Bullet weight vs whitetails

revpilot · 11-03-2008, 06:56 PM

I have a question for you guys, ive only killed 2 with the ML both with non bonded250g shockwaves, one was a spineshot, one was pointblank range and didnt run. My question is, if my ML shoots 200g,250g,and 300g all with good groups, wouldnt i want to go with the heaviest bullet that shoots the best ???? Distance is not a factor either. Just wanted some thoughts from you guys that have taken alot of whitetails with ML.

Ridge Runner · 11-03-2008, 07:05 PM

well if you punch a .452 hole through they're lungs they can't shake it. and those shockwaves are hard to beat if your rifle likes them, my deer last year fell to a 250 gr shockwave at 267 yards.
So basicly, whatever shoots best for you is what you'll have confidance in, and confidance in your weapon is way over half the battle.
You do not need a bonded bullet for whitetails at ML velocities!
RR

lemoyne · 11-03-2008, 07:13 PM

Those are all exceptable weights for deer, there are two schools of thought on this subject; one of them says use a bullet that opens reasonably quick, the 250 gr Gold Dot is an excellant example it usually goes through a deer hit in the ribs and lungs and with a good load say 110gr 777 or BH209 will normally drop a deer on the spot.
The other school of thought says you must always have an exit hole even if you get a shoulder or long angle hit, the same load with a bonded or copper bullet in the 300gr + like the 300gr bonded ShockWave or the 300gr Barnes all copper or a partition or A frame bullet.
Personally I use the 250 Gold Dot or the 250 unbonded SW for deer and the 300gr bonded SW for elk and bear.
A lot of what will work the best for a person depends on the load you are willing to put behind it. Lee

revpilot · 11-03-2008, 07:37 PM

I was thinking along the lines , why throw a baseball at them , when i can throw a softball just as good .......... so i guess bigger isnt always better.......

bronko22000 · 11-04-2008, 06:15 AM

I shot deer with my MLs using a round ball up to a 295 gr Powerbelt. They were all just as dead. Whitetails are not tough animals to kill. Although some are tenacious about hanging on to life and seem to run a lot farther than they should. You do not need a premium bullet. And like RR said - you punch a hole in their lungs, they won't go far. My preference lately is the heaviest bullet my rifle will shoot accurately. They seem to provide more penetration, giving me a pass through with a better blood trail. Which is always helpful.

cayugad · 11-04-2008, 07:59 AM

It is not so much the bullet weight that should make you decide. It is the accuracy, and what you want the bullet to do. For instance, a roundball is deadly. But unless you break them down, they are going to run off a short distance. Why, the terminal shock value of the roundball is not as great as other bullets. Now they will produce a wound that is lethal. No doubt there. But they are 177 grains.

The 240 range is getting better but still have a lot of the same characteristics as the roundball. They enter, expand very well, and release their energy. Their fault as I see from what I have read... I found the bullet under the skin on the off side of the shot. That means no pass through. That means a poor blood trail. So if you did not plant that animal, you now have to track it. Granted it should not go far, if you put that bullet in the right place.

Now look at a heavier bullet. They hit maybe not as fast as the lighter bullet. But the energy they bring into an animal it much greater, the heavier the bullet. They might not expand as fast as a lighter bullet, but understand these are almost a half an inch in width. That is a big hole. How much expansion does a .30-30 get? The terminal shock of that bullet will put more energy that makes muscles fail, organs close down, and usually a pass through more probable.

Now consider a large conical. It is 1/2 inch in width. It is slow moving. It hits, and plows through tissue and bone crushing everything in its patch. If placed right, the organs it hits, they explode almost, but they shut down. And then normally it plows out the other side on deer size animals. So you have a large wound, massive wound damages, and an exit hole. Two holes bleed better then one. I like big conicals. You can really put a world of hurt on a deer. And where I hunt, I need that.