For the 40 years I've been hunting deer, the NBT has always been my first choice.
165gr out of the 30-06 the deer was always where I shot them. 50-325 yards. Made no difference.
Always had an exit hole, not that it mattered.
7mm-08AI, 280 Rem, 284 Win, 7mm Rem Mag with 140 & 150gr NBT I've never had a deer go more than 20 yards.
Ditto with the 115gr NBT in 257 Roberts, Roberts AI, 25 WSSM, 25-06. All had exit holes, none made it more than 20 yards.
The confusing one is the 250 Savage with the 100gr NBT.
Buck at 15 yards, broadside.
Bullet hit a twig and tumbled.
Keyhole entry and exit wound. Hardly any blood. He made it about 300 yards and died at the foot of the ladder of my friends mom's stand. She found it the next morning. Bullet hit high and back.
Doe stood up from a thicket about 40 yards. One to the boiler. She ran 3 circles of about 20-30 yards diameter and dropped where she originally stood up. Again had an exit hole.
My next most grabbed bullet is the Berger VLD. They have always performed exactly as advertised!
Entrance hole, then 1-3" in they come apart. Violently!
Massive internal damage!
Never had an exit hole.
Furthest deer has gone is 20 yards from a 413 yard hit with the 140gr from my 7mm-08AI.
Entrance hole only. Both lungs destroyed and heart turned to goo. Blood everywhere!
My daughter with my 257 Roberts hit her first buck about 70 yards with the 115gr VLD.
"He kind of puffed up. Went straight legged. And fell over."
Again no exit hole. Jacket found under offside hide.
Both lungs and heart destroyed.
The only bullet that I've had pencil through is the Nosler ABLR.
150gr in my 7mm Rem Mag.
About a 50 yard shot. Bullet sized entrance and exit holes.
With the speed, there was more damage to the lungs and heart than just the bullet size. But I was surprised at the lack of internal damage.
A Ballistic Tip from much slower cartridges does more damage.
