There is a lot of good (some great) bullets out there, most designed with a specific application in mind. Long range, short range, great penetration, fast expanding, high velocity, standard velocity, etc., etc., etc. Obviously the trick is to find the one that matches "your" specific application, and shoots well in "your" gun.

I would like to hear your recommendations as to which bullet would be best suited for a "break em down" shoulder shot on Whitetails and still have enough expansion to allow for a behind the shoulder shot if needed.

I shoot a BAR 30-06 and where I hunt, virtually all shots would be under 200 Yds and the majority under 100 Yds. I'm currently loading 180gr Sierra ProHunters (flat base) and 165Gr Nosler Partitions. I've never used either of these, but from what I've read, I would think that either of these bullets would work well for either the shoulder or behind the shoulder shots.

What would you recommend?

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

I use Hornady 140 gr. bonded bullets in my .270. You couldn't give me a box of ballistic tips, this based on knowing of a number of ballistic tip bullets that exploded on contact.

If you're loading for the 30.06, try working with the Sierra 165 HPBT Gamekings. They are designed to work best in the velocities you're shooting with the .06, and they are phenomenal on game stopping power. I have been useing them for years in 6mm and 30 cal. I just wish Sierra would develop this bullet in 7mm in the 140 and 160 grains.

timbercruiser "I use Hornady 140 gr. bonded bullets in my .270"
Highpower "try working with the Sierra 165 HPBT Gamekings"

Have you guys taken "shoulder shots" on whitetails with either of these bullets? I've got a situation where I need a "Bang/Flop" load that will drop em in their tracks if at all possible.

Where I hunt they have been logging out a mountian side which is fairly steep in places. They have cut logging roads through the area and the deer are traveling these logging roads because the loggers have left all the tree tops where they fell and in most places off the roads it's virtually impassable. If you shoot a deer and he makes it off of the logging road.....well, lets just say that recovery is going to be EXTREMELY difficult.

Thanks

firstshot

put the bullet right in the head.......they wont take a step......unless you miss!.......i never heard of the shoulder shot till watching it on a lightfield commercial......i couldnt figure out why all the deer dropped like rocks when they were hitting them there.......looked like lung shots gone bad to me........but they were dropping like bricks.........looks like a shot i need to learn.......i dont want my deer going far at all because of other hunters.........i had a doe make it 30yds with a perfect heart shot this year......and i get there and theres a guy standing there......he says MAN i was about to pull the trigger when she fell over...did you shoot her? i was like no you must have magic powers and killed her with your brain power.......big ole hole straight thrhough her....blood pouring everywhere....running into trees and falling down the whole way.....and he was going to shot her........for the bone crushing shot is say a good bonded bullet would work best.....failsafe.....trophy bonded bear claw.....something tough that will stay together when you hit the bone.....i killed a few deer with HPBT sieeras.....one i did bust a leg....and i dont know what happend to the bullet after that........but it didnt kill him....he made it 40 yards with me and dad right on his tail.......and we had to finish him......sure he would have died there where he laid.....i just made it quicker......look at this site...i found it interesting.....it was posted here before.... http://www.seahook.com/bestbullet.jpg ....it shows all kinds of diffrent bullets at diffrent velocitys and how they retained weight..penetrated....and pics of what was recoverd......pick one of hte ones in one piece at your range and you should be good to go.......good luck........

I haven't shot a deer with either of those bullets from my 30.06 but rest assured either of those bullets in the shoulder or behind it will be deer poison when fired from the 30.06! I use a Hornady 130grn Spire point in my Rem700 30.06 and have killed countless deer with that bullet. Every one i've shot with the exception of maybe two have fallen right there and the couple that did run didn't go 10yds. I also use a 25.06 and so does my son and we use 115gr Nosler Partitions and i've taken quite a few with that bullet also and as of yet i've never had a deer to leave from the spot i shot them with that bullet. You have no worries because you have more than enough bullet with the two you mentioned and as long as you do your part no deer alive will withstand either of the two if put either through the shoulders or rib cage. Keep in mind that any deer can run no matter what you shoot them with but as far as having the right tools for the job sounds to me like you already do! Good luck.

The only shot i take on a whitetail is straight through the front shoulder. I have seen first hand what balistic tips do and i never use them. We have shoulder bone pieces of when people that came up to our place and shot deer stratight in the shoulder and it would explode on impact and would loose the deer. I use Barnes XLC through my 270 win and it drops them like a safe. Barnes is the ONLY bullet i would use for deer from now on.

Remington corelokts would work fine for you, and they only run about $12/box. At 30-06 velocities on whitetails, 30 cal corelokts won't blow up like some of the smaller caliber versions of it will.

180 gr 30-06 corelokts through the shoulder, or even 150, will hold up enough to bust both shoulders, and everything in between from 2 yds. to 400 yds.

i vote for the barnes bullets as well. this is what i will be shooting out of my 243 this year

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