[birdbustr]

What bullet has the best terminal performance on deer?

1. Please give opinions from experience and examples.

2. Please assume that the deer is hit in the vitals, the hunter has, "Done his part".

[sublimaze41]

O.K. you want an opinion... here it is. .30 caliber Barnes TSX in 168gr. I like '06 you may find .308 good. Heck I took a large zebra that turned at the last second. Through his rear, split the hip bone and passed through nearly 3 feet of gut. 100% bullet retention. H4350 loaded to around 2850 FPS.

On a whitetail It would likely do it's job at any decent angle.

[dakotasin]

mid-heavy weight for caliber hornady interlocks (no sst experience) have always been meat on the table for me w/ deer.

257 - 100 (257 roberts), 120's (25-06)
284 - 162 (7 mag, 7 rum)
308 - 165 (308, 30-06, 300 savage, 300 win mag, 300 wsm)
338 - 225 (338 win mag)

these are the ones i have killed more than 3 deer w/ - the rest either use sierra or barnes bullets, or have not made at least 3 deer kills (antelope does not equal deer for this exercise).

[Pumpkinheaver]

Hornady interloks and SST's are great on deer sized game.

[sublimaze41]

Here is why I favor the Barnes TSX. For $15 more a box you can get some potent, weight retaining bullets
http://images.imagefap.com/full/30/ebbc202119653da2006c31d70f1827b0/312554457.jpg

http://images.imagefap.com/full/35/ca3a1e98d2f591d90ce7a9d527ac3acb/719300351.jpg

[Redhat]

Nice but do you need all that for a deer?

[eliphalet]

What is the best all around deer bullet assuming that the hunter has done their partHunter does his part? I would say all of the above are fine. I use core-lokts but can't show you one as none have ever been recovered from a deer. All went clear through on several dozen deer. I do have one from a elk after a frontal quartering shot that still weighs 92 of 150 original grains.

[Racktracker]

I would hazard a guess that if the hunter does his part all of those bullets should be equal in that there will be meat on the table.

I prefered the silvertips until they stopped selling them in bulk.

Then I switched to the remington core-locts. I shoot 150s for deer, antelope and cow elk. 165s if and when I ever draw a bull tag.

The core-locts give between 18-30 inches of penetration (depending on how much bone you hit) and retain ~75% of their weight (on the ones that I managed to recover). You have to hit a deer at a pretty extreme angle in most cases to actually recover one.

I'm not knocking the fancier bullets available, but I just can't see any reason to spend 5+ times per bullet knowing that a core-loct will kill a deer any day of the week.

[BsChoy]

I was going to vote SST but if you're talking all sorts of game including heavy stuff I like the Partitions

[sublimaze41]

Like I said, the TSX does just fine by me for about $15 more a box. That amounts to 30 cents per bullet. Do you need that much? I duunno to each their own. Each of the .30 bullets expanded to at least .70 with great bone crushing ability. I do not fear any quartering shot NO MATTER the angle. I know I have a responsibility to create an optimal situation for harvesting game. Bullet selection is something I have absolute control over.

I am quite sure I could harvest a whitetail with my .223 loaded with a decent bullet such as a Winchester such and such, but why? I honor the game enough to dispatch it as quickly as possible. When killing a deer there is no such thing as being "overgunned." Deer go down rather easily, it's just how they go down. Like my pops use to say, "you can shoot a deer anywhere in the chest with a .22 and as long as you clip part of the lung it will die." The point being, I would track it for a long time and the animal would suffer.

[Shooter973]

Rem core-locts have served me well for deer, and elk for years. I also liked the Rem. Bronze points for deer. They really shot well and hammered Mule deer for me. Now they are very hard to find.

[First Shirt]

Since my hunting is pretty much whitetails and feral swine, with the occasional cross-pasture shot at cheeky coyotes, I've basically settled on the 165-gr Hornady Interbond as an all-purpose load. Expands reliably out to 300+ yards on deer, but holds together on the 50 yard shot at a 300 lb. hog, and is minute-of-coyote 'way on out yonder. (From a steady rest, I've headshot coyotes past 300 yards, but that's the gun/load combination working, and an unlucky yodel dog)

JWB

[birdbustr]

Great info here. Looks like Nosler Partitions, Hornady Interbonds, and Remington Corelokts have an established following. Thanks for the guidance for reliable quick, clean kills. I still would like to see more votes considering how opinionated everyone on THR seems to be.

[Lennyjoe]

I've taken 3 deer with 165gr Sierra Gamekings out of an -06.

1 with the hollow point. Doe broadside at 80 yds and she ran 30 yds and piled up. Had a nasty exit wound. Bout fist size or bigger.

Last 2 were with the soft point bullet of the same grain and powder load. Of the 2 the first was a doe at 100yds and she dropped where she stood. Exit wound was the size of a quarter. Second one was a 3x2 mule deer. Hit him behind the ear at 60yds (yes I aimed there. He was looking away from me in high grass)

[perpster]

Oh dear, this is a tough one.

[sublimaze41]

You wanted opinions, well you got them here. That is the great thing about THR, you get some great insight from very smart, real world people. Some of my best info has been obtained right here. Sometimes I just need to "buzz" a question by someone. Great isn't it

[Lennyjoe]

I wish I could find TSX bullets for $15 per box. I think they go for around $25 per 50 local.

[Ol` Joe]

Hornady Inter Lok has worked well for me for years in 30, 7mm, 6.5mm, 270 and 32 cal. In one side out the other, no bullets recoved and all deer have drop with in 20-30 yds at most.

[The Bushmaster]

The Remington "Core-Lokt" round has been around longer then I have been hunting (about 1958). Even with todays 'hyped up" bullets the "Core-Lokt" is still hard to beat...

[Kimber1911_06238]

I like corelokts...they are cheap and if you put them in the lungs/heart they do as good a job as any of the other ones priced 4 times more.

[ReloaderFred]

I stopped hunting deer several years ago, but still hunt elk and just got back from a very successful moose hunt in Northern Alberta. I use the Hornady 165 grain SPBT in my .30-06 for elk and have never lost one yet.

For my moose, I used a Remington 405 grain JSP in my Marlin 1895 in .45-70. Excellent bullet performance and dead moose on the spot.

It's all about bullet placement, not what you hit them with.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[cracked butt]

I usually use sierra Game Kings, but am going to try Berger VLDs this year.

[sublimaze41]

Lennyjoe,
I believe I said $15 more a box.

[NuJudge]

A bullet in the vitals is not always what is necessary. I frequently hunt on the edge of a big swamp. I shot through the vitals will usually mean that the deer reaches the swamp, and I will be looking for it for several hours. A shot through the shoulders means that the deer goes nowhere.

I like the Remington bullet almost as much as the Nosler.

CDD

[LeonCarr]

Remington Core-Lokt...the deadliest mushroom in the woods :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[uk roe hunter]

i like speer hotcore 150 gr from my .30-06. always gives full penetration and has been very effective for me up to now. I have tried 150 gr sierra gameking. The bullet fragmented and lost it's jacket. I was not pleased with that. I use hornady interlock 100 gr in 6mm for my 243. they seem good they stay together well but i am yet to recover one. I am using speer hotcore 130gr in my 7mm08 but i am yet to shoot a deer with it. I am very tempted to go with remmy core lokt for everything though.

steve

[Win75]

I voted for the Nosler Partition but I need to qualify my vote.

Partitions for .243 and smaller work very well. I have shot many deer with the 100 grain partition in the .243 and never had one go more than 10 feet before dropping. A friend shot a large doe with the 60 grain from a 22-250 and dropped it in its tracks. All of these were lung/heart area body shots.

I shot a small buck with my 6.5x55 and 125 grain partition. Had to shoot him twice. The first bullet went through him without opening at all. The second shot hit the shoulder blade putting a baseball sized hole on the entry side and a quarter sized hole at exit. He still ran 20 yards before going down.

I have shot deer with a 30-06 and all of them ran at least 75 yards no matter what bullet I was using. All of these shots were in the lung/heart.

My experience is that the partition is too heavily constructed to open reliably on deer in .264 diameter and above.

But, I still voted for the partition because in the caliber (.243) I will be shooting from now on, the partition is the best.

[351 WINCHESTER]

I've been deer hunting for about 40 years. I've shot most deer with a marline .30-30 and several with a .308. I used to use 150 coreloc with good results. I switched to w/w 150 hp about 15 years ago and have never looked back. I'm trying to convince myself into trying Hornandy's new lever load, but I have a lot of confidence in the w/w hp.

There are a lot of bullets out there. All will kill deer if you do your part. My son likes the w/w ballistic silvertip, but it destroys too much meat.

[GunTech]

Another vote for Barnes 168gn 308 TSX. Aside from excellent performance in game, they are extremely accurate. 5 shots, 100 yards, 0.221 CTC.

http://guntech.com/misc/tsx.jpg

[ADKWOODSMAN]

Most are good bullets for deer, that said, I’ve never lost a deer here in the big woods where 75 yards is a long shot. So therefore my vote for Hornady Inter Lok in .308 and .270. I chased a few for a long way with the RP factory loads in .270.

[birdbustr]

bump

[351 WINCHESTER]

I used to use remington's old corelock and never found it lacking. There is no excuse for poor shot placement. A .30-30 corelock thru a deer's heart or other vitals is dead. I have found that the w/w hp kills quicker than the corelock in the .30-30 and have been using it with great success for years.

My son's think w/w ballistic silvertip is the greatest thing since toilet paper. It's much too destructive even in the .243 loading.

I sugguest using the bullet that shoots the best from your gun and don't use bullets that are designed for heavier game as you won't get the expansion you need.

[jaholder1971]

Nosler Ballistic Tips in my .308 has been my most effective deer load. I actually use the 180's and I've never had a deer run past 15 yards when hit with this load.

Since I'm using my 7X57 Scout rifle this year I'm going to switch to 140 grain Cor_Lokt's as they seem to shoot the best from the rifle in Remington Factory loadings.

[birdbustr]

ballistic tips are showing well in the poll. I don't trust penetration with them. Broadside shots should penetrate adequate, but higher velocity loads and quartering shots make my confidence low in the ballistic tip holding together. I like exit wounds, and I steer clear of these.

[birdbustr]

bump

[jaholder1971]

I've never had a Ballistic Tip exit a deer, but i've never needed a blood trail to find one. They drop on the spot. Heart/Lung shots turn these tissues into pulp, literally.

Besides, these bullets and reloader 15 are the most accurate combination i've found for both of my .308's, my Remington 700 and my Savage 10FP.

[birdbustr]

bump. Last one. I'm sure there are more opinions from such a large group of shooting enthusiasts.

[birdbustr]

After taking 2 deer this past week with my 7mm-08, I've got a good review for the Corelokt 140gr @3005fps and a still undetermined for Barnes TSX 120gr @3070fps.

Corelokt took a 200# 12 point at 30yds quartering away. Entered the left side at the last rib (broke 2 ribs) and stopped under the right shoulder hide after breaking one more rib and going through the scapula. Massive internal damage.

Barnes TSX @175 yds 80# doe shot through the right side just behind the shoulder and exited left side. Heart was almost cut in half vertically and the bottom 2 inches of the heart was completely detached. Doe ran 40-50 yards.

Corelokt was very impressive. It did its job very well on a tough angled shot on a large deer. The Barnes TSX did not have quite the same tough test, but it did it's job also.