Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Heavy for caliber bullets

In every big game rifle I load for I use heavier bullet than what is "traditional" even though I mostly hunt nothing bigger than deer. In 270 it's usually a 140 or 150. In 30-06 it's used to be a 165 and is now 180. Anyway, I was talking to a friend ( who doesn't hand load ) and he asked me why I don't shoot normal bullet weights. I said that I just like the fact that heavier bullets hold together a little better and from my limited experience seem to but not always put more of a shock into the animal.
I've seen several times when a deer hit with a normal weight bullet takes off light a bolt of lighting, doesn't go far but takes off fast. I've also seen several hit with heavier bullets take off but they usually seem to struggle more and can't get it together as quick. It's not always the case but it happens enough that I've noticed it.
Just got me wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences or if it's just my imagination. Also got me wondering where did " normal " bullet weights come from? Is there any good reason they became the standard that everyone used?

Nothing unusual about the bullets you are shooting. "Normal" is usually a range, and you are in it.

As for the heavier bullets killing faster, yes, it's just your imagination. In a .270, it's difficult to find a bullet that can inflict more tissue damage then a 130gr Nosler ballistic tip.

It's been my experience that unless you disrupt the central nervous system on a whitetail deer, they will run 50-75 yards after the shot regardless of what bullet or caliber you use.

It has been my experience that in some cases a "heavy bullet" do not open up on smaller thin skin game.

It may be a localized thing or due to different hunting environments but up here (all across Ontario) the standard bullet weight for 270s is the 150 by far, for 308 & 06 the most common bullet weight sold is 180s, again by a huge margin.

Yeah, and Ive known of numerous incidents of so-called "premium" bullets like Nosler Partitions and Barnes TSX 'penciling' on through without opening�...

If using cup/cores at moderate speeds, I prefer bullets from the middle to top end of the weight range. This seems to give adequate penetration and good expansion both. There may not be the "shock" factor like with the lightweights, but things generally turn out well. Over the years, my father and I have found that a typical lead-core 165-200gr .30cal bullet or 150-160gr 7mm bullet at 2,600-2,850fps is a dependable killer on deer and hogs with nice blood trails generally being present. Recovery of animals is usually quick and fairly easy.

BriBri,

180's in a 06 are "middle" of the road. I have better luck with a 165 BTSP and haven't had a deer make it past 30 yards with a good double lung hit.

Bigger bullets are great for "breaking" down game when shooting bone which isn't necessary to do unless very large game or dangerous game.

Too sturdy of a bullet can be too much of a good thing on medium size game for heart/lung shots. They tend to pass through in my experience and may not kill as quickly?

Shot placement will dictate how fast an animal is incapacitated over bullet weight or a magical bullet. CNS (brain/spine) is the only reliable way to "drop" animals at the shot but are not as ethical shots since the margin of error is greater.

We are at the Golden Age of bullets. We have the best designs available for hunting at our disposal that are reliable and accurate at a range of speed that makes it very difficult to "fail" compared to the older style bullets.

If you don't reload the heavy for caliber bullet works because it is a little slower. Unless shots over 300 yards are anticipated, I generally load all calibers to a 2750-2800fps "sweet spot". Could be imaginary but I've tried faster and slower and slower has been better for me. Besides, it doesn't spoil as much meat.

That's funny, it never even crossed my mind that popular bullet weights could be a regional thing. Makes sense though. Round here if you're hunting deer with a 270 most people use a 130, if it's something in 7mm it's 140's, in 30 cal it's 150's for deer. That's why I get asked why I shoot heavy bullets. I don't just shoot the heaviest thing I can get, but when I look at the choices available for whatever I'm loading for I just tend to end up choosing something a little heavier than what is considered normal in my neck of the woods.
By the way, I have absolutely no problem admitting that the on game performance of heavier bullets very well could be ( and almost certainly is ) all imaginary but sometimes that all you need to give you the confidence to make the shot.

Shoot what you have the most confidence in...

...and that is the bottom line right there. Whatever floats your boat man.

Some guys around here swear by light-for-caliber monometals and others fast NBTs. I've found they all work; heavy or average cup-n-cores, too. Deer just aren't that hard to kill so it's all about what boosts yer confidence in a clean, humane, kill.

hmmm... I have without any question seen many, many more deer wounded by heavy for caliber bullets than light for caliber bullets. Easily a 10:1 ratio. Likely most of that is due to the fact that until recently light for caliber bullets weren't such a good idea and thus didn't get used much.

Now, 130 grain 30 caliber TTSXs, 80 grain .243 caliber TTSXs, 110 grain .270 caliber TTSXs have shown themselves to be spectacular killers without destroying meat. Out of close on 75 deer killed with them I have seen zero problems other than the lack of blood trail that often enough accompanies a blown up heart and blood pressure dropped to zero instantly.

I'd say shot placement trumps bullet construction and weight 100:1. I think you'll have a much harder time finding a 30 caliber big game bullet that won't be suitable for deer in the -06 inside 300 yds than a bullet than one that will. So if you want to use a 130 gr X bullet, or a 220 gr round nose, or anything in between, work up an accurate load and place it where it matters and game over.

More often than not "bullet failure" is a euphamism for poorly placed shot.

+1, same principle is true of a friend of mine who bought a 300 wsm because he blames his 270 for lack of recovery of a wounded, southern white tail