... Why try to fit a square peg in a round hole, especially when you are hunting something you don't get to all the time?
While I would hope the BT has a thicker jacket than the SST, I do not know this to be the case. (Note to self: Check on this tonight.)
In any case, I’ve had bullets drop deer instantly when passing from ham to sternum (7mm North Fork SS) and passing front to back through the body with exit (.30 caliber Barnes MRX and TTSX). These same bullets have been equally effective on broadside shots. The only downside I see to these bullets is their extra cost when compared to C&C bullets.
I don’t see it as a ‘square peg, round hole’ situation. I see it as wanting to use a bullet that will expand in a controlled, limited and reliable manner, providing high weight retention and deep straight line penetration. For me, deer hunting is done in conjunction with elk hunting and the deer are more targets of opportunity to be ignored if taking one might interfere with getting an elk. As a result the same bullets get used for both. I have yet to find a bullet that works well for elk that fails for deer.
