Sellier & Bellot's eXergy 165-grain is for hunters who want a bullet with no lead in it. Its TXRG bullet is a lead-free design with a boat tail. It is rated at a G1 BC of .398 and leaves the muzzle at 2,785 fps. Zeroed at 100 yards, it drops about 14 inches at 300.

Compared with Federal's 165-grain Swift Scirocco II, a bonded polymer-tipped bullet that Federal markets for big game at long range, the eXergy gives up more as the distance grows. At 500 yards, a steady 10 mph wind blowing across the range pushes the eXergy about 25 inches sideways and the Federal about 21. From the same 100-yard zero, the eXergy drops about 59 inches at 500 and the Federal about 55. Compared with Sig Sauer's Elite Hunter Tipped 165-grain, the eXergy trails well behind the Sig's 2,950 fps at the muzzle, but the Sig kicks about 7 percent harder in the same rifle.

Buy the eXergy if a lead-free bullet matters to you and your shots stay inside about 300 yards, where the extra drop and drift are small. Pick the Federal Swift Scirocco II if you expect longer shots in the wind and don't need a lead-free bullet. Pick the Sig if you want more muzzle speed and don't mind the extra recoil. For practice at a similar bullet weight, Hornady's Vintage Match 168-grain ELD Match is a target load that leaves the muzzle at 2,710 fps.