Rootsy

my theory on all of this... i reload... i choose one bullet to cover all of my applications from deer to bear to moose.. in the 280 that happens to be the 175 partition... this way i don't have 23432423 different bullets in the drawer of my reloading desk.

now for coyote and woodchuck and crow.. the hornady 100 gr hollowpoint does a fine job...

in the 35 Whelen AI it's a 225 BT or a 250 Partition... each get the job done licky split...

and FWIW, i've never lost a deer.. i've never had but one run out of sight and that was a year and a half old doe.. shot broadside at 30 yds.. straight through the lungs with the 280 and a 150 grain nosler BT... her sister was standing 60 yds beyond and i shot her in dang near the exact same spot since she decided not to move after letting her sister have it... and she took about one leap and face planted... the rest have fallen within view or on the spot.. depending upon shot... and i feel it is very foolish to believe that just because you are using a "rifle" that no deer stands a chance and is going to fall like a ton of bricks landed on it. such is just NOT the case.

you have 2 scenarios working here also.. energy and momentum... a small bullet moving super fast has a lot of energy... shock value... very destructive as the bullet expands and comes apart, etc... a heavy bullet has momentum... which means once it hits something it wants to keep moving... plus imparting plenty of it's energy... if that heavier bullet stays within the animal consider it a win win situation....

for me i think of it this way.. would you rather have a half grown teenager hit you 3 times real fast or one big ole burly guy hit you one time...

now for handguns... where velocity is low... you need the momentum theory...