I was a Nosler 300g Hg user for 3 years. I like them, they are an excellent bullet.You have an excellent baseline. I believe the Barnes MZ are a >>tad<< better because of wound channel. Example if you shoot behind to shoulder to minimize lost meat, the Nosler 300g would always shoot thru, but if you didn't hit a bone going in they would not exapand as much as a Barnes MZ does with the huge hollow point, that is the difference in my opinion of the two bullets--both produce dead deer, both are excellent---the wound channel on the Barnes MZ is larger because of the huge hollow point. I hunt on very small acreages (17a, 24 acres, 88 acres) in ladder stands, and I need to anchor a deer right there, going onto the property next door 20 yards away is not an option I desire, so I am searching for Dead Right There performance. Most folks do not need this DRT capability, dead within 50 yards is fine for them,cost is the biggest consideration, then they should use the XTP 300g or the 300g Gold Dot, they will perform very well for them. Each individualshooter really chooses what single variable is most important to them, some like cost as most important consideration, some like high BC and shooting long distances, some like easy loading and that is the most single important thing for them or easy loading of the 2nd shot and that is most important to them, some like shoot thru and that is most important for them, some choose accuracy over everything as their most important consideration. I choose DRT as my criteria for my bullet, cost in not considered. I do buy on sale, but DRT terminal performance on a good shotis what I am looking for, that is just me because of my unique hunting situation. Sorry I am getting off the thread topic of low cost bullets that do the job. Really what I am trying to say is low cost will work in most situations, but in other situations (like mine)that is NOT the primary factor to use for bullet selection.
Chap