1OJ: I guess we could both be accused of using anecdotal experience as data (hence our completely divergent conclusions).
I do think there would be better choices than to use a .25 100grain Ballistic Tip on a large-bodied deer, especially if driven at velocities approaching .25-06 speeds.
However, for antelope, I have found that very bullet to be perfect for antelope when launched from my Browning B78 (.25-06) at 3450fps. Antelope are not thick-skinned, and I'm not in the practice of shooting them in the fanny as they run away.
At more earthly velocities (such as from my .250 Savages), I find the 85 grain Ballistic Tip to be the cat's meow for antelope. Early on when using this bullet (and the 100 grain in the bigger gun), I thought the bullet was never exiting. Almost without fail, upon skinning, a tiny hole could be found where the copper "disk" that was the solid base of the bullet (and perhaps some wall jacket attached) made it out of the animal.
I would not want such bullet "blowup" on an elk, moose, or a silver-faced muley. On the other hand, with antelope or average sized deer, if "blowup" results in a rapidly deceased animal, I find very little dissatisfaction with such performance.
My early loading experience with the .270 was centered on the old Sierra SPBT. Mostly because it shot so well (and still does) out of any .270 I tried it in. While I stood with a buddy admiring an old regressed fork-horn 250lb mule deer, we discovered a lump just under the skin on the far side of the bullet entrance hole. We carved it out, and found the Sierra jacket well flayed but pretty much all there , with only a button of lead that promptly fell out of it. My friend remarked, "Oh. You've got core separation!", in a tone of voice that a doctor might use to tell me I had a social disease.
I looked down at a very inert huge muley that had become very inert very quickly after inflicting "core separation" upon me and my bullet, and had difficulty grasping my friend's point.
I still do.
Last edited by Tahnka; 07/07/11.
