I've always used Sierra Game Kings for deer over the past 40 years I've been reloading. Both in my 30-06 and 7mm Mag.. Killed deer from 30 yards to over 350 yards. Most were bang flop, the farthest any of them ran was 45 yards and that was my fault, a bad hit.
best whitetail deer bullet
- Thread starter povertyknob
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povertyknob
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- Joined
- Feb 5, 2015
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I decided on 130 accubonds this year. Shot a buck at 50 yds and a doe at 100 yds both shoulder shots. No exits, both ran 30 yds and piled up. Interesting to me that i did not get an exit. Hardly any blood out of the buck. Raining straight down when i shot doe so Im noy sure on her. Anyway, 2 shots and 2 deer.
scottishkat
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- Jul 19, 2014
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- 614
I am surprised at no exits with the 130 NAB are the entry wounds on the large side. I have been shooting the 140 AMAX in my 260 rem and 6.5x284 on these VA whitetails and they drop like rain.
The 140 NAB was the first bullet I used for deer and entries and exits were always small. The deer did not travel far though. At your velocity they should be worth a try.
Good luck and shoot straight
Bob
Jayjay
Well-Known Member
no doubt Berger bullet they are good from 0 to however far you want to shoot.
The Oregonian
Well-Known Member
I can't tell you the best as I haven't tried them all, but my experience is that Nosler AB's tended to pencil through in my 270 win. The deer was at 75 yds and didn't go more than 40 yds, but after the shot I lost him bc all I saw were 25 tails running out of there. So I sat to give him time...very little blood. Tracking would have been very hard, but we saw him piled up in thick brush. It was a double lung and heart shot so for this deer it didn't matter, but the exit was very small.
I switched it up last year and went to a Nosler BT and had much better luck. After a 125 yd shot he went 50 yds, and blood trail would have been easy to track had he not been in a field. A doe at 40 yds dropped in her tracks. Both bullets fragmented and had huge exits, in one case two large exits after the bullet grenaded inside her.
This year I have continued with e BT in my 30-06. Shot 5 deer, a hog, and a cow elk. I am thrilled wth the performance. A big Kansas 10 pt had his legs fall out from under him with a high shoulder shot. Any of the animals could have been tracked but not one went more than 50 yds, and half of them dropped in their tracks.
I switched it up last year and went to a Nosler BT and had much better luck. After a 125 yd shot he went 50 yds, and blood trail would have been easy to track had he not been in a field. A doe at 40 yds dropped in her tracks. Both bullets fragmented and had huge exits, in one case two large exits after the bullet grenaded inside her.
This year I have continued with e BT in my 30-06. Shot 5 deer, a hog, and a cow elk. I am thrilled wth the performance. A big Kansas 10 pt had his legs fall out from under him with a high shoulder shot. Any of the animals could have been tracked but not one went more than 50 yds, and half of them dropped in their tracks.
LeePaHunter
Well-Known Member
I shoot a Remington 300 SAUM with 165 gr nosler partition spitzers at 3100 fps. I shot a doe last year at 30 yards. The entry was pencil sized and the exit was the size of a quarter not much meat damage. I shot a buck this year at close 300 yards it ran about 10 yards and piled up with pretty much the same outcome. I am a fan of nobler after using them for a.couple years now but to each.their own and each gun will perform differently with different bullets. All I can say is I haven't heard to many people say bad things about noslers.
ShootnMathews
Well-Known Member
For 0 to 500 yards the Nosler BT is the best bullet I've seen. I've never had one fail to expand across a broad range of calibers and 99% of the deer I've killed with them did not need tracked. You could see them fall. Either in there tracks or close by.
LeePaHunter
Well-Known Member
Amen shootenmattews, nosler has some pretty decent bullet options for a wide range of shooting preferences. I am actually working up a load for my 35 whelen with noslers Accubond bullets in the 200 gr. I know it isn't a long range rifle but it sure drops the black bear in their tracks. I can't wait to get this load perfected and try them on a good bear.I have been shooting 200 gr corelokts from this rifle.but have so much brass I figured it was time to reload for it. I can't wait.
ShootnMathews
Well-Known Member
Noslers terminal performance is great and accuracy is great but their BC's are mediocre at best. That why I say 0-500 yards. Nosler BT are my "go to " hunting bullet for sub 500 yard work. Even at 50 yards at high velocity I get perfect expansion and devastating wound channels. Now for 500 yard plus hunting a better BC bullet is needed. The noslers will get there but lose so much speed and energy and that I limit game shots to 700 to ensure good expansion. I have not tried any of the ABLR. I have never seen a single box in stock anywhere I buy supplies so I can't speak for them. I hear they are too soft for close work but I'd say a lot of that depends on placement of they shot.
LeePaHunter
Well-Known Member
Yeah I have seen the ablr as well but never tried any yet to date. As far as hunting I prefer my partitions which have a beautiful job of expanding on whitetail.
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
Having dropped numerous whitetails on my own hunting land in Northern Michigan and out west, my humble opinion on the best bullet is the one that kills them.....lol
jgal72
Well-Known Member
Can't go wrong using the ballistic tip for deer. Over the years I've shot deer from 20 to 450 yards with them. Fairly easy to find a accurate load with them also.
LeePaHunter
Well-Known Member
I loaded up some some ballistic tips for my cousin a few years ago. They were 120 gr for a 260 remington. He said the buck he shot dropped right where he shot. He told me while cleaning it however the entry was very small but shortly after entering the chest cavity it became nasty and he had to get rid of the opposite side rib cage cause it was nothing but extremely bad blood shot and it was destroyed. He then had me load him some nosler Accubonds and that is what he has been shooting since.
