I love Barnes. I think they have thier place. They will certainly kill a deer. And if it didn't you got a bad shot. But for deer I like 165gr gamekings. You get explosive expansion from a 308win. I also like the bullistic tips and partitions. Any of these bullets should get a pass thru up to 200 yards. I like barnes for moose, pig and elk where penetration can be an issue. I have killed deer with 150gr x out of my 308 but I found I like the gamekings a tad better.