bronko22000

Hi guys. Ever since the bullet companies started making "premium" bullets it was my opinion that these bullets aren't needed for antelope/deer sized animals.They have their place for sure. On heavy boned or thick skinned critters. Most of my handloads are based on Hornday's originalinterlock bullet. This year I took a nice black bear with a 300 gr HP out of my .45-70. This bullet went through the right shoulder angled through the chest, coming out mid-section on the left side and virtually destroying everything in between. He ran about 30 yds before piling up.
The second bullet, a 139 grainer out of my 7mm-08 took a whitetail in his bed, entering the body about 8" behind the left shoulder angling thru the chest and lodging just under the skin just behind the opposite shoulder. He never got out of his bed.This bullet, after a thorough cleaning weighed in at 104 grains and mushroomed perfectly. (that's 75% weight retention).
Now, I use Nosler ballistic tips in my .270 and Sierra Game Kings in my 300 WM, but other than that, my opinion still stands. "Premium" bullets aint needed for deer.
Now if I ever get a chance to go for moose, big bear or some dangerous african game, I'm not gonna waste my hard earned cash on them "premium" bullets.
What do you guys think?

Roskoe

Your opinion is shared by quite a few gun experts. I guess it depends on how much you are trying to "push" the envelope of a given caliber. I would use premium bullets in 6MM-284 on mule deer, and premium bullets in a .270 on elk. Very often, the "premium" bullets give more penetration at the expense of a smaller wound channel - which can result in less-than-quick kills on broadside rib shots.

Of all the new high tech bullets, the one that has really impressed me from a terminal ballistics standpoint is the Swift Scirocco. Not really much more penetration than a regular bullet, but a very large wound channel that happens right in the middle of the vitals - putting the animal on the ground in a hurry.

Doe Dumper

Roskoe with the velocities that6mm-284 has I can see why you would use premiums. That thing is a beast. For normal calibers and deer I athink the premiums arent needed either. I have a box of the interlock 139's Im gonna load and try in my 7-08.

Roskoe

The 7MM-08 should perform great with regular bullets - particularly on deer. One of my friends uses the 140 Nosler Ballistic Tip and you couldn't get him to change bullets. I'm sure the Hornady Interlock or the Sierra Gamekings will work wonderfully as well.

Ought Six

Premiums allow a less than perfect caliber to be used on a given game animal. I used Nosler Partitions in my .243, since I felt that a .243 was a "picked shot" deer rifle. They worked very well. In my 30-06, I have always used standard bullets for whitetails. Never had a problem. I am about to work up an "all around" load for my '06 and I plan on using a premium bullet. I am doing this to standardize my '06 loads and allow me to become more proficient with that rifle. I plan on using it for everything from whitetails to moose. I hope to use Hornady's new 180 grain Interbonds.

I have always anted to play with a 7mm-08. It is my opinion that the 7mm-08 is a fabulous redesign of the venerable 7x57. The 7x57 is the rifle Karamojo Bell used to slay elephants. Imagine that...facing an elephant with a caliber less powerful than a 30-06. That boy must have know how to shoot!!

Roskoe

I just started playing around with the 7mm-08 a couple of months ago. My 12 year old started elk hunting, and the recoil is pretty managable. Looking at the performance issues, the 7-08 launches a 150 grain bullet to the same velocity and trajectory as a 30-06 does with a 180 grain bullet. I'm betting that, with premium bullets, the 7-08 will kill as well as 30-06 will with regular (Remington Core Lokt) bullets. We'll see . . . .

Doe Dumper

Roskoe I can say they stomp a deer at any anglewith authority. Thats using plain ol corelokts. Havent got to work up anything good with the reloads yet. Thanks for the recipe bronko...its the first one Im gonna try.

bronko22000

Doe Dumper - Ya better drop down a might. Thats a fairly hot load and not sure how it will react with your rifle.

Doe Dumper

Dont worry bronko...I was gonna back down 3 before I tried it.