.284/7mm round nose

[WAB]

I didn't know I was so fortunate! I have been bidding on local gun auction sites and have amassed a stash of several hundred 175 & 160 gr. 7mm traditional RN bullets. Hornady, Norma, CIL, and perhaps a couple other makes. At 7x57 velocities, they work as reliably as they have for the last century or so. I have three 7x57 rifles, and all of them shoot very well with the original long round nose bullets. When I use shorter spitzer bullets it is more difficult to develop an accurate load. And I like how the old heavy round nose bullets look!

Feed em what they like! I’ve always had better luck with Speer Hot Cor and Swift A-Frame. No idea why as that is true of all three 7x57’s I have.

 

[MS 9x56]

Can’t go wrong with either one.

 

[Velo Dog]

Dear Hunters & Fellow Rifle Grumps,

In my admittedly limited experiences (compared to many here in the world’s greatest forum), I am of the opinion that round nosed (and flat nosed) bullets are generally speaking, more effective on critters than spitzers are.

I began noticing this almost 50 years ago, while hunting with a .30-30 caliber rifle and blunt shaped bullets, as well as more powerful cartridges, loaded with pointy shaped bullets.
Back then, my at-the-time meager experience also included a .300 Savage and a 30-06 Springfield, both shooting spitzers.
The .30-30 flat nose (Winchester “Silver Tip”) and Round Nose (Remington “Core-Lokt”), although not as powerful as the other two mentioned cartridges, nonetheless put animals down just as quickly, sometimes even more so than the faster cartridges, loaded with spitzers.

This blunt shape vs pointed shape bullet thing was totally cemented in my tiny brain when, hunting blacktail deer, on Kodiak Island, here in Alaska, with a friend.
In those days (1980’s), we were allowed 5 deer each.

He carried a Ruger Model 77, in caliber .300 Winchester, loaded with 180 grain spitzers.
I carried a Model 71 Winchester, in caliber .348 Winchester, loaded with 200 grain flat nose bullets.
The .300 magnum delivers a lot more striking energy than my .348 does.
Nonetheless, not all but most of the deer hit with the dreaded .300 Magnum and pointy bullets, ran a ways before succumbing to their wound.
Conversely, all the ones I shot with my .348 and blunt shaped bullets, either dropped to the shot or fell within only a couple of steps.

Last but not least, I have found that when comparing 180 grain .30-06 bullets against 180 .30-06 sharp pointy shaped bullets, there is not enough difference in trajectory to notice, as long as the shots fired are within about 300 paces.
Again however, there is indeed a marked difference in putting the animal down quickly.
The clear advantage going to the blunt shaped bullet.

Best Regards,
Velo “Rifle Grump” Dog.

PS:
Hollow Point bullets have shown me personally, some erratic performance.
They have now and then either failed altogether to expand, causing essentially an ice pic type wound or from time to time, they have more or less shattered on impact, thereby causing a wide / shallow wound.

 

[WAB]

Interesting observations Velo Dog. I wonder if the velocity of the two rifles had something to do with it as well. I suspect that these super fast rigs really challenge terminal performance.

My go to bullet for deer in the 7x57 is the 160 gr Speer Hot Cor. It’s a bang flop load. If I do my part they don’t take one step after the shot. Admittedly shots on my farm are not long. I think the longest I’ve taken has been 250, but 100 to 200 is typical.

 

[Velo Dog]

Interesting observations Velo Dog. I wonder if the velocity of the two rifles had something to do with it as well. I suspect that these super fast rigs really challenge terminal performance.

My go to bullet for deer in the 7x57 is the 160 gr Speer Hot Cor. It’s a bang flop load. If I do my part they don’t take one step after the shot. Admittedly shots on my farm are not long. I think the longest I’ve taken has been 250, but 100 to 200 is typical.

That might have something to do with it, I’m not sure.
It is possible.
However, the .30-06 when loaded with blunt shaped bullets appears to me, to be more effective than it is with spitzer bullets.

Also and in all fairness, sometimes the super velocity cartridges do produce some spectacular drop-to-the-shot results, on deer size animals.
From what I have seen, this however is virtually always at normal hunting ranges, not out around 4 or 500 meters.
Also, such spectacular drop to the shot results are more often than not, accompanied with a lot of unnecessary bloodshot meat damage and a huge exit wound.

Having said all that, I do like the .300 H&H Magnum, 180 grain spitzer, as well as the 7MM Remington Magnum 150, 160 or 175 gr., for the specialized niche they were designed.
In other words for longer shots, in more open geography, sparse foliage.
My capability from field positions to consistently hit the vitals on most of the types of animals I’ve hunted is about 400 meters.
For this, the above 2 calibers mentioned are quite excellent.

That said, the hunting for hooved game that I have done, nearly all of it has been at much shorter range.
Therefore, I don’t bother with the .300 or 7mm Magnums any more.
Cartridges such as the .30-06 and .375, with heavy for caliber round nosed bullets, shoot plenty flat enough for what I require of them.

I am envious that you have a farm whereupon there is good deer hunting.
I live in the woods but within the city limits.
Animals, including moose, bear and Lynx visit us here each year.
However, hunting is unlawful in the city (except falconry for fowl and bunny).
But I’m too lazy to take up falconry. LoL

 

[WAB]

Yes, I’m quite spoiled. It’s 100 yards from my reloading bench to my shooting bench. I have steel at 100, 200 and 300 and can back up to take 400 yard shots (although I’m prone in the front yard when I do so). Our deer season is 3 months long and we are allowed 4 bucks. I could have picked a worse place to retire.

 

[MS 9x56]

Ain’t it the truth. In my younger days I had to have a sleek, tipped, boat tail and a synthetic stocked stainless rifle. Now I love wood and blue with a bone crushing round nose projectile which I cannot find. Lol.

Welcome to the old fudd side.

 

[MS 9x56]

I find as you get older you really do come to appreciate the finer things in life. Plus you don’t much care whether anyone else does or not.

 

[Scrumbag]

You could try a Norma Oryx? Not quite round nose but a good bullet and not too "pointy"

Scrummy

 

[MS 9x56]

For my hunting I really don’t need anything but old fashioned cup and core bullets. I do use Norma Alaskans for whitetails and hogs.

 

[Sika98k]

You could try a Norma Oryx? Not quite round nose but a good bullet and not too "pointy"

Scrummy

Another vote for the Oryx bullet. I have had great results in several calibers.