# So what's the best bullet?



## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Was in Walmart this evening buying my daughter a youth deer tag to hunt with this weekend. While standing in line waiting for our turn, this young boy and his mom was getting their tag. When getting ready to pay up the lady mentions to the cashier that she also needs 243 ammo. The cashier asked the lady "What kind of 243 ammo do you need?" She shrugs her shoulder and says "I don't know, all I know is he needs 243 ammo for his gun". The cashier then shrugs his shoulder cause he doesn't know what kind she needs either.(of coarse most of you all know they most always hire idiots to run the sports department) 

So I speak up and say "Well what you need is either Power Soft Points, or Hollow Points". Now I quoted this cause in our hunting regulations that is what we are allowed to legally hunt with and that's what I use and I don't have any problems downing a deer with what the hunting regulations says we can use. 

However, this big brute that stands about 6' 5" or more and who had just bought his son a deer tag just prior to the lady and her son, blurts out "No you don't need no [email protected]#* power soft points or hollow points". "What you need is a solid bullet only". 

So, the lady, son, brute, and cashier takes off to the locked up ammo cabinet and probably grabs a box of solid bullets and checks out. While I'm just standing their thinking "Well whatever floats your boat". "I just don't want to be in it if a game warden checks you out".


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Well, with so many different .243 loads available, I probably wouldn't know which the customers wants, either. Besides, the customer is always right!

Our state regulations say that "non-expanding" bullets are illegal for hunting deer. It does not say that they are illegal for anything else. Because of another thread on deer rifles, checked out what our Wal*Mart had for ammo today. Probably just about every caliber was available with at least one load. Wasn't looking for solid bullets so that means another trip. But to tell the truth, I've never seen them available in any caliber. Makes sense since if they can't be used for deer hunting, there's no market for them. 

Martin


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I my self don't care for the idot is hired for the sports department comment. Our Wal Mart always has a different person in the sporting goods dept when I visit it. the employees seem well educated,groomed and helpful. *The problem lies in the fact they get no training.* They may or may not have been from a hunting family either. 
I know my guns and load my own ammo for all but the rim fires but if some one were to ask me the best ammo for a 338 Rum to shoot a cape bufflo with I don't have a clue. Train me and I would though.

I load a seirra 85gr. HPBT for my 243 using IMR 4350 powder. Does a great job on every thing from crows to white tail deer.

The best bullet is the one that kills cleanly!!!!!

 Al


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

As a general rule, anyone going to Wal*Mart knows what they are looking for and are shopping for it. Wal*Mart is in the general retail business, not firearms education. The fact that they even have guns and ammo of any kind is specific to that particular area and the subsequent local regulations. The rifles in our local store are all basic but ammo selection is great. I would not expect any clerk to be able to explain to me the advantages of a .223 over a .222 when the smallest caliber deer rifle in the store is a .243 and next bigger is a .270. Doesn't have to be any more than that. Want to talk to gun experts? Go to a store which specializes in guns. 

Martin


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Paquebot said:


> As a general rule, anyone going to Wal*Mart knows what they are looking for and are shopping for it. Wal*Mart is in the general retail business, not firearms education. The fact that they even have guns and ammo of any kind is specific to that particular area and the subsequent local regulations. The rifles in our local store are all basic but ammo selection is great. I would not expect any clerk to be able to explain to me the advantages of a .223 over a .222 when the smallest caliber deer rifle in the store is a .243 and next bigger is a .270. Doesn't have to be any more than that. Want to talk to gun experts? Go to a store which specializes in guns.
> 
> Martin


Truth I was surprised I was looking at Broadheads and Girl came up wanting to know if I needed help.I told her she probably wouldn't know considering I use a Crossbow.I was surprise she knew because Her Dad also used a Crossbow.

On the other hand I was in one store listening to a Clerk with another customer,he knew absolutly nothing about Hunting Regulations.Then the same Guy didn't want to go through the trouble to sell me a Shotgun. :flame: His Boss was more than happy to sell me one.

As far as going to a Store that Specializes in Firearms  You would think Bass Pro Shop would be ok.One time after two weeks of camping I went to Bass Pro,yes I was crudy looking and probably smelled,Guy at Firearms Counter after showing one decided I wasn't interested so went out of his way to avoid me.He didn't know I'm personal friends and have known Mr.Morris for years,whom I called from in the store.The Clerk was fired on the spot.Finally was taken care of,they had my cash I had a New Rifle.Went in couple weeks ago couldn't find anyone that knew anything about Muzzleloader Scopes 

I have one store I Love shopping at they know just about every thing except Muzzleloaders so I don't bother there.

big rockpile


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

I was in a Fleet Farm in a town where the surrounding area is sprinkled with lakes and rich folks from the Twin Cities buy lake cabins. Many tear down the million dollar "cabin" to build a mansion.

There was a guy at the gun counter asking if a Stoeger or a Remington shotgun was the best. The clerk either didn't know anything about them or wouldn't voice an opinion. I started talking to the guy and it turns out that he wanted a shotgun that would handel 3 inch shells to kill a beaver that built a dam that was flooding part of his property. He had tried shooting it with buckshot loads in a shotgun that "only" handled 2 3/4 inch shells . LOL. He couldn't kill it so he wanted a shotgun that would handle 3 inch because he needed more power. LOL. I explained that a 3 inch shell only had a few more pellets and no greater muzzel velocity. If he hit the beaver in the head with one of the pellets from the shotgun he had it would kill it but it was a difficuly thing to do because most of the beaver is under water when it is swimming. I did suggest he try for a shot when the beaver is out of water. He didn't need a new 3 inch compatable shotgun. 

He said the DNR officer instructed him to shoot the beaver if it was causing a problem. I'm not sure but this may be illeagle. I did ask, and he confirmed that there were no homes in the area that could get sprayed by ricochet pellets but he couldn't use a rifle. 

IMHO everyone should take a firearms safety course.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I'd be willing to bet WalMart didn't HAVE anything other than Soft Points or Hollow Points anyway


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## gunseller (Feb 20, 2010)

I agree the chances of not only Wal-Mart but most other stores having anything but 243 ammo loaded with some type of expanding bullets is very very small. Many Wal-Mart employees are very nice people but they are not trained to know a lot on certain subjects. I used to be in management for Wal-Mart so I have first hand knowledge of the training that employees get when they start to work. Sporting good was not one of my departments however when there was anything more than a basic question I was called over to help. I have had people come into where I work with a question that the people at the local Bass Pro had no idea what the answer was. After we answer the question and explain the answer so they fully understand the answer the coments usually are something like I knew I should have come here first and save time.
Steve


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Bass pro, Gander mountian, and Cabelas are big box stores, many catter to the yuppys in the citys and sprawl near by. They hire from a pool of persons who have no knolege of the outdoors let alone guns and ammo. They have growen up playing vido games.
How they are trained and by whom determines if you can get help from an employee.

I spent time in the Cabelas in Albert Lea MN buying a scope for my Remington 700 Muzzle loader. Once I chose the scope and needed the mounts the employee sent me to the guys in the Muzzle loader dept. That employees said I need to go back to the optics dept, once back there the orginal employee said they didn't have any mounts for that muzzle loader. In truth *any scope mounting system for a Remington 700 will work *fine but I couldn't get the guy to under stand that. I got the Mounts at Williams Gun Sight Davison Mi when I got back home. 
Those people KNOW guns and AMMO along with sights and scopes and the mounts.

 Al


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

I had to laugh earlier this year went to a Seminar at Bass Pro pretaining to Hunting on Government Lands,thought I would pick up pointers.

Get there the Guys giving the Seminar knew me from Hunting Forums on the Internet,found they hunted the same areas I do and as it turned out they got pointers from me. ound:

big rockpile


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Checked all of the rifle ammo at our local Wal*Mart and only soft point, core-lokt, hollow point, or whatever the different brands call it. Only full metal jacket ammo were for pistols.

Martin


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

The world is full of people who know nothing, but try to pass themselves off as experts.

No bad advice I hear surprises me any longer.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Bearfootfarm said:


> I'd be willing to bet WalMart didn't HAVE anything other than Soft Points or Hollow Points anyway


I don't know about 243's but in the 223 section, my local walmart can't keep soft points or hollow points in stock. They tell me they only get a few in at a time and someone comes along buys them all up. They have tons of full metal jackets for 223's. But nothing else.

I ask them why they can't put in a bigger order and they tell me they don't do the ordering, just the stocking of what they send.

It don't seem fair. Walmart runs all the small business's out of business, then they don't sell doodly squat after they capture the market. I use to buy all my ammo at the nearby General Store when I was growing up, but walmart put them out of business. Now I either have to live with what they got or order from a cataloge and pay ungodly shipping cost!


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## JPiantedosi (Apr 23, 2012)

you guys can ***** about the folks who work at walmart, cabelas, wherever. I sold guns and hunting equipment at a gander mtn, for a few years in college....... I will tell you, you get what you pay for. Youthink those places are going to get experts for $8 an hour? the store I worked at had some very knowledgeable employees, but they quickly would get so frustrated/burntout with dealing with the Know it all customer, telling the other customers what they REALLY needed, that the employess would often walk away rather than argue with some guy. Many of those employees eventually just quit, and go on to do something else for $8/hr.

Jim


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## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

I would never use a hollow point or full metal jacket bullet you want something that going to hold together. Power Soft Points would work, but you need to consider what type of terrain he'll be hunting in. 

Bob


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I would never use a *hollow point *


It depends on the particular brand of bullet.
Most of the solid copper bullets are hollow points, but will still hold together
(Although they cost an arm and a leg)


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

Oldcountryboy said:


> I use to buy all my ammo at the nearby General Store when I was growing up, but walmart put them out of business. Now I either have to live with what they got or order from a cataloge and pay ungodly shipping cost!



Start loading your own!

I started loading my own ammo in about 1974 at my mother's kitchen table. 

I currently have enough fix'ins to load about 50k rounds...not worried about what Wal-Mart does or doesn't have! :dance:


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

JPiantedosi said:


> you guys can ***** about the folks who work at walmart, cabelas, wherever. I sold guns and hunting equipment at a gander mtn, for a few years in college....... I will tell you, you get what you pay for. Youthink those places are going to get experts for $8 an hour? the store I worked at had some very knowledgeable employees, but they quickly would get so frustrated/burntout with dealing with the Know it all customer, telling the other customers what they REALLY needed, that the employess would often walk away rather than argue with some guy. Many of those employees eventually just quit, and go on to do something else for $8/hr.
> 
> Jim


Well I need to apologize for how I said that! After all they are probably taking whatever job they can find. May not get rich there, but it helps pay the bills.



tarbe said:


> Start loading your own!
> 
> I started loading my own ammo in about 1974 at my mother's kitchen table.
> 
> I currently have enough fix'ins to load about 50k rounds...not worried about what Wal-Mart does or doesn't have! :dance:


That is a very good ideal and probably a lot of fun. Not to mention just knowing that you was the one to load your own shells.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Been loading my own since 1970.243 IMR powder Sierrea 85gr.HPBT small rifle primer.

Also load 30-30, 32 special, 220 swift, 7MM 08, 308, 300 win mag 38 special, 357 Mag 16ga shot shells 12ga. and 20ga.

I have plenty loaded on hand and supplys to load many thousand more.

 Al


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

alleyyooper said:


> Been loading my own since 1970.243 IMR powder Sierrea 85gr.HPBT small rifle primer.
> 
> Al




Hey, where did you find .243 brass that takes a small primer?


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## denaliguide (Aug 30, 2008)

And if worst was to come to worst, again, I'd go back to my old Lee Loader, doing loads for my Model 600 Mohawk .243 with the 18" bbl that blew everyone's ears off at the range, not allowing that i was maxing out 85 gr sp's on IMR 3031.

Probably even the most basic and simple handload is more than a challenge for factory ammo, specifically cause YOU know WHAT your shooting.


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