best bullet for 100yard and under shots

[Striderman]

looking for some info on the best bullet to use on deer for 100yard and under shots.  Right now my Omega in sighted in with 300 gr shock waves.  Looking for some suggestions

[Stan M.]

What your shooting should be adequate to take about any game you decidie to hunt. 250gr or 300gr.   Barnes MZ are some good bullets as well. Also what the rifle likes is a consideration as well. Both of these bullets shoot well in my rifles.
Good Shooting
Stan

[DanielWGriggs]

Barnes also has a new ML bullet with a slightly smaller sabot for those with tight bores. This new bullet has a boattail design and according to Barnes is controlled expansion.
From their sight.
Question: I'm having problems loading Barnes MZ bullets into my muzzleloader. Is a smaller-diameter sabot available that would help with this issue? It takes two men and a small boy to load these bullets in a clean barrel. Any help you could provide would be most appreciated. Thanks!—John

Answer: Hi John: Muzzleloader bore diameters vary widely throughout the industry. Our standard muzzleloader bullet, the Expander MZ, can be a tight fit in some of the tighter bores. We have recently introduced another bullet for muzzleloading rifles called the Spit-Fire MZ. The Spit-Fire is about .002-inch smaller than Expander MZ bullets and accommodates most of the rifles with smaller-than-average bores. I would urge you to give this new bullet a try. You could also contact our sabot supplier, MMP at 870-741-5019 for smaller-diameter sabots to fit your particular rifle. We aim to please. Reloading is a great hobby; enjoy it.—Ty

[Redhawk1]

I would think any muzzloading bullet/sabot combination would do the job. I have taken most of my deer well under 100 yards. I use the Precision Rifle 195 gr. DC bullets and have taken deer from 20 yards to 125 yards. Power belts will do the same thing.  

[marylandeer]

Welcome to the forums Striderman

THE BEST bullet, that is impossible to answer. Deer come in all kinds of different sizes and weights. They don't stand in the same angle every time someone shoots at them. You can't see through the deers' skin so you never know exactly what the bullet must pass though inside the deer.
All you can do is use any good bullet that shoots well in you particular rifle and place it in the vitals. The laws of physics will take care of the rest. Trust me if you put on of those 300 grain Shock Waves in a deer boiler room it won't be long before it becomes table fare. That goes for any of the well known deer killing bullets, Partition's, Corelokts, SST's, XTP's, P/R bullets and many many more. My new favorite is the 250 grain Barnes Expander. I killed a doe a few weeks ago at about 50 yards with this bullet behind 100 grain of APP powder. Broadside shot, she was about a 75# deer. I hit her just behind the shoulder about half way up and she was dead before she hit the ground exactly where she was standing at the shot. All the damage was internal with very small entry and exits holes.

[poncaguy]

My last buck was at 135 yards, using 348 Powerbelt , Winchester 209, and 3 777 pellets, couldn't see because of the smoke, but heard the "THUMP" of it hitting him.This was with my Omega Z5, and my field reload. I usually use 110 grains of American Pioneer, Winchester primer and 295 or 348 Powerbelts. Easy to load the Powerbelts, 3 deer so far this year, 20,100(open sights), and 135 yards.Probably more accurate bullets than the PB's, but they provide the venison and accuracy for me.

[yellowtail3]

I've gone through all kinds of bullets - powerbelts, PTX, XTP, CheapShots, heavy conicals - and I've just about decided that any will do. I love the idea of heavy conicals, but they boot me pretty hard and are a little loopy. I got great group once with 385 Great Plains, but generally they're not as consistent as sabots in my gun. I recall that PowerBelts grouped GREAT in my rifle, but I balked at the price of them. Rifle is a cheapie CVA Staghorn with a Bushnell Trophy 1.75x4


A couple weeks ago I shot a nice doe in the shoulder at about 40 yards using the 240gr XTP in .452 - it was one of those T/C sabot/bullet combos, I think it was called 'Mag shot' (they were on sale). The bullet destroyed left shoulder, scattering bone & lead, and ended up just under the hide toward back of ribcage on the offside. Deer fell straight down and died quickly.

Some great news: I killed the biggest & prettiest deer of my life this Saturday at 9:30am, a magnificent 8-pointer. Shot him at about 25-30 yards with the green sabot hornady (429 bullet) on top of 85 or 90 grains of Triple Seven. Hit in base of neck as he quartered toward me, exited rib cage, destroyed heart. He inconsiderately ran 75 yards anyways, leave a bloodtrail like a firehose. I don't think I could have done any better with any other bullet.


I've heard the cliche for years: shot placement, shot placement, shot placement. I've come to believe it lately; do that, and bullet/caliber becomes a lot less important.

All that said... I think XTPs are fine. I'd like to try the 300gr version; I once bought some 300gr Core-lokt sabots and they were great, but I've not seen any in a while. The idea of a heavier sabot appeals to me, but I don't think it would have done any better than the 240 on the buck... maybe would have excited on the doe.

[lonewolf5347]

I find the precision silver lighting in 300 grain are a sure deer stopper . I hit a does last year about 60 yards in the boiler room using 80 grains of triple 777
deer took 3 steps .I tried there QT'S 45 cal. bullets in 300 grain with the same powder charge at a huge 8 pointer at 75 yards ,the bullet did the job but the bluod trail was a nitemare to follow that deer went 75 yards from the spot I took the shot,yep in the boiler room but no second hole,the silver lighting left a hole like a softball.
I am now using the buffalo SSB 375 grain sabot/bullet with 85 grains of 3f goex in  the 54 cal thunderhawk  I yet had a chance to see how this bullet is going to work,on paper it punches some excellent groups at the 100 yard target
 

[AndyHass]

If I was never going to shoot over 100 yds, I'd shoot the Precision Rifle 300gr Keith Nose HP.  Not a good long-range bullet, but they sure drop fast under 100 yds.
   I shoot the 200gr Shockwave in my Omega, and it works well but is not the ideal up-close bullet.  I hit a doe Saturday at 60 yds, perfect broadside high in the lungs under the shoulder blade.  Neat hole in the close lung, 3-inch gap in the far lung as it expanded.  However the deer traversed a 10-ft hill, down and up a 15 ft ditch, another 10 ft hill, and 70 yds out into a soybean field before going down.  with a Keith Nose, it never would have made it across the ditch.  They do a lot more damage.

[poncaguy]

I have had great luck with 348 Powerbelts, from 20 to 135 yards. All fell in their tracks.I'm a real believer now in big heavy slugs in black powder rifles......

[Thomkm]

I am presently using the 250 gr TC Shockwave in front of 2 - 50 gr 777 pellets in my Omega. I have it set up for 100 yds.

A few weeks ago I havested a nice 9 pointer (was a 10 before loosing a brow tine this year) he field dressed at 216 lbs.

I had a 70 yd. quartering to me shot. The round took out his right shoulder, through the heart, and exited behind the left shoulder. He still ran 100yds before crashing.

[toecutter]

Just added 2 more to the 240gr. XTP tally sheet!!  I've gotten close to a dozen so far with that bullet and I've never had one go more than 50yds, usually much (MUCH) less!!  80 yd shot on the first one, through both lungs and in the offside hide (quartering towards), went about 40 yds, second one was a little one  (broadside) at 20, which got both lungs, the top of the heart, and passed through. That one dropped on the spot.  I love that bullet, but more importantly, so does the encore!!  Good price and great terminal performance out to 120 yds (in my experience), that being the longest shot I've taken with one of these.  If you're staying in close (around a hundred), I'd say you can't go wrong as long as you work up the right load.  Good luck!!

[gleason.chapman]

I did a lot of testing with different bullets and loads last year in a TC Omega and a Knight Disc. My results are posted here:

http://www.the-gleasons.com/bullets_penetration_tests_for_mu.htm

Basically, Powerbelt "overexpand" too early, they blow up on big heavy boned game.  I was looking for a replacement.

Hope this helps.  Chap Gleason Va