Different Bullets - Same Weight - Affects on Loads/POI?

[DHC]

The situation is this:

* Application is HUNTING (not precision target shooting) so 2 MOA accuracy is plenty
* Using 7mm-08 and settled on 139 grain bullet
* Hornady makes (at least) 3 different bullets in that caliber and weight - a BTSP, a SST and the GMX
* All three have similar, though not identical, BC's
* Of the 3 Hornady offerings the least expensive is the BTSP and the GMX is more than twice the price of the BTSP
* Having just spent a TON of time with load development for a precision 308, I'd like to find a more efficient/economical method for sighting in the hunting rifle. Maybe I am being lazy (feel free to point it out, if so), but I have been so obsessed with the 308 load development that it has taken WAY too much time and I really don't want to repeat it any time soon.

So . . . if I work with the Hornady BTSP bullet (least cost) for developing an optimized 7mm-08 load, is it reasonable to expect that load to be optimal (or close to it) with the other Hornady bullets? If so, then all I need to do at the range is adjust for any POI changes.

Maybe a more technical way of asking the question is; if load development is all about finding the 'accuracy node' of the particular rifle (barrel and twist), primer, powder, bullet combination - then holding all variables constant (same rifle, same primer, same powder) including most variables with the bullet (all except BC), isn't it reasonable that the 'accuracy node' is going to be identical (or nearly so) for a rifle, primer, powder combination shooting any bullet of the same weight?

[spqrzilla]

The easy part is calculating the difference in POI from a ballistics program - several of which exist on the 'net.

The hard part is that the bullets will not perform the same with the same load depending the variation in the bullet construction - usually the jacket construction and bearing length. Recent article in Handloader magazine on the effects of differing bullet construction was very informative.

[theGinsue]

I've found that there can be significant differences in POI if even 1 small aspect has changed.

If you develop a load for a rifle with tight, perfectly centered groupings, then build more rounds with the same recipe, only using the same brand/model of primer - but from a different manufactured lot #, you'll get different POI results.

The same holds true for using the same lot of reloads on a different rifle. If you had 2 identical rifles whose barrels were manufactured one right after the other, you'd have (potentially) vastly differing POI results. One rifle may shoot dime-sized groups at 100 yards while the next rifle shoots paper plate sized groups.

[CO Hugh]

For hunting not match you should be able to make practice rounds, for hunting we use Barnes Xs, too expensive to shot practice rounds with.

My hunting buddy who handloads, uses Hornady interlocks for practice rounds, as they are much cheaper.

I am not the expert, but I think he basis which bullets to use for practice on ballistic coefficients, and similar appearances, such as olgive and profile.

I am curious to hear how the 7-08 does for elk