Ok,since there's no ammunition forum maybe someone can help me out.I have a question. I've been shooting Remington's 150gr core-lock. My rifle is a Rem 700 300-06 bolt. Why is my round making such a big hole. Or it's blowing up and there's 3 exit holes. I was shooting 180gr. So i went down to 150's and it blew a hole the size of a grape fruit in a doe? I just want to harvest a deer not blow it up!!

your bullet does this when it hits your deer. i shoot the same bullet except 130 grains in the .270 caliber. your 30-06 (hope i get this right) has more weight and is bigger in diameter so the mushroom will be bigger causin the hole to be bigger, the splitting of the bullet is probably from hitting bones and what not, the hole is actually good if you place the shot in the vitals like in that picture everytime, it more or less guarantees more damage caused by the bullet killing the deer faster.

150's hammer deer much harder than a 180 grain... The 150 will cause alot more shock and awe!

It's NOT about how much the bullet weighs, it's about how it's constructed! Most 180 grain bullets "in 30 cal." are designed for bigger animials, and 150's are designed for deer size game on down.

If you hit a bit of brush before the deer, or hit some bone in the deer, the bullet is going to expand very fast and do a lot of damage. A 180 grain won't much help in the brush but it is generally constructed with a thicker jacket that will keep it from expanding so fast in smaller animials. For rib shots i like the 150's better than the 180's.

As i said, 150's work really well with rib shots, and i like 180's for bigger than deer, like elk. 165's seem to me to be inbetween and are also an excelent choise for deer. (in 30 cal.)

Keep in mind, as the velocity goes up, the bullet expands even faster. So in general an 180 grain out of a 30-06 will drive deeper into an animial than the same bullet fired out of a 300 wby mag....

BTW, you have just learned why "premium" bullets were invented!!!!

Drilling Man

Thanks for all your help guys. I just learned a little more aboutrifle shells.