best whitetail deer bullet

[jgal72]

I shoot accubonds as well. Can't say anything bad about them. My 25.06 loves the 110 grain.

 

[ShootnMathews]

I loaded up some some ballistic tips for my cousin a few years ago. They were 120 gr for a 260 remington. He said the buck he shot dropped right where he shot. He told me while cleaning it however the entry was very small but shortly after entering the chest cavity it became nasty and he had to get rid of the opposite side rib cage cause it was nothing but extremely bad blood shot and it was destroyed. He then had me load him some nosler Accubonds and that is what he has been shooting since.

I often see the bloodshot, tore up rib cage on the opposite side, but I don't eat the ribs anyways. So I'd rather see the vigorous expansion. I've killed many many deer, hogs, coyotes, and other stuff with Ballistic tips and all of them when field dressed the lungs have been disintegrated into pulp almost. Like I said before, I don't think they can be beat for short range performance. They just don't have the ballistic properties to be a 1000 yard big game bullet. 500, 600, even 700 yards no problem with the right cartridge.

My buddy uses 140 grn BT in his 7RUM because that's what the gun likes to shoot, but if there's the slightest wind he gets so much wind drift it's amazing. My slow plinker load for practice runs 2400 with174 grn SMK bullets and he'll have more wind drift at 900 yards with his 7RUM at almost 1000 more fps than my practice load.

I'm not knocking BT bullets though, I love them. No matter the caliber, when is go to load for a new short to midrange hunting gun I reach right for Nosler BT because I know they'll shoot great and kill even better.

 

[LeePaHunter]

The only thing I noticed while trying some of the reloads out of his gun when I loaded them I try different scenarios. In the wide open they performed excellent as far as grouping. The only thing that I notice was in a slight brush shot the bullets flew apart and shrapnel spattered the target. I like to test loads this way cause around here where I hunt there is a lot of brush and small saplings and thick briar patches the deer love to hide in. My targets are placed approximately 5 feet behind a thin briar patch to check how the bullet holds up in this scenario. This is why I like the partition from nosler for hunting around here. The partition didn't shrapnelize just started to mushroom before hitting the target.

 

[LeePaHunter]

Don't get me wrong the BT are a good bullet. They drop animals in there tracks. The buck I shot this year was a straight through double lung and heart shot. It obliterated the lungs and heart and only punched a quarter size whole out the other side. I shoot 165 gr partitions which I my rifle loves. Anyway the BT is a good bullet for close to mid range for someone who has pretty clear shooting but I wouldn't recommend for brush areas. Just my opinion.

 

[ShootnMathews]

Don't get me wrong the BT are a good bullet. They drop animals in there tracks. The buck I shot this year was a straight through double lung and heart shot. It obliterated the lungs and heart and only punched a quarter size whole out the other side. I shoot 165 gr partitions which I my rifle loves. Anyway the BT is a good bullet for close to mid range for someone who has pretty clear shooting but I wouldn't recommend for brush areas. Just my opinion.

I totally agree with that. But I always wait until I have a clear shot. I stand hunt mostly with the occasional stalk but I am always shooting at an unspooked deer that I can take my time and pick a clear shot. It is very thick here in WV also, but I can almost always get a clear broadside shot if I wait.

You are right about the brush though. If they hit a limb they are done. But in my experience if you hit a limb with any bullet you're most likely going to miss. Unless the deer is within a few feet. I've seen people hit small limbs 30' before the deer and the bullet miss the deer by 3' or more. In fact my brother did exactly that this year with a corelok bullet.

I always TRY to wait for a clear shot but every once in a while one still gets in the way.

 

[LeePaHunter]

I agree with that 100 percent. I try to get the clearest shot possible but when I am stalking through the mountain laurel up in tioga at my cabin I couldn't dream of a BT. It is just way to thick. That is why I settled for the partitions. I shot many deer in the laurel hitting brush before impacting the deer and never lost one to date. I agree bullets do.get knocked around but usually it is a patch about 3 to 4 feet before it gets to the deer and usually hits pretty hard where I aimed. Clear shooting in that condition just doesn't happen. Usually the max shots in these conditions there are within 50 yards.

 

[jrhammo08sxt]

I used to use a 243 with 85-120 grain bullets (Most of my deer killed were with this and never had to shoot em more than once). Then a .308 with 180's. It's really hard to argue that a 300 win mag with 180 grain core-lokt is pretty awesome for whitetail. My .300 WM is now my go-to for just about any kind of medium to large game. Will go though small trees and not phase it at close range as well...

 

[Greyfox]

Over the last 6 years I have shot a few dozen deer and antelope from 50-1200 yards using 140gr Berger and JLK VLD's driven at 2975 FPS out of my 6.5x284. I have had excellent performance with both bullets over the full range on medium sized game.

 

[gusd]

First I will start by saying I have been whitetail hunting in wisconsin for 24years have killed at least 50+ with my gun 20+ with my bow and go out west almost every year and have killed muley's, elk and antelope.
I feel I have a bit of experience hunting especially whitetail. I have killed them with a 30/30 a .270 win 22-250 .338 lapua but most have been shot with my .338 win mag. with some sort of BT type bullet [like Win.ballistic silver tips Hornady SST]
So heres my opinion ANY bullet works for whitetail with proper shot placement.
I prefer some sort of BT bullet.
I don't know what some of the other posters here are using or where they are placing their shots but I have never had the BANG FLOP or DRT that some guys have said.
UNLESS Head shot or I hit them high and took out the spine or shot them in the front shoulder so they can't run anymore. I use this shot quite a bit on public land.Don't want my deer running over to next guy so he can tag it.
I guess my point is I have never dropped any deer in its tracks with the ideal heart lung shot EVER !!
The closest I have ever come to doing that is with my 22-250 45 grain HP varmint bullet at 180 yards it scrambled everything into little chunks but that deer still ran away, and that is not an ideal deer bullet!
I shot a small doe last year at 100 yards with 250 BTHP out of my .338 lapua it was facing me so I shot it straight on bullet scrabbled the lungs and took the top of the heart off and that deer still ran 75 yards.
Like I said before just about anything will work. Think about it Wisconsin had around 600,000 guys in the woods this past year and a lot of deer died I can guarantee you a majority of the guys just went to the store and bought a box of shells. Which were probably one of 2 things either the cheapest or the coolest looking

 

[264WM]

Most of the deer both Muley and Whitetail I have taken with my 264 WM I used the Sierra 100gr HP at 3600 fps and it did just fine even at longer ranges out to 400 yards.

 

[jrhammo08sxt]

First I will start by saying I have been whitetail hunting in wisconsin for 24years have killed at least 50+ with my gun 20+ with my bow and go out west almost every year and have killed muley's, elk and antelope.
I feel I have a bit of experience hunting especially whitetail. I have killed them with a 30/30 a .270 win 22-250 .338 lapua but most have been shot with my .338 win mag. with some sort of BT type bullet [like Win.ballistic silver tips Hornady SST]
So heres my opinion ANY bullet works for whitetail with proper shot placement.
I prefer some sort of BT bullet.
I don't know what some of the other posters here are using or where they are placing their shots but I have never had the BANG FLOP or DRT that some guys have said.
UNLESS Head shot or I hit them high and took out the spine or shot them in the front shoulder so they can't run anymore. I use this shot quite a bit on public land.Don't want my deer running over to next guy so he can tag it.
I guess my point is I have never dropped any deer in its tracks with the ideal heart lung shot EVER !!
The closest I have ever come to doing that is with my 22-250 45 grain HP varmint bullet at 180 yards it scrambled everything into little chunks but that deer still ran away, and that is not an ideal deer bullet!
I shot a small doe last year at 100 yards with 250 BTHP out of my .338 lapua it was facing me so I shot it straight on bullet scrabbled the lungs and took the top of the heart off and that deer still ran 75 yards.
Like I said before just about anything will work. Think about it Wisconsin had around 600,000 guys in the woods this past year and a lot of deer died I can guarantee you a majority of the guys just went to the store and bought a box of shells. Which were probably one of 2 things either the cheapest or the coolest looking

Speaking of shot placement...I learned to hunt whitetail with my dad with the Remmy 700 .243 that my grandad got me for my 12th birthday...Dad taught me where and how to shoot and at what angles...learned to place my shots and that rifle has killed more deer in the 25 years I used it than I can count!!

 

[duckhunter175]

From a 6.5 I like the 140gr Amax---

I run this at 2950 out of my 6.5x284 and had a bang flop at 348m and bang..flop (about 20m) at 65m. For deer sized game I think they work great!

 

[The Oregonian]

First I will start by saying I have been whitetail hunting in wisconsin for 24years have killed at least 50+ with my gun 20+ with my bow and go out west almost every year and have killed muley's, elk and antelope.
I feel I have a bit of experience hunting especially whitetail. I have killed them with a 30/30 a .270 win 22-250 .338 lapua but most have been shot with my .338 win mag. with some sort of BT type bullet [like Win.ballistic silver tips Hornady SST]
So heres my opinion ANY bullet works for whitetail with proper shot placement.
I prefer some sort of BT bullet.
I don't know what some of the other posters here are using or where they are placing their shots but I have never had the BANG FLOP or DRT that some guys have said.
UNLESS Head shot or I hit them high and took out the spine or shot them in the front shoulder so they can't run anymore. I use this shot quite a bit on public land.Don't want my deer running over to next guy so he can tag it.
I guess my point is I have never dropped any deer in its tracks with the ideal heart lung shot EVER !!
The closest I have ever come to doing that is with my 22-250 45 grain HP varmint bullet at 180 yards it scrambled everything into little chunks but that deer still ran away, and that is not an ideal deer bullet!
I shot a small doe last year at 100 yards with 250 BTHP out of my .338 lapua it was facing me so I shot it straight on bullet scrabbled the lungs and took the top of the heart off and that deer still ran 75 yards.
Like I said before just about anything will work. Think about it Wisconsin had around 600,000 guys in the woods this past year and a lot of deer died I can guarantee you a majority of the guys just went to the store and bought a box of shells. Which were probably one of 2 things either the cheapest or the coolest looking

I agree that e heart/lung doesn't really produce bang flops. Most of those have run 25-75 yds, but it is always fatal and they don't run far with good shot placement, almost no matter the bullet.

The bang flops I have had are neck shots or putting it right on the upper shoulder, and from talking to most outfitters, that is the place to shoot for bang flops. The theory I have heard and that makes intuitive sense to me is that the high front shoulder shot a) pushes the shoulder blade against to vitals with a lot of energy, and b) turns bone fragments into shrapnel, and c) puts the bullet right into the vitals anyway.

Makes sense to me and fits with my experience this year with a big 225 lb whitetail buck...his legs fell out from under him.

To me the issue is what helps on a less than perfect shot. Ballistic tips and similar seem to have lots of shrapnel and have a better blood trail. Accubonds, unless the hit bone, seem to pencil more frequently and not leave a good blood trail.

 

[stx]

I agree that e heart/lung doesn't really produce bang flops. Most of those have run 25-75 yds, but it is always fatal and they don't run far with good shot placement, almost no matter the bullet.

The bang flops I have had are neck shots or putting it right on the upper shoulder, and from talking to most outfitters, that is the place to shoot for bang flops. The theory I have heard and that makes intuitive sense to me is that the high front shoulder shot a) pushes the shoulder blade against to vitals with a lot of energy, and b) turns bone fragments into shrapnel, and c) puts the bullet right into the vitals anyway.

Makes sense to me and fits with my experience this year with a big 225 lb whitetail buck...his legs fell out from under him.

To me the issue is what helps on a less than perfect shot. Ballistic tips and similar seem to have lots of shrapnel and have a better blood trail. Accubonds, unless the hit bone, seem to pencil more frequently and not leave a good blood trail.

Being in the hunting business nearly 30 years and witnessing 100s of kills per year, I agree with what most have said here......any well constructed bullet will work just fine with "good shot placement"! For my personal hunting(and most of my hunters that have hunted with me for years), I shoot Barnes bullets and instruct all my hunters to take broadside, through the shoulder shots if at all possible.....both shoulders broken, they're DRT(Dead Right There)!