300 BO hunting load vs plinking loads

[profiler999]

Newbie here. Just picked up my 300BO and joined up this forum.

I hunt whitetail deer in a swamp area in Mississippi. Usually we try to shoot in the front shoulder area to break them down instantly so they don't run far. Hopefully most fall where they stand. Unfortunately some do run and it's horrible to track them through a swamp, especially at night.

Most shots are less than 150. Some could range to 200. And in one particular field, 280 is possible.

So knowing that, here are some questions for y'all if you have time: (oh yeah, I'll probably re-load but as of right now it's all commercial as I'm still investing in the reload equipment)

1. Which grain bullet for maximum super sonic expansion, penetration and blood loss would you use?
2. How would you sight in same bullet for the ranges indicated above?

Now for sub sonic and a can, what do you recommend with same indications above? I understand fps will drop, so maximum range would drop as well. Can you do both without a re-sight in or have to commit one way or the other?

Thanks in advance for your help.

MA

[Darkstang]

This interests me as well. I have been cutting bullets in half to look at jacket thickness. I want a thin jacket for expansion at our speeds. Maybe some others will chime in with actual kills to discuss bullet performance.

[imyomama]

i use the vmax bullets and they are pretty devastating.... you can buy factory ammo with the vmax...

as far as subs and supers... they hit way different. my recommendation and what I particularly use is a mil / mil scope.

I have a few weaver 3-10x40 from midway... they go on sale all the time for $299 .. they have been good on my guns
(you need to be on 10x for the mil measurements to work) . you can step up to a FFP scope if you want compensation at any magnification.

so here's how I do it

sight in for supers at 100 yards.... fire 1 round supersonic on a clean target... should hit the bull, then shoot a sub... note how many mils low you hit( by looking at bullet impact through the scope. dial in however many mils up... shoot again.. you should hit the bull with subs

from then on , all you need to do is dial in for subs using your turrets or go back to zero for supers.. . then with subs , every mil dot will be around 25 yards... so you can use your reticle for quick drop compensation... example target 175 yards away... use 3rd mil dot down.

this is what I do and it works well for me... hope that helps!

[Buzduk]

i use the vmax bullets and they are pretty devastating.... you can buy factory ammo with the vmax...

as far as subs and supers... they hit way different. my recommendation and what I particularly use is a mil / mil scope.

I have a few weaver 3-10x40 from midway... they go on sale all the time for $299 .. they have been good on my guns
(you need to be on 10x for the mil measurements to work) . you can step up to a FFP scope if you want compensation at any magnification.

so here's how I do it

sight in for supers at 100 yards.... fire 1 round supersonic on a clean target... should hit the bull, then shoot a sub... note how many mils low you hit( by looking at bullet impact through the scope. dial in however many mils up... shoot again.. you should hit the bull with subs

from then on , all you need to do is dial in for subs using your turrets or go back to zero for supers.. . then with subs , every mil dot will be around 25 yards... so you can use your reticle for quick drop compensation... example target 175 yards away... use 3rd mil dot down.

this is what I do and it works well for me... hope that helps!

+1. I don't have a mildot scope but I have a Nikon with BDC. I sight in @ 50 for my 220s and once it is sighted in I back out the screw and move my turret to 0. I then shoot supers @ 100 and notice where I have to leave the turret +3 -2 whatever. I then know that when I take off my caps and the turret is not on zero I'm set up to shoot supers. I print a copy of each drop table from SpotOn.com and affix them to the stock.

[JohnInNH]

The 300 BLK performs the best with less than 130 gr bullets for supers. The 110 V-Max, 125 Gr TNT, and the Nosler 125 all have been good performers here in the HOG and other hunting sections.

When the Barnes 110 gr black tipped bullets come out that will be the best. The "Vortex" loaded ammo is $36 for 20. $36 for a box of 50 bullets. These are NOT cheep. I see one or two boxes of the bullets in my future and that is it.

125 TNT's for me for most of my work. I may use the 90 gr PISTOL HP .309" from Hornady. for small critters in my bolt gun (may be good in the Handi too)

Apparently they expand at subsonic speeds. I will scoop a box and test at some time. THIS may be the bullet we need for "pest" control. (In the AR single loaded.)

[profiler999]

Using Isnipe, I came up with the following:

Using a Nosler Ballistic Tip, 125 grain with BC of 0.366 and 2,170fps muzzle as advertised, the following for a 100 yard zero at 200 yards is:

200 yards:

Path -7.6"
MOA Elev 3.62 (what the heck does this mean)
Velocity is 1,758
Ft/LB is 857 This worries me. Is there a minimum?
time .31 sec.

Thoughts?

[Whole Bunches]

Using Isnipe, I came up with the following:

Using a Nosler Ballistic Tip, 125 grain with BC of 0.366 and 2,170fps muzzle as advertised, the following for a 100 yard zero at 200 yards is:

200 yards:

Path -7.6"
MOA Elev 3.62 (what the heck does this mean)
Velocity is 1,758
Ft/LB is 857 This worries me. Is there a minimum?
time .31 sec.

Thoughts?

My thought is that Nosler says the minimum velocity for expansion is 1800fps so 200yd is too far for hunting with this load. Probably the max would be around 170yd or so.

[profiler999]

At 1200fps, that would be 80 yards. Anything more drops off. Interesting or I'm missing something here.