I have alays been of the opinion I should test my bullets/loads prior to shooting at game. Be it a varmint load or a big game load. For my 30-06 I chose Remington 180 CoreLokt factory loads as a benchmark. Shooting into milk jugs filled with water, the Corelokts would pentrate 6 jugs. Hornady 165 grain Interlocks would penetrate 4 jugs. Hornady 180 Interlocks would pentrate 6 jugs. Nosler 180 grain Partitions would penetrate 10 jugs. Sierra 180 grain GameKings would penetrate 3 jugs. Sierra 180 grain ProHunters penetrate4 jugs. Nosler 180 grain Balistic Tips penetrate 3 jugs. Test range was 25 yards. Increased penetration occurs are further distances, most noticable at 100+ yards.

The interesting facts are what happens to the bullets. Sierra fly apart and end up not retaining much weight. Hornadys are slightly better at staying together. Nosler BTs are a joke, handgrenades stay together better. Corelokts, you know...those cheap-o-flex bullets...stay together as well as Hornadys. Partitions do just what they are advertised to do.

I am keen to test some bonded bullets and see exactly ho well they do. Of course, shooting a whitetail with a 25 cent bullet seems like a bit much (CoreLokts are 9 cents each) until you get some advice like "just watch where you shoot them when your under 50 yards". Having shot many whitetails that have bounced up right under my feet and being in a snap shot situation, I much prefer a bullet I know will burrow in and hurt.

Accuracy is, of course, important. I am a bit anal about accuracy and consider it necessary for my 30-06 to consistantly shoot 1/2 MOA or better. There is no good reason for this, since a 1-1.5 MOA deer rifle is fine. My only excuse is my personal desire to take into the field the very best load/rifle combination I can. I have achieved very good accuracy with Hornady, Nosler, and Sierra bullets. If Remington took a bit more care making Corelokts, they would be a fine bullet.

The true advantage of a premium bullet is not identified when one is able to make a boiler room shot. It is realized when a boiler room shot goes wrong. Even the most careful hunter can have bad luck happen. The animal may move. There could be an unseen obstruction that deviates the flight path of a bullet. You may flinch. Myself, I prefer not to wound game. I respect them enough to think that 25 cents for a bullet isnt too much to pay.