Factory Ammo
 

Hey everyone.
I usually handload for my 270 and 300 win mag but due to work I'll be out of town alot and just don't have the time. Any suggestions on decent factory ammo. I haven't bought a box in a long time. My 270 is a xbolt and my 300win mag is a tikka t3x.

I heard federal fusion is pretty cheap and accurate but never shot it before. I know every rifle is different just looking for options that have worked for others.

Blue box Federal's seen to get a lot of praise.

I'm a huge federal ammo guy used power shok for years but shooting partitions now in federal premium and Barnes 160 in the Barnes ammo both are very accurate

My tikka T3 seems to like 150gr federal blue box

Never hand loaded a single round of high powered ammo and I sure have killed lots. Nothing wrong with factory ammo :)

For you're 300 Win Mag try Nosler Trophy Grade ABLR's in 190 Grain, deadly!

Not sure what your price point is but I have a Winchester model 70 in 270 win and that rifle likes the HSM 130gr Berger vlds. Definitely an MOA round in my rifle. I also have a Weatherby true North in 300 Win mag and that rifle likes the federal trophy bonded tip and the hornady precision hunter. Again both an MOA round for that rifle.

Best of luck finding the magic combination


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I liken factory ammo to Kraft Macaroni dinners to a chef's premium cooking.

Yes but some people's standards are much lower than yours, and some people don't have the shooting skills to use properly developed handloads to potential, so factory loads that produce 1-1/2-2 moa are adequate for their uses.

Really? I expect way better than 1-1/2-2 moa out of my factory ammo and get it too.

I guess what it boils down too is do you want to say hand loads are better because you are a purist and you made it yourself, or does it get the job done without saying you loaded it yourself.

I can understand both sides of that fence, because I am a fly fisherman and guys that use lures are second rate. lol

Before I started loading my own, I found the Remington Core-Lokt to be a good factory offering at a decent price. The last box of factory I purchased was for my 6.5x55 while I was waiting for dies and brass to arrive. Bought a box of Nosler Trophy Grade (140 grain Accubonds). In my 6.5 it consistently gave 0.75" groups which is nothing to be ashamed of.

Good luck in your quest to find what your rifles like best. I am sure you will find something as the QC for today's factory is excellent.

And if you are willing to try a few factory loads, you might do a lot better than that, but simply picking one random factory load , that is as good as many people will do. The fact is that the same is true for handloads, simply picking one load out of a manual may not be any better than a random factory load, but if you know how to develop an accurate load, and you take the time to do so, you can usually do much better than you will with most factory loads.

With Nosler ABLR's I am getting .25 moa. Smoking Hot round too, but pricey.

I have also used way less expensive rounds and achieved the same results. In the end if your barrel likes it, it will work if it does not it won't.

Your tikka should cycle the Hornandy 200g ELD-X well, I'm shooting a Sako, and receiving good results, they are also pretty affordable! Dialed in after first shot and then, the remaining 9!

If I could get consistent .25moa accuracy with factory loads, I wouldn't bother handloading. However, I have yet to see anyone getting consistent .25moa accuracy from all of their rifles with factory loads.

Well I do, and I have no reason to debate this with you so I am out.

To the OP try Nosler Trophy Grade ABLR's in your 300 Win Mag, if your barrel likes them you will be in for a pleasant surprise! :)

Oh I have heard people talk about getting consistent .25moa groups with factory loads, but they always seem to be having an off day when I see them shooting at the range.:)

Please take this the right way and don't get defensive. I am not saying you aren't telling the truth, but I know myself and others would love to see pics of the groups, and the gun. That is essentially a one hole rifle, and even us handloaders, rarely, if ever, get such results. Let us ooh and aahh at your amazing results, cuz that is incredible performance. You could likely walk away with an arm full of prizes from Dick284's Rifle Rodeo with that gun.

If you have done some reloading what bullet did your guns like before you stopped,match the bullet with factory and you may get close results and maybe you won't.Plus it depends on the type of hunting you like to do,so I find it hard to tell anyone what there barrels likes,some reloaders drive themselves crazy trying to perfect something that doesn't really need much perfection when it comes to hunting.Plus if you can get hole for hole with a 300 win,that's really fine shooting?

I never seen the point in reloading when I only rifle hunt 2 weeks and shoot maybe 20 rounds a year but my 30-06 is under inch group with partitions and 7mag is finally under an inch with the 160 tsx and I can put it where it belongs every time :)

As for the OP's question, the last two falls, I ended up buying a new rifle during the season, and never had time to develop a load. I used Barnes Vor-TX for an elk, and Winchester Powerpoint for a deer. Guess what? Both were plenty accurate, and killed the same as any other bullet I have used. I can't say I have ever used a bad bullet, and I've used a ton of different ones over the years, but then again I try to not shoot them in the a_s either.

If you chose to shoot factory ammo then the time you spend sighting in your rifle for the different rounds will take longer than the time you will spend hand loading a few rounds for your rifle.

I shoot factory and handloads. Ignore the ABLR recommend unless you are ok with $ 80-90 a box. He doesn't shoot the same calibers anyways and just likes to soapbox.

Fusion 270's will shoot just fine out of your xbolt. Hornady GMX and Remington Premier Accutip if you can find them are two other affordables that shoot decently. Lot's of choices in that caliber.

Only recommend I'd make is to go 150 grain over 130 as your go to.

And I would never shoot anything but 130gr bullets out of a 270win, unless the rifle wouldn't shoot 130s accurately.

To each his own but I prefer the bc's of the 150's and find them to be more accurate in my guns.

I recently sighted in a new tikka t3 300wm for a fellow shooter. He had 180gr federal blue box ammo. I was very surprised to shoot a 3 shot group which measured .195. I have shot the federal blue box in my 22-250. They seemed to shoot well and flatten coyotes.

I generally hand load everything but I have had two 7x57s that REALLY like factory Sellier and Bellot ammo. (It came with one of the guns so I was shooting it to make brass) It took me a real long time to get a hand load that would shoot under 1/2" in either of those guns but the factory stuff would do it regularly. Factory ammo is a lot better made today than it was 50 years ago.

I am also of the opinion that the European factory ammo is better made than most of the inexpensive NA stuff. I have shot Privi, S&B, Fiochi and Norma while in Europe. All of them would shoot an inch or less in the guns I shot them out of, some well under 1/2". If you can get some Privi or S&B from Tradex I would give it a try. It also makes great brass for when you do have time to reload again.

.195, that is exceptional I thought .25 was good. Just goes to show you that many Brand Name Factory rounds are every bit as good as hand loads. The trick is finding the right factory round that will work well in your particular rifle.

For my .338 I shoot Nosler Trophy Grade Accubonds, my rifle loves them and so do I! I am not a range shooter and only use my rifle a couple of weeks a year so paying for a box @ 154.99 is no big deal.

If I were a bench shooter or was into shooting often, I would definitely consider loading my own for the cost savings.

One group means absolutely nothing.
What happens when you try to repeat your .250 or sub .2 group? Like 5 different times.........

Even a blind squirrel will find a nut sooner or later...... just say'n.....

And as they say, pics or it didn't happen.

But don't worry boyz, you don't need a half em oh aye rifle to hunt deer, especially when you only burn a box a year. 1-1/2 to 2 em oh aye, will knock the heck outta any buck this side of 250 paces any day.

last time i checked, a fly was known as a 'lure' as well.............
real fishermen noodle............

X2 ! They ( Federal ) produce billions of rounds every year under contract for the military , police forces , and homeland security ,

So it should be good enough for bullet proof moose and other unfortunate creatures caught in the crosshairs of nearsighted weekend warriors :fighting0074: