I generally shoot premium bullets myself - particularily in good brown bear country.
However- I have some "howevers" about this.
Take, for example, the big bull caribou I shot in mid-August (Friday the 13th to be precise), 2004. I was shooting a Remington Coreloct 180 gr. through a 17-inch barrelled .30-06, at about 350 yards. ( I'd "called" the range to be 300) The bullet entered at the junction of a rib with the brisket bone, shattering the brisket, and exiting. I think the bullet seperated at that point, as one chamber of the heart, above, was sliced open, either from the lead or a piece of bone. The jacket- about half of it, nicely petalled, was found against the opposite leg femur bone.
I imagine a premium bullet might have shattered the femur as well, but, perhaps not. At any rate, that's pretty darned good performance from a "non-premium" bullet. Who needs more (assuming one place the bullet properly - and better than I did) - except perhaps on the really big and/or dangerous stuff? I'm not sure a premium bullet would have performed as well in this instance. So I got lucky maybe.
I will continue to use premium bullets, just for "insurance' when hunting in "thick" brown bear country (moose-hunting, primarily, or in heavy-animal-for-caliber situations), but in my opinion, the "standard" bullets are all one really needs for most hunting. But please yourself. Premium bullets are mighty cheap, compared with the cost of "custom' hunts. If a "standard" bullet is more accurate, within reason, in your rifle, that's the one I'd recommend.
