Best premium bullet

[BRICKBURN]

FREE!

The one in your hand.

Cold

Free, Cold, Full

Just about the same type of answer overlap as the OP's question.

 

[Ray B]

Back in the day Winchester had three loads for the 338: 200 gr pointed Power Point, 250 gr Silver Tip, & 300 gr round nose Power Point. For some reason, I suppose lack of sales the 300 gr was only made for a few years. then Winchester made an agreement with Nosler for Nosler to supply a significant portion of Winchesters bullets. the SilverTip was dropped. so of the 3 original only the 200 gr Power Point remains. The replacements are a 200 and 225 gr bullet- bonded core or some such scam.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Back in the day Winchester had three loads for the 338: 200 gr pointed Power Point, 250 gr Silver Tip, & 300 gr round nose Power Point. For some reason, I suppose lack of sales the 300 gr was only made for a few years. then Winchester made an agreement with Nosler for Nosler to supply a significant portion of Winchesters bullets. the SilverTip was dropped. so of the 3 original only the 200 gr Power Point remains. The replacements are a 200 and 225 gr bullet- bonded core or some such scam.

Pretty sad isn’t it, since Winchester originally marketed the .338 Winchester Magnum after Elmer Keith and others wildcatted it?

 

[CoElkHunter]

If you want to go heavier than 250 you may want to look at the 275grain swift A frame

I’ve shot ten elk (wapiti) with my .338 Winchester Magnum using 225gr Core Lokts over the last 20 years. But, the Core Lokts won’t work in Africa, so you have to go with something else. Good luck and god speed!

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I’ve shot ten elk (wapiti) with my .338 Winchester Magnum using 225gr Core Lokts over the last 20 years. But, the Core Lokts won’t work in Africa, so you have to go with something else. Good luck and god speed!

I like Speer hot cores. Good cup and gore bullets.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Just about the same type of answer overlap as the OP's question.

Close, but no cigar! Yet!

 

[CoElkHunter]

I like Speer hot cores. Good cup and gore bullets.

I like the “gore” part. But Speers won’t work either. Keep trying!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Back to reality! Not as much fun, but it IS reality, kind of? So yesterday, I go to the Denver International Sportsmans Expo along with a couple of my fellow friends/hunters. I spoke with several African hunting outfitters. Two of them told me I could use their .308 Winchesters and 180gr Core Lokt bullets for their plains game hunts if I didn’t want to bring my own rifle. I would prefer to take my own rifle, but I would want my first African hunting adventure to be about HUNTING, and not about a FIREARM TRANSPORTING adventure! So, I got their information and am considering their offers with the use of their rifles and Core Lokt ammo. Point being, Core Lokt isn’t obviously the best ammo available, but apparently it is used everywhere with good success.

 

[Dr Ray]

I also feel that the best premium bullet is one you can shoot accurately at various ranges. Many premium Bullets will do the job but it takes skill and confidence to place the bullet.
So I suggest you try a number of different brands and pick the one that not only just the job but you can fire with utmost of confidence.
That means you need to practise!

 

[fourfive8]

Silver!

 

[Ed Lally]

The most best beer and the most important bullet - the FIRST ONE

 

[Forrest Halley]

Back to reality! Not as much fun, but it IS reality, kind of? So yesterday, I go to the Denver International Sportsmans Expo along with a couple of my fellow friends/hunters. I spoke with several African hunting outfitters. Two of them told me I could use their .308 Winchesters and 180gr Core Lokt bullets for their plains game hunts if I didn’t want to bring my own rifle. I would prefer to take my own rifle, but I would want my first African hunting adventure to be about HUNTING, and not about a FIREARM TRANSPORTING adventure! So, I got their information and am considering their offers with the use of their rifles and Core Lokt ammo. Point being, Core Lokt isn’t obviously the best ammo available, but apparently it is used everywhere with good success.

If someone offered to let me use Core Lokt in a .308, I'd not consider it especially given any travel involved. I had a very bad failure with these in a close range encounter (10-15 yds)with a wild turkey some years back. It led to a rambling chase through the bushes. After a trail of organs, blood, feathers and shell casings it was recovered. The jackets were found in the far side skin without cores. Chest cavity was a mess, but somehow she kept going. Killed several whitetails with .30-06 and .300WM using them, but I don't think it's a good idea to go so far from home with them.

 

[Forrest Halley]

What is the verdict on the Nosler Solid and Partition in .458? They are coming less expensively nowadays.

 

[CoElkHunter]

If someone offered to let me use Core Lokt in a .308, I'd not consider it especially given any travel involved. I had a very bad failure with these in a close range encounter (10-15 yds)with a wild turkey some years back. It led to a rambling chase through the bushes. After a trail of organs, blood, feathers and shell casings it was recovered. The jackets were found in the far side skin without cores. Chest cavity was a mess, but somehow she kept going. Killed several whitetails with .30-06 and .300WM using them, but I don't think it's a good idea to go so far from home with them.

How come you didn’t shoot it in the head or neck area at that range? A couple of years ago, my son shot a blue grouse and took it’s head off with his .300WM, while coming back to camp along a trail. Personally, I wouldn’t waste a .300 mag bullet on a grouse? But, when your young?

 

[Forrest Halley]

How come you didn’t shoot it in the head or neck area at that range? A couple of years ago, my son shot a blue grouse and took it’s head off with his .300WM, while coming back to camp along a trail. Personally, I wouldn’t waste a .300 mag bullet on a grouse? But, when your young?

Because it was a bolt action military rifle and it didn't have the sights or trigger to do so combined with the rapid movement of the head made me... dubious.

 

[BobT]

Swift A-Frame

+1

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Just curious what everyone opinion is on the best premium bullet for hunting big game like elk and bigger

You specified Elk so I will concentrate on that , I would go with 30-06 180grn Federal Trophy Bonded Tip. I love this round from federal!

 

[Bruce]

A bullet like the Swift A-Frame or Norma Oryx is what I would consider a premium soft or expanding bullet.
There are also mono metal expanding bullets that are in the premium catagory like the Barnes TSX/TTSX.
IMO - the Nosler Partition is not a premium bullet, at least not anymore.
It was groundbreaking in 1948, but now there are much better options available than a cup-and-core.

I will choose SAF's all day, everyday for everything that requires a soft as long as it shoots well in my rifle.
Combine it with a 375 or 416 caliber and you are ready to hunt the world from Rabbit to Rhino.

Absolutely... I only use Swift A Frames for buff and eland.. 300g for 375 H&H and 500g for 458 W Mag.

 

[Royal27]

Here is a poll that addresses the premium bullet question. It's for DG but in my opinion very applicable to premium bullets in general.

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/one-and-only-one-bullet-manufacturer-for-dangerous-game.39399/

 

[shark_za]

The most important answer is obviously "Cold lager after a successful hunt in the bushveld"

For the lesser questions I would go with Rhino Solid Shanks, or any of the same design half bonded half mono like the trophy bonded bear claw.
After that the dual compartment bullets like Swift A-Frame or Nosler Partition.
Third would come fully bonded bullets like the Oryx.

I have not really got into mono bullets and prefer heavy for caliber lead bonded.