My memory is hazy on this; I need a refresher.
If I remember correctly, flat base bullets are preferable for game unless there is a compelling reason to use otherwise. I just don't remember the details.
Why does one eschew boattails?
Pretty sure there's something in about all of us that makes us want the tough shot on really large game. The shot that lesser riflemen and lesser rifles and loads just can't handle.
Seems like an entire industry grew up around writing about such things, and producing rifles and loads for all the great riflemen taking the important shot. Most of the readers and most of the hunters shoot whitetails. And a whole lot of those whitetail hunters bought in to the tough bullet thing.
I'm inclined this way myself. And this despite the fact that just about all of my life's experience tells me that any decent shot carrying a 22-250 or a .243 is well equipped for most rifle chores.
Before I get stomped into a mudhole by the moose, elk and big bear hunters, let me say that my only elk was taken with a .30 caliber rifle. Then back in the late 90s I shot a spring black bear in montana. I'd read about all the grizzlies in the area, and wanted to be prepared for the "inevitable charge". I took a 30-06 loaded with 200 grain partitions.
But the guy we hunted with was from the area, and we met several of his friends that week. They all carried Remington cor-lokt ammo, and every one carried a Remington 700 7RM.
Is there anything wrong with the 06 and a 200 partition? I had loaded up a box of 50. Used a couple to adjust my zero. Used 1 on the 350 lb black bear. Used 1 on an antelope later that fall. Shot the rst of them at coyotes and they did just great.
So... No, there's nothing wrong with heavier rifles and tougher bullets.
On the other hand I've broken the off shoulder of a largish mulie with the Sierra 6mm 85 bthp. Also took my first ever black bear with the same load. A max load of IMR 4895 and the 85 bthp was my go-to hunting load for a number of years and took a lot of deer and antelope, as well as a few hogs with it.
I've heard that load described as a ping pong ball, powder puff, and a flash bang. I have nothing bad to say about it. And for many, that specific load was THE accuracy check load for about any .243 rifle.
In some of my heavier rifles, I graduated to the ballistic tip bullet. It's a boat tail in profile anyway. I hear and see others claiming they'd never use a ballistic tip on big game.
I saw one of the original ballistic tips used on an elk killed with a .300 Winchester. There was evidence that the bullet expanded quicker than what I'd like. But that bull died as quickly as most anything I've seen, and with one shot.
And over the past 25 years what I've seen from ballistic tips is about the best performance i could ever expect from a hunting bullet
