ORIGINAL: sabotloader
lemoyne
Another 2 cents... so I am up to four cents...
At the velocities that we are shooting ML bullets I really like the HP bullet. I shoot Nosler 260 grain HP's for deer (whitetail/muleys) and a 300 grain Protected Point (essentually aflat point)for Elk. I have shot a couple of deer with the 300 and it passes right through - creates a wound channel and the deer is deer is dead - he/she is just not sure of it yet.... and will do the really quick low to the ground run until they are dead.. Now with the 260 the petals open up almost immediately open hitting the skin - now as that thing passes through it creats one heck of a hydrosatic shock - the vitals are mushed - red jelly... again the deer is dead but this time the deer knows on the spot something is drasticallywrong (this is real shock) - so wrong it can not even muster up the adrennalin (sp) to get much of a run.
All of this is theory because I have never recovered a Nosler - in factI don't think I have ever recovered one from a centerfire harvest either.
HP's really work for me but in fact so do soft points - I just use the measure of internal damage as the deciding factor.
a bullet that goes in behind shoulder and blows up, is a deadly whiteail killer..in depression ,my 250-3000 sav was used by dad..he used the 87 gr bullet,thats what 1-14 twist made for..
he said deer would go right down with shot behind shoulder..bullet would not come out other side..
then i got gun and started reloading, i used the 100 gr speer..guess what, i would hit deer behind shoulder and the buck would run,not far..
SO, i went back to the 87 gr.speer..guess what?every deer i shot went right down, like they were tripped..
could 13 grs of bullet be that much of diffference?YOU BET..
its same, i feel with powerbelt light bullets pushed fast..they mostly likely will knock deer down in their tracks BUT ,how many hunters can shoot a muzzleloader and place bullet behind shoulder?
that seems to me to be biggest question..
good shot will put in behind shoulder,that person could use light, fast powerbelt..others, no way..they are hitting shoulders, back , hips, stomach etc..
i seen many at range this year that were terrible shots with powerbelts..all were using LIGHT powerbelts also, not 1 was using heavy powerbelt..these are same ones that are making 150 yds or more shots on the deer and most likely are wounding them..they dont PRACTICE..
they had so much powder in their guns, that i had to go get air, i could not breath with all smoke..their guns kicked so hard, they shot all over targets..
most think HOTTER is better than medium load..and with wrong bullets,light powerbelt,you can see why all storys are happening..
i feel that company should make it known thatlight bullets should only be used on varmints and heavy ones for deer etc..
that would help a lot..