Which Bullet for Deer (Recommendation)
Question:
I recently returned from Montana where I harvested a 5 point whitetail with a Barnes 140 gr. XBT in a 30-06 caliber. I have tried many other bullets in the past but I have never been more impressed with the efficiency of this kill and lack of meat damage. It groups five shots inside a dime at a 100 yds. The people at Barnes are very helpful with finetuning suggestions for the load. Regards, Craig Moore
Response:
Since I used to live in Wisconson and know the lay of the land and I use a .308 and reload here is my choice. Since you are not going to be taking long shots in the woodlands and its a deer at max 200 lbs for a big one, go with the 165g nosler partition at a reasonable velocity. I use that at 2600 fps muzzel to hunt caribou here in Alaska where I live and have never had a failure as they call it. Good shot placement will give you a good kill with any of those bullets. I have just started trying the Sierra game kings out and they seem ok, the Barnes X seems to be a little over kill for whitetail, I have not used the other bullet so I have no opinion of what it performs like. I know that Federal and Hornady are making some premium ammo these days, so you might want to try a box or two of these to see how they work for you. Good luck.
Response:
Go for the swift a-frame or trophy bonded bear claw bullet in 165 grains
Response:
Next month, in Wisconsin, I’m going to be using a rifle for deer hunting for the first time. I live in Illinois where I’ve only been using a shotgun (slugs) or a bow and arrow. I’ve got some very accurate .308 Winchester loads for my rifle, using the Sierra 168-grain Match Kings. Since I’m going to be loading my own ammunition for the upcoming hunt, I need to select an accurate and effective bullet. Understandably, I’m not going to be as "strict" in the accuracy department (i.e., I won’t expect the performance of Match Kings), though I will require reasonable accuracy for the shots I’ll be taking. My primary concern is with terminal ballistics. I would like to hear from any of you that have experience with one (preferably, "all") of the following bullets for hunting deer. 1) Winchester Fail-Safe 2) Nosler Ballistic Tip 3) Barnes X-Bullet 4) Sierra Game King I’d like to keep the weight as close to 168-grains as possible for ballistic reasons. Frankly, I’m leaning toward the Sierra Game King bullet, but I’d like to hear from any of you that would be willing to share your thoughts on the matter. Please respond via E-mail. Thanks in advance. Better Shooting, Russell E. Taylor
