First iteration was supposed to be good. Supposedly the second were too soft. It was especially problematic in .375" where some folks got in trouble on big stuff.
Story was 2nd were not in production very long before the "corrected" third type. Saw a thread on another forum years back with pics demonstrating external differences between the short-lived 2nd and 3rd iterations.
Still have boxes of .308", .338", .375", .257", .277". Best I can tell all from '70s and '80s. No issues with the .308" 180 gr or .375" 300 gr on deer. They are a bit quicker to expand vs a Rem CL, and not as accurate, IME. The .375 300 enjoyed a good reputation, and I found it does not lack for penetration - at least not at H&H/Ruger velocities.
There are poor performance anecdotes for literally every bullet ever made.
