We are not shooting game in a laboratory, rather, in many cases a swimming pool of schet and when the bullet reaches its target, we expect it to perform as advertised. The worst bullet I have encountered is the Sierra .257 90 grain HPBT used in the 250-3000 Savage and .257 Roberts. My Dad and Uncles read the Sierra advertising and Ken Waters comments and began using it in their 250 Savages and 257 Roberts. Working up loads in their rifles showed accuracy that bested all other bullets. Euphoric is the best description.
Subsequent use in Wisconsin and Montana deer camps proved the bullet was not reliable on deer.
I had to see for myself, so Dad loaded some for my Savage 99. I killed 3 deer with it at a distance between 175 and 200 yards. All three lung shots, only one bullet exited. Next deer was a nice Mule deer buck that came trotting up out of a coulee and when I stopped him with a whistle he was 50 yards away. Put a 90 gr HPBT into his near shoulder thinking that would anchor him to keep him from tumbling back down into that steep coulee. He bucked into the air and went out of sight into another coulee. I raced over the ridge back expecting to see him down. Nope, he was 3/4 of the way up the wall of the next coulee. I went prone and thru the scope he looked to be about 250 yards and put the cross hairs on top of his neck/back waiting for him to pause. He did and went down at the shot. My first shot splashed on his shoulder and second hit the spine.
Another time, I had the 90 gr splash on a Whitetail shoulder at short range and required a second shot.
Dad and my Uncles were right.
I still keep some of the bullets on hand for accuracy testing. If a .257 caliber rifle does not shoot good groups with that bullet, generally there are other issues.
Quotes:
Sierra .257 90 grain HPBT
Sierra Website
It will perform as a varmint bullet at high velocities, but it may also be used on medium game from smaller-capacity cartridges, such as the 250-3000 Savage and 257 Roberts.
Sierra Reloading Manual 4th Edition
250-3000 Realistically, the 100 grain bullets are probably the best choice for deer sized game. The 87 grain spitzer and 90 grain HPBT bullets will serve well for varmints, but are only adequate for deer and antelope if shots are placed precisely.
257 Roberts Reloaders find the 87 grain Spitzer and 90 grain HPBT serve well for most long-range varmint shooting, while the 100 grain Spitzer and Spitzer Boat Tail give best results on deer-sized game.
Ken Waters - Pet Loads Vo. 1
250-3000 (1975) Our table of loads tells the full story of bullet and load results. I'll just add the comment that I confess to being intrigued with that 90-grain Sierra hollow-point boat-tail driven at better than 2,900 fps. While I realize that it has neither the sectional density of the various 100 grain bullets, nor the ballistic coefficient of either 100 or 87 grain spitzers, it may just prove capable of doing the work of both heavier and lighter weights. I dunno, not having had an opportunity to try it on game, but it will be interesting to watch the reports as they come in from the field on this relatively new bullet.
Bad judgement and bullet placement.
Oh, I see nothing to do with bullet construction, yet when some of us changed to 87 grain Speer HotCors we punched shoulders and most double lung shots were a complete pass thru.
