Best Bullet

Is there any consensus on the best bullet for Bullseye?

I don't mean caliber, or weight or shape or jacketed vs. lead; I mean brand name.  Searching through the forum shows Star used to be (I think) but it is no longer available.  Is there a favorite manufacturer for, say 185 gr or 200 gr SWC?

There is not and will not be consensus on the best bullet. You may not believe this but some people prefer Chevy when everyone knows Fords are best.

Len

LenV wrote:There is not and will not be consensus on the best bullet. You may not believe this but some people prefer Chevy when everyone knows Fords are best.

Len

Fix Or Repair Daily  

Mopar’s Rule:bball:

gregbenner wrote:

LenV wrote:There is not and will not be consensus on the best bullet. You may not believe this but some people prefer Chevy when everyone knows Fords are best.

Len

Fix Or Repair Daily  

Mopar’s Rule:bball:

Shove a Lot

I drive a Subaru

G

LenV wrote:There is not and will not be consensus on the best bullet. You may not believe this but some people prefer Chevy when everyone knows Fords are best.

Len

Harrumph!

Buncha jokers!

Nosler 185gn JHP or Zero 185gn JHP

185 LSWCHP or 200 gn LSWC from various vendors, but I use Magnus Bullets, as Terry gives a discount for BE forum folks and shoots BE as well.

Also, Magnus and Zero do some swapping of LSWC, LSWCHP, and JHP bullets to each other, so you are getting some similar items in each company’s inventory.

Completed “target” rounds are available as well and commercial rounds from ASYM, Zero, and Atlanta Arms are talked about. Sometimes these are just used for 50-yd shooting and reloads for short line, it depends on your reload and shooting skill.

One comment that is commonly made here is that if you are a beginner, as your rank currently states, not to make a centerfire pistol part of your regimen until you have gained some real experience learning how to press a trigger on a .22. There is a lot going on in .45 and it can turn into a distraction rather than helping you focus on mastering the singlehanded shot.

Magnus... Nuff said. Unless you're chasing fractions of an inch at 50 yards just shoot lead, shoot 185 for less recoil. Magnus #801 work well. He also offers some swaged lead bullets.

willnewton wrote:Buncha jokers!

Nosler 185gn JHP or Zero 185gn JHP

185 LSWCHP or 200 gn LSWC from various vendors, but I use Magnus Bullets, as Terry gives a discount for BE forum folks and shoots BE as well.

Also, Magnus and Zero do some swapping of LSWC, LSWCHP, and JHP bullets to each other, so you are getting some similar items in each company’s inventory.

Completed “target” rounds are available as well and commercial rounds from ASYM, Zero, and Atlanta Arms are talked about.  Sometimes these are just used for 50-yd shooting and reloads for short line, it depends on your reload and shooting skill.

One comment that is commonly made here is that if you are a beginner, as your rank currently states, not to make a centerfire pistol part of your regimen until you have gained some real experience learning how to press a trigger on a .22. There is a lot going on in .45 and it can turn into a distraction rather than helping you focus on mastering the singlehanded shot.

Well yep. Oh, don't forget Hornady 185 XTP and Hornady 185 HAP also very accurate. I also use Magnus, Zero, Penn, T&B, and Speer. Which one is best ????

LenV wrote:

willnewton wrote:Buncha jokers!

Nosler 185gn JHP or Zero 185gn JHP

185 LSWCHP or 200 gn LSWC from various vendors, but I use Magnus Bullets, as Terry gives a discount for BE forum folks and shoots BE as well.

Also, Magnus and Zero do some swapping of LSWC, LSWCHP, and JHP bullets to each other, so you are getting some similar items in each company’s inventory.

Completed “target” rounds are available as well and commercial rounds from ASYM, Zero, and Atlanta Arms are talked about.  Sometimes these are just used for 50-yd shooting and reloads for short line, it depends on your reload and shooting skill.

One comment that is commonly made here is that if you are a beginner, as your rank currently states, not to make a centerfire pistol part of your regimen until you have gained some real experience learning how to press a trigger on a .22. There is a lot going on in .45 and it can turn into a distraction rather than helping you focus on mastering the singlehanded shot.

Well yep. Oh, don't forget Hornady 185 XTP and Hornady 185 HAP also very accurate. I also use Magnus, Zero, Penn, T&B, and Speer. Which one is best ????

No one uses Hornady pssshhhh

my lowly suggestion is to pick one, lead or jacketed.
Stick with it, play with it, different loads till you find the one that shoots.

The quagmire of "the grass is greener on the other side" permeates reloading for bullseye.
soon you will have 6 different loads with 5 different powders and various primers and seating depths getting beat by the kid who just took one load and used it.

just my humblest opinion.

now is .45 acp, 9mm, .38 spl or super this weekend?

james r chapman wrote:my lowly suggestion is to pick one, lead or jacketed.
Stick with it, play with it, different loads till you find the one that shoots.

The quagmire of "the grass is greener on the other side" permeates reloading for bullseye.
soon you will have 6 different loads with 5 different powders and various primers and seating depths getting beat by the kid who just took one load and used it.

just my humblest opinion.

now is .45 acp, 9mm, .38 spl or super this weekend?

What ^^^^ said. It doesn't matter how good your gun or ammo are, if you yank on the trigger. The worst ammo will shoot 7,6 & 5s.

I notice you are listed as a beginner. Whether you hold off on the centerfire as willnewton suggests, or dive in all the way, get a bullet and basic load, and then don't worry about it so much until you see you abilities (and therefore your scores) come up to at least sharpshooter. At a beginning level, so long as you have a good basic load, your efforts should be spent on YOU not chasing some perfect bullet. My lead bullet for 45 has been a 200 gr SWC since I started 6 years ago. I changed powder recipe very little as I wanted the variable in my performance to be me and measure the effect of working on my fundamentals etc. I have added the 185 JHP for the long line outdoors but I did not go to that until I had shot outdoors for awhile. I see lots of guys tweaking their loads and trying different guns and fussing with all those things.......and then shooting Marksman scores. Once you improve your skills, then you will be in a better position to judge bullets, powders and equipment.

Having said all that, welcome to the sport and have fun, which at the end of the day is what makes it all worthwhile.

I've never seen a decently accurized 1911 not shoot sub 10 ring groups from the machine rest, at 50 yards, with the Nosler 185 gr. JHP and the appropriate powder charge. The so-called "Marine Load" has taken a lot of hardware over the years. I haven't tested it, but I've seen groups and spoken to a lot of folks who say the Zero 185 gr. JHP is equal to the Nosler. Just about anything will group at the short line.

Jack H wrote:

gregbenner wrote:

LenV wrote:There is not and will not be consensus on the best bullet. You may not believe this but some people prefer Chevy when everyone knows Fords are best.

Len

Fix Or Repair Daily  

Mopar’s Rule:bball:

Shove a Lot

I drive a Subaru

Jn addition to Fix or Repair Daily there's also:
Found On Road Dead &
Forked Over Repeatedly in Dearborn.

I'm an ex Mopar Gut, but my current drive is a '09 Cad CTS-V pumped up to 690 RWHP & 630 RWTQ in a Dynojet on SAE correction factor. On non-corrected it lays down 721 RWHP & 660 RWTQ. About 6.5 MPG around town & all of about 12 MPG on the freeway. That's on E-85 Flex. Figure about 35-40 HP figures on 91 oct. And I am way too old for hot rods.

In my humble opinion there is no such thing as “the best bullet for use” wether it’s manufacturer you’re talking about or bullet type. What matters is, does your gun like it? Yes it is widely known that a Nosler, or Zero 185gr JHP is an exceptional bullet for our distances we shoot and the velocity ranges that we play in. But results that are just as good have been achieved with lead too. I think it boils down to this for a shooter who’s not paid to shoot or sponsored:

What are your options that you can comfortably afford? 

Take those options and start testing.

In testing you should look for two things, 1) How slow can you run that bullet and still maintain mechanical accuracy as well as shootability from the hand. And 2) what kind of fouling and clean up are you prepared to be content with? 

You will most likely see that there will be some loads that test more accurate than others. But a hit with a light load that may be slightly less accurate than a hotter load that’s more accurate, that you missed with, will win every day. 

You have to be able to control the gun.

So again - what’s the best bullet? 

The one that gives you what you’re looking for. There will be answers like Nosler, Zero, Magnus, and Dardas to name a few. They are perhaps more popular. And some of us cast our own. I shoot Summers Bullets. They’re cheap but I can shoot em well. 

Maybe not the answer you wanted. But I feel it’s an answer worth giving. 

Good luck.

First On Race Day

At least this year

Summers bullets are excellent quality plus lowest cost for lead SWC I've found.

Donny has the best prices on the net.  His 180 flat base is a great short line bullet. He is also offering HiTec coated bullets these days

the best bullet is zero 185jhp. Zero even has a NRA team at camp perry. Know any other bullet company that sponsors a bullseye team?

Thank you Gents.  I enjoyed the Ford Chevy debate almost as much as I appreciate the bullet advice.