I normally use Sierra Pro-Hunters (flat-based) bullets on deer, never had an issue with them.
I have had the 130 Gamekings and 140gr. Hornady Boattails grenade on deer, though, and that has soured me on boattails for deer.
I have NO experience with the 130 Spire Points, but my cousin has killed a schittload of deer with it, and I've never heard a complaint out of him. I'd not worry too much about it. Deer are easy to kill. Even those deer which I hit with the "bad bullets" died quickly, but it was REALLY messy. Hornady has fooled with that 140 several times, moving the cannelure around like they were shuffling cards or something. I do NOT trust that bullet for anything bigger than coyotes.[/quote[quote=ratsmacker] I normally use Sierra Pro-Hunters (flat-based) bullets on deer, never had an issue with them.
I have had the 130 Gamekings and 140gr. Hornady Boattails grenade on deer, though, and that has soured me on boattails for deer.
I have NO experience with the 130 Spire Points, but my cousin has killed a schittload of deer with it, and I've never heard a complaint out of him. I'd not worry too much about it. Deer are easy to kill. Even those deer which I hit with the "bad bullets" died quickly, but it was REALLY messy. Hornady has fooled with that 140 several times, moving the cannelure around like they were shuffling cards or something. I do NOT trust that bullet for anything bigger than coyotes.
This happened to me using the Sierra Pro-Hunters, back 15-20 years or so. Dad wanted me to load him some ammo for his 270 Win. and I chose the 130 gr Pro Hunter. Worked up a load and it shot good. In a 2 week period, he shot 3 deer on a pipeline, but lost them in the really thick brush. No blood trail. He bought some Rem core-loc's and never had another problem, killed several more deer that year. I figured it was a fluke, but I never hunted with the bullets.
A year or so later, I was planning a trip to hunt red stag in Argentina (I never did get to go). Talking to an outfitter and asked about using a .270 Win with reloads. He said the rifle was fine, but not to use Sierra Pro-Hunter bullets. They had some bad experiences with that bullet in prior years and would not take a hunter that was using that bullet.
I figure there was a problem with a batch of bullets that QC missed and I just happened to get some of them, along with the hunters in Argentina. I've heard too many good things about the bullet from other hunters to think they are all bad. But, it has soured me on using them again.
