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Bullet weight for deer...
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<blockquote data-quote="Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow" data-source="post: 1312128" data-attributes="member: 7123"><p>Jiminy christmas, man, a .300 maggie for lil ol' bambi? <img src="/images/smilies/wink.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p>Probably your 150s or 165s/168s in lighter load configs are your best bests. I'd run with 165s in a .300 maggie, for your best balance of trajectory but retaining enough penetration. In a .30-06 or .308 I'd run with 150s for whitetail, but 150s are going so fast from a .300 maggie that you might not get the penetration you're looking for, if you hit a shoulder blade or other big bone, from a non-premium bullet. With a Nosler partition or TBBC, stuff like that, 150s all the way on whitetails, even in a maggie. But probably 165s with most bullets are the sweet spot for a win mag on deer - they also have nice BCs.</p><p></p><p>In a premium all-copper bullet like Barnes TSX or MRX, then I'd even add 130s to the list along with 150s & 165/168s, due to sectional density and consistently holding together.</p><p></p><p>180 or 200s? Nah. Why sacrifice your laser-like trajectory out at the 200 yards you mention, that comes with a 150-165, to gain nothing for it (except extra recoil & cost), and in fact possibly even lose expansion/shock value? </p><p></p><p>Maaaaybe 180s with a very lightly constructed bullet with thin jacket like a Nosler ballistic tip or other similar ballistic tip. You want them to open up, not drill right through. 200s, no way. It's not a grizzly bear, man! <img src="/images/smilies/biggrin.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":D" title="Big Grin :D" data-shortname=":D" /> In the old days, 220s were for elk and up. Now, with premium bullets, 180s and such are fine for elk and up, and the lighter ones are more suited to whitetails, mulies, sheep & goats. At least that's my understanding. I wasn't around in the old old days. I think *most* people use 150s on deer for .30 cals *generally*, but not sure about the most commonly used in .300 maggies. </p><p></p><p>Likely they'll ALL work just fine if you hit them right. But if the brush is really thick, such that it's very important to drop them without tracking (or at least try to), then I'd want to go lighter - either a 150 or lighter lightly-constructed ballistic tip with neck shot (hammer of thor), or a 165 light to medium-constructed bullet and thus be ready for anything - neck or lung shot from any angle. But these are just my opinions - I've never hunted deer with any .300. Usually a .243 win, .260 rem, 6.5x55 swede, .25-'06, or .270 win w/130s. This year I'm gonna try a .280 rem with 139 Hornady SSTs (which is a slightly-stronger-than-average ballistic tip). As you can probably tell, I likey me flat trajectory. <img src="/images/smilies/smile.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Matching the bullet / bullet construction WITH the velocities you actually get, and those two things in turn WITH the game and type of shot taken (neck or vitals?), is far far more important than the chambering / raw velocity itself, for purposes of increasing the chance of the DRT result mentioned. To my way of thinking, the doe that I killed but never found two years ago with a 140 grainer in 6.5x55, hit right in the lungs with a non-premium soft-pointed hunting bullet which should have expanded well, but leaving no blood trail at all, is my anecdotal "proof" that lighter is sometimes better on whitetails - shoulda used a 120 grainer. It must have drilled right through without expanding much, being heavy-for-caliber at a moderate velocity (2500-2600). To me, using a 140 in 6.5mm is analygous to using a 180-220 in a .30 cal. Maybe - possibly, too little expansion to give you a good blood trail, let alone a DRT result, on a thin-skinned, rather small animal like a whitetail.</p><p></p><p>Just remember, no matter what chambering or bullet you use, big game RUNS at least 30-50 yards *more often than not* when hit in the heart/lungs, and no matter what chambering or bullet you use, game DROPS *more often than not* when hit in the CNS or in the neck close to the CNS (spine). Go witness the youtube video of the doe shot with .50 BMG that runs awhile (about 90 yards IIRC), even with essentially no heart or lungs left, for proof of the former.**</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Amen to that - can't go wrong with that advice. But, then again, to the extent that a flat trajectory helps <em>you</em> with <em>your</em> *practical* field accuracy in the wind, then given equal mechanical accuracy, the nod goes to the lighter bullets (150s or 165s), out to all reasonable hunting ranges (350 yards).</p><p></p><p>**Here, I found it: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okn_OS9twok" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okn_OS9twok</a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow, post: 1312128, member: 7123"] Jiminy christmas, man, a .300 maggie for lil ol' bambi? ;) Probably your 150s or 165s/168s in lighter load configs are your best bests. I'd run with 165s in a .300 maggie, for your best balance of trajectory but retaining enough penetration. In a .30-06 or .308 I'd run with 150s for whitetail, but 150s are going so fast from a .300 maggie that you might not get the penetration you're looking for, if you hit a shoulder blade or other big bone, from a non-premium bullet. With a Nosler partition or TBBC, stuff like that, 150s all the way on whitetails, even in a maggie. But probably 165s with most bullets are the sweet spot for a win mag on deer - they also have nice BCs. In a premium all-copper bullet like Barnes TSX or MRX, then I'd even add 130s to the list along with 150s & 165/168s, due to sectional density and consistently holding together. 180 or 200s? Nah. Why sacrifice your laser-like trajectory out at the 200 yards you mention, that comes with a 150-165, to gain nothing for it (except extra recoil & cost), and in fact possibly even lose expansion/shock value? Maaaaybe 180s with a very lightly constructed bullet with thin jacket like a Nosler ballistic tip or other similar ballistic tip. You want them to open up, not drill right through. 200s, no way. It's not a grizzly bear, man! :D In the old days, 220s were for elk and up. Now, with premium bullets, 180s and such are fine for elk and up, and the lighter ones are more suited to whitetails, mulies, sheep & goats. At least that's my understanding. I wasn't around in the old old days. I think *most* people use 150s on deer for .30 cals *generally*, but not sure about the most commonly used in .300 maggies. Likely they'll ALL work just fine if you hit them right. But if the brush is really thick, such that it's very important to drop them without tracking (or at least try to), then I'd want to go lighter - either a 150 or lighter lightly-constructed ballistic tip with neck shot (hammer of thor), or a 165 light to medium-constructed bullet and thus be ready for anything - neck or lung shot from any angle. But these are just my opinions - I've never hunted deer with any .300. Usually a .243 win, .260 rem, 6.5x55 swede, .25-'06, or .270 win w/130s. This year I'm gonna try a .280 rem with 139 Hornady SSTs (which is a slightly-stronger-than-average ballistic tip). As you can probably tell, I likey me flat trajectory. :) Matching the bullet / bullet construction WITH the velocities you actually get, and those two things in turn WITH the game and type of shot taken (neck or vitals?), is far far more important than the chambering / raw velocity itself, for purposes of increasing the chance of the DRT result mentioned. To my way of thinking, the doe that I killed but never found two years ago with a 140 grainer in 6.5x55, hit right in the lungs with a non-premium soft-pointed hunting bullet which should have expanded well, but leaving no blood trail at all, is my anecdotal "proof" that lighter is sometimes better on whitetails - shoulda used a 120 grainer. It must have drilled right through without expanding much, being heavy-for-caliber at a moderate velocity (2500-2600). To me, using a 140 in 6.5mm is analygous to using a 180-220 in a .30 cal. Maybe - possibly, too little expansion to give you a good blood trail, let alone a DRT result, on a thin-skinned, rather small animal like a whitetail. Just remember, no matter what chambering or bullet you use, big game RUNS at least 30-50 yards *more often than not* when hit in the heart/lungs, and no matter what chambering or bullet you use, game DROPS *more often than not* when hit in the CNS or in the neck close to the CNS (spine). Go witness the youtube video of the doe shot with .50 BMG that runs awhile (about 90 yards IIRC), even with essentially no heart or lungs left, for proof of the former.** Amen to that - can't go wrong with that advice. But, then again, to the extent that a flat trajectory helps [I]you[/I] with [I]your[/I] *practical* field accuracy in the wind, then given equal mechanical accuracy, the nod goes to the lighter bullets (150s or 165s), out to all reasonable hunting ranges (350 yards). **Here, I found it: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okn_OS9twok[/url] [/QUOTE]
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