Are you looking at having two different loads on the same hunt? Seems problematic. Why not choose a well made (read Nolser partition, accubond, Barnes X, TSX or something equivelant) in the 180 to 200 grain range. This is perfect elk "medicine" and will handle bears if the need arises. If you decide to pack two different loads, inevitably you will have the wrong one in your gun when the need arises. One gun, One load, shoot it alot.
Back in the days when there weren't too many bullets to choose from, you got more penetration by going to a heavier bullets. I would expect that, given the choices available now, the sales of 220 grain .30 caliber bullets has hit an all time low. My experience, in the .300 Win Mag,has been that a Barnes X bullet of 165 grains will penetrate as well as a 220 grain Hornday roundnose. And the 180 and 200 grain Barnes X . . . .
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A man has got to know his limitations . . . . .
I know you asked about 220 grain but you may want to look at the 200 Grain Accubond bullet. It has an amazing BC of .588 and is built heavily enough to work up close and personal from a win mag without failing. The200 Grain Accubondwill provide down range trajectories equal to many 180s due the superior BC. Plug this BC into a Ballistics Calculator vs a 180 grain partition and you will be surprised at the trajectory and the big advantage in downrange energy.
PS: This bullet from a 300RUM grouped less than MOA for my buddy in a gun he was ready to trade in because he could not shoot 3 inche groupswith anything else.
Are you looking at having two different loads on the same hunt? Seems problematic. Why not choose a well made (read Nolser partition, accubond, Barnes X, TSX or something equivelant) in the 180 to 200 grain range. This is perfect elk "medicine" and will handle bears if the need arises. If you decide to pack two different loads, inevitably you will have the wrong one in your gun when the need arises. One gun, One load, shoot it alot.
Exactly.....I agree. Use a 200 grainer for everything....they really shoot flatter than you might think.
I agree with the first two responses, a 180 TSX will out penetrate a 220grain lead nose "old school". There are some good 200s on the market, but they aren't gonna penetrate like the 180 Barnes. I assume you are wanting decent trajectory and great penetration since you are shooting heavy bullets from a 300? Like Roskoe said, years ago you had to go heavy to get the penetration and gave up some velocity and trajectory. The TSXs have done away with that "conundrum" (I believe that's what Alan Greenspan is callin it now? ).
My voteALSO goes to useing 200 NP's for everything!!! I've seen them go right through a bear, and also expand nicely on smaller animials.
Many of the tougher bullets will drive deeply, but where i don't like them is, they "don't" also expand well on smaller animials. That's why i stick with NP's!!!