Practice bullets vs hunting bullets

[WAB]

I find Speer hot-cor and swift A-frames in the same weight tend to shoot to the same POI, so yes, I do.

 

[45-70guy]

Don't underestimate your practice/"cheap" bullets. Premium bullets are meant for Premium Game.

OK,...you want to practice cheap in prep for your "dream hunt". Your "dream hunt" is your first African Safari for PG. Your package includes: warthog, springbok, impala, blesbuck, and kudu, zebra, or wildebeest.

I see your state as New Hampshire.

I'm a white privilege, racist, homophomic, anti whatever pig when it comes to Speer and Sierra bullets. We parted ways decades ago, and I haven't regretted it. However, fast forward a couple of three decades, and a 22 Hornet rifle later. My 22 Hornet is the wee stepping stone in maybe regaining my confidence in Speer and Sierra bullets.

With that said. Hunt with those loads and learn and gain confidence for yourself if your practice loads {ammo} does the job on North American Big Game animals; they will work on African PG animals. However, I would recommend using better/premium bullets for the larger PG animals.

JMO, I don't believe animals go around in the after life bragging about whether they were killed by cheap or premium bullets.

For the longest time when I was solely a lever gun guy I actually just used hard cast bullets for everything and after taking my first black beer with one 20 years ago I was almost converted to not even bother with modern stuff anymore.
Fast forward to messing around with bolt actions again and I slowly went back into this world but I’ve noticed that the Barnes copper bullets being very reasonable even for a practice bullet compared to a “premium” as even now they are still almost 50% cheaper.

Maybe current events they are more like 40% at this point but also very available.

Something about just a big meplate hard casted bullet in the backyard hitting at moderate velocity in New England seems to never fail.

 

[Odinsraven]

I don't reload much .....however my go to rifles are 7x57 and 303 Brit PPU does excellent FMJ for practice and indeed my 303 addict friends give me excellent price for once fired brass..One of the PH guys in RSA gets the 7x57 brass.

 

[mgstucson]

I have never had any problem with any bullets from major manufacturers, as long as they were used within known limitations. Cup and core bullets are fine for practice, varmints, and smaller thin skinned game. Bigger, tougher game calls for bonded cores and/or partitions. And the really big stuff may call for monometal solids. Although I make lead core bullets, and will pass down the equipment to do so to my children and grandchildren, there will probably come a time, faster than I want or think, when lead bullets will be outlawed. Until then, I will gladly roll my own. Hopefully by then, CNC lathes will be so inexpensive and commonplace, my progeny will be able to roll their own monometals in the garage if they want. Nothing changes but the changes.

If I can't practice with ammo that shoots the same as what I hunt with, how can I know when I am ready? And at $150 or more per box of practice ammo, I can pay for my swaging equipment pretty fast. I think the expense is what keeps some people from practicing more, whether the reasoning is sound or not.

I am too Scottish to pay $150 per box to practice, or to pay $15,000 for a hunt without practice.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

It’s true Bob out of my 7-8 whelens all bullets and powders will group 1.5” or less.
I did just that with the Speer hot cor as my “practice bullet in my 20” barrel rifle.
They are still a good hunting bullet but way cheaper than anything else out there.

@45-70guy
Stoke those 250s up my son and go have fun
Those loads are real game changers in the Whelen at full throttle.
Bob

 

[Daryl S]

Loading chart shows exactly that. I was quite shocked to see this when factory ammo has them 2,450fps or so. I would say that 2,709fps is fairly close to what the factory .358 Norma Mag. puts out.
"Kvale’s .358 Norma Magnum is a formidable cartridge, driving a 250-grain bullet to 2,750 fps, and generating 4,200 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy, putting it in the same class as the .375 H&H with similar bullet weights."