What's your favorite .30 cal bullet for hunting deer?

[300meter]

Curious which 30 cal bullets you guys have given the best performance on deer size game?

 

[bheadboy]

2 the SIerra 165 spt for mule
the Nosler bt 150 for wt

Bob

 

[2506]

125 Nosler ballistic tip. Keep impact velocity under 3000 fps and it kills like lightening struck a deer. I have been using it in rifles in 308 Win 3000 fps and 30X47 HBR 2850 fps and a 14" barrel T.C Contender pistol in 30-30AI at 2670 fps. I have killed in excess of 50 deer we will say with this bullet. Lost count actually of how many but it is in excess of 50. I can only think of 3 or 4 that have even taken a step after receiving one and they did not go over 3 jumps. This is a GAME bullet not a VARMINT bullet. I have also used in the past 150 Sierras with good success.

 

[people]

I am now shooting the 220gr SMK.

 

[XTR]

165 SGKs out of my 308

 

[Savage99]

When a gunwriter said that the Berger VLD 'hunting' style bullet will penetrate into a deer and then make a very large wound I wanted to try them.

Those Bergers do have a very high ballistic coefficient and I acquired a nice 30-06 so the 155 gr VLD 'hunting' was selected and proven very accurate.

A take back on bullets like that if for some reason deep penetration might be wanted then it may not be optimum for that shot.

After hunting for quite a while I did spot a buck across a field and sure enough it was facing away from me! I had to wait but finally it did turn and I got an almost broadside shot.

Here is the buck that staggered a few feet after being hit at 280 yards. You can see the exit wound and my custom Mauser.

 

[dan06]

Northern White tail with 30-06 I like 165 gr Nosler Balistic tip. they expand well and almost always pass through. They seem to work well on deer of all sizes.

 

[M700]

Have had excellent results from several different 165 gr .30 cal bullets on deer.

150's and 180's also work, as do the various 150 - 170 gr .30-30 bullets.

Good accuracy and quick expansion are characteristics I value - my favorite is likely the 165 Nosler Ballistic Tip.

Deer just aren't that hard to kill, I use my .30's, but believe I'm pretty over-gunned while so doing. Generally I hunt with the .24 & .25 cal rifles.

 

[Gary in MD]

Like the other guys, I have killed deer with different bullets. I like the 150gr. Ballistic tip @ 3000 fps out of a 30-06.
Accurate, good speed, good killer.
Gary

 

[Glenn Powell]

180 Hornady Interlocks, the poor mans partition, has killed a few deer out of my 300 win mag. Though a bit much for deer, shot placement was key to keep meat damage to a minimum. Deer are not too tough to bring down, premium bullets are not all that necessary, but do give piece of mind.

 

[Romulus]

If I was more of a brush beater and took more "less than ideal" shots I would probably use Barnes as big as I could twist or stand the recoil. I have seen how they can travel the full length of animals if needed, but somehow have stopped under the hide after a second skeletal contact. I'm sure it won't pan out that way every time though.

But I use 168 Berger Hybrids. I shot a muley with a TBBC around 350 yds with a .308 and it just popped right through although it did drag out some stuff with it. That was the least impressive terminal result I've ever had. Like others have said, deer are pretty easy to take down immediately if you shoot well. If I can I shoot at the base of the neck where it meets the shoulders. Super dead.

On my shelf I have .30s from 135 SMKs all the way to 240 SMKs, vlds, Noslers, E-Tips, Barnes, A Maxs, and everything in between. My favorite hunting bullet is the one that flies and groups the best IMO. It is hard to beat bullets like a Partition for hunting though.

 

[wboggs]

I like the Barnes TSX orTTSX. They expand well, penetrate completely from any angle, are very accurate.
Between my friends and I, we have harvested over 200 deer with these and have never had a failure.
We use 150-180 gr. depending on caliber and accuracy for a given load.

 

[A_Gamehog]

The TTSX by Barnes is all I use now. 130 Grains in a 308 is around 3,000 fps and DRT results with correct placement.
Lapua Brass
CCI Mag primers
130 Barnes TTSX
IMR 8208
Light Crimp in the last groove of bullet

 

[Romulus]

Oooh I like that combo. I'm usually a heavy guy but I have seen what 8208 can do with light bullets in .308. You chrono that load much? If so what are your ES numbers like?

 

[Jim G]

The Berger 168gr hunting bullet is great! They deer are usually dead in their tracks when hit. My son dropped a nice buck at 400 yards with a .308 Winchester loaded with the 168 Berger and i have dropped several others at lesser distances.

 

[nosualc]

But I use 168 Berger Hybrids. I shot a muley with a TBBC around 350 yds with a .308 and it just popped right through although it did drag out some stuff with it. That was the least impressive terminal result I've ever had. Like others have said, deer are pretty easy to take down immediately if you shoot well. If I can I shoot at the base of the neck where it meets the shoulders. Super dead.

Are you using the new "hunting hybrid", or the target hybrid?

IMO, Berger makes great bullets, but the confusing way they name their bullets is retarded.

-nosualc

 

[A_Gamehog]

Romulus, it chronos around 3,000 like I said, but the ES is single digit with an old RCBS Ohaus ballance scale. About 1 moa out to 300 yards.
Shot it in -6 degree and 80+ degree temps with consistent point of impact.

 

[Romulus]

Nosualc, I use the Target Hybrids. Quoting from a post of mine last year about the 168 target hybrid performance: "Thankfully I got a midrange opportunity with these 168 hybrids and put 2 within 4" (about 2" high of POA) at 556 yards in New Mexico. The buck didn't act hit one bit, but trotted a few yards and coughed up his lungs and what looked like a gallon of blood. Both bullets exited with pretty small holes, but one was slender and 3" tall and allowed some of the vitals to drag out through the crack. I was a little less than impressed with the expansion/ fragmentation but it really was at terminal range for my .308 IMHO. BUT they sure put the deer to sleep as he trotted off some 40-50 yards, sat down, and expired in less than 15 seconds with not so much as a kick. 8)"

A_Gamehog, my first load with 135 smks with 8208 had single digit ES and I helped a friend build a load for the Berger 155 Hybrids and his first run had an ES of 10. Not shabby for redneck work.

 

[LAKESNAKE]

125 Nosler ballistic tip on deer or hogs.

 

[FryeGuy]

I have used Sierra 165hpbt gamekings with great success. The way the Hp tip is shaped kind of threw me for a loop the first time I saw it. but then I shot them, and when they grouped as good and better than the 168matchkings there was no hesitation using them hunting. So far only one deer took a step after shooting. it was my fault, and a far back shot (even farther back than liver) on a deer trotting will do that. two of the biggest deer were quartering to me or straight on shots. it literally sat them back on their butts before they fell all the way. quartering too me shot hit dead on the shoulder, and still exited offside. nice size hole but damage was not crazy like folks think a hp's do. bullet expanded well, but stayed together as far as I know. the rest of the deer taken were head/shoulder shots, same thing. straight down. pic is from exit of the quartering to me shot. exit wound.