bigtim6656

I AM getting into bp for deer
i have heard a few of you talk about bad blood trails what bullets give the Best blood lost and trail and what are just good for deer i am going to get a cva properly a optima

gleason.chapman

You want a bullet that expands to 2x it size going in, you want a bullet to go thru the deer leaving a blood trail on the other side, especially when shooting from a tree stand. You want a bullet that does NOT fragment, but retains it weight 100% or near that. You want deep penetration. Bullets that do that:

Any Barnes, especially TMZ, MZ
Nosler Partition
Speer Gold Dot

All are excellent bullets and do the job that I explained above. If you looking for aerodynamic and shooting large fields, then the
Parker Ballistic Extreme is good for deer and the
TC SW Bonded is good also

I like 300g because they shoot thru deer, and have higher BC. Chap Gleason

cayugad

If you want a good blood trail or to drop them where they stand.. Nosler Partition, Barnes Expanders, Speer Gold Dots, any of the well copper made bullets or where the copper is more fused to the lead interior. What you will see then is excellent expansion, and the bullet will hold together enough to plow through, do lots of damage, and exit making two holes. Two holes make a better blood trail. Another good projectile is a conical. The old time pure lead conicals tend to blow through the deer, leave a large hole and lots of internal damage.

Some other good bullets, Parker Extreme, Shockwaves, XTP magnums, pure lead bullets also like the Cheap Shots, Dead Center, all of them seem to do well. Still,the main thing to remember, if the projectile you pick is not accurate, it is of little value. Shot placement will do more for bring the deer down faster then anything.

gleason.chapman

You want a bullet that expands to 2x it size going in, you want a bullet to go thru the deer leaving a blood trail on the other side, especially when shooting from a tree stand. You want a bullet that does NOT fragment, but retains it weight 100% or near that. You want deep penetration. Bullets that do that:

Any Barnes, especially TMZ, MZ
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0003545162
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0003545105
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0003545843

Nosler Partition
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0011545350
Note the pistol bullets open at less velocity than the Nosler rifle bullets, both are good.

Speer Gold Dot
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000213974

I shoot a crushed rib sabot in my Omega and Knight Disc with 100g of 777 loose, here is the Crushed Rib:
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00072H15045BR

All are excellent bullets and do the job that I explained above. If you looking for aerodynamic and shooting large fields, then the
Parker Ballistic Extreme is good for deer and the
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00139A1823 (these T-Shock from Traditions are actually PBE)

TC SW Bonded is good also
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000308215 (this is the unbonded, Mis South doesn't carry the bonded)..

I like 300g because they shoot thru deer, and have higher BC. Chap Gleason

gt2003

Try the precision rifle dead centers. All lead, excellent accuracy, excellent expansion, great knockdown power etc. I bet you love them. Good luck, greg

HEAD0001

Bullets are an enigma to themselves. I have seen different people get completely different results from the same bullet. I really do not believe there is a bad bullet, just bad situations. I like to shoot the bullet that is the most accurate in the rifle I am shooting at the time. I get a feeling of confidence with an accurate firearm.

I have a Knight LRH. The Barnes TMZ is very accurate in this rifle. Three deer fell to this rifle this year. 2 died in their tracks. One was a shoulder shot, and one was a behind the shoulder shot. The third deer ran a full 60 yards. There was zero blood trail, and zero hair at the spot where the deer was shot. the shot was a perfect in the crease, behind the shoulder shot. All three shots were pass through's. Two shots were at 50 yards, one shot was at 125 yards(shoulder shot).

With these results how would you rate the Barne's Bullet??? Tough question??? Ya, I know it is a tough question??? If I did not have extreme confidence in the shot I would have thought I missed the deer, but at the end of her 60 yard run she piled up(out of sight). If you looked for fur or blood you could have believed it was a complete miss. But with my confidence in my firearm, I knew the deer was down.

I guess what I am saying is shoot what gives you the most confidence, and EXPECT varying results. Tom.

falcon

Finda goodbullet that your gun shoots well and go with it. Then get to the range and practice on a deer silhouette.Pick your shots very carefully. There is absolutely no substitute for proper shot placement. There are lots of folks who want an exit hole to "make following the blood trail easier."Nothing wrong with that.For me, i could care less whether the bullet exits or not:Over 90 percent of the deer and hogs i have shot with a muzzleloaderdied right where they were hit.My guns shoot the 240 grain XTP and 250 grain SST bullets really well and that is what i use for deer and hogs.

Last evening i shot a big doe with my .30-06 at about 150 yards. The handload isacharge ofof IMR 3031 that iswell above recommended max.The bullet isa 150 grainSierra boat tail soft point. The deer was standing broadside in the edge of a wheat field and i aimed just to the rear of the shoulder. At the shot sheshowed no sign of being hit, and just took off with her tail in the air. Knew that she had to be hit andshe was foundin the woods and grass 30 yards from where she was hit.That bullet left an exit hole of well over two inches andthe lungs and heart were totally destroyed.

In the areas where i hunta lot of deer and a larger percentage of the hogs are left in the woods because the shooter just assumed that he/she missed the animal and did not follow up.

bigtim6656

thanks guys

Indiana SmokePole

Bigtim6656

I would shoot the Barns Tmz or the Speer Gold Dot in 290gr and 300gr over 95gr to 110gr of loose 2fg 777
BUT it really depends on what your gun likes these will give you complete pass thru and plenty of Blood and they don't go farunless it is a BANG FLOP

gleason.chapman

BigTime6656,
Indiana SmokePole gave excellent advice in his post, and I would like to add to it to explan a few things. What your gun "likes" means "most accurate" in your MLer, shooting your powder, using the sabots you intend to use. Most folks when they are selecting a bullet will try the supplied sabot of the bullet maker. That is OK if it works---shoots accurately and is OK to load. However, there are several on this forum that recommend you purchase a package of MMP HPH12, 24 and 3 petal ez-glides from MMPSabots.com and a package of Harvester Crushed rib.Take your breech plug out. Take each of the sabots with each of the bullets and see how they load in your gun with a barrel that has been swabbed, in this way you match up the bullet with the proper sabot. Keep notes of how various combinations feel going down the barrel (ie very loose, little pressure required to load; had to pund the sabot and bullet down the bore with a rubber hammeretc). You then shoot the combo in your gun seeing if it groups well. Once you find a sabot to fit your bore with the bulet you want to shoot then your ready to go. 3" group at 100 yards is the norm for a good hunting group. Many here get 2" and some 1 and 1.5" with their rifles and their bullets. Best Wishes on bullet selection.
Chap Gleason