Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Best deer bullet for meat retention?

Whatda guys think? Less bloodshot the better, which is your favorite?

.38-55 or .45-70 is "eat right up to the bullet hole". These crazy new high velocity rounds like the .300 Savage and the .30-40 Krag are just wasteful.

Barnes

Solid bullet from a 375 H&H. A clean hole on each side and no bloodshot.

Berger 140 vld at 2700 fps. 6.5 caliber.

In Spades.

Yup

Full metal Jacket! 🤣🤣

Barnes for deer intend on eating . I use the Berger’s and SST’s when I see that they have CWD and are not eatable.

girl betta fish

I used to shoot Washington Blacktails with a 30-30 loaded with cast bullets. It was pretty easy on meat.

🤫😂

30 cal. 180 gr rn powerpoint.

357 Mag handgun with hard cast LBT WFN GC bullet.
44 mag with hard cast SWCs or LBTS at only 1100 FPS is good.

And a 458 with a 500 grain RN is also easy on meat.

I've had good results with Corelokts.

Best answers are on the bowhunting forum

Nailed it.
Absolutely correct.

358 win - 225 gr sierra.

Really any bullet moving at 1800-2400 FPS will penetrative vs. catvitate.... but 225’s for some reason seem to hammer them.

Blackpowder round balls do about the same thing

Barnes TTSX 257wby for body shots

.22mag in earhole for other scenarios

The one that doesn't hit the part I want to eat.

There's truth in those words.

I have no issues tracking a deer a little ways where I hunt.

Big, slow bullets not hitting bone get it done with little to no meat loss and I get a blood trail Stevie Wonder could follow

Even fast soft bullets going through ribs don't destroy a lot of meat.

50 cal, 750 grains, 120 grains black powder...........................muther fuggin BOOOMMMM! no table fare lost!

I’d have to agree. When I’m after a deer specifically for the freezer, I’ll try to wait for a good broadside shot and aim for ribs. They might run a little farther, but I’ll be okay with that.

405 Winchester and a 300 grain Barnes TSX .

yup yup

The slower the better usually. Monos usually have a smaller frontal area when expanded so IME cause less damage but I have lost an entire shoulder off a deer with one but that was a less than ideal shot placement out of a 300Rum so wasn't the bullet's fault.

Pffft, 22lr, duh...

If they are close enough I just shoot the head. Or neck at base of the head. Hard bullets designed for bigger game don't expand as rapidly and bruise up as much meat.

Well dropping the deer retains all the meat.

I would say federal fusion has been good to me.

400gr remington soft point factory load in my 45/70 drills 1/2" holes in one side and out the other. its not actually the way i prefer though. i've had deer run 100 yards or more shot like that. i much prefer a high velocity round in the boiler room. they don't go far. might blood shot a little shoulder meat, but i grind that all into burger anyway so its easy to trim.

As others have said, Barnes.

If you don't want to ruin meat, the best solution is not shooting them in the meat.

I think that sums it up. Shot an antelope buck quartering towards me with a 257 Roy and a 100 TSX. Busted and ruined front shoulder with bone fragments everywhere, penetrated straight line and busted opposite hindquarter throwing bone bits all over it. So lost about half that antelope with a Barnes. I am sure a tight behind the shoulder shot broadside would have minimized meat loss with that bullet or any other.

Buts its late February and internet discussions are great. Pass me the 140 vld please.

As a bunch have said....Barnes.

I thought that my deer deserved a premium bullet, so I shot a nice one with a Barnes TSX and he ran away. First one I've ever lost in 50 years of hunting. I use those Barnes left overs to foul the barrel now.

for me 44mag cast bullet of good flat point

or a 35 cal 200 gr cast out of my Whelen

most lead bullets I've used have performed the way you seek.

plus one other recently


25-06 75gr X bullet at warp speed.

Barnes is my vote, caliber would be 9.3x62

You want maximum meat? .264/6.5mm 130gr Copper Safari Solid

I bet you know all about getting maximum meat.

Ruger 77/357 w/ Federal AE 158 gr. JSP.






GR

Big fat kinda slow one seems to leave more tasty stuff

Just about any CEB solid will do the job.

Seriously? If I had to worry about losing an inch or two of rib meat I'd quit hunting!

Finally! The only logical post.

Yep.

Well, I'm gonna see what 300 Savage does with 150g bullets next season.

The one I have had the best luck with is not what most would consider a deer rifle or bullet. A 9.3X62 Mauser with a Norma 232g Oryx bullet. No meat damage even through a shoulder. Tends to plant them on the spot as well.

Rest assured a 300 Savage with a 150 grain bullet is quite effective.

Low in the chest, behind the front leg. Maybe a third of the way up.

IMO bullet doesn’t matter much at that point.

A premium bullet doesn't improve low grade shot placement.

Heavy for caliber and slow. To wit, my 9.3x62 at 2400 with a 286 NP destroys scant little meat.

Yep - 45 grain copper washed federal American Eagle subsonic thru a can to the ear hole of choice - saying for a friend who is a meat hunter. Or a hard cast lead from your elephant rifle in between African trips - mines a 458 Win.

Impact velocity and point of impact are big factors to meat loss as well.

Just sayin' for a friend.

Barnes. Definitely not Bergers, as mentioned above.

I think the 22 LR has probably filled more freezers with undamaged meat than most other calibers. Accompanied with a decent spotlight of course!

Jud, ya big dumb bastard, I like to troll with worm harnesses, behind a bottom bouncer !

Neck shots, use any bullet you want.

^^^^^ This--- right behind the ear

^^^^^ This--- right behind the ear

12 gauge soft lead round ball.

The bullet is only one part of the equation, velocity is a big part, distance the shot is taken at, and where you hit the animal. I remember one client that shot a 250 pound black bear quartering-on at 20 yards, with a 7 Rem Mag and a 140 SP bullet, the bullet hit the shoulder and fragmented, which is expected considering the ultra high velocity, ultra close distance and soft bullet and poor shot placement... well if you don't like eating bear, the shot placement was perfect because we could only save a couple roasts, the bear was basically a fur sack of jello.

Match your bullet to the velocity to the distance and then do your part on the shot placement.

The last few head of game I have shot have been with a Ruger M77 Mark II Frontier in .358 Winchester with 225 grain Partitions... shots from 20 yards to 150 yards, deer, bear, moose... combined, I don't think I lost an ounce of meat.

Best deer bullet for meat retention?

The one that hits ribs on both sides and retains 65-75%.
ie: deposits a lot of energy inside the chest cavity.

Just my opinion.

165 grain Sierra BT

Not, I used those Federal premium 30-06 ammo loaded with Sierra 165 BTs back in the late '70s and early 80's. They would leave an exit hole like you've never seen.

.40, .45 or .50 round ball from a tradition flintlock

+1 for the round ball. I used to shoot five whitetails most Falls with the .54 cal. Can eat right up to the hole!

Largest projectile with slowest speed. That's why muzzleloader or dangerous game rifles do well in meat preservation.

aim between the front legs, a bit above the breastbone, as pharma recommended. load 308 or 06 at about 2500 fps. i've never shot one past 100 yards.

Shooting them in the head.

this

For sure not a 257 Weatherby at close range. One can do a heart shot and blood shock the loins.

Not this... hitting the shoulder you might lose 10 pounds of meat... attempting head shots and you will more often than not lose 100 pounds of meat.

Head shots may not be unethical, but they are highly risky and often go wrong... just put one through the boiler room and be satisfied with losing a few ounces of rib meat.

I limit myself to 300yds but the vast majority of animals I've shot have been well under 250. At that range I have shot chest shot's for years. Last deer I shot with my 25-06 and a 100gr bullet was turned to soup inside. Went to heavy bullet 117gr and damage went way down but the deer normally walk off a few steps and lie down dead. With my gun's and they way they shoot and the range I'm willing to shoot, to save meat I think my best shot is a neck shot just below the head aways. Did that years ago and never lost a deer but reading to much got the better of me. Thing is my worst shooting rifle will do 1 1/4" at 100yds At 250 that's still not a huge group and certainly capibile of hitting that target with a 1 1/4" rifle. Been thinking that using a 1"- rifle to hit a 3-4" target at 200-250 yds means I've no need for that accurate a rifle!

All copper Barnes TTSX & or 50 cal Cast bullet from muzzle loader have done really well for me. Not to over look archery.