Your Favorite Deer Bullet?

F

Fire306

CGN frequent flyer
Uber Super GunNutz
Rating - 100%
136   0   0
Location
Ontario
I know a search would probably pull up several posts in the past, with 8 million different opinions.
Just looking to hear from other hunters what is you favorite performing bullet.
Keeping this in mind.
Not a discussion about caliber, meaning not a discussion about bigger is better, or speed kills quicker, etc.
Also not about shot placement, looking for opinions on bullets that perform when a deer sized animal (white-tailed deer) is shot broadside, through the chest. Yes possibly hitting the shoulder, maybe a bit too far back.
Real world, for the mass majority of deer hunters, who aim and shoot for the chest/shoulder. Not, neck shots, head shots etc.

Looking for a load for a new 6.5 PRC, and thought I'd ask. I've shot dozens of deer over the years with several different bullets.
My take - Berger's seem to work perfectly fine, quick clean kills, but in my experience do a fair bit of meat damage.
Barnes, mainly the LRX so far seem to be my favorite, clean kills, less meat damage than a Berger.
Barnes TSX bullets, I have had mixed results. Sometimes work very well, but I have had deer on 3 occasions now walk away, seemingly fine, but I know they were hit, poor blood trails and long tracking. Shot placement wasn't perfect, but not horrible either. Very frustrating.

Edit.
I forgot to add, I'd like to hear opinions of real world experience with the Hornady ELD-x bullets on deer. Reason being, I have never had, (or really tried for that matter) factory ammunition that shot good enough for me. I have always reloaded everything. When I got this 6.5PRC, I couldn't find brass, so I picked up a few boxes of Hornady Precision Hunter amoo with 143gr ELD-X bullets. They shoot remarkably well out of this rifle. Under an MOA, with a tuner brake installed (which I wouldn't use hunting) it shoots under 1/2MOA. Nice to know picking up a box of factory ammo would do in a pinch.
 
Last edited:
Partitions have always worked for me.

150 or 180 out of a 30-06

Thinking of switching to non lead but wary of the varying stories of performance.

Ryan
 
165gr Sierra gamekings from my .308 have worked well over the years with a few mediocre shot placements. Not too bad for meat damage on what I’ve shot. Have yet to shoot my 6.5cm with Hornady 143 eldx, and my one mulie I shot with my 300 win mag with 180gr partitions hit the front shoulder on a bedded buck and blew the one shoulder up pretty good at 250 yards.
 
I made two choices. For many years (more than 20), I used a 308 Win from a Win Model 70 rifle - chrono-ed many times - plus or minus a bit from 2,800 fps muzzle - as per Speer manual. Bullet was 165 Speer HotCor - so flat base, Soft Point. My son still uses that rifle, same loads - we have taken multiple deers, and he got a spike elk with it and that load. After he "inherited" that 308 Win, I bought a 7x57 Ruger No. 1 - I only loaded and shot deer with 150 grain Nosler Partition - again, the Shooting Chrony said plus or minus 2,800 fps at the muzzle. About perfect - either one. Have taken many dozens of white tail and mule deer between the two of us, with those loadings.

About 8" or 10" heart-lung area on a deer - put a bullet through it and deer is done. Sometimes it works out that the bullet first needs to get through paunch, or whatever. So called "bang-flop" like a high shoulder shot is nice, but does not always happen. I prefer if I have some blood drops to track - not really the Daniel Boone type tracker guy in the bush, so I prefer penetration all the way through. Have hit several that were rolled over to dress in the snow and exposed their tracks - the legendary "travelled 2 feet - straight down".

Back in the olden days (1970's) I started with Sierra 165 SPBT in that 308 Win. Shot a whitetail doe going away up over a hill side - bullet hit spine about mid-animal - of course, deader than door nail - but had bullet lead and jacket for almost two feet along the spine - did not penetrate that vertebae that it hit - made my mind up that Sierra made very good groups on targets, but would come apart rather than penetrate whitetail bone. Hence moved to Speer bullets and later to Nosler Partitions - no complaints about either after 30 or more years and many dozen deer.
 
Species8472 said:
125 grain partition out of a Rem 260
Click to expand...
I have shot a lot of deer with the 6mm - 95 or 100 Partition, the 25 cal - 115 and 120
Partition, the 6.5mm - 125 Partition, and the 7mm -140 Partition. For me, the Partition
has been boringly consistent in the role of deerslayer. Usually dead inside 30 yards,
Meat damage is not excessive, and usually there is an exit, which some hunters
like. Some contend that a premium bullet like the Partition is not "needed" to kill deer,
and I agree. However, it is hard to argue with the consistency and reliability of the
venerable Nosler Partition. I have been using them since they were made with bronze
tubing. Regards, Dave.
 
My wife and I hunt almost exclusively with Partitions, with the exception of one rifle where Accubonds get the nod. The next runner up would be good ole Corelokts. My cousin only hunts with Corelokt bullets, and they have held up very well.
 
I use regular Hornady bullets. Always worked well with no failures. I have taken spine, head and heart lung shots. Only one bullet came apart, head shot under the antler from 30 ft. I found the jacket under the hide. The skull was completely broken up. Never seen a deer flip upside down and drop so fast. Did the bullet fail because it came apart ? Dead deer with one shot,not a bullet failure as far as I am concerned. Most deer hunting can be done with regular cup and core bullets. If I was going after something larger than deer I happen to like the Nosler Partitions. I use multiple calibers, I just take I feel like using that day. Bullet placement means a lot.
 
Hornady interlocks for over 30 years in various calibres, generally using heavy for calibre bullets. I can't remember them failing on a deer from any angle. Just a note here... I don't hot rod my loads, and I don't shoot my deer at 600 yards like some claim to do!
 
Barns tsx or ttsx.... my experience is with my browning bar in 25 06...100g bullet reload my own....I punched a hole from front chest to the rear hind quarter 110 meters away facing me ....I’ve tried regular bullets ..hornady..interbonds..sst ...core lokts have also worked well...nosler for some reason do a whack of damage to meat ....
Also in I was told from more experienced shooters that a flat base bullet inside of 600 meters is the best thing ....anything over 600 meters that’s where the boat tail comes into effect...
But depends where you hunting ...me here in Ontario longest for deer is 400meters ...and I’ll only take a shot if it’s a buck of a life time ....cheers and happy shooting
 
On an other note I do not reload hot...love my bar ...and when I hunt I’m more or less inside of 300 meters for big game ....and usually about 130..150 meters all the time
Cheers to all
 
2 bucks last season with 120 TTSX out of my .260. Been using this combo for several years with good success. Most just drop where shot, but did have one go about 30 yards a few years ago.
 
I only shoot bullets from one manufacture, Nosler. In this order I shoot accubond, partition and ballistic tip. Why, because they are accurate and kill with precision. I've been reloading them since 1982, why would I change. Antelope in my avatar was killed with a 240 Wby. Mag. using 85 grain partition, 319 paces, DRT!
 
Last edited:
Fire306 said:
Edit.
I forgot to add, I'd like to hear opinions of real world experience with the Hornady ELD-x bullets on deer. Reason being, I have never had, (or really tried for that matter) factory ammunition that shot good enough for me. I have always reloaded everything. When I got this 6.5PRC, I couldn't find brass, so I picked up a few boxes of Hornady Precision Hunter amoo with 143gr ELD-X bullets. They shoot remarkably well out of this rifle. Under an MOA, with a tuner brake installed (which I wouldn't use hunting) it shoots under 1/2MOA. Nice to know picking up a box of factory ammo would do in a pinch.
Click to expand...

My experience with the eld-x in a few calibers now.
220gr, 300rum - Neck shot bull elk, only pass through with low expansion.
162gr, 280ai - Wht tails/elk, no pass throughs, quite frangible at high velocity, keep shots away from meat.
178gr, 308win - Bear, lower velocity, no pass throughs, decent expansion but keep away from heavy bone.
143gr, 6.5cm - Elk, mid range velocity, no pass throughs, good expansion.
 
I cannot complain about the 100 grain Nosler Partition or the 100 grain Speer Grand Slam in .243. Never recovered one and have shot some pretty respectable whitetail bucks with those options.
 
I've used a bunch of them over the past 28 or so years, in my early days I was a speed freak and had a few Weatherby's, a .264 WM, a couple 7mm RMs, etc. I had good luck with just about everything, but the Nosler Partition was probably the best. I still load it in my .257 Weatherby. I had always hoped that at some point they'd put a polymer tip on them and a boat tail out back, but that's the Accubond's job now. Interlocks, Grand Slams, A-Frames all did fine as well. I've used plenty of Federal Classic and Winchester Power Point ammo as well out of more mild cartridges and never had a problem with those either.

But if someone offered me the hunt of a lifetime, I'd bring Partitions by default. Specifically a deer hunt, that would be the aforementioned .257 and 100grs driven to 3500fps.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom