I've killed deer with 180 gr RN 30-06 and 170 gr 30-30. They worked just fine, but I don't believe for a second they work better than pointed bullets. I've killed deer and bear with pointed bullets, and they all died just the same. I mistakenly picked up a box of 150 gr RN bullets several years ago and tried loading them in my 308. Accuracy results were not good. That may well have been a fluke and I can see some rifles being more accurate with RN bullets.
High BC pointy bullets are simply not needed at the distances I kill my deer.
Maybe not, but here is the point you're missing. A high BC 180 gr bullet fired from a 30-06 @ 2800 fps will impact with more speed at 75 yards and beyond than a RN 180 gr bullet fired from a 300 WM @3000 fps. It's not about trajectory, the 300 WM still shoots flatter out to any reasonable hunting range, but at only 75 yards the high BC bullet impacts with more speed. And 75 yards isn't long range.
That same high BC 180 gr bullet fired from a 308 @ 2600 fps will catch up to the 300 WM at only 175 yards. If I can fire a 308, with 1/2 the recoil of a 300 WM, and beat 300 WM RN performance at 175 yards or beyond, I'll choose 308 and high BC bullets every time. I didn't run the numbers comparing 308 to 30-06 but would expect similar results. 308 with high BC bullets should beat 30-06 RN inside of 100 yards.
RN bullets do expand better at low velocity. And it is a good thing, because they will be impacting at lower speeds. Pointed bullets of the same weight may need more speed to expand, but once again they will be impacting faster.
