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While you’re learning everything else about hunting, don’t forget the importance of the right bullet. You can practice everything else, but it still comes down to the bullet. Is it heavy enough to do the job? Is it accurate enough to hit the target over the range you need? Knowing a bit about your ammunition choices and how they behave will help you succeed during hunting season, and you will be glad you did the research when you bring home that big elk.

Once you pull the trigger, the bullet is responsible for bringing down your target. Some bullets are more appropriate for certain sized game than others, and some bullets your rifle is just going to be choosy about. You may need to compromise to get the right fit between the game you’re hunting and what your rifle likes.

Bullets are made to excel at different parameters. Depending on what you need, you can choose your ammunition according to the parameters you need for the game you are after. Different bullet parameters include minimum dispersion, minimum flight time, minimum cross wind sensitivity, minimum ballistic drop, maximum kinetic energy, maximum penetration and limiting maximum range. An example would be a heavier bullet shot at a lower muzzle velocity will minimize cross wind sensitivity. The heavier the bullet is that you choose, the more of the bullet’s body is given over to ogive length, which reduces the drag. The majority of bullets cannot improve in more than a single parameter at a time, so choosing one will compromise others. Ogive length is the long thin part that extends at the front of some bullets, giving them a rocket-type look.

For large game, you are going to want to choose a bullet strong enough to penetrate and will give you more expansion. Super-premium bullets may not be your best choice, since they limit expansion, making them less than ideal for shooting deer or anything larger.

Test your ammunition on the shooting range to learn its accuracy and its strengths. Not every rifle likes every type of bullet, and your rifle will do much better with some than others. Testing it on the shooting range is a good way to find this out. While accuracy is important, performance is more important, especially if you are hunting larger game.

On the deer, you may notice very minimal damage around the entrance hole from your chosen bullet, even if it is an expanding bullet. There may even be very little blood loss at the site. You may find no exit wound, most of the time the bullet will be found lodged just beneath the skin on the far side of the animal. However, if your shot was accurate, the lungs should be torn up like they went through the blender and the animal should have dropped quickly.

From this example, you see what choosing the right bullet can do to ensure your hunting success. If you are unsure what to try, talk to fellow hunters, the salesclerks at the gun shop you frequent, or instructors at the local shooting range.

Scott Peters is an avid outdoorsman and hunter. For more informaton please see Nikon Buckmaster Scope.