lots of good replies here.....heavier bullet and bonded ones are all good choices.

I'm a fan of the Hornady interlock.....the 162 BTSP at roughly 3,000'/sec s a very far reaching and effective bullet for deer.

You don't really need premium bullets to effect good kills on deer size animals!!! The ballistic tips and SST bullets work as well but I'm looking for exits and I get them more often with the heavier bullets and heavier jackets of the interlocks.

Since 1962, I probably have killed 250-300 deer and 50 hogs, and for sure 2 mule deer. I probably can count 25-30 that dropped in their tracks. In all those years, I have lost 1. And, yes a few were difficult to track ... not because of the bullet or cartridge "power", but because of "operator error". Hit too far back, too low, or even the fabled "Texas shoulder shot". I say all of that to say I will take issue with anyone that says a particular cartridge or bullet will drop deer in their tracks .... every time.

It will only if its spinal chord is broken, the brain is damaged enough or the heart shocked hard enough> Any of these and it will fall like a dropped rock. But a perfectly placed double lung or heart shot or front shoulder breaking shot does not mean "drop dead". So tracking is inevitable.

I cannot recall a well hit deer going much farther than 200 yards. Sounds like a long way and can be if the terrain is tough like a heavy SE Alabama swamp or head high briers or terrain marked by many coulée's or across a wet high grass field or about any combo at dusk. Considering that a fast man can cover 100 yards in 10-12 seconds. So a fleeing deer if it stays up 5-10 seconds can go a long, long way.

Bottom line - in my opinion there ain't no such thing as a "drop dead" cartridge or bullet.