Whats your best deer bullet?
- Thread starter Dusty Stevens
- Start date
LHSmith said:
I am not stating it is the best option but out to 30yds I can not think of a deer that would not be dead with a 22lr in its brain. Seriously if a "hunter" cannot shoot smaller than a deer brain at that distance then stepping up to a "deer rifle" will not help. I bet you were thinking about chest shots weren't you? Amateur
Cold Bore said:
My experience has been to the contrary...
I have taken roughly 20 deer over the past 10 years with a 22-250 and Barnes TSX bullets. All between 50 and 150 yards, all one shot kills. Just this year, shot an 8 point buck at 75 yards right behind the front leg. Blood all over, he was down and out 10 yards from where he was shot. Last week shot a big doe at 100 yards through the spine under the chin. She went 3 feet, straight down.
22-250 is fine for deer, provided you use the right bullet, keep your shots within 200 yards, and place the bullet properly.
Great Thread, as a Hunter Safety Instructor I get asked what a first time hunter should be shooting. Depending on the size of the new hunter I tell people that a 243,260,7MM-08 etc. all work great.
In the .243 the 85 gr Sierra GKBTHP is impressive. I have had new hunters drop deer in their tracks with it. The last deer I shot with it ran 50 yards and fell over, much to the dismay of my son. When we opened up the deer's chest cavity the heart was missing. I have great results shooting coyotes with the 85 gr Sierra GKBTHP. It works so well I sold my 22-250. This winter I am going to try 85 gr Partitions and 87 gr Berger just to see if they do any better, yet to have a 243 that did not like the 85 gr Sierra GKBTHP. One Load, One Zero!
Last Sunday we had a great opportunity to track a deer shot with a 7MM-08 and the 120 gr Federal Fusion. This is a great load for a new shooter! My young hunter had alot of questions, lots of pink stuff and frothy blood at the shot and a great blood trail that stopped after 50 yards. Where the deer leaned against a tree the blood ran down the tree, but the new tracker was upset when the blood stopped. The blood ran out because the deer was out of blood and laying dead 10 yards farther ahead. When the chest cavity was opened up one lung was missing and the heart was split in half. Heart shot deer run and deer shot through the heart and lungs with 120 gr Fusions bleed and run. We have heart shot 7 or 8 deer with this 7MM-08 and 120 gr Fusion and it works great.
When I hunted a lot with a 300 Win Mag I really liked the 165 grain Sierra Game King BTSP. Inside of 100 yards it would make a terrible mess. On shots from 150 to 550 yards results were spectacular. Always exited and always opened up. On lung shots the deer would often blow frothy blood out their nose. The first wild boar I shot with it was at 110 yards and I shot it on the shoulder joint (All I could see). The pig spun 90 degrees and rolled over dead. The bullet blew up and drove chunks of bone through the heart and lungs. Lost one shoulder, but the heart and lungs were pulverized. This winter I am going to work up a load for the 300 Win Mag using the 180 gr Game King. The 165 is too much of a good thing.
That's three bullets, you only asked for one....
In the .243 the 85 gr Sierra GKBTHP is impressive. I have had new hunters drop deer in their tracks with it. The last deer I shot with it ran 50 yards and fell over, much to the dismay of my son. When we opened up the deer's chest cavity the heart was missing. I have great results shooting coyotes with the 85 gr Sierra GKBTHP. It works so well I sold my 22-250. This winter I am going to try 85 gr Partitions and 87 gr Berger just to see if they do any better, yet to have a 243 that did not like the 85 gr Sierra GKBTHP. One Load, One Zero!
Last Sunday we had a great opportunity to track a deer shot with a 7MM-08 and the 120 gr Federal Fusion. This is a great load for a new shooter! My young hunter had alot of questions, lots of pink stuff and frothy blood at the shot and a great blood trail that stopped after 50 yards. Where the deer leaned against a tree the blood ran down the tree, but the new tracker was upset when the blood stopped. The blood ran out because the deer was out of blood and laying dead 10 yards farther ahead. When the chest cavity was opened up one lung was missing and the heart was split in half. Heart shot deer run and deer shot through the heart and lungs with 120 gr Fusions bleed and run. We have heart shot 7 or 8 deer with this 7MM-08 and 120 gr Fusion and it works great.
When I hunted a lot with a 300 Win Mag I really liked the 165 grain Sierra Game King BTSP. Inside of 100 yards it would make a terrible mess. On shots from 150 to 550 yards results were spectacular. Always exited and always opened up. On lung shots the deer would often blow frothy blood out their nose. The first wild boar I shot with it was at 110 yards and I shot it on the shoulder joint (All I could see). The pig spun 90 degrees and rolled over dead. The bullet blew up and drove chunks of bone through the heart and lungs. Lost one shoulder, but the heart and lungs were pulverized. This winter I am going to work up a load for the 300 Win Mag using the 180 gr Game King. The 165 is too much of a good thing.
That's three bullets, you only asked for one....
I shoot Nosler Balisic Tips in a .243 and the 30-06 with very good performance. I started using Berger hunting bullets in my 25-06 and now in my 6.5x284, I have been hunting deer for 30 plus years and have never seen wound channels like the berger hunting leave its all most to much . From my experiance you better shoot them behind the front shoulder or the front end is a loss.
what I have found up close making a vital shot to not destroy meat is important they are a lot more violent up close.
Stan
Stan
XTR
F-TR obssessed shooting junkie
Personally I think blood trails have a lot to do with the height of the impact, and the lung that may be left in the vicinity of the wound to pump out blood, hit them low and it pours out, hit them high and the blood stays in the lung cavity. Usually lung hits will wreck the lungs and the holes suck air and finish he job, though the blood trail is less obvious.
I shot a doe a couple of yrs ago at 150 yds with a 250gr sabot from a ML. Only sign was a chunk of pink lung on the grass where she was standing, 20 yards away there was a dead deer with a huge exit wound and a lung cavity that sloshed like a half full 5 gallon can. The impact was just above center line 2" behind the shoulder.
I shot a doe a couple of yrs ago at 150 yds with a 250gr sabot from a ML. Only sign was a chunk of pink lung on the grass where she was standing, 20 yards away there was a dead deer with a huge exit wound and a lung cavity that sloshed like a half full 5 gallon can. The impact was just above center line 2" behind the shoulder.
there are so many good bullets. But last few years I have been using the Berger VLD's . 150 in 277 and 105 and even tried a 115 in 6mm bore this year. Shooting whitetail deer. 4 of them this year with the 105 6mm VLD from 40 yards to 500 yards. 1 this year with the 115 6mm VLD. 6 in the last two season fell to the 105 VLD all have exited but 1. Very Impressed how hard they hit.
But there are so many bullets that work well. In the High BC Heavy 6MM bullets I think the Berger's rule. I know from experience the A-Max's work as well but I don't wont to give up point one of BC . Love to see Hornady make a 105 or 115 in that new bullet they have until then I will shoot the Berger.
For those who would like to know how well the 6mm 105's really perform. one shot up close at 40 yards ran 30 yards and fell over. two shoulder shots at 175 yards fell in their tracks, one did not exit. One shoulder shot at 410 yards fell in it's tracks and did exit. One just behind the shoulder angling away at 501 yards fell in it's tracks bullet exited just behind opposite shoulder. One in heavy cover brier thicket 480 yards Gut Shot.. don't know what happened hit something on it's way in. who knows. but it did exit and only went 50 yards downhill.
But there are so many bullets that work well. In the High BC Heavy 6MM bullets I think the Berger's rule. I know from experience the A-Max's work as well but I don't wont to give up point one of BC . Love to see Hornady make a 105 or 115 in that new bullet they have until then I will shoot the Berger.
For those who would like to know how well the 6mm 105's really perform. one shot up close at 40 yards ran 30 yards and fell over. two shoulder shots at 175 yards fell in their tracks, one did not exit. One shoulder shot at 410 yards fell in it's tracks and did exit. One just behind the shoulder angling away at 501 yards fell in it's tracks bullet exited just behind opposite shoulder. One in heavy cover brier thicket 480 yards Gut Shot.. don't know what happened hit something on it's way in. who knows. but it did exit and only went 50 yards downhill.
snert
Silver $$ Contributor
7mm mag, 150 NBT, 625 yards, 1/2 inch hole on opposite side of whitetail doe neck/spine hit. DRT with one little kick and a tail wag.
130 grain TTSX 308, 100 yards, 1/2 inch hole exit quartering, ran 20 feet, flopped.
55 grain NBT 220 swift, shot to chest of doe feeding in the melons, 100 yards distant, ran three hops in a circle and dropped. (mush innards)
Three totally different shots, totally different bullets, all good clean kills. All had cartridges and bullets that were perfect for the job at hand.
130 grain TTSX 308, 100 yards, 1/2 inch hole exit quartering, ran 20 feet, flopped.
55 grain NBT 220 swift, shot to chest of doe feeding in the melons, 100 yards distant, ran three hops in a circle and dropped. (mush innards)
Three totally different shots, totally different bullets, all good clean kills. All had cartridges and bullets that were perfect for the job at hand.
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