I just responded to a thread titled can someone post a poll? That thread got me thinking.
I only hunt with premium bullets & maybe I should tell others why?
A few years ago my wife bought a 270-winchester right before antelope season opened. With no time to handload we bought ammo off the shelf.[:'(]
The 130-grain Federal Classic ammo we bought grouped just fine on paper. We got the rifle sighted in & she was ready to hunt. Next morning she shoots a antelope buck @ 70-yards in the front shoulder. The bullet blew up on impact. The bullet did not enter the body cavity. The impact left a nasty flesh wound & the antelope was stunded. The buck just stood there in a daze. She shot him again a little farther back this time. The antelope ran 50-yards & fell over. When she got to the antelope she had to shoot him one more time.
My wife lost all confidence in her 270. I told her it was not the 270's fault. I told her I could handload for the 270 with a bullet that would not blow up on impact. After several weeks of handloading I found a load with Nosler Partition bullets. Her confidence is back in the 270, & critters don't just stand there with a nasty flesh wound after she pulls the trigger.

I have heard these stories and would love to witness that once. That poor Bullistic Tip takes so much crap. One guy on the guns section tried to say it fell apart and fragmented before hitting the deer causing 8 different wounds.

I have had bullets fall apart, but never not enter into the vitals even with a quartering to me shot. I have shot them like this with coreloks, bullistic tips, powerpoints.

BC I'm with you on this one. Bullet blowup on an Antelope?

I've used the Nosler 165 gr. BT on deer - works great.

Ouch...I have killed around 30-40 deer with that very same Federal Classic load. Does massive damage and leaves some vicious exit woulds. At least for me. I guess crap happens at times with anything though.

If I had not seen it with my own two eyes I would not have believed it either. I do not know who makes or made the bullets for Federal Classic ammo. I can only remember they were 130-grain bullets. This happened a few years ago. I ain't lying to you guys. Just telling you what happened. The second shot entered about 2 to 3-inches behind the front shoulder. I can not remember if it left an exit hole? IMHO The second bullet did its job. The antelope would have died without the third shot. My wife was shaken & pissed at the first bullet so he got a third shot. I figured the bullet was of poor construction & moving too fast. This bullet was traveling close to 3000-f.p.s. when it hit the antelope. I am sure if the bullet was traveling slower, the preformace would have been much better.

Wk at that range that would be a good explanation. The bullet was shoddy as well, I think they make their own bullets in that lineup.

Last year I was hunting with some guys and I was talking about getting the new 270WSM. This one guy looked at me and asked if I really wanted the 270 because he had witnessed one of his hunting partners that had used the 270 in a 130 gr. and had somewhat of the same problem being that the bullet exploded without any penetration and made a heck of a mess with the meat. There would have been no reason for this guy to lie to me. I ended up getting my 270WSM and I will be using premium bullets for hunting.

Wolf killer I am sure you are telling the truth as anything can happen with any bullet. these things are production made and a bad batch of bullets can get through.

but that is bad for a bullet not being able to make it to the boiler room on a lope. I mean a CRUSTY BOOGER should be able to do it if propelled fast enough.

Brian

I believe you as well WK...just stating I have been pretty lucky with those bullets. I have had a couple of bullet failures myself but the were with another bullet and caliber. All of my failures have came within 35 yards though so I figure thats what caused them.