# Factory Ammo for Hunting Rifle



## TxHunter1214 (Nov 21, 2014)

I previously started a thread about the new Remington Sendero SF II rifle that I bought in a 7MM and asked for opinions on what to do to accurize the rifle. My question here is, what factory ammo are you guys using that has given you the best results? I do not hand load so I will be using factory loads. I have always used Federal Premium in my other rifles so obviously that is an option, but I am also looking at HSM 168 gr. with berger bullets, has anyone used this ammo before? I know every rifle is different, every rifle is going to like different grain ammo, and I know I will have to more than likely shoot both to see which one my gun likes better, but I am curious to what you all gone through and decided on. I would like to hear from everyone, especially other sender owners. Look forward to hearing what you guys have to say.


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## artys_only (Mar 29, 2005)

HMS is good 
also look at Nosler custom loads .


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## Jungle_Jim (Nov 16, 2007)

Look up Superior Ammuniton. They are out of sturgis S.D. They will make a custom load for your gun. When you need a box you just call and order it.
They can make some one hole stuff and have a huge variety of bullets to choose from.


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

I am not a fan of the Bergers for hunting.

Mine 7mm Remington model 700 and my Tikka T3 .270 like the Hornady superformance SST for target (cheaper to shoot) and then the matching grain Interbond for hunting. Hard to improve on that. And with the bullet weight and shape being exactly the same they will fly the same. Interbond is an incredible hunting bullet. SST are cheaper to shoot but not as good as interbond for hunting animals. (they will do the job just not the kind of performance in a hunting bullet that i desire).

I took my 7 mag to africa and shot 175 grain nosler partitions. Best bullet for that kind of game. so find some your gun will shoot well and match bullet performance to what you are after. I shoot everything from 130 grain to 175 grain....depending on the quarry.

As i said in your other thread. Get a load that your gun will shoot a nice minute of deer group. Those Nosler Partitions are not the most accurate load in that gun. But they are the best choice for African plains game. Shot a zebra at 450 yards and a baboon on a full run at 505 yards with it. I doubt those animals cared about the MOA accuracy for that load.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Superior has been sold and the new guys are in South Carolina. Visited with them for a while at the Dallas Safari Club show. I think they would do you right.

http://www.superiorammo.com/

For factory ammo I generally like Federal Premium but have used some of the Nosler ammo as well.


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## Too Tall (May 21, 2004)

Its hard to go wrong with Remington in the green and yellow box. I'm not going to pay double the price because it says Nugent or Hog on the side of the box.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Winchester 150grn Ballistic Silvertips are 3/4 MOA in my Tikka 30-06.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Too Tall said:


> Its hard to go wrong with Remington in the green and yellow box. I'm not going to pay double the price because it says Nugent or Hog on the side of the box.


AGREE mine are 18.50 for 308 150's or 30-06 in 180's, I seriously doubt a deer can be any more dead than what the appear using these. When I started hunting 50+ yrs ago these are what my dad used in our Rem 740's and continues to use today. Once again HOW dead do you want your deer 18dollar dead or 40dollar dead....WW


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## mrsh978 (Apr 24, 2006)

Factory ammo has come a long way - mainly due to the bullets themselves . What I reload , bulletwise, can be bought in factory ammo . Sierra , nosler , Hornady all can be over- the- counter for your gun . Nosler recently has stepped into the loaded ammo - I really like their brass. Select your bullet weight and purchase one box of each from Remington , Winchester , fedreal .... You get the idea


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## DIHLON (Nov 15, 2009)

I've been having a lot of success with 150 gr. Federal PowerShoks in .308. Just picked up a few boxes of Fusion 165 gr. to try as well. I have brass trimmed and primed for some 165 gr Sierra Game Kings but haven't gotten around to working up any loads yet.


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## el dorado (Jul 26, 2010)

Too Tall said:


> Its hard to go wrong with Remington in the green and yellow box. I'm not going to pay double the price because it says Nugent or Hog on the side of the box.


^^^This right here is it. Remington Core-Lock in green and yellow box all day long. I've used it in 30-06, .270. 7mm. Tried and true


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## Screeminreel (Jun 2, 2004)

I have two Sendero's chambered in 7 RM and 7 STW. They both like bullet weights from 140 through 160'ish. 

For the most part I have shot the Federal Premium in the STW they were loaded with the 150gr Nosler Solid Base.On a good day they will hold under 3/4" at 200yds, on average around an inch. 

The 7 RM, has liked the 162gr Hornady VERY well. I have shot plenty of hogs and deer with this bullet and nothing has moved more than a few feet, and that was usually straight down or to a sliding halt. The factory load is a little slower than what I worked up but would still group around 2" or less at 300yds. I haven't tried anything factory loaded in a lighter weight so can't speak to how it might work, but you should not have any issues with weights in the 140 - 160gr arena. Pick the one that shoots best and go for it.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

for readily available factory ammo, federal premium or hornady custom 

i have been thru the Hornady plant a couple times, their tolerances and quality control is top notch.

If you can't get solid groups with either of those two in a stock rifle, it's likely something else, not the ammo.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Start with the cheaper remington and Winchester stuff first....

Then work your way up - my 22.250 shoots the cheap stuff as good as the expensive stuff....

It's nice to have the cheap option....


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## [email protected] (Jun 25, 2005)

Barnes Vor-tx shooting the tipped tsx bullets are great hunting rounds and very accurate.


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> Barnes Vor-tx shooting the tipped tsx bullets are great hunting rounds and very accurate.


This... Great stuff. Just a little hard to find sometimes.


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## Fresh2Salt (May 21, 2004)

Federal Premium Vital Shok w/ the Sierra Gameking bullets. My 22-250, 25-06 and .270 love them. Unfortunately they stopped making that ammo for my 22-250 so I'm going to try the Federal Power Shok and hope they perform just as well.


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## Bocephus (May 30, 2008)

Nosler Trophy Grade is very good for a factory round...


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## TxHunter1214 (Nov 21, 2014)

Anyone else have any experience with HSM?


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

I shoot HSM with the 168 Bergers in my Sendero 7 Mag. It shoots them MOA or better. Plenty good for a hunting load. I am going to transition to hand loads this year. I use that rifle for hunting as well as long range steel targets, so the hand loads will perform better than the HSM for that, plus reloading is much cheaper.


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## TxHunter1214 (Nov 21, 2014)

HydraSports said:


> I shoot HSM with the 168 Bergers in my Sendero 7 Mag. It shoots them MOA or better. Plenty good for a hunting load. I am going to transition to hand loads this year. I use that rifle for hunting as well as long range steel targets, so the hand loads will perform better than the HSM for that, plus reloading is much cheaper.


How difficult is it to learn how to reload? Never done it and don't know anything about it but I learn quick. I'm sure the initial start up cost due to equipment is fairly pricey? Which is fine I'm just curious.


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## TXPIRATE (Jan 28, 2009)

you can get a Lee loader (27.99 midway) for your caliber, a scale if you want, powder and primers and you will be in business. I actually really like those loaders for rifles that you don't shoot hundreds of rounds at a time. some people will say I am crazy.


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## TxHunter1214 (Nov 21, 2014)

One day I would like to get into reloading but with my schedule the way it is now I don't think I will have time. One day. I would really like to get input on quality factory ammo that people have had success using. Maybe some 7MM match grade ammo?


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## vette74 (Oct 11, 2009)

Green Box Remington works good in my 7 mag. For reloading it takes about a minute a round for me to load 50 + rounds with a single stage press.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

My boys 7-08 likes Federal premium with 140 grain btsp's. Did not like Fusion. Hornady 139 GMX's shoot well and are a good choice for pigs.


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

TxHunter1214 said:


> One day I would like to get into reloading but with my schedule the way it is now I don't think I will have time. One day. I would really like to get input on quality factory ammo that people have had success using. Maybe some 7MM match grade ammo?


 Like Muddskipper said, don't look past the cheaper box ammo. Remington Core-lokt, Winchester Silvertip etc. You may have to try a number of different brands/types but I would start with the cheaper stuff first. I do reload for some stuff but for my go-to deer rifle, Remington Core-Lokt (.270 win 130 gr psp) are super rounds. 1MOA all day long, devastating performance as in DRT or very close to it. My best reloads are only slightly better for this rifle. Modern factory ammo (and rifles) have come a LONG way in the last 20 yrs. so it isn't imperative to reload for excellent performance. You just have to find what your gun likes. Much like working up a new load at the loading bench.


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## TXPIRATE (Jan 28, 2009)

My 270 hates the Remington corelock but LOVES the winchester 130 powerpoint. They are devastating on deer also.


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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

I have some HSM 185vlds for my .300. Have really only shot one group with them to sight in and it was about a .6" 3 shot group @ 100yd. Have killed 3 pigs with them. Dropped 2 and one ran about 15yds.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Jeeez, will those high dollar off the shelf loads OR reloads kill a deer any deader than the 18.50 Rem Core lokt will?? Its NOT rocket science....the core lokts have made me happy for 50+yrs


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## Fresh2Salt (May 21, 2004)

TXPIRATE said:


> My 270 hates the Remington corelock but LOVES the winchester 130 powerpoint. They are devastating on deer also.


What kind of .270 do you have?

My Browning A-bolt hates Winchester Silvertip. I couldn't get a good group to save my life. Deer would have been safe if I kept using that stuff.


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## dmwz71 (Feb 5, 2010)

I hunt deer with a 30.06. I have 2-3 rifles in that caliber. In all of them, for whitetail hunting, I use 165 gr "Federal Fusion" ammunition. I have shot 8 or so deer over the past 3-4 years with this combination, and all of them have been one shot kills, and all but two of them dropped where they were shot. (The two that did not were because of a poor shot by me, not because the round did not work well.) The results I have had with the Federal fusion round have been very impressive. Take a look at it.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

There is so much great factory ammo available now, really good stuff with premium bullets.
You have Federal premium ammo, Remington has their Premium line, Hornady has theirs, and Winchester of course.
If not, you can get on line and order custom ammo from various manufacturers.

Best advice I have it to buy one box, see how it shoots, and if you like it, try to buy a supply at that time and try to get it out of the same lot numbers.

And remember, some rifles shoot one bullet better than another design in the same weight. Some like Partitions, some don't. Same way with a lot of bullet designs.

You may have to experiment some with different loads to find the right one.


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## TXPIRATE (Jan 28, 2009)

> What kind of .270 do you have?


 I have an 84 model ruger m77


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## Bharvey (Mar 24, 2013)

I've had really good luck shooting Federal Premium 165gr Sierra Gameking BTSP for my .308 and Federal Premium 130gr Sierra Gameking's BTSP for my .270. They have grouped REALLY WELL out of two different makes of Rifle; one a Weatherby Vanguard S2 and the other a Ruger M77 Hawkeye.


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