Fall is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start preparing for this fall’s hunting season. Are you ready? Depending on species you intend to hunt, have you started to think about factors such as caliber, bullet type, bullet weight, accuracy needs, environmental influences, or the local regulations that could impact your choices? There is a lot to consider, and there is no “one size fits all” approach to being an ethical hunter. Each consideration and decision made when finding the right hunting ammo needs to be based on the variables that are applicable to you.
Selecting the right hunting ammo is a critical decision for any hunter, as it directly influences the effectiveness, accuracy, and ethical aspects of the hunt. The choice of ammunition should align with the intended game, hunting conditions, and personal preferences to ensure an ethical and successful hunt. So, what are some of the variables to consider?
What are you hunting?
When considering hunting ammo, the first consideration might be the most obvious. Different game species have varying sizes, anatomies, and even the environment the animal lives in should be considered. It is essential to choose ammunition specifically designed for the intended game. The bullet’s terminal performance, such as controlled expansion and penetration, should match the game’s size and toughness to ensure a quick, humane kill. Whitetail deer hunting in the southeast United States doesn’t have all the same requirements as hunting elk in the Rocky Mountains.
Bullet Type considerations?
Hunting ammo and ammunition in general comes with a variety of bullet types, such as soft point bullets used in the WHITETAIL line, ballistic tip bullets like used in TIPSTRIKE line, and the bonded bullets used in Norma’s BONDSTRIKE line of ammunition. Hunting ammo must strike a balance between adequate penetration to reach vital organs and controlled expansion to deliver sufficient energy for a quick and ethical kill. Each line of Norma ammunition has unique characteristics that affect expansion, penetration, and energy transfer upon impact.
Ballistic tipped bullets such as the TIPSTRIKE, EVOSTRIKE, and BONDSTRIKE lines are designed to expand rapidly, causing larger wound channels. The TIPSTRIKE line is an exceptional example of an ideal ballistic tip bullet design. TIPSTRIKE rapidly expands while its mechanical lock design ensures optimal weight retention to reach vital organs for immediate stopping power.
Bonded bullets are designed to retain their mass, which produces deeper penetration. Larger game animals like elk and moose require deeper penetration for the projectile to reach vital organs. Norma’s BONDSTRIKE line utilizes a ballistic tip and features a unique power bonding technology for high residual weight and penetration at longer ranges. BONDSTRIKE has more than 10-15% better retained weight than its competitors hunting ammo.
Several states mandate the use of lead-free hunting ammo and Norma has a best-in-class solution for those hunters. For years, many countries in Europe have required the use of lead-free ammunition and European hunters have relied on Norma for their ammunition needs. Norma’s ECOSTRIKE line is effectively the lead-free alternative to TIPSTRIKE. ECOSTRIKE has a unique dual-core design made from tin and features a special pre-fragmentation of the frontal core. The radial perforations create quick expansion upon impact while the rear end of the bullet is a solid core that penetrates bone, skin, and flesh as the bullet travels.
Caliber Selection?
Short answer is “it depends”. It depends on the game you are hunting, the legal guidelines established by the state you are hunting in, the shot distance, and the hunter’s abilities, to name a few. An ethical hunter should do everything in their power to ensure the quick expiration of the game they are hunting. First, check the guidelines for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the state you will be hunting. Know the law and follow it.
Bullet Weight?
Bullet weight influences both trajectory and terminal ballistics. Lighter bullets generally have flatter trajectories but might lack penetration, whereas heavier bullets offer better penetration but may have a more pronounced trajectory drop. The ideal weight depends on the game hunted, the hunting environment, and the shooter’s ability to compensate for trajectory.
Distance and Accuracy?
The effective range of the chosen ammunition should be considered based on the expected hunting distances. Ammunition that performs well at both short and long ranges is ideal. Accuracy is paramount, so selecting ammunition that your firearm consistently shoots accurately is crucial for humane kills. Norma’s ammunition is regarded as the industry leader for accuracy. You still need to practice though because Norma cannot engineer you to be more accurate.
What was intentionally engineered was BONDSTRIKE’s extreme accuracy and excellent performance. BONDSTRIKE’s streamlined aerodynamic polymer tip and match boat tail design produces tremendous accuracy and terminal performance at all ranges up to more than 1,000 yards. BONDSTRIKE has one of the highest BC of any hunting bullet ever produced.
Ammunition must strike a balance between adequate penetration to reach vital organs and controlled expansion to deliver sufficient energy for a quick and ethical kill. Understanding a bullet’s terminal ballistics helps ensure reliable performance on impact.
Selecting the right hunting ammo involves factors such as game species, bullet type, caliber, distance, accuracy, hunting conditions, penetration, personal ethics, local regulations, and bullet construction. Striking the right balance between these factors ensures that the chosen ammunition is effective, accurate, and ethically sound, leading to successful and responsible hunting experiences. Norma has the resources to help you determine which ammunition line is the right one for you. For additional information, check out the Norma Academy, Norma’s digital hub of educational content.