Best Bullet for deer

[rebAL]

I agree with everything I've read on this thread.  I also agree that if you want a deer to drop dead right now (Which I don't advacate) you need to hit skeletal/spine area which doesn't kill so much as paralyzes the deer.  The only game I would want to kill this way would be one that fights back or one that you want to drop for easy access like a moose next to a road or shore.  Very few deer hit with any caliber in the boiler room will drop dead unless high shouldered on exit side.  As far as bullet design, I think it depends on caliber.  If using a heavier round like 30/06 for example, a premium bullet is unnecessary.  In this case a 150 grain soft point like Rem. core-loct is fine. If using a marginal caliber like .243 I would suggest a heavy/caliber  premium bullet like 100 grain nosler partician.  Just my $.02.

[K.K]

I agree with these guys.  There are simply too many variables (size of deer, indiviadual reactions to hits, etc).  Put a good bullet in a big enough caliber in the vitals and game will go down.  Usually, only hits to the brain stem or spinal column will kill a deer on the spot, but just last year I killed the biggest buck to date with a .270 Win 130 grain balistic silvertip right on the point of the shoulder at about 35 yards.  He dropped as if poleaxed.  That same shot on a smallish Pa doe left about a 40-50 yard blood trail.  I guess the answer is that there is none.  Keep placing your shots in the heart-lung area and you will continue to recover deer, either right on the spot, or close by.

[razmuz]

If your shooting a 30.06 get the biggest Nosler ballistic you can find.  It may not leave much meat.

[beemanbeme]

The term "kill zone" is pretty vague.  And within the "zone" you have all sorts of degrees of killing.  A high lung shot is certainly lethal but it may take a while for the deer to realize its dead.  FWIW, the deer actually drowns in its own blood, and will leave very little in the way of a blood trails for quite a while since the lungs have to fill up first.  I guess what is meant by "kill zone" is any part of the rib cage.  And a shot there with a proper bullet should be lethal.
 But everyone is talking about "bang, flop" which, to be honest with you,. occurs most often in gun rags on slow news days.  Before you can consistantly get the "bang, flop" you're seeking, you are gonna have to be much more precise in your shooting than aiming for the big middle of the "kill zone".
All that said, if you're shooting a deer with a 165 or 180 gr Remington/Winchester/Hornady/Speer/Sierra/Nosler bullet  from a 30-06 and you're not getting the results you want, it ain't the bullets fault.

[Rummer]

I have gotten my best results with bullets that expand relatively rapidly, without exploding, at an given impact velocity.

.308-Handloaded 150gr Core-Lokt

.30-06-165 gr ballistic tip

.338-06- 200gr Hornady Flat point

.35 whelen- 200gr Hornady Spire Point

.50 cal Omega- .44 cal/300gr Keith Nose Hollowpoints

The average deer killed isn't all that big and the ribcage/lungs doesn't give a bullet a lot of resistance, so you really don't need a controled expansion bullet and a lot of different bullets will work just fine.

[wijim]

be glad it was 10 yards.  that's perfectly reasonable.  i shot a doe with my 7mm rem mag using 150 gr sp.  (a perfectly adequate bullet to do the job on white tails)  blew up her heart on a 1/4 away shot bullet exited the front shoulder...and she made it close to 50 yards before dropping.  deer will run dead....thats all there is to it.  in feid dressing....the heart was literally in pieces.  its just the way it goes sometimes.

[j.trevor123]

well did you say it only ran 10 yrds. Well theres nothing wrong with that. I have a rem .270 and have used core lokts, fail safes, and sierra gamekings and have had great results. Have had many good hits on deer and cant think of a bad shot(misses but no bad shots when landing one) but every time besides 2 deer they ran a few yards (10-25). I think you can have a well designed bullet for you game with a nice caliber and still not get a immediate drop, if you hit a lung, it usually takes a while to fill up.

[TCBrian]

Most of my deer have been killed with a bow, but here are some my experiences.

Last year I killed a Coues whitetail at 330yrds using my 30-06 with 150GR sierra Pro-hunters loaded to about 2900FPS. I pulled the trigger and as I recovered from the recoil I saw the deer flip over backwards on the spot and never moved. I kept him in my scope for several minutes since he was way across a caynon and I was by myself. Never saw even a twitch at 12 power.

My cousin killed one on the same trip with 300WSM and 150 Ballistic silvertips in Wichester factory ammo. He hit it a tad high, but the deer ran about 20 yrds and dropped. His shot was just under 300yrds.

Killed an antelope at 250yds with 6.5x55 and 120 Nosler BTs. One step, antelope down. The bullet did come apart though, so I am done using them and will use a stouter bullet in the 6.5.

Father killed a Wyoming Muley with a 308 and 165 Nos BT, bullet punched right through, expanded nicely and the deer didn't move.

I used the 30-06 to kill a 450lb cow elk a few years ago using Hornardy 165s and they penetrated to the far hide. Even though she was going down, I put a second in her. Both bullets were side by side on the far skin, expanded fully. The shot was at 225 yrds. I am sure they would have punched right through any deer with good expansion.

All other Big game that myself or friends have killed were with a bow, so that is the extent of my limited experience with bullet performance.

Good Hunting,
Brian

[kyote]

I have takin a couple deer over the years.The BEST bullet I have found(for deer) out of my 30-06 is made by nosler and it is 150 grain ballistic tip.over 52 grains of IMR 4064...when nosler 1st came out with them(balllistic tips)they said they were made for crowded hunting areas where folks were huntin deer.and this bullet placed in the correct spot would send it to the ground.and not running off to where another hunter would claim it.and that it does..
I find that load outa my rifle to be very accurate and deadly on them deer.