Mule Deer �
While I respect your experience and read your articles with more enthusiasm than most, the vastness of your experience does not negate mine, however paltry in comparison. And in my world, my experience is what counts.
While no bullet is perfect, some perform more consistently under a wider array of adverse circumstances than do others. That more consistent performance is more important to me than saving a few cents or even a dollar, just as I�m willing to pay far more for reliable transportation than a vehicle that �usually works�.
There are several things I've decided after all this:
1) Shot placement is still 90% of "killing power," even with all of today's Wonder Bullets, and more important than foot-pounds or bullet diameter.
We are in complete agreement on this.
2) Fragmenting or partial-fragmenting bullets do kill deer-sized game quicker. This was determined by pacing off the distance animals traveled after being shot in the heart-lung area. The quickest killing bullet I've ever seen is the Berger VLD, but there are a bunch of other good partial-frgamenting bullets.
While there is no doubt that fragmenting bullets can provide dramatic kills, it is also true that such bullets may not provide the penetration needed on a bad angle. I like them for varmints but won�t use them for big game. Others can use what they want but my preference is bullets that stick together.
3) Many hunters who have a firm belief in premium bullets tend to equate price with performance, which (as with many things) isn't a valid assumption.
There is a degree of correlation between price and design, and consistency of performance is a product of the design. I agree, however, an expensive bullet does not necessarily mean the design works as desired. Barnes� XLC�s are a case in point in my personal experience, with very inconsistent performance. Couldn�t bring myself to use the all-too-similar TSX�s on game but have had very good results with TTSX and MRX.
4) The danger of a bullet not penetrating to the vitals is highly exaggerated, especially by hunters convinced that premium bullets are The Answer. In all the hunting and observation I've done, only a handful of bullets have disintegrated to the point where they didn't penetrate the vitals of the big game animal in question. A couple of these were on deer, and maybe three were on larger game. Of course, the bullet used for most game was selected either for construction or weight or both.
If we are talking about broadside shots on antelope to elk, the limit of my experience, I tend to agree. If I knew every shot would be a well placed broadside I wouldn�t worry about bullet selection. Nevertheless, bad stuff happens � you�ve seen it, I�ve seen it. I prefer it happens to someone else.
If I have to put down a fleeing animal and a THS is all that is presented, a fragmenting bullet is not what I would want in the pipe. The only way to be sure that doesn�t happen is not to load such bullets in the first place. Others are welcome to choose differently.
5) At least 10 big game animals should be taken with any bullet before even beginning to draw any conclusions about performance. Odd things happen now and then, even to $1 bullets.
If you want to discuss this further, fine.
On this I agree and disagree. Odd things do happen to good bullets but often those �odd things� would be considered rather normal for other bullet types.
If taking a THS I would much rather have a heavy BT than a light one and I don�t need to shoot 10 animals to figure that out. My first big game animal was taken with an InterLock. That was also the last animal I took using a bolt gun and standard cup-and-core bullets. Nearly 30 years later I don�t regret that decision at all.
Some people prefer bullets that are advertised to blow up after impact, like the Bergers. My preference is bullets that provide reliable but limited expansion coupled with high weight retention. Such bullets have worked well for me over the years and I�m willing to pay more for them. If there is a down side to such bullets, other than a minor difference in cost, I have yet to find it.
