Our Mississippi lease is on paper company land. We have food plots surrounded by thick planted pines and hardwood creek bottoms. Last year I shot two does on consecutive days from the same plot. Both were shot while crossing in the woods behind the food plot at a distance of 130-40 yards.
The first with a 25-06 loaded with Hornady 117gr. BTSP at approx. 3000 fps. The bullet impacted the near shoulder and exited behind the off side shoulder. The second was with a 35 Whelen loaded with Hornady 200gr. SP at approximately 2700 fps. That shot impacted behind the near shoulder and exited the offside shoulder. At the shot both jumped and kicked then took off running before piling up within 50 yards. Both blood trails were easy to follow and you could not have said which bullet produced the better trail. In that instance I saw no advantage to either velocity or bullet frontal area.
That being said I'm a product of a generation that places more trust in a bigger bullet. I will be using a .243 this year and have had success with it before but I will be using it on morning stands where I have daylight to recover the deer or hog.
