Favorite BULLET in factory deer hunting ammo?

[Racebannon3855]

Another vote for the Federal Fusion. All of our kids shoot the 120 gr Fusion load in the 7MM-08. Exits on whitetail chest shots from 50-320. Works so good that I do not reload hunting ammo for their 7MM-08. I tried 120 gr Ballistic Tips in the 7MM-08 and they never did the same thing twice, Fusions are very predictable and almost as accurate as the ballistic Tips.

Hard to beat Core-Lokts for price and reliabillity if your rifle likes them. Once you start reloading the bullet selection turns into a rat hole.

 

[JEFFPPC]

As long as it is a hunting bullet! There are people out there that only go by accuracy and will shoot a game animal with what has been designed as a target bullet and wonder why it doesn't go down imediately, many times the game animal gets away and the hunter never recovers it

Well, sometimes. For years I heard various tales of Sierra Match Kings on deer. Some said it works great, some said it was like shooting an ice pick trough them, absolutly no expansion. I decided to see for myself. 2 years ago in a hard rain I shot an eight point at just under 400 yds.. The bullet entered just inside the ot front shoulder , it was facing quarterd towards me. There was no exit, entire chest cavity including both lungs and the heart were soup. It fell so fast I was not sure what happened, thought perhaps I missed but I knew The xhairs were exactly on the proper spot when the gun went off. The shot was offhand because that was the onlu way I could see the deer. Before I ventured into benchrest, for many years I only shot shiloutte, offhand, and running deer shoots. Yardage was clicked in, no big deal. I lost the deer in recoil, thoght perhaps I missed but my brain said no, good hold, good shot. Walked out he was dead in his tracks. This bullet performance was 180 degrees from quite a few opinions I had heard, from those who had never done it.168 Grain SMK from a .280. Don't believe every thing you read, often from those who never tried it.

 

[searcher]

BARNES

 

[2506]

As has been said bullet placement is the key. Any expanding type bullet will get the job done if you do your job. I have only killed very few deer with factory ammo because I have been a hand loader for over 40 years. First deer I ever saw in the woods while hunting in a 4 year stretch was a 164 lb field dressed 5 point buck. It was 1975 in the mountains of east TN. I shot it with a Marlin 336 in 30-30 Win. using a Remington 150 gr core lock HP. Using the open sights at about 45 yards off hand broad side the buck took a step just as the hammer fell. Bullet took out the back of the lungs and blew it's liver to mush. He ran straight down a VERY STEEP hill about 250 yards and went down for the count. I killed a few with 150 Winchester power points from a 30-06. One with a Winchester wild cat 22lr solid lead RN in one ear and out the other while squirrel hunting and deer season was also in while in east NC. Just a few that I can think of. Anything with a Nosler BT or Partition would be good.

 

[msinc]

..........Hard to beat Core-Lokts for price and reliability if your rifle likes them........

This.......there have undoubtedly been more deer taken with good ol' Core-Lokts than any other bullet ever made. That said, Weatherby factory ammo, which is a Norma bullet not only kills right now but they are very accurate bullets. I have two Weatherby rifles I don't even bother to reload for...why should I?? They both put factory ammo in the same hole.
I like Nosler Partitions for kill power, but they are usually not the most accurate bullet made, especially the 22 caliber 60 grains, you'd be better off with buckshot!! I have also used Barnes TTSX bullets and the couple animals I shot absolutely froze in their tracks.

 

[LonewolfMcquade]

I've always liked & had great accuracy/results with Federal Premium Ballistic Tips.

 

[Mark W]

“If” I use factory loaded hunting rounds it’s core lokts in the old Marlin 30-30 or the Rem 760 in 30-06. For hand loaded hunting rounds it’s usually going to be Sierra Pro Hunters or Game Kings in just about everything. The only exception being Berger HVLDs.

 

[JFrank]

for whitetail?

Thanks

My grandson Bo’ is trying out some 125 gr soft points in his 30-30
Yesterday he was grouping at 1 1/2 at 100 yards , so he feels very confident that the freezer will get filled.
J

 

[Rube Shooter]

Federal load Sierra 117gr gamekings in my 25-06. As mentioned in an earlier post, with proper shot placement, it makes deer dead every time.
Copied the load and I don't have to spend 30+ dollars a box.

 

[284winner]

for whitetail?

Thanks

Gosh so many variables involved in bullet choice for game(deer). Range is probably the most important. Personally I think the Remington Corelokts are tough bullets to beat at reasonable ranges under say 400 yards (depending on the cartridge) 500 max. It's a great performing bullet on deer as all my kills with the 130 .270 PSP Corelokts were 150 yards or less.

 

[284winner]

Gosh so many variables involved in bullet choice for game(deer). Range is probably the most important. Personally I think the Remington Corelokts are tough bullets to beat at reasonable ranges under say 400 yards (depending on the cartridge) 500 max. It's a great performing bullet on deer as all my kills with the 130 .270 PSP Corelokts were 150 yards or less.

I'll add the Federal Fusion to that last post of mine only because my grand daughter killed 3 bucks with the 90 or 95 grain .243 bullet from the fusion round. Each killed with one shot and down immediately. Very impressive. 9,10 and 11 years old when each buck was killed and did it cleanly with that bullet. Pretty impressive IMO. Gets the nod for factory ammo recommendation for whitetails.

 

[tsyarnall]

for whitetail?

Thanks

I’ve killed a bunch with Winchester Ballistic Silver Tips.

 

[284winner]

I’ve killed a bunch with Winchester Ballistic Silver Tips.

Old timer hunting buddy of mine shot 3 whitetails with 150 grain .270 silvertips. Black box(XP3) Winchester I think they are called supreme ammo. It's there specialty stuff that has game category's by game size and which ammo to use. All three deer were hit well but needed to be tracked a long ways to recover. When found, the entrance and exit holes were the same size. No expansion. He stopped using them due to that. That's hard to believe that a 150 silver tip ( ballistic tipped I assume) bullet wouldn't expand after impact on a whitetail. Odd part was, when he called Winchester, they told him the 150 was too heavy for whitetail and go to the 130. Just doesn't sound right.

 

[tsyarnall]

Old timer hunting buddy of mine shot 3 whitetails with 150 grain .270 silvertips. Black box(XP3) Winchester I think they are called supreme ammo. It's there specialty stuff that has game category's by game size and which ammo to use. All three deer were hit well but needed to be tracked a long ways to recover. When found, the entrance and exit holes were the same size. No expansion. He stopped using them due to that. That's hard to believe that a 150 silver tip ( ballistic tipped I assume) bullet wouldn't expand after impact on a whitetail. Odd part was, when he called Winchester, they told him the 150 was too heavy for whitetail and go to the 130. Just doesn't sound right.

That’s unusual as the Ballistic Silver Tip is a Nosler Ballistic bullet and is well known to have great success on deer. I’ve never had one travel more than 20 or 30 yards, but that was from a 30-06 and I always used the 150 grain bullet.

 

[284winner]

That’s unusual as the Ballistic Silver Tip is a Nosler Ballistic bullet and is well known to have great success on deer. I’ve never had one travel more than 20 or 30 yards, but that was from a 30-06 and I always used the 150 grain bullet.

I think that the CXP3 is a different bullet all together than the Ballistic silver tip. They categorize it in 3 category's for game recommended for the bullet. Looks like more of a bonded type bullet that is mostly copper. Needs a big animal for the bullet to sufficiently expand in. I think the 1 or 2 version is the better one for whitetails. Not sure they still make it but it seemed odd being a plastic tipped bullet not expanding much.

 

[tsyarnall]

I think that the CXP3 is a different bullet all together than the Ballistic silver tip. They categorize it in 3 category's for game recommended for the bullet. Looks like more of a bonded type bullet that is mostly copper. Needs a big animal for the bullet to sufficiently expand in. I think the 1 or 2 version is the better one for whitetails. Not sure they still make it but it seemed odd being a plastic tipped bullet not expanding much.

Could be, but I’m going by the Nosler web site:

“
What is the difference between the Ballistic Tip® and the Combined Technology® Ballistic Silvertip® (CTBST)?

Structurally, they are the same bullet. The only difference between the two is that the CTBST has a silver colored tip and a black, Winchester® Lubalox®coating on the exterior of the bullet. Lubalox® is an oxide based coating which reduces fouling and allows for more firings between barrel cleanings. It does not reduce friction to the point where loads may be increased, nor does it build up in the barrel as Moly coatings do. Lubalox® does not leave residue nor create a coating on the bore. Normal cleaning procedures should be used with CTBSTs.

Tags: Ballistic Silvertip, Ballistic Tip, CTBST”

 

[284winner]

Could be, but I’m going by the Nosler web site:

“
What is the difference between the Ballistic Tip® and the Combined Technology® Ballistic Silvertip® (CTBST)?

Structurally, they are the same bullet. The only difference between the two is that the CTBST has a silver colored tip and a black, Winchester® Lubalox®coating on the exterior of the bullet. Lubalox® is an oxide based coating which reduces fouling and allows for more firings between barrel cleanings. It does not reduce friction to the point where loads may be increased, nor does it build up in the barrel as Moly coatings do. Lubalox® does not leave residue nor create a coating on the bore. Normal cleaning procedures should be used with CTBSTs.

Tags: Ballistic Silvertip, Ballistic Tip, CTBST”

Then it's even more puzzling why those 3 bullets never expanded in the deer he hit. Went in .270 and came out the same size. Even hit ribs. Can't explain that at all.

 

[284winner]

The 95 grain fusion .243 cartridge has anchored 3 bucks for one grand daughter and 2 for her sister. This year she has a decent buck om camera so if it sticks around thru the Sept 12/13th youth hunt weekend, maybe she'll make it #4 with the Fusion bullet.

 

[varmit_hunter]

I have a bunch of sst in 25, 7mm, 30 cal. But I started shooting Berger vld . I load a 125gr nosler bt in my 300 wby. I have 4 boxes 125gr sst I will load.