good for deer?
 

just bought a 300 wsm gonna load it with 130 grain vmax at 3505. for chucks jut curious if it would be sufficient for deer? thanks in advance

RE: good for deer?
 

The .300 WSM is an excellent choice for deer, but not with a 130 grain bullet at that speed. While the bullet will work fine on varmits, you will likely get explosive upset on deer size game, that will not humanely penetrate the chest cavity and kill the deer quickly, even though the damage will probably kill the deer eventually.

Go with a heavier bullet with a greater sectional density...think along the lines of 165 grains to 180 grains for hunting at less than 200 yards...150 grain bullets ok after 200 yards.

RE: good for deer?
 

Shoot them in the neck with that 130 grain bullet and it's lights out.

Not sure why one would use a 150 grain bullet for shots over 200 yards but heavier and tougher bullets for short range shots when the hevier bullets will clearly provide much better terminal performance at those longer distances.

RE: good for deer?
 

thanks for the input

RE: good for deer?
 

The V-Max bullet is a varmint style bullet that will provide explosive expansion but little penitration. 150 grain and up would be better in a well constructed bullet though for deer you don't need a premium bullet. If you like the 130 gr. though look at the barnes line it will hold together and penetrate deep enough for deer.

In longer range shooting speed isn't the answer all the time, the key to it is the ballistic coefficent of a bullet that allows it to buck the wind and not fight to get through the air. Usually the heavier the bullet the higher the BC. You won't see much difference in most bullets or a need for high BC till after 500 yards in most situations.

RE: good for deer?
 

Hunting in eastern Kentucky can offer some very close shots...150 grain .30 caliber bullets (non-premium) of nearly every type (i.e. Winchester powerpoint, silvertip; Remington Core-lokt, Federal Hi-shock, etc) at 2900 ft/s or higher speeds generated from magnum rounds (i.e. .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 WSM, .300 RUM, .300 Weatherby Magnum, etc) have performed poorly at ranges of less than 75 yards. The bullets expand violently too quickly, tend to separate from their jacketsand tend to make a mess of the game animal, and the deer normally have ran for an extended distance while producing poor blood trails. At longer ranges, the 150 grain loads expand as designed better.

At short ranges without premium bullets, I always go for a heavier bullet.

In truth, I never recommend 150 grain bullets in .30 caliber, because bullets in the 165 grain and 180 grain ranges have performed so much better for me over all hunting distances.

RE: good for deer?
 

I use the 7mm 140gr ballistic tip at 3500fps,and it provides very quick kills at ranges from 20 yards to 500 yards.It does do severe tissue damage at closer ranges,but the deer usually drop on the spot.However,when i used the 140gr partition at the same velocity,the deer often run a ways.I would not however use a v-max on deer.

RE: good for deer?
 

i think if you use anything bigger than a 30-30 at 45 yards or closer you are going into over kill anyways.

RE: good for deer?
 

I've never been a fan of neck shots.Granted if the shot hits the mark it's all over but if you're off a bit that's a nasty wound.I'd also would use a heavier bullet.That cal shoots plenty flat so there's no need to go so light.

RE: good for deer?
 

I've never been so lucky that i know in advance at what range a deer will come out. If i sit where i may see one at 200 yards, then i'll end up seeing one closer, when i'm walking/stalking into my spot!

Sooo, i always carry a gun/load to cover all bases, and in that case, that means loading your rifle with something heavier than 130 grain bullets.

If i was carrying your rifle, it would be loaded with 165's and certainly nothing lighter than 150's

DM