Ok wondering what is everyone's go to bullet for whitetail deer. Not any specific cartridge just your bullet that performs for you.

I'm fine as long as it has Nosler in its name....like Ballistic Tips mostly for deer. In smaller rifles, say, my 257 Roberts, I go with partitions.

The ballistic tip was made for deer. Even the large caliber ones will open well enough for good expansion even on our small 150lb whitetails. The 180 has been good in 338 and 225 in 358. By far the ones that has been the best for me have been the 140gr-7mm and the 115gr-25. powdr

Nosler Partition!

Partition. But I use the same on antelope, elk and bears. Sometimes, when I go crazy I use Accubonds. ....

I like to simplify and use one load per rifle instead of switching bullets to match the game. If I was only into deer I could be happy with Hornadys. Well maybe.

Never had a problem with Core-Lokt's

I got some questions on the partitions I was told that it was designed for elk size animals. And that it doesn't work to its full potential on smaller animals like whitetails now I have not used this is just here say. I told a guy that reloads I know I was thinking about trying 165 grain in my 30-06 he said they won't perform right on whitetail.

Deer: Hornady interlock... NO need to get too fancy..

That guy is an idiot.

They open easy and penetrate deep. Work really well for a variety of applications including deer and antelope sized critters. Thousands of dead animals can't be wrong!

Well I was sorta wondering the same thing when he told me that. But he was trying to sell me on Bergers. But I hunt the mountains and some of my shots with a rifle is 20 yards. I just don't know how a berger will perform in a range like that.

Wouldn't be for me but some might get along fine.

Last time I deer hunted was in 05 I used a 25-284 using 90gr Sierra boat tail hollow points. I never got to fancy most of the time I was using hornady bullets.

Nosler Partition for all my handloads.

If I was forced to shoot only Factory Ammo, Remington Core-Lokt's are hard to beat for our small bodied TX Whitetails. I've killed a ton of hogs and deer with them over the years.
So has my little brother. That's all he shoots.

I'll probably just use a 180gr. Winchester powerpoint this year, loaded in my 30-06. Deer aren't hard to kill..

Berger are garbage bud was using them shot a moose with them no penetration he switched to accubonds after that.

I can't imagine not hunting deer for 9 yrs..... Poor bastid

Not a deer but many of moose been killed with regular ol remington core-lokts as well

Stuff I shoot with Berger VLDs seems to take fewer steps than stuff I shoot with others.

John

I know living in alaska for 5 1/2yrs hunting moose, bear, caribou sucks...
When I shot this guy I was like man I wish I was deer hunting

I could get along with that! I no longer feel sorry for you.

Tell us the truth now. Are you really little sticks brother...Striking resemblance there. Nice bou though..

My fellow Alaskan big stick he is a good dude your lower 48 guys are wrapped to tight and will never understand him. One day you guys will know real freedom when you go to the great state of alaska...

Why do you think we haven't been there??

Not to hijack the thread but you can't go wrong with accubonds



While you boys were dreaming about next deer season we were killing moose. Why yes that's another moose behind me. Guy ended up using my rifle cause his remington auto loader was [bleep] up. It was oh about -10 maybe -15 it was pretty cold. One year we shot a moose it was -44 used a 350 mag Ruger 77 with good ol 250gr hornady's. Anyhow use whatever bullet that works the best. Following year killed a big ol moose with a 375 rum using 300gr Sierra boat tails got him in January pretty cold that day around -20 or so.

If you have you would of never left. I'm taking my family back. When I retire I'm headed back to good ol Wasilla.

Fairly confident more than a few have visited and left for a variety of reasons, including myself.

accubonds

Deer don't take a whole lot of killing. Any bullet designed for deer hunting will kill them easily. I do my own loading and I normally "go to" the Partition. It seems to anchor deer on the spot.

In the last 40 some years I've used Hornady spitzers, both pre and Interlocks, Sierras, Speers, Interbonds, Accubonds, Partitions,Ballistic Tips, TSXs and home cast bullets. Never had a problem with any of them that were placed correctly. As the previous poster said, "deer don't take a whole lot of killing".
These days I've got mostly red boxes on the bullet shelf with plenty Partitions, Accubonds, and TTSX set aside for game bigger than deer.

pseshooter300,

John Nosler designed the Partition to shoot both deer and bigger game, because he hunted both deer and bigger game. That's why the front core is made of much softer lead alloy than most "deer bullets." He wanted the front core to expand easily and at least partly disintegrate, because from long experience he believed that killed deer quicker. He wanted the rear of the bullet to drive deeper on game like elk and, especially, moose. He hunted moose almost every year in British Columbia back then, when you could do it on your own without a guide.

Personally, I've killed various deer with Barnes Originals, X's, TSX's and Tipped TSX's; Berger VLD's; Hornady Interlocks; Norma Oryxes; Nosler Partitions, Ballistic Tips and AccuBonds; Remington Core-Lokts and Core-Lokt Ultra Bondeds; Sierra GameKings and ProHunters; Speer Hot-Cors and Grand Slams; Winchester Silvertips, Power Points, Fail Safes and XP3's, and probably some I've forgotten.

They all worked, but for all-around deer hunting I'd probably go with Hornady Interlocks or Nosler Ballistic Tips. Both do plenty of damage but also penetrate more than enough even on big deer.

Right now my favorite is the 270gr Speer in my 9.3x62. Minimal damage but very effective. Used the 150gr Nosler Soild Base for many yrs in my .300 with the same results.

When I was a kid I used a .222 Remington 788 and 52 gr hollow point bullets. Wasn't supposed to work, but I picked my shots and all were one shot kills, DRT.

243 win - 80 ttsx or 80 gmx
257 Roberts - 115 Ballistic Tip or 120 Partition
260 Rem - 129 Hornady SP
7wsm - 162 Hornady BTSP
30/06 - 130 ttsx or 180 Ballistic Tip
35 Rem 200 Core Lokt or 200 Hornady RN
358 Win - 200 Hornady SP or 225 Accubond
45/70 - 405 cast @ 1511fps or 350 Hornady FP @ 1920fps


So mainly Hornady and Nosler

Partitions are top drawer. I have been using Sierra game kings and they have been working very well. I avoid harder bullets for deer. Accubonds and Barns are great bullets in larger or heavy boned game. But my experiences with harder bullets on deer was unimpressive

These work just fine and I have used them for years even down to 300 Savage velocities

http://www.hornady.com/store/30-Cal-.308-165-gr-SP

but lately the 165 grain Core-Lokts have been my go to bullet mostly because of availability in my area.

I only use Partitions or Horn Interlocks for hunting.

you need to buy a 270

hornady interloks for me.

What he said.

Dale

Nosler BT's

This gets my vote.

preshooter300,

The same bullet,load, and sight-in that I use for antelope, deer, elk, moose and bear: Barnes 270 grn. TSX @ 2900 fps+. I may be changing to a 250 grn. TTSX once I work on proving/disproving a load next summer! memtb

Although I've had good results in the past with many different bullets on deer I pretty much shoot TTSX's in all my rifles for whatever I'm hunting.

preshooter300,

I failed to mention, we use the same philisophy for my wife. The only difference is; 338 Win. Mag, 225 TTSX's @ 2950+ fps!!!! memtb

I used 130gr b-tips since they came out in 270win and for several years in the 270wsm. Super accurate in both but changed to 140gr a-bonds because of suggestions by others that at wsm velocity's the b-tips might blow up to much and fail to penetrate, although I never experienced any problems myself. Now the 130 b-tip and 140 a-bond group together so I now sight in with b-tip shoot 2-3 shots with a-bond and hunt with the a-bond. The a-bond have a slight edge in group size. B-tips a moderate edge in price.

For many years it was the 165 gr Hornady Spitzer out of a 308 Win. That said, I have not hunted deer for a number of years since moving to Texas.

Under 3K fps, Nosler Ballistic Tips
Over 3k fps, Nosler Accubonds.

I like accubonds and ttsx.

For deer I shoot pretty much whatever I can get. I mostly use a 308 and I am not sure I could find and inadequate bullet of 150 to 180 grains. Assuming of course it was not an FMJ or strictly a target bullet.

190 grain .30 caliber cast bullet, flat nose, gas check, bhn 10-14, out of a custom Saeco mould, lubed with 50/50 NRA mixture. Driven at around 1900 fps out of various '06's, .30-30, .303 Savage, .300 Savage, etc.

Hey, you asked what my go-to deer bullet is...

Same here and they have always worked flawlessly. I've also used a couple Nosler solid based bullets in an 06 and 300 win mag. This year I plan on trying the el-cheapo 180gr. Winchester power point in my 30-06. Just wanting to try something different since the 165gr Hornady sp interlock has been so boringly consistent....

#1 - Interlock (100 gr 257 cal & 165 gr 30 cal)

#2 - Ballistic Tip (100 gr 257 cal & 168 gr 30 cal)

Interlock, SST, Ballistic Tip all work for me.
Depends what caliber I'm using.

Dan

Killed my buck this year with a Sierra 165 gr.HPBT.. Sierra's
and Nosler BTBT are my favorites.

Got this blacktail area where 25-50 yards is about normal and a stout 300 Savage load with Hornady 150 Interlocks has been too devastating. I've picked up some cast 150 grain 7mm round nose gas checked bullets for a 7mm-08 and thinking 1800-2000 fps ought work. Besides the head, where should I place these? I mean, should avoid shoulder or what? Any suggestions?

Shoot to break bones, or the spine, unless you like long tracking jobs.

Since you handload, why not back off the throttle a bit with the 150 Hornady?

For many years it was the 180g Nolser partition in my 30-06. I was always hoping for elk. For the last 15 years or so I mostly use Hornady IL.

Yah, I know. The 722 300 Sav 150 SP Interlok combo is such an accurate set up, I hate to change a thing. Might end up using downloaded 139gr Interlok 7-08 load too, more willing to experiment with that rifle, and have an accurate enough 2650ish load already. Or the 30-06 180 Power Points. Deer shouldn't be so complicated but for me at leat a zipped up. 243 70gr Ballistic Tip at 30 yards bounced right off, so I'm experimenting. Not sure what to think anymore, shoulder shot blown to hell, lung shots running off without blood, never imagined such stuff till I read it here then it happens! Its been an interesting past few years. Once had a 30-30 speed load for a 7-08 and 140NBT that really dropped stuff. Who knows.

Speed and thin jacketed bullets will blow up a lot of meat on a deer at woods ranges; even from a moderate velocity cartridge like a 7/08. I have used the 140 Partition from the 7/08 and 7x57 for that stuff,loaded 2600-2800. Works great, excellent penetration and is easier on the chops.

Rather than load "down", maintain you speed and shoot a tougher bullet.

Dumped many big deer using Hornady BTSP 140gr out of a 270. No complaints. Most pass through, a few stay in.

2600 to 2800 isn't that fast, and the front end of a 140 Partition isn't exactly tough.

I've shot a 150 grain Interlock from my 308 into a big buck at 44 paces and it didn't blow things up.

Thanks Bob and Mathman. Certainly slowing down a bit won't hurt and there's always Partitions too instead of .$25 bullets. Quite a few guys so monos are great too for close and far. Guess at 30 yards I ought just head shoot freezer deer anyway.

For potential interest, these are some sectioned deer bullets. Pic found on internet, not my work... The 165 Interbond looks fairly stout.

L to R: 110gr. Hornady SP, 130gr. Hornady SP, 150gr. Rem bulk Corelokt, 150gr. Hornady BTSP (interlock), 150gr. Hornady SST(interlock), 165gr. Hornady BTSP(interlock), 165gr. Hornady interbond, 165gr. Speer Hot Core, 180gr. Hornady SP, 180gr. CT Bal Silvertip, 180gr. Nosler Accubond, 190gr. Hornady BTSP(interlock)




Shows some Interlock rings.