Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 30 caliber deer bullet

What's your favorite grain and bullet for deer in 30 caliber? Mine is 180 grain Partition I use it in 308,30-06 and 300 RUM shoots excellent groups and excellent results in all of my rifles glad so I don't have to buy different grain and bullets for each gun.

I've killed a number of deer with 180 Partitions but never could get them to shoot very tight groups out of any of several 06. My deer bullet for many years was 165 Sierra soft point boattails, and for the past 8 years or so I've shot 165 Hornady Interbonds. They shoot a half inch lower than 180 Swift A-frames at 100 yards so I switch to the 180's for moose etc. without resighting rifle. Otherwise would go with 180 for all big game.

I suspect that pert near any .30 bullet would do for deer, with a nod to the 165 or 150's for longer range or the 130 Barnes X.

Go forth and kill stuff. I've used it in a bunch of boring 06s over 4831/4350 and nothing walks away. Meat damage ??? Simple. Don't shoot the meat.

https://www.tropgun.com/hornady/hornady-bullet-30cal-interlock-3040-38637

180 nbt in my 300wm
165 nbt in 06

the only 30 caliber I've killed a deer with was a 30-30, so I'd go with the corelokt 150 grain. deer are easy to kill, so no need for a whole lot of power and weight behind it.
saw my old man kill two mature bucks in 3 days with a .223 using 60 grain partitions. one dropped on the spot, the other went 10 yards.

180 gr. speer hot or core lokt.

For deer I like a 150 grain bullet in 30 caliber, and while I like Nosler Ballistic tips, I like Hornady Interlocks even more.

!65 Hornady spire point in the .308 and 30-06 has worked for me. Nosler 170 grain Partition in the 30-30.

150 barnes TTSX

For .30 caliber and dee my favorite is a 165-grain Nosler ballistic tip out of a .30-06, I have only had one deer take a step using that load. I tried some 180-grain Federal Power Shoks on deer this year in a .300 Winchester, I wasn't impressed with the performance (even though it killed 3 deer very dead for me), so I think I will load some 165-grain ballistic tips for it next year and see what they do with a little more speed.

150 Core-Lokt.

150 NBT. A shot behind the shoulder usually seals the deal. Out to 400 they work pretty well.

It used to be the 165 Hornady BTSP but I finally gave up on them. They seemed to result in more bloodshot meat than other loads.

Thes days I use 180's in my '06's. C/L, I/L or Partitions for most things any more.

In .308 Normas I use 180 I/L loaded to match velocity with Norma factory loads per my cheap Chrony.

In my M-88 I use 150's-C/L or I/L.

I use 150 gr Hornady Interlocks in the '06 and 300 Savage. If I owned a 30 magnum, I'd probably find something else for that but for deer and bear in Pa. the above works just fine.

Dale

Have shot deer with 125 gr. Sierra's though the 220 gr. Silvertip.. In my old 06, I shot 165 Sierra HPBT, and the last reload was 150 Horn. BTSP. In my .300's, I used lots of 165 Sierra HPBT, 150 BTBT, and some 150 g.Sierra FB..

150 grain ballistic tip has been like lightning for me in Southern Trophy Whitetails. Ranges short to far. Typically exits and typically dead right there.

165 Hornady spire point, flat base, same bullet I use for all of my handloading, depending on caliber. I try to mimic the BC of the 270win/130 gr bullet combo, which seems about ideal.

In 308 ive used
165 accubond
150 accubond
130 ttsx
150 sst
150 interbond
165 ballistic tip

They all worked well

The copper ones work much less bloodshot, even if you are not shooting the meat.. vs the cup and core ones.

I tend to run barnes of some flavor. They are not that expensive and when the chips are down you can rely on them.

That said the only cup and core I"ve used in a long time has been 185 bergers in 308 win. I may trade up to the 200 grain range with them or go back to the target version as the hunting ones have done a bit more damage than I care for, but they are even more accurate than the barnes bullets are.

Though at some point I suspect I"ll have 168 ttsx for 300 and less and heavier bergers for the shots from 300 out to whatever I feel is max that day...

+1 on the Hornady 165 grain SP