....with a good bullet...

R

RichardSlinger

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I often hear the phrase: "Put a good bullet in the right place and the moose/elk/deer/bear will go down".

Here's the thing I have been reloading for 13 years and hunting big game for 20 years and never had a bullet fail.
I have used everything from interlocks, to Barnes mono metal bullets to Winchester power point and cheap factory ammo.
Everything I shot died, when they did not die it was due to my marksmanship, or lack thereof.

So the question is what's a bad bullet?
Are we overthinking this bullet thing a bit?
 
Between the ribs there are no bad bullets (virtually), into the shoulder or at bad angles, there are quite a few bad bullets... frangible or thinly jacketed bullets on large animals or heavy bone is a bad idea.
 
hoytcanon said:
Between the ribs there are no bad bullets (virtually), into the shoulder or at bad angles, there are quite a few bad bullets...
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That about does it. You won't know you are using an inappropriate bullet until you find out the hard way. I don't want that to happen (ever again) so I use "good" bullets all the time.
 
Depends on your definition of failure.

Do the animals die? yes/no

Was there damage in excess of what it should be? yes/no

I will restate my dislike of SST bullets , I good shot should not be rewarded with ruined meat.
 
rral22 said:
That about does it. You won't know you are using an inappropriate bullet until you find out the hard way. I don't want that to happen (ever again) so I use "good" bullets all the time.
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Yup,

The cost difference between a $1 per shot round and a $2.50 per shot round is zip in the big picture. I spend more in gas warming the truck up. A "premium" bullet that is designed to hold together better is seldom a bad thing.

Is it required?...... 90% of the time probably no. But neither is anything bigger than a 243 for deer. JMO
 
RichardSlinger said:
I often hear the phrase: "Put a good bullet in the right place and the moose/elk/deer/bear will go down".

Here's the thing I have been reloading for 13 years and hunting big game for 20 years and never had a bullet fail.
I have used everything from interlocks, to Barnes mono metal bullets to Winchester power point and cheap factory ammo.
Everything I shot died, when they did not die it was due to my marksmanship, or lack thereof.

So the question is what's a bad bullet?
Are we overthinking this bullet thing a bit?
Click to expand...

"Bad" is probably not exactly the right term. It may be better described as a bullet that is not up to the task it has been required to accomplish.

hoytcanon said:
Between the ribs there are no bad bullets (virtually), into the shoulder or at bad angles, there are quite a few bad bullets... frangible or thinly jacketed bullets on large animals or heavy bone is a bad idea.
Click to expand...

This is positively the bottom line. I shoot premiums at game because if I have to take a shot that will encounter heavy bone on the way in, I do not want the bullet to disintegrate, and thus fail to penetrate.
I had a Hornady, 140 grain .270 interlock do just that when it struck a rib on entry. Completely disintegrated, and made a large surface wound, with no penetration into the cavity. [Imagine!! a rib only]
Fortunately, I was able to stick the second shot between ribs, and finish the animal quickly. I have since avoided using this bullet on game.
D.
 
I shot my cow moose two years ago at less than 100 yds right in the hump (spine ) and down it went like always
While glowing with my success ;2-4seconds) up it stood and started walking away !!?? . I did manage to find an opening through the trees to give it another which did stop it

The bullet I used was 162 gr hornady sst - what I found was it had blown up against the spine without to much damage . I'm sure it would have gotten away without the second shot . When I have used nosler part or tsx bullets I find the spine smashed . As this is the only shot I take for my meat moose I've got quite a few good bullet experience to go by and will keep the cheaper bullets for paper or coyotes etc .

I Have shot deer through the ribs with the sst and found jelly and a mess inside but a very quick kill
 
MIRAMICHIER said:
Bad bullets are the ones that do not hit the Boiler Room.
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I was going to edit my first post but this said it better
On some guns ,1 of mine - bullets give different accuracy . For example a nosler partition gives me 2- 2.5 moa where the tsx gives me 1 moa or under - not a big deal unless trying a long shot - at 300 yds that 2 moa could mean loosing a wounded critter !

Afterthought the partitions do shoot great in all my other guns , just a point to know your gun and ammo capabilitys
 
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I've seen everything from frangible target bullets to mono solids loaded up and described as "Premium" ammo. Pick the wrong one for the application and the higher price won't save you. Pick the right one and the gains can be huge; or they might be nothing at all.
 
RichardSlinger said:
I often hear the phrase: "Put a good bullet in the right place and the moose/elk/deer/bear will go down"...

So the question is what's a bad bullet?

Are we overthinking this bullet thing a bit?
Click to expand...

Iffen you does your part, the bullet will do its part.
There is a reason why ammo manufacturers make different bullets.
To do things a little bit better than the next product and to make money to spend on research and marketing.
Marketing tempts people into spending more of their hard earned monies to buy more of their product and fall into the trap of buying more stuff they dont need.
** see the thread about hunting stuff that one didnt like or didnt pan out what ever it was called.
Rob
 
Impressions about bullet quality are formed from experiences. A Mulie shot using a 35 caliber 250gr Speer Grand Slam bullet ran about 150 meters before dropping. Another Mulie shot using a 35 caliber 250gr Barnes X bullet was DRT. Both shot through the forward portion of the lungs and both bullets impacted at about 2100 fps and both exited. Difficult to generalize because it seems kills can often times be unique.
 
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The strangest things can happen in the field. Experience has shown not to expect a game animal to drop every time even when hit properly with a quality bullet.

A non-dangerous game animal that doesn't drop is one thing, a dangerous game animal that keeps going can ruin a hunter's day. Best to stop a dangerous game animal's locomotion by busting its shoulders.
 
i have seen two standard cup and core .308 150 grain bullets stop dead in the humerus/scapula joint of two different elk. ( Hornady SPIL and Rem CL) Both times the elk would have gotten away unless shot again in a better spot.

I have had 180 gr. standard cup and core .308 bullet ( CIL KKSP) deflect upwards after hitting the Humerus of a deer, bullet never penetrated the chest cavity, just followed the outside curve of the ribs and ended up near the backbone. Weight was about 20% remaining. Deer required another shot or would have gotten away.

I lost an elk when I took a shot through the rumen with a .35 Whelen bullet ( 225 Nosler BT) that was not able to provide the penetration I was accustomed to with the 250 grain Speer GS. Bullet never reached the lungs.

I had a whitetail die quickly from tiny shrapnel through the lungs when shot broadside through the ribs with a Remington .308 150 gr. Bronze point. Bullet blew up so completely that none of the fragments even made it to the far side of the chest cavity. If that bullet had hit the shoulder it would likely not have penetrated the lung cavity.

I had a 225 Sierra .358 bullet fired from my .35 whelen at 20 yards and about 2700 fps fail to expand at all on a broadside shot at 20 yards on a whitetail buck. Not much reaction to the shot, no blood trail, tiny exit hole, lungs hardly damaged at all. Deer ran for about 300 yards before laying down and eventually dying. I was thankful for good tracking conditions.

These experiences are why I use mostly Nosler partitions, Accubonds, Grand Slams, and TSX bullets for any serious or very big game hunting. For deer I prefer standard cup and core bullets, but in the medium-heavy weight for caliber, no lightweights.
 
Anything can "fail". I've found an expanded bullet up against the shoulder blade of a deer, I didn't even know it until my knife hit it at the dinner table.

I've never been impressed with the performance of plain Jane 243 ammo, while the deer have died the results were not confidence inspiring.
 
I agree anything can, and likely will fail, at one time or another. Many animals dropped before we had all the fancy new ones. Shot placement and distance to target are always critical, but that's why one should be prepared for a follow up shot.
 
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