You are right, largest I've shot is around 225 and thats rare. More like 160ish.
But I've shot some larger bodied deer in other states, and while my sample is small, I haven't seen anything much different. Whitetails seem to be the same no matter where.
I've watched over 200 plus pound bucks fall at the shot from a 223. And run a ways. I've seen teh same on deer approaching 250 -275 ish act the same from a 223. Have seen similar results with many differing calibers too.
Get the best bullet you can and put it in teh right place. If its ballistic tip, then get on with it. And I might not even say I told ya so later on .....
Of course you negate the evidence I've posted on Nilgai which in many opinions are at least as tough if not more so than elk... thats what led me away from plain bullets and to the Barnes... shooting nilgai.
Well that and the fact that our small whitetails were capable of stopping a 180 partition out of a 300 mag.
If our small deer can stop em... what would your Michigan deer do to a 180 partition or ballistic tip from a 300?
