Bullet design for modest hunting distance on all game

[Erussell01]

Your bullet choice is fine. If you go for a meat saver shot your animal is much more likely to run.
If you aim for the Hilar plexus or high shoulder you will quickly anchor game or DRT.

I favor bonded or monos. Less meat loss IMO and I don't worry much about fragments in the meat.

Edge TLR (now Terminal Ascent) I harvested 3 mule deer bucks (my son took 1). 2 were DRT. My meat saver shot this year the deer ran maybe 100 yards. Exit hole was golf ball size. Lost zero meat. Had I put that bullet in the hilar plexus, heart, high shoulder, it would have been DRT. Shot placement is the most important.

Bottom line, if you hunt long enough, strange scenarios will play out, perfect shot with unexpected results. Sometimes poor shot placement with a quick kill. It will happen no matter how much you prepare/plan.

Couldn't agree more. I have hunted since I was a little kid, but rifle hunting is new to me so I have a lot to learn. When I was a kid I believed a 30-06 was a lightning bolt from the heavens that would just smite the deer in its tracks.

Turns out that was not the case and rifle hit deer can run, sometimes don't bleed well and often are dead but hard to find.

I have such a hard time shooting deer in the shoulder. I need that meat to cook into delicious meals for mt family so for me, shoulder shots are not the first choice.

The terminal ascent seems to get a ton of love from a lot of guys who take a variety of game. I need to find more for sure!

 

[Erussell01]

I think you’re right w the partitions. They’ll shoot about an inch for me but wasnt able to tighten them any further.

It all come down to what makes us happy. W supply issues, ive not been able to get my fav bullets in about 3 years. Have a replacement, just need to make the time to work up a load.

What is your favorite and what is the replacement?

 

[Erussell01]

Out of a 308 Win, I'd say a 130 TTSX is pretty hard to beat.

I wish I couldn find some in the 130 size. I have 150s but I hear the higher velocity of the 130 is favorable for expansion on soft tissue. Might be a flat shooter too for antelope and deer!

 

[Rich M]

What is your favorite and what is the replacement?

Sierra pro hunters shoot excellent in my 243 100 gr and 3006 150 gr. Both will shoot an inch at 250 yds.

Have 500 hornady interlock 100 gr for 243 replacement bullet and either have to work up a load for it or go real easy on the 200 +\- pro hunters i have for an antelope hunt next year.

I talked w Sierra and they said that they will start manufacturing hunting bullets this year. To be patient.

 

[eaglemountainman]

Have 500 hornady interlock 100 gr for 243 replacement bullet and either have to work up a load for it or go real easy on the 200 +\- pro hunters i have for an antelope hunt next year.

I talked w Sierra and they said that they will start manufacturing hunting bullets this year. To be patient.

 

[roosiebull]

Out of something "old" and "archaic" like my 308.... is there a bullet that really can do it all from close up to 400? How much of it is bullet design and how much is really placement? I haven't seen enough game fall to a rifle to be able to know what it means when a bullet performs or doesn't, other than I know the remington corelokt I inherited with my grandpas 30-06 is very different than the new core lokt. I'm an archery hunter, so I appreciate the insite and I want to learn.

I'm making a case in my head for a one size fits all bullet for deer, antelope and elk. Is that really a thing?

Is there such a thing as too much bullet on lighter game? Will A heavily jacketed, controlled expansion bullet built for elk size game perform poorly on deer and antelope ?

My 308 really likes 178 grain terminal ascent, 150 grain nosler partitions, 165 grain accubonds, 130 grain ballistic tips, and it absolutely does not like core lokts..at all. And I was pretty unimpressed by what I saw with them at short range on deer over the last 5 or 6. All died, but only one exited and no blood trail which really shocked me.

Teach me more

i like the terminal ascent for your criteria, i have been nothing but impressed with them the past couple years, and i have stocked up on around 20 boxes the past few weeks for my 308 i don't have yet... i don't know how they perform at longer range (low impact velocity) but in the ranges you describe, they have been excellent in the creed. they are like a modernized partition, and have shot really well in every rifle i've tried them in.

i like accubonds too, but they get really smooth when expanded and don't seem to produce the wound channels that the TA have in similar situations. the accubond was my bullet of choice prior to shooting the TA's, and in a .308, i have been buying them at 42$ per box, very hard to go wrong there for the ranges you are talking about

 

[Mule3006Elk]

i like the terminal ascent for your criteria, i have been nothing but impressed with them the past couple years, and i have stocked up on around 20 boxes the past few weeks for my 308 i don't have yet... i don't know how they perform at longer range (low impact velocity) but in the ranges you describe, they have been excellent in the creed. they are like a modernized partition, and have shot really well in every rifle i've tried them in.

i like accubonds too, but they get really smooth when expanded and don't seem to produce the wound channels that the TA have in similar situations. the accubond was my bullet of choice prior to shooting the TA's, and in a .308, i have been buying them at 42$ per box, very hard to go wrong there for the ranges you are talking about

20 boxes!

 

[Erussell01]

20 boxes!

Haha no wonder I can't find any! They're all in his gun safe!

 

[Erussell01]

Sierra pro hunters shoot excellent in my 243 100 gr and 3006 150 gr. Both will shoot an inch at 250 yds.

Have 500 hornady interlock 100 gr for 243 replacement bullet and either have to work up a load for it or go real easy on the 200 +\- pro hunters i have for an antelope hunt next year.

I talked w Sierra and they said that they will start manufacturing hunting bullets this year. To be patient.

My dad just grabbed me a box of 50 hornady interloc psp in 150 grain. He loves them and I've never used them. Are they solid?

 

[EastMT]

.

 

[Erussell01]

That is the definitive thread to describe killing.

15 animals over 5 years using Berger behind the shoulder and I will never shoot anything else. Nothing went over 50 yards, most stood there thunderstruck until the stumbled and tipped over.

There may be a reason to use a tougher bullet, but for my hunts I would never change.

My goal is to destroy their lungs and make a blood trail unnecessary. Exits are unnecessary.

You dog LOL. I read about 5 pages of that thread and couldn't handle it anymore.

 

[Rich M]

My dad just grabbed me a box of 50 hornady interloc psp in 150 grain. He loves them and I've never used them. Are they solid?

Interlocks are good bullets. Cup and core with a retainer ring to discourage separation. They’ll work.

I dont feel like im stepping down w my 243 by buying interlocks, just need to put some time into finding the sweet spot w hand loads.

 

[robtattoo]

In a .308? For everything with a face? Inside 400yds?

150 Partition.

Knock elk off the list & I'll take "what is a 150gn Hornady Interlock/Sierra Gameking for $800 please"

 

[woods89]

You dog LOL. I read about 5 pages of that thread and couldn't handle it anymore.

You can't handle highly efficient killing? The good stuff is well beyond 5 pages.....

I've used Bergers and Sierra TMK for the last few years, out of 6.5mm and smaller. I've had very good results. Put either in the lungs and it's over.

 

[woods89]

6.5 Creed/260

Here's another thread to look at. Not as extensive as the 223 thread, but definitely some wound channel pics of various bullets doing what they do.

 

[Erussell01]

You can't handle highly efficient killing? The good stuff is well beyond 5 pages.....

I've used Bergers and Sierra TMK for the last few years, out of 6.5mm and smaller. I've had very good results. Put either in the lungs and it's over.

Do I even want to go look!? Lol

 

[Erussell01]

6.5 Creed/260

Here's another thread to look at. Not as extensive as the 223 thread, but definitely some wound channel pics of various bullets doing what they do.

I have no doubt smaller caliber bullets like the .223 can kill big game, I just can't do it myself. I have some heavier bullets my dad loaded me but every time I take wife rifle hunting I grab a little more gun. If I was a better hunter, maybe! I don't own a 6.5 but probably will some day just for the pure sake of having one for the enjoyment of shooting it. I'd hunt anything with it as long as I knew the way my bullet was intended to be used, and the effective range of that bullet based on energy and velocity.

 

[woods89]

I have no doubt smaller caliber bullets like the .223 can kill big game, I just can't do it myself. I have some heavier bullets my dad loaded me but every time I take wife rifle hunting I grab a little more gub. If I was a better hunter, maybe! I don't own a 6.5 but probably will some day just for the pure sake of having one for the enjoyment of shooting it. I'd hunt anything with it as long as I knew the way my bullet was intended to be used, and the effective range of that bullet based on energy and velocity.

The point of linking these threads, and especially the 223 thread, is not that you should necessarily go out and immediately start hunting with one. The reason they're linked is because there is a lot of great info on how bullets actually kill, which has wide applications.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I'm a big fan of Accubond for do it all projectile. Anybody have any thoughts on that compared to the Norma Bondstrike considering OP's criteria?

 

[Erussell01]

The point of linking these threads, and especially the 223 thread, is not that you should necessarily go out and immediately start hunting with one. The reason they're linked is because there is a lot of great info on how bullets actually kill, which has wide applications.

Ah, I gotcha. I honestly couldn't tell if it was just people messing with me and trying to get me to go down the rabbit hole or not. I wish it was easier to sift through all of the extra on those threads and get to the good stuff that I can learn from.