Premium ammo, is there really any difference?

[nolimits]

I am in the process of upgrading my ammo right now. I am getting many suggestions from my contacts and hunting partners, but I would like to ask, whether there is really much difference between many available manufacturers ammo, if you choose their best offering?


Also, as this might be also the best time to as, since I am in the process of changing ammo quality, would there be a reason to consider change a weight of the bullet at the same time? I am shooting 30-06 in 180gr from day one, but over the time I heard it time and time again to consider 165-168 gr for a flatter trajectory. Any thoughts?

[Surrey Boy]

Different rifles like different loads. Try 150, 180, 165gr. Remington, Federal, Winchester, Hornady. They use different primers and powders as well as different bullets.

Many rifles have a Golden Load, something they get consistently tight groups with. It's worth exploring.

[Sharpish]

every projectile type has its own pros and cons. All the premium ammo will perform well on game. What hunting scenario are you involved in? Range? Game animal? Are you a good shot?

i use Barnes. They fly straight and punch a big hole straight through, even if you hit large bones, and the blood trail is always easy to follow. Other people will swear by others I'm sure.

[therise]

My browning x-bolt 30-06 loves the Winchester 180 grains better than all the premium ammo I have tried. I first shot Remington through it when I got it, and thought the rifle was horrible.
I was told to try a few ammo brands including the really expensive stuff. As soon as I put three Winchester 180 grains almost right on top of each other ( holes touching each other) at 100 yards, I have only bought it since.

[Gateholio]

Premium ammo often has a premium bullet and can be more accurate.

Some cheap ammo can be very accurate, of course.

So- Decide if you want the features of the premium bullet, and which premium bullet, then try out the ammo.

165-180gr doesn't give much of a trajectory difference, assuming the same type bullet.

[Weatherby Fan]

I have found Federal Premium 165gr Nosler Partitions shot very well in my Husqvarna 30-06, performed well on deer,elk and moose.
I would reccomend premium ammo for hunting every time.

[luger]

I have a tikka t3 in 3006 and the best I can get with most ammo is 2 inches at 100 yards. I was advised to try the barns ttsx 168 grain by some fine gentlemen on here and now I can shoot 2-3 inches at 300 yards. Its pricey but barns now let's me get confident at longer range's.

[Quince]

Nosler custom trophy. Accubonds. Best ammo ive shot for hunting. Shot it out of my precision rig as well and easily sub moa in both

[Bugle M In]

I have found Federal Premium 165gr Nosler Partitions shot very well in my Husqvarna 30-06, performed well on deer,elk and moose.
I would reccomend premium ammo for hunting every time.

And see, my husky 270....didn't like the Noslers (although, they were loaded by federal)
This Husky likes Winchester Supreme 130gr Silvertips ( the old ones, not the new ballistics ones as much)
I don't think it was always the bullets, but maybe the powder difference between Winchester and federal??
I don't really know.
This husky can shoot 20 rnds inside a quarter.....or spit them out several inches apart.....
Just have to find which one works the best for your gun.
It ain't cheap trying to figure it out...that's for sure.
And once you find the perfect round, the Company stops making it shortly after!!!
Than back again you go.....!!!

[boblly1]

if you want the best ammo you can get buy yourself a good loading press and balance scale and set of dies. Choose a couple of manuals and start loading it yourself it is the only way to get every bullet exactly the same as the next as well as cheaper

[Fella]

After trying many different ammo brands, bullets and weights, I settled on Barnes TTSX for my .30-06, coin sized groups shooting off a backpack at 100 yards ain't bad. As for weight, when i was shooting traditional lead core ammo I found 165 gr to be a good all around weight, but if you go with monometal bullets like Barnes or the Hornady GMX you may want to consider choosing 150 gr. as these bullets retain a ton of weight and lighter ammo gets them moving a bit faster.

[375shooter]

It seems that many people are making the wrong assumption when it comes to what "premium ammo" really is. Most premium ammo was never really intended to provide a higher level of accuracy, but instead was introduced to fill a completely different void.

Not long ago, controlled expansion bullets such as the Nosler Partition, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Swift A-Frame and Barnes X (others came later), were only available in component form. That meant that only handloaders could benefit from the use of these superior designs. The terminal performance of these bullets were so well proven, that it didn't take ammunition manufacturers very long to realized that the non-handloading hunter, particularly the DANGEROUS GAME hunter, could also greatly benefit from the use of these same bullets. And since "dangerous game" was on the menu of these particular hunters, RELIABILITY was also a primary concern. So, as it happened, these two criteria (the need for premium bullets and increased reliability) spawned the introduction of "premium ammo", and since the majority of dangerous game was shot at close range, better accuracy was not necessarily a requirement. So it's no surprise that some premium ammo may not be as accurate as regular ammo, but at least there are the two other benefits, particularly the premium bullet.

[nolimits]

It seems that many people are making the wrong assumption when it comes to what "premium ammo" really is. Most premium ammo was never really intended to provide a higher level of accuracy, but instead was introduced to fill a completely different void.

Not long ago, controlled expansion bullets such as the Nosler Partition, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Swift A-Frame and Barnes X (others came later), were only available in component form. That meant that only handloaders could benefit from the use of these superior designs. The terminal performance of these bullets were so well proven, that it didn't take ammunition manufacturers very long to realized that the non-handloading hunter, particularly the DANGEROUS GAME hunter, could also greatly benefit from the use of these same bullets. And since "dangerous game" was on the menu of these particular hunters, RELIABILITY was also a primary concern. So, as it happened, these two criteria (the need for premium bullets and increased reliability) spawned the introduction of "premium ammo", and since the majority of dangerous game was shot at close range, better accuracy was not necessarily a requirement. So it's no surprise that some premium ammo may not be as accurate as regular ammo, but at least there are the two other benefits, particularly the premium bullet.


Well, this was unexpected, yet very fresh and interesting info. Puts new perspective on this issue.

[BigSkogButt]

I have found Federal Premium 165gr Nosler Partitions shot very well in my Husqvarna 30-06, performed well on deer,elk and moose.
I would reccomend premium ammo for hunting every time.

I run the same in weatherby vanguard 300 wsm. Only complaint was how much a box cost in 2005! Gouge!

[Bugle M In]

It seems that many people are making the wrong assumption when it comes to what "premium ammo" really is. Most premium ammo was never really intended to provide a higher level of accuracy, but instead was introduced to fill a completely different void.

Not long ago, controlled expansion bullets such as the Nosler Partition, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Swift A-Frame and Barnes X (others came later), were only available in component form. That meant that only handloaders could benefit from the use of these superior designs. The terminal performance of these bullets were so well proven, that it didn't take ammunition manufacturers very long to realized that the non-handloading hunter, particularly the DANGEROUS GAME hunter, could also greatly benefit from the use of these same bullets. And since "dangerous game" was on the menu of these particular hunters, RELIABILITY was also a primary concern. So, as it happened, these two criteria (the need for premium bullets and increased reliability) spawned the introduction of "premium ammo", and since the majority of dangerous game was shot at close range, better accuracy was not necessarily a requirement. So it's no surprise that some premium ammo may not be as accurate as regular ammo, but at least there are the two other benefits, particularly the premium bullet.

That's a really good perspective....good post!

[AlexPdHJ]

I suggest buying a wide range of types and bullet weights, go to the range, and fire 4 shot groups of each. I randomized the order and let my rifle cool between groups. I did the test 5 times (4 shot group x 5 times = 20 round box). I changed the order each time I did it so fatigue was controlled for. I found that my browning x-bolt in .30-06 shot 180 gr federal blue box and 168gr and 180gr Barnes VOR-TX TTSX at sub MOA consistently. Nosler partitions and the federal premium trophy bonded tip at MOA, Remington core lokt and federal fusion at just over MOA, all Hornady rounds and winchester ammo at about 1.5moa. And the worst for my rifle were the most expensive Winchester XP3 in 180gr. From what I've read, the ammo your rifle likes is pretty random and has no bearing on make calibre or cost of ammo. Trial and error.

Then I got into reloading and all rounds are at or sub MOA. I use Hornady match bullets for target practice and 180gr Barnes TTSX for hunting. I've made batches of Nosler and other hand loaded hunting rounds and also found good performance.

[kevan]

Most 30-06s I've had shot very well with a 165 gr. load
I think the bullet weight is a good compromise for hitting power, reasonably flat trajectory, accuracy and also recoil in a lighter rifle.
There is nothing wrong with the old standard 180 gr. loads, I just prefer the 165 loads for my hunting.

[416]

Been playing around with the Nosler Premium ammo and very impressed. I believe over the last couple of decades our ammo manufactures have responded to the markets demand for better performance and accuracy. There was a time if you wanted the best out of your rifle, reloading was the way to go. I roll my own but have bought factory to fast track taking a new rifle out on our first date and some of the offerings bought across the counter shoot well enough that they would be in the realm of desired results from the reloading bench. I have reloading components patiently waiting to be used only because the store bought have been more then capable of getting the job done. A few years ago l bought a box of plain Fusion to try in a vintage .270 l had picked up, shot 9 rounds to sight in the bore sighted rifle.....10th bullet harvested a deer.........hard pushed to duplicate those costs with reloads. Never go wrong having components to look after yourself, but with all the premium offerings on the market, a person isn't left handicapped just because they don't reload.

[Asco]

If you have a synthetic stock T3, and don't free float the barrel it usually wont shoot good groups out of the box. I have extensive experience with this. I had both my .300, .338 and .270 T3s "stringing" as the barrel heats up. easy fix with a pocket knife. After fixing the stock-pressure-on-the -barrel problem I found Hornady superformance best in the .270 and .300. The .338 liked fed premium with Bt's.

I spent alot of money finding out what shoots, then spent a pile more on gear to reload and components. There is no cheap way out unless you get lucky and the first box you buy shoots the lights out :)

Nowadays i roll my own, and get better performance with premium bullets suited to the game/ rifle. 130 gr SST's in .270, 95 gr BT's in the .243 and 180 gr Accubonds in the .300 Win Mag

[Cody1771]

i'm shooting 30.06 Nosler Trophy Grade 165gr Ballistic tip and i'm very happy with them. i had a wicked load developed for my rifle but powder has been hard to find and i picked up this ammo. going to use it this season and switch back to my hand loads now that i have a re supply. $65 a box at Cabelas. i can say they are just as accurate as my hand loads (and i get the bonus of more Nosler brass)

[Seeadler]

My take is that if you are willing to pay the price you should just take up reloading.

For deer sized game, the premium choices, which generally means a premium bullet are LESS effective than plain old regular loads.

$50-$60 for a box is insane.

[nolimits]

If you have a synthetic stock T3, and don't free float the barrel it usually wont shoot good groups out of the box. I have extensive experience with this. I had both my .300, .338 and .270 T3s "stringing" as the barrel heats up. easy fix with a pocket knife. After fixing the stock-pressure-on-the -barrel problem I found Hornady superformance best in the .270 and .300. The .338 liked fed premium with Bt's.

I spent alot of money finding out what shoots, then spent a pile more on gear to reload and components. There is no cheap way out unless you get lucky and the first box you buy shoots the lights out :)

Nowadays i roll my own, and get better performance with premium bullets suited to the game/ rifle. 130 gr SST's in .270, 95 gr BT's in the .243 and 180 gr Accubonds in the .300 Win Mag

Would you be able to elaborate a bit more on the issue of barrel free floating? Something I never heard of before and as a fact I am using synthetic stock on my T3.

[nolimits]

My take is that if you are willing to pay the price you should just take up reloading.

For deer sized game, the premium choices, which generally means a premium bullet are LESS effective than plain old regular loads.

$50-$60 for a box is insane.

Maybe in the future this would be something to consider, but I am still sitting on decent supplies of ammo, that will be used for range shooting, and even if I buy a box or two of premium will last me in the field for a while.

[todbartell]

It seems that many people are making the wrong assumption when it comes to what "premium ammo" really is. Most premium ammo was never really intended to provide a higher level of accuracy, but instead was introduced to fill a completely different void.

Not long ago, controlled expansion bullets such as the Nosler Partition, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Swift A-Frame and Barnes X (others came later), were only available in component form. That meant that only handloaders could benefit from the use of these superior designs. The terminal performance of these bullets were so well proven, that it didn't take ammunition manufacturers very long to realized that the non-handloading hunter, particularly the DANGEROUS GAME hunter, could also greatly benefit from the use of these same bullets. And since "dangerous game" was on the menu of these particular hunters, RELIABILITY was also a primary concern. So, as it happened, these two criteria (the need for premium bullets and increased reliability) spawned the introduction of "premium ammo", and since the majority of dangerous game was shot at close range, better accuracy was not necessarily a requirement. So it's no surprise that some premium ammo may not be as accurate as regular ammo, but at least there are the two other benefits, particularly the premium bullet.

x 2 he nailed it.

[emerson]

Premium ammo (projectiles) makes smaller calibers more capable than in the past. On the other hand, how much more capable does a 375 etc need to be?

[REMINGTON JIM]

I am in the process of upgrading my ammo right now. I am getting many suggestions from my contacts and hunting partners, but I would like to ask, whether there is really much difference between many available manufacturers ammo, if you choose their best offering?


Also, as this might be also the best time to as, since I am in the process of changing ammo quality, would there be a reason to consider change a weight of the bullet at the same time? I am shooting 30-06 in 180gr from day one, but over the time I heard it time and time again to consider 165-168 gr for a flatter trajectory. Any thoughts?

Depending on what your trying to KILL some bullets are better at it then others - a few inches at 3-400 yards is really not a big deal in the trajectory department - easy to address with Practice ! BUT shot Placement is KING to any thing ! :smile: jmo RJ