salukipv1

I guess I'm kinda confused on what is ideal performance on game by a bullet, obviously you want the bullet to pass through the vitals so some penetration is needed. But is a complete pass through ideal? or would you rather have deep penetration with some expansion? rapid expansion with less penetration? I mean rapid expansion is useless if the bullet never reaches the vitals right?

High weight retention vs. less/lower?

Is it possible to have rapid expansion and deep penetration? or do you tend to give up one to get the other?

jeepkid

jd3006

I like holes on both sides=more blood for trailing if he goes anywhere. Pass the popcorn,Jeepkid.

nchawkeye

I'll tell you what I want on deer with my .243...Center lung, broad side shots, I want a bullet to blow out the other side for tracking purposes...
Broadside high lung shots where you put the bullet through the shoulder blades, I don't care if it doesn't exit as the deer will drop...

During a 10 year period, I tested about 10 different factory loadings, killing 5-6 with each to see the performance...What I learned is that on center lung shots where the bullet stayed inside the deer then the deer dropped quicker than one that exited...

A bullet can be too "hard" leaving a small exit hole...The old Remington Premier 100gr BTSP would leave and exit about the size of a dime and the deer would run 100-125 yards...The Federal Permium Sierra GameKing 100gr SPBT was a fairly soft bullet that usually stayed inside a deer and the deer would drop between 25-35 yards...

The Federal Premium 85gr HPBT actually exited more than the Federal Premium 100gr SPBT on deer that I shot, giving a better blood trail...

When it came down to it the 100gr Remington CoreLokt, the Hornady Custom 100gr InterLock, the Federal Classic 100gr HotCore, the Federal Premium 100gr Nosler Partition and the Federal Premium 85gr Sierra BTHP would almost always exit, especially once the range was past 50 yards or so...So, they were hard enough to exiit and be used for high shoulder shots if needed but soft enough that the lung shot deer dropped within 75-80 yards...

thndrchiken

I think I've gotten spoiled with the bang flop, dead right there performance that the Ballistic tips have been providing for me. Seems to impart higher levels of hydrostatic shock. That is on deer. I'm sure that if the opportunity presents itself I would move up to a premium constructed bullet for larger game. I just wish they would bring back the 35 cal ballistic tips. I guess I'll have to make due with the flex tips from hornady for my 35 Whelen.

driftrider

I want all of the above. Rapid expansion but won't blow up at very high velocity, near 100% weight retention, large frontal area after expansion, deep penetration almost always resulting in a pass through no matter which way you hit the animal.

Or to say it succinctly, Barnes TSX.

They seem to me to be just about the perfect hunting bullet, and you won't have to pick lead fragments out of your meat either. They've also proven very accurate in both the rifles I've tried them in. They were my first choice for my 257 Wby. At the kind of velocity the Roy can make, a bullet that won't blow apart is vital to ensure that it will perform as well at short ranges where impact velocity can easily top 3500 fps, but still perform perfectly way out there if such a shot presents itself. My second choice was the Accubond if I simply could not get any of the .257 cal TSX bullets to shoot well. Fortunately, my rifle prints sub-MOA accuracy with the 100 grain Tipped TSX. It should be potent deer medicine, and I'm looking forward to trying it out next season.

Mike

Uncle Mike

I just want it dead!

HEAD0001

The first thing you need to do is to get the quarry to cooperate. By this I mean that no two deer, or any other quarry will act the same with the same hit from the same bullet.

A bullet is a tool. If you deliver it to the proper position then that will solve 99% of all problems.

Personally for killing I like a larger, heavier bullet. IMO weight and diameter is much more important than construction. In other words why pay $1 a bullet for a 243 bullet because that caliber needs controlled expansion. When you can pay 25 cents for a 30 or 33 or 35 caliber bullet that will kill pretty much regardless of bullet construction?? It makes no sense to me to buy the expensive bullets.

Buy a good heavy for caliber bullet that will penetrate through both sides, and has enough heft to break any bone that it might encounter. If you do this then you will never have a problem finding your deer or whatever you are shooting, and it will not go far.

For my 45-70 I cast a 405 grain bullet, and I get my WW for free. So my bullets cost me nothing. And I will put my bullet up against any of the so called premium bullets for "killing ability" at normal ranges(which is where 99%+) where we hunt. And I promise you that I get a lot more satisfaction when I hunt with a bullet that I made. Tom.

cherokee_outfitters

I think optimal bullet performance is one that landed on the off side stuck in the skin. That's the most energy you'll ever get out of a bullet. Because no matter what bullet you used it was all spent inside the animal in the most optimal preformance. I tend to like pass throughs also for tracking but not much tracking needed if it was hit in the vitals.

I too make some bullets Head but there's no question why nothing moves after hitting it with a 400 gr bullet. Hehe.

HEAD0001

Thank you. That is the exact point I was trying to make.

I can load and shoot about 500 rounds of 45-70, or 1,000 rounds of 44 magnum for less than $100. So I guess my question is what bullet is better. My opinion is the bullet shot from a rifle that has been shot 500 or more times(because it is cheap to shoot), versus a rifle loaded with $1 a shot bullets. Just my opinion. Tom.