Bullet help for whitetails...

[Rubberhead*]

So, I've recently become more interested in deer hunting. Up to this point in my life I think I've shot just about every deer I've killed with 150 grain Remington pointed soft point core-lokt mostly with .30-06. Over that time I've killed most of the deer I've shot but missed a few and lost a few.

So, the question is, is there a better bullet construction for whitetails than just the pointed lead core bullets? Not considering bullet quality or construction is premium ammunition (casing, primer, power and consistency of these components) worth a little more cost?

[Rabbitman09]

Fishing early this morning.

[nitro5x6's]

The bone, skin and flesh on a whitetail hasn't changed. In a 06, a 150 grain Corelokt will kill any deer on the planet. Shot placement.

[wskinner]

Fishing early this morning.

Dang, even Cotton was able to sniff it out.

[JABIII]

He isn't fishing I assure you. Just overthinking it like most things, which turns out to be pretty interesting if you pay attention to the details...

[Rubberhead*]

Fishing early this morning.

Haha - sometimes but not today. I watched a few "This is Africa" safari hunts on Youtube and they were sponsored by Swift bullets so I googled Swift Bullets and found that they are 3 times the cost of the bullets I've been shooting. So, then I pulled out a box of the Remington bullets and noticed the tips weren't totally clean - there's a slight ragged lead edge - then I got to thinking that that ragged edge has got to affect bullet accuracy...then I posted this question. I'm really asking for thoughts.

[Rubberhead*]

He isn't fishing I assure you. Just overthinking it like most things, which turns out to be pretty interesting if you pay attention to the details...

That made me LOL - thanks.

[tman]

Standard cup and core bullets are the best bullet construction for whitetails. Bonded core bullets and monolithic solids are , in my opinion, too tough and dont expand enough to create the type of tissue damage that I like to see. Rapid expanding bullets like Nosler Ballistic Tips are the best bullet for whitetails when fired out of standard velocity rifle cartridges (MV 2500 to 3100 fps).

Some will argue that monolithic solids and bonded bullets "work just fine". And this is true with good shot placement and when impact velocities are high. However, I'd prefer the reliable expansion of standard cup and core on light thin skinned southeastern whitetail.

YMMV

Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk

[Rabbitman09]

It’s a friggin deer. Any bullet moving quickly enough to penetrate the hide will kill it. If you hit it correctly, it will die quickly. If you hit it wrong, you won’t find it. I don’t care what round you use. If you find white hair at point of shot, you grazed his belly. Unless it’s guts fall out, you won’t find it. If you find bone at point of shot, you hit it in lower leg and you won’t find it. I don’t care if you have incendiary, explosive rounds.

[wiz18]

For soft points I have had great success with the Sierra game king. I believe federal makes a factory round using this projectile. I shoot it hand loaded in a 06 and it has performed well.

[wskinner]

I know RH wasn’t fishing, he’s not ECU6-10, but it’s amusing that even Cotton thought the answer so obvious that it could be construed as fishing.

Don’t go down the rabbit hole RH. From practical accuracy point of view, you’ll never know the difference. If you want reassurance that you’re using a good bullet, buy any one of the many ballistic tip options on the market and leave it at that. You’ll enjoy it more.

[reeltight]

I've shot the Winchester Ballistic Silvertip for as long as I can remember. I shoot this out of my 7mm08, .270 and .243

Honestly the only ammo I've ever had a problem with were the coveted Hornady SST Superformance. I'll never buy those again

[Highstrung]

Two things in our great country are questioned because of their appeal to the bourgeoisie.. The Waffle House and Core Lokts, neither one should be shunned.

[Featherduster]

I missed a deer once that trotted away and came right back. I shot again at the same spot and drt. I wondered if a deformed soft tip would make much difference. I compared the corelokt to a ballistic tip. Three shots from a vice with remote trigger pull. Two corelokt and Winchester XP3. 100yds

C1505007-3CCF-43EA-B035-6B3E7C0CA3AC.jpeg

[Rubberhead*]

So, I get that the bullet is fine...as long as I hit the right spot...but that was the other half of my question.

Here's the tip of the first bullet in a brand new box of the bullets I mentioned...how can this actually help me hit where I'm aiming?

[Drylok]

Cup and core bullets have killed millions of deer over the years.

Matter of fact, if deer hunted people, they would use cup and core bullets.

Your Remington loads are just fine.

[Drylok]

I scrape it off with my nail and load it right up.

So long as your rifle likes Remington, I would not change a thing.

[davisd9]

I like Sierra Gamekings for a lead core bullet and Barnes TTSX for a tipped bullet.

[WoodieSC]

I scrape it off with my nail and load it right up.

So long as your rifle likes Remington, I would not change a thing.

Same here, or just scrape it against a knife blade, or roll it against a scotch pad, etc.

[tigerfan413]

I've shot the Winchester Ballistic Silvertip for as long as I can remember. I shoot this out of my 7mm08, .270 and .243

Honestly the only ammo I've ever had a problem with were the coveted Hornady SST Superformance. I'll never buy those again

I have seen more deer lost to that SST Superformance than anything else. My dad and I both were shooting them for a few years, in a 7mm08 and a .243. They are moving so fast they just explode and you don't get an exit wound. they would knock them dead, or you wouldn't find them, no in between. I have shot the Silvertip, and now shoot the Federal Fusion, and he shoots the all copper Barnes TSX out of the 7mm08 with fantastic results.
That being said, you can get way off in the weeds on this stuff. People look at this the same way they pattern shotguns for turkeys. You can kill them with Remington Nitro Turkey #5s and a fixed full choke, but people love to get TSS and a Sumtoy or Rob Roberts cause it makes their results a few percentage points better. I look at rifle bullets the same way. Just what you want to pay for.