Do we over think our ammunition?

[Codymo]

Hi I'm brand new here. I found this site because I wanted other people's thoughts on this but plan on participating in other conversations
Do people over think the ammo part of hunting? I was thinking about it because I know at one point years ago I was worried about "what's the best" but as the years have gone on and I've had more experience I've kinda found my go to rounds and they're never the thing anyone is talking about. They're generally the cheap but effective ones. All the bang I need for my situations. I'm just curious about your thoughts.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I obsess about the quality of my ammo because it's something I can control. I also enjoy reloading and I get alot of satisfaction from producing the best ammo possible for the use at hand.

 

[TN2shot07]

I think it generally depends on what you’re chasing. You have to start by figuring out what the rifle likes, if it won’t group them it doesn’t matter how well designed a bullet is. If you’re chasing medium sized game (deer, antelope, black bear) there’s absolutely no reason not to use corelokts, silver tips, or federal state if they shoot well. You step up to elk, moose or something bigger boned a tougher bullet isn’t going to hurt anything (any of the copper, accubond, a-frames, etc). Plenty of those have been taken with cheaper bullets but I want any advantage I can get.

 

[Codymo]

Yeah I guess I didn't consider the control part of it. Such an uncontrollable hobby so anything I can do i should do. So my next thought would be should I even bother grouping, patterning, or testing other rounds if my $20 box of remington corlokt, $7.00 winchester super x 5 shot, or bulk .22 has always been quick and ethical at taking game?

 

[WeiserBucks]

If it's working for you, use it. Spending more money isn't a guarantee that it'll work better in every situation. I've taken a lot of game with cheap ammo, but I enjoy trying to make "better" ammo. What's better for me isn't universally better for everyone.

 

[Lee_R]

Yeah I guess I didn't consider the control part of it. Such an uncontrollable hobby so anything I can do i should do. So my next thought would be should I even bother grouping, patterning, or testing other rounds if my $20 box of remington corlokt, $7.00 winchester super x 5 shot, or bulk .22 has always been quick and ethical at taking game?

I think you've answered your own question. If you're happy and ethically taking game then you're set. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But if a situation arises where your tried and true might not work, then look for other solutions.

 

[moscowman]

For me it's accuracy. I've got guns that shoot the cheap stuff in 1/2 inch groups, so that's what I use. Others I need to handload for to get that. Depends on what the gun likes.

 

[Rob5589]

You definitely want a bullet that will work for the intended purpose. That and somewhere around 1.5 moa or less and most people are set. Nothing wrong with obsessing, either.

 

[PNWRiflemanX]

I can't speak for others but I wouldn't say I over think it. I do like to search for what works best but after I find it I use till it's gone or ever.

 

[PNWRiflemanX]

I am actually half way into my quest on finding the perfect match on a couple rifles now. Anybody know anything about the eldx 90 gr performance on deer? Shoots obsesivly perfect.

 

[Runningwater]

We over think every aspect of the hunt on this site - and we thoroughly enjoy doing it! I don't shoot any hyper velocity rounds and have never shot a big game animal past 350 yards. I'm 53, live in "the west", and have been hunting all my life. I can't think of a single animal taken that probably wouldn't have ended in the freezer had I been shooting factory Remington Coreloks. And actually many we're for at least the first half of the 53 years!

But to various degrees I could say the same about my rifle, pack, tent (tipi), sleeping pad, clothing, etc.

When you hear the degree we obsess over the fine point of fine gear you would think it impossible that someone could be successful backcountry hunting with a 70's vintage hand me down kelty pack, an incredibly bulky/heavy cabelas tent and sleeping bag, no pad, jeans, a rain poncho from Walmart, and garbage bags for stuffsacks, and a sporterized military surplus rifle. But a lot of us started that way a long time ago, and were very successful and had no idea how "handicapped" we were!

But I enjoy the the heck out of finding a community that enjoys sweating the details. And at 53 I don't think I could could still be doing what I was doing at 30 with my old gear!

Happy hunting!

 

[takdrvr]

I over think ammo all the time. I shoot factory ammo for practice and reload for hunting ammo. I like to find what my rifles like and get my reloads dialed in.

 

[William Sublette]

It's the rookslide, everything is over thought.

What kinda glasing socks are ya runnin?

 

[hodgeman]

Yes. I tend to get OCD about ammo and hunting bullets.

It's a bit silly, cause back in the day I'd just cram Core Lokts, or Power Points or Federals in the gun and go kill stuff.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

I am sure we overthink a lot of it, but ammo is not one I wish I had spent less time with. The bullet is the single most important tool of the hunt. Great bullets are not expensive, relative to other items, and we should take great care to make sure that it has a predictable path.

 

[Sled]

Yes and no. In framing, you can use a framing hammer, a sledge hammer or a ballpeen hammer. One of those will get the job done more efficiently. Ok, not the best analogy but take different ounce weights on framing hammers. Depending on the size of the nail and how you swing, one will work best for your application but all will get the job done.

As mention earlier, you can control the ammo if you produce it yourself or you buy ammo made and produced with better oversight and tolerances. It's hard to put a price on confidence in your ammo and equipment.

 

[JeffRaines]

I don’t know how much you’ve browsed this site, but dude... people overthink EVERYTHING here. I’d imagine if you gave 75-90% of the guys on here a Savage axis in 30-06, a box of core lokt, and a 3-9 scope those people wouldn’t see a difference in their success rates.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are guys here(Ryan Avery comes to mind but there are others) who absolutely need to fret over the stuff because they’re pushing the limits of the bullets and cartridges every time they go out.

That’s what makes the place a great resource though, because you have a ton of guys who have already been there.

 

[Boarmaster]

After 35 years of hunting and being around hunters I find many overthink the hunting situations they realistically will find themselves in. Especially eastern hunters. They also under estimate the capabilities of the ammo they are shooting. This is a hobby to most of us so its natural to want to try different things to keep it interesting. I started with Green Box Remingtons CLs and ran the gammit of many different brands and bullets and in the end Im shooting whitetails and hogs these days with what I started with. But I had a heck of a lot of fun along the way. No regrets here.

 

[MeatMissile]

I used to try whatever new powder or bullet that came out. I obsessed about OAL, run-out, all that. One day, I bought a “beater” rifle in 270 to use as a loaner/backup. An M700 ADL. I decided I would do no load development, thinking that I could slap something together that would work just as well as any sub $20 factory ammo. I just loaded 50 140gr Hornady Interlocks at the cannelure on top of 57gr of H4831.

Damned if that’s not one of the best shooting rifles I have!

 

[WCB]

FYI this is based on Factory ammo....Most guys do...I deal with them every day for my job. For 99% of guys they are going to be shooting 250 yards or less at deer sized or smaller game and I will include Black Bears. There are bullets I just prefer not to shoot at game like Match ammo (personal preference), but literally any option out there will work for your common calibers including the "cheap" stuff. Also, bullet designs that have been around for awhile (Nosler Partition as example) are not less effective than they were 40 years ago. IMO besides high BC bullets, nothing in the last decade at least has been that exciting in bullet technology (I guess mono options have gotten more reliable). I mean for F sakes Hornady was excited their polymer tips weren't melting and you thought they had invented the space shuttle. And the funny thing is other manufacturers had for years already had polymer tips that had higher melting points hahaha.

As someone said if it doesn't shoot well out of your rifle it doesn't matter. Also, another thing I deal with daily....BC does not matter in the real world inside 400 yards (and probably a little further) stop getting caught up in BC, BC, BC. Also, for the most part grain weight for the vast majority of situations does not matter. As long as your gun shoots it well and it is well constructed for your intended purpose giver hell.

I could go on for days but those are the major ones.