enough to last my lifetime... I hope!

Kragman71 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 27, 2008, 04:49:56 PM »

Quester
What game are you shooting?
If you are after whitetails,premium bullets are not ever needed.In most cases,they perform LESS satifactorily then a Hornady Interlock or Speer Hot Core.
They are designed for heavier boned/musceled animals,and do not expand in lighter ones.
Frank

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #19 on:** February 27, 2008, 06:42:32 PM »

lets not forget silver-tips and coreloks were top of the line back in the day !
which begs the ? whats next ?

Tom W. · « **Reply #20 on:** February 28, 2008, 11:31:07 AM »

I dunno if they qualify as premium bullets or not, but I like to shoot GameKings from my 30-06 and C/T ballistic silvertips from my 7mm Rem mag.
Biggest thing we have to shoot at around here are White tail deer. If you don't consider the "high fence" hunt...err killing.

chutesnreloads · « **Reply #21 on:** February 28, 2008, 04:12:30 PM »

Has remington quit making the 6mm cor-loct?They're out where I buy and now they have these "new" premium or something cor-loct at about twice the price.

flintlock · « **Reply #22 on:** February 29, 2008, 04:36:07 AM »

Remington still lists the 6mm CoreLokts on their website...

dakotashooter2 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 29, 2008, 10:30:07 AM »

I suspect most retailers don't get enough demand to keep the 6mm CLs in stock. I've noticed that here also. Seems most of the guys that are going to use the 6mm cartridges for deer go to the premium bullets. I'm still kicking myself for not buying a couple thousand when they were about $70/1000.

I get a kick how they label their 100 cnt packages as "bulk" bullets. I always understood bulk to be of a quantity in excess of the standard packaging, which in this case is 100, and in minimal packaging. I guess with many of the "premium" bullets being sold in quantities of 50 or even 20 and some being individually package boxes or bags of 100 bullets have become the "NEW" bulk. With prices going up it may not be long before a box of 25 may be considered "bulk".

chutesnreloads · « **Reply #24 on:** February 29, 2008, 04:36:38 PM »

I'll try this again on a new thread.Anyone tried loading the winchester 46 grain jhp's?Tried a few in a .223 and not pleased.All powders tried shot better at the low velocity end.Didn't really make an effort to get 'em shooting right.Maybe a reduced load at 22 hornet velocities?

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #25 on:** March 01, 2008, 02:45:31 AM »

If they are hornet bullets they are undersized for the 223 I

chutesnreloads · « **Reply #26 on:** March 01, 2008, 04:42:41 PM »

They say they're .224.They don't shoot THAT bad,just not to my satisfaction.Was hoping to duplicate the performance I got from the Win. factory 45 grain jhp load.Seemed like a good idea since they don't make 'em anymore.If worst comes to worst they'll shoot as good as any load in the mini-14....it wasn't meant to be a tack driver.Or maybe I'm just spoiled on those little bug hole groups.Oh well...

EVOC ONE · « **Reply #27 on:** March 01, 2008, 11:01:55 PM »

Quote from: chutesnreloads on February 29, 2008, 04:36:38 PM

I'll try this again on a new thread.Anyone tried loading the winchester 46 grain jhp's?Tried a few in a .223 and not pleased.All powders tried shot better at the low velocity end.Didn't really make an effort to get 'em shooting right.Maybe a reduced load at 22 hornet velocities?

I've done a fair amount of testing with the Win 46 grain .224 bulk bullets and different powder combo's. My results were very similar to yours, however. Many loads gave decent results, but not up the the potential of what the .223 has to offer. I did listed a few loads that showed very good results.

All loads listed are from either the Sierra, Speer or Hornady manuals for 45 grain bullets and are below maximum listed levels.

25.5 IMR 4895 CCI 400 - approx 3100 fps

26.5 Varget CCI 400 - approx 3100+ fps

21.7 IMR 4198 CCI 400 - Sierra shows this load at 3300 fps w/ 26" bbl; Hornady at 3200 w/24"; Speer at 3000+ w/22"

The OAL used is what is listed in the manuals.

Each of these loads print 1 1/4" - 1 1/2" three shot groups at 200 yards through an H&R Ultra rifle 24" bbl and a Weatherby Vanguard 24" bbl.

chutesnreloads · « **Reply #28 on:** March 03, 2008, 05:56:44 PM »

Tried those loads except the 4198.Also tried H335 and Win.748.All loads grouped better at the lower "start"loads than the hotter loads.That's why I was wondering about a reduced load maybe down to 22 hornet velocities.Maybe they'd tighten up some.Have not tinkered with OAL's.This bore has only been finicky with one other bullet and all it needed was a little more jump to the lands.I'm not complaining...before I got this rifle....even with average groups......I didn't know I could shoot that well.The good loads still astound me.