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?? Wonder if I made a bad choice

Ok went and looked today and found nothing, but it's so thick you can't really see much. I did shoot a gallon milk jug at 300 to see where I'm hitting. Shot twice because I thought I missed the first shot. Upon checking the milk jug, the water was drained and both bullets left tiny tiny entrance and exit holes in the jug. Every time I have shot ELDX at milk jugs the jugs exploded. I'm not to happy with these bullets for deer. Great for paper but not an animal.
Thanks for your honest post and info to help us all learn more. Will you do us a favor and use a welding tip cleaner and clean out the tip of 2-3 bullets and then shoot them at a 1 gallon jug again. At least 2 or 3. Let's see if cleaning out the tips helps them expand on a 1 gallon milk jug or not. I believe a milk jug is similar to a lung hit between the ribs. If it still doesn't expand, we will know that particular line is bad for hunting. If it expands we will know we face to clean the tips out. Either way it will be useful for all of us.
 
In the words of the great Michael J. Crocodile Dundee, "Good one Skippy!"😂
So if I set up on a spot that I can shoot over 1000 yards and a deer pops out under 100 I shouldn't shoot it? Would you carry the shotgun for such places (if you weren't confined to such silliness by law)? Or should I carry both, the 12 gauge for close shots and reserve the long range capable rifle for long shots?
I assure you that with the right bullet that .300 WinMag is capable from muzzle to 1K+.😁
That's correct. For one thing , I don't have enough testosterone when it comes to shooting 1000yds on a deer ,yet less a puny whitetail doe. But I do have enough testosterone to post this on this forum. If your that hard up, to have shoot bambi with a 300 at a 100, and possibly 1000 yrder, why not carry the 300 for the long and the shotgun for the short. Guys carry all kinds of crap with them when their going BIG TIME!
 
Ive had a couple deer hit with Bergers go quite a ways. Always dead on their feet with a chest full of soup. I like Bergers, I just don't expect the bang flop anymore. Probably a third of vital hits they run. At the same time I've had deer run with accubonds, corelocks, and sierra game kings. Had them drop to those same bullets as well. Every rifle is an individual, I have learned that every animal and shot is an individual too.
 
I agree, but at some point you should take the responsibility for using what is designated as a target bullet by the manufacturer without some research first. As others have said there are some of the Berger target bullets that perform well on game. Perhaps it's the smaller melpat that the 208 has that contributed to your results, with the Melpat Reduction Technology. The 215s don't have that, neither do the hunting bullets. I know when my buddy was looking for a 300WM bullet I told him he should try Berger and I pointed him towards the 205gr Elite Hunter.
Oh I agree, I take the blame for shooting at deer with this ammo. But I honestly trusted they guy reccomending them…after I told him I couldn't find a stitch of blood, he said did you aim at shoulder. I told him no. He said well there not designed for the soft tissue behind the shoulder. He says they are not blood tracking bullets and if I want blood I should use a different bullet….NOW HE TELLS ME!!! Uugh
 
The difference is that when you shot at the milk jug, there was no buck fever, and you have no proof you "actually" hit the deer. BTW, do you have a picture of the bullet that did not expand?
Buck fever is for kids and people who havent had experience shooting deer….that phase has long been gone from me. I shoot them to eat them now. Not for racks, I have enough racks
 
One thing to think about, the next time you are shooting at an animal this close to thick brush take the neck shot if possible if not the high shoulder will put them down right now I guided for a number of years in south Texas and this is the shots we had our hunters take, you do not want to try and track a wounded deer in that country and darn sure not at night
 
Buck fever is for kids and people who havent had experience shooting deer….that phase has long been gone from me. I shoot them to eat them now. Not for racks, I have enough racks
I guess I am out of your league then. I get excited even on a doe, even with nearly five decades of hunting. The time I do not get excited is the time for me to hang up and call it quits. I have used many different bullets designated as target bullets with successful harvests. If I miss, I have no problem admitting it. But obviously, that is not the case for you. Carry on ...
 
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I guess I am out of your league then. I get excited even on a doe, even with nearly five decades of hunting. The time I do get excited is the time for me to hang up and call it quits. I have used many different bullets designated as target bullets with successful harvests. If I miss, I have no problem admitting it. But obviously, that is not the case for you. Carry on ...
This thread is now only for real hunters…
 
The difference is that when you shot at the milk jug, there was no buck fever, and you have no proof you "actually" hit the deer. BTW, do you have a picture of the bullet that did not expand?
No but I do have milk jug that was full of water with lid on that had two tiny entrance holes amd two tiny exit holes…the milk jug didn't even move when shot. I have shot a hundred jugs and they have all exploded when hit….these bullets didn't even have budge the jug. Might as well be shooting FMJ
 
One thing to think about, the next time you are shooting at an animal this close to thick brush take the neck shot if possible if not the high shoulder will put them down right now I guided for a number of years in south Texas and this is the shots we had our hunters take, you do not want to try and track a wounded deer in that country and darn sure not at night
I like a lung/heart shot when there is room to run and a high shoulder when I want a DRT.



WT Doe 1 of 2.jpg

WT Doe 2 of 2.jpg

2019 WT doe 1 of 3.jpg

2019 WT doe 3 of 3.jpg

(Harvested with 215 Berger hybrid TARGET bullet out of .300 WSM).
 
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Berger,.. HUNTING VLD'S, Elite Hunters and Classic Hunters, ALL, Kill like,.. the "Hammer of Thor" IF, Bullet PLACED,.. correctly !
Target and Hybrid Bullets,.. NOT so, much !
Didn't for me on 3 bulls. Two 150yds or less and one at 440 yards. Suck butt they do is my experience.....hammer of ant in my experience. Glad they worked for you and use what you have confidence in for sure.
 
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