For most hunters their pre-season is focused around obtaining their chief piece of hunting equipment; a deer hunting rifle. Once this selection is made, then having the best hunting ammo available to fill the chamber is the next order of business. To help with the selection of the best ammunition for your new rifle, shotgun or muzzleloader; I have listed what I consider to be the best hunting ammo available in the following categories; centerfire ammo, slug ammo and muzzleloader ammo.
Centerfire Ammunition
• Federal Premium Vital Shok- Federal’s “Trophy Bonded Tip” possess a solid copper shank and exterior skiving on the bullet which facilitates the best possible expansion at any range. This bullet supplies bone crushing energy to the target every time. Federal Premium has expanded this line to include a 140-grain 7mm Rem. Magnum, 140-grain 7mm WSM and a 160-grain 7mm STW.
• Hornady Superformance- With many changes in the propellants used in their loads, Horandy prides itself on having higher velocity than its competitors. Hornady uses normal 6mm charge weights with other specialized powders to achieve these results. Superformance can be found in.243 Win., 6mmRem.,.257 Roberts, 25-06 Rem., 6.5 Creedmoor and.270 Rem.
• Winchester SuperX PowerMax- Winchester has perfected the protected hollow-point (PHP) jacketed bullet. The PowerMax is available in.243,.30-06,.300Win. Mag.,.300 WSM (my personal favorite), 7mm Rem. Mag and 7mm WSM.
Slug Ammunition
• Federal Fusion Shotgun Slugs- Federal continues the innovations and selections in their Fusion line of ammo. The latest loads leave the barrel between 1,450- 1,700 fps. New additions to this line in the 12-guage & 20-guage categories are a 3inch, 7/8 ounce sabot slug and a 2 3/4 inch, 7/8 ounce sabot slug.
• Remington AccuTip Sabot Slug- This line is topped with a PowerPort Tip. This tip helps to manage expansion from 5-200 yards. This slug is designed for 12-guage, fully rifled barrels only.
Muzzleloader Ammunition
• Powerbelt Platinum Series- Powerbelt continues to enhance to its Platinum Series by adding a new grain weight and plating process, both of which are meant to intensify penetration and accuracy. The latest installment in this series is a 300-grain,.50 caliber bullet.
• Hornady FPB- With.50 caliber projectiles available in either 300 or 350-grain; Hornady proudly boasts on its website that this ammunition is “one of the easiest loading muzzleloader projectiles on the market.” These projectiles also feature Hornady’s Flex Tip technology.
More information about these and any other ammunition can be found by visiting the manufacturer’s websites. Choosing the best performing hunting ammo will certainly help to increase your chances of success in the field.