Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting What are your favorite deer bullets and why? Bad experiences?

I’m a Barnes man thru and thru. Never had a failure or issue with them in 17 years. A short list of what I’ve killed with so far.

7mm Mag 160 gr. TSX
7mm Mag 139 gr. LRX
270 WSM 110 gr. TTSX
300 WSM 180 gr. TTSX
300 WSM 130 gr. TTSX
30-06 150 gr. TTSX
30-06 165 gr. TSX
223 62 gr. TSX
7mm-08 140 gr. TSX
Muzzleloader 250 gr. T-EZ

40 cal.
400 gr, paper patch

458 cal
500gr grease groove
530gr paper patch

50 cal
750gr grease groove

All lit with black powder, you cant make em fail, they don't need to expand, they're ready to work when they arrive, when you shove one in a Sharps rifle or lever one up in an original '86 Winchester, you'll never see that bullet again, no need to bring those pesky calipers to camp to study recovered projectiles!

I'm a big fan of Nosler Ballistic Tips, at least the newer ones, and Barnes TTSX.

However, when it comes down to overall efficiency, it's tough to argue with the .224 Hornady 55gr SP. It's a plain-jane cup-n-core bullet that can be bought in bulk extremely cheaply. It's accurate in pretty much any rifle with any twist rate. It's constructed well enough to hold together and perform well even from a 220 Swift. I've killed and seen killed a lot of animals using that one particular bullet out of everything from the 223 Rem to the Swift, and it's just amazing how well it works time after time.

Whatever Walmart has on sale. Usually I get 30/06 Winchester Super X in 180 grain power point. I use them for everything, elk, deer, antelope, hogs. Plus I try to get the rebate from Winchester.

420gr cast bullet in my .40-70 Sharps Straight Shiloh Sporter Number 1

Nosler Ballistic tips. Does not matter what caliber

Currently shooting these, but I often try others....

6.5 Creedmoor - Hornady 143 ELD-X
260 - Nosler 120 BT
6.5x55 - Nosler 130 AB
7mm-08 - Nosler 140 AB
308 - Hornady 150 IB
30-06 - Sierra 150 BTSP
270 WSM - Nosler 140 AB
7mm Rem Mag - Barnes 140 TSX
444 - Hornady 265 SP


I had bad experiences a long time ago using....
270 - Nosler 130 BT (no blood trail on broadside shot. I did find the deer)
270 - Nosler 150 BT (bullet came apart on shoulder sending pieces of the bullet in different directions with minimal penetration.) This must have just been a freak incident.

Have had great results with:

95 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, 6mm Remington. I load these to about 3,000 fps for my youngest son's rifle. 5/8" groups and deadly on deer.

115 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, 25-06 Remington. Loaded to about 3150 fps. Excellent accuracy and wonderful results on deer & antelope.

115 grain Berger VLD, 25-06 Remington. Loaded to about 3190 fps. Excellent accuracy and quick (instant) drops.

165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, 30-06 Springfield. Loaded to 2940 fps. Excellent accuracy and wow - great penetration. I've only recovered two, one from a big mule deer shot lengthwise, and one from a black bear - the bullet jacket was hanging in the bear's off-side hide. That season I took elk, bear, pronghorn & mule deer, all with 165 Nosler B-Tip from my 30-06, longest shot was the elk at 340 yards. For me it's been an outstanding all-around 30 cal bullet.

Regards, Guy

I always feel good about Federal. I've had mixed results with Core-Lokts

That Federal Fusion stuff has worked GREAT for a few of my hunting buddies. Good accuracy and wow - works great on game.

Guy

Remington corelokt in 308 and 358 Win. But since then Barnes X in the original, blue meanies, and TTSXs. Both calibers. No failures. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

120 gr. Nosler Hunting Ballistic Tip in either the 6.5 Creedmoor or the 7mm-08 Remington. Great accuracy in both. Plenty tough for any deer, whitetail or mule. Some here have even used this bullet on Elk.

Noslers. Because they work.

I see a lot of 7mm 120gr NBTs on this list.

core-lokts, power points, fusions, partitions, blue box federals have all worked for me. these days i shoot factory blue box 150's in one 308 win and corelokts in another 308 win as each rifle shows a preference. 243 likes 100gr blue box and has taken numerous deer for my grandkids.

Yep.

Sorta makes a statement.

DF

Some favorites of mine are;
25 cal:85 gr Nosler BT 115 gr Nosler BT, 117 gr Sierra PH,120 gr Seer
6.5 100gr Nosler BT and Part, 120gr Nosler BT
7mm 115gr Speer HP, 140gr Nosler BT 139 gr Hornady Interlock
30 cal 130 gr Speer HP 150 Nosler BT, 165 gr Nosler partition, 165 Speer Hot cor
35 cal 225gr Barnes TSX, 225gr Sierra gameking

I like and use the 120 NBT in my 7-08, kills deer and hogs very well.

A surprise bullet is the 140 gr. Sierra Game King HPBT. That one is a bit more expansive than the NBT, but does exit OK with lots of internal damage, chest shooting WT's, good blood flow from two holes. Deer are DRT or don't travel very far. It's the most accurate bullet in my 7-08. I'm liking it as much if not more than the 120 NBT, using it like we do on local WT's.

I had loaded a series of bullets to check performance. The 140 SGK HPBT was bit of a surprise, grouping so well and consistently so. I then started shooting deer with it and was impressed with its terminal performance. It may not the the best all around bullet for the 7-08, but is excellent for this application.

The SGK HPBT has all 5 star reviews on the MidwayUSA site. That's pretty rare, unanimous 5 star reviews on just about any product. IMO, this one deserves it.

DF

My only bad experience is when I can't get out. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

I guess I am living in the past, following Finn Aagard's advice, in non magnum applications, the old Remington Cor lokts continue to do the job without drama. Have tried a few wonder bullets, just out of curiosity, although twice or three times as expensive, I don't know if they are twice as effective. As Barsness is fond of saying, at what point after the animals death did you decide the bullet failed? Now in Calif we have to use copper, we shall see what we shall see.