30 Cal Best All Around Bullet - Deer / Elk

[muleybucks]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-24-08 AT 02:31PM (MST)[p]I have been back and forth between 165gr and 180gr Hornady Boat Tail Soft Point bullets for my .300 Rem SAUM. I like them both and have had good luck with them both. I settled on the 165 for everything about a year ago and this year, I was disappointed with one of the recovered bullets. It hit the soft spot behind the bull's left front shoulder (no bone), then continued through the liver/etc. to bed in the hide just in front of the right front shoulder (again no bone). The bullet DID NOT EXPAND at all, and was "bent" about 1/4 inch from the tip back and a pea sized piece of copper was missing.

WHAT HAPPENED HERE? As stated above, I believe it missed all bone and only hit "organs and matter" on its travel through the bull. However, as I understand physics and bullets, once it hits anything, provided it has ample energy, it should expand. Thankfully, I had another opportunity to shoot and made a good shot. This shot did the trick and the bullet was also recovered in mushroomed form. The bull was approx. 400 yards.

My second question is WHAT 30 CAL bullets and in what grain are others using and what is your satisfaction with these (barnes TSX??) I am looking for one "all around" bullet for mule deer and elk.

Thanks in advance for the information.
[email protected]

 

[bragabit]

I have been debating the same queston myself for my 300 ultra mag. I have settled on Swift Scirroccos 180 gr. At 500 yards it is passing up the 150 and 165 in speed and trajectery. 95 percent of my hunting will be deer sized animals so I do not want a bullet that needs to hit bone to perform.

 

[Pappabull]

I have been using the 180 grain Scirocos in my 300 Win Mag on elk and am very satisfied. They do the job. I also have used 180 grain Hornady Interlocks with the 300 Win Mag on elk and moose and had them perform well. I haven't had a bad experience with either.

I shoot the 162 grain Hornady Interlocks in my 7MM Mag and they have also performed well on elk and deer.

 

[huntindude]

I don't know what to say about that Hornady, they're a great bullet. with the velocity you have in that round I'd stay with a 165.

The 165 TSX would be a great choice I love them, but the Hornady is too. is there a chance you hit a twig or something and the bullet hit the animal at an angle other than head on? I have seen a few distorted but not expanded bullets from that over the years.

I tried the scirrocco when they first came out and was not happy with what was left of them if they hit bone, so I went back to partitions until I tried the TSX and that's about all I'm using now.

 

[RELH]

From your description I am willing to bet that your bullet did hit bone at a angle after it had slowed down enough to prevent proper expansion. Possibily glanced off that far shoulder and ended up in front of it.
No bullet will preform perfectly 100 % of the time. If you had good preformance in the past with them, I have to agree with Dude about you giving up on them too soon.

RELH

 

[muleybucks]

Fellas,

Thanks for the replies. I have lots of these bullets left and will continue to use them, but am wanting to possibly broaden my horizons.

The hitting bone theory on the opposite shoulder (or perhaps a rib on the entry side) is highly possible. No twigs around.

Just looking to learn and not miss the boat if the Barnes TSX's are the up and coming bullet. I like how the expand and stay together for near 100% retention.

I appreciate the help and feedback.

Thanks.
Monte
[email protected]

 

[bragabit]

Personally, for deer I don't want a bullet that claims 100% weight retention. I want a bullet that is going to expand at all velocities and transfer tha energy to the animal. A bullet that is made to retain all of its weight will just punch a hole through the animal and not tranfer as much shock. Elk and bigger game then yes look at the baddest bullet available.

 

[redrabbit]

You might consider the 150 Nosler E-Tip (the 180 is long and may encroach on the RSAUM powder space), or the Barnes 168 Tipped TSX. Hornady will be coming out with a GMX bullet similar to the E-tip/TTSX next year.

Right now, my 300WSM loads in use have the 180 E-tip, 168 TTSX, 180 Accubond, and 180 Scirocco. The Accubonds and Scirocco have taken elk, muleys, Sitkas, eastern WT, and feral hogs.

Doug~RR

 

[FullCurlHunter]

180 grain Accubond out of my 300 weatherby mag. 82.5 grains of H4831 coming out around 3250 fps.

I have killed 8 deer in the past 3 years. (3 bucks and 5 does) with excellent results. One deer went more than 20 yards (perfect heart shot). Otherwise, I have had three does shot quartering away and the results were the same....see picture.

Here is the entrance hole...yes, I said entrance. I think the bullet "tears" through the hide on quartering game at that velocity and angle. Broadsie shots have been a nice clean entrance with a 2-3" exit hole. All shots were complete pass throughs. And all the quartering away shots demolished the far shoulder. Like I said, the accuracy is esuperb, shot placement perfect and they dont go far. I would say that on a less than perfect shot, the bullet does cause some serious damange and hemoraging (witness to a 7 RUM Accubond frontal shot and the damage to the shoulder, lungs, guts and hide were unreal).

I should also mention that the deer shot were at the folloign ranges: 305, 245, 210, 225, 426, 446, 545 yards... I can't imagine what this would do to a deer in the north woods that I hunt at less than 75 yards.. I think i could convince my fiance of a new rifle in 270 WSM or 25-06 just so I dont cause too much damange (if that is such a thing)..

I have also heard good things about Barnes Tipped MRX (blue tip, not sure what the exact name is).

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo98/FullCurlHunter/Picture022-1.jpg

 

[crextin]

IMHO... 165gr SPBT is the best all around bullet for deer and elk. I use Nosler Accubonds for hunting and have nothing bad to say about them.

 

[Pre64]

180 Grain Scirrocos or partitions!

 

[littlejoe]

Myself and all my friends shoot 300RUM. I use 180gr Accubond's for everything from antelope to moose. Zero problems. They all use the same bullet set up as well and have had zero problems. I used to use the Winchester Failsafe until it was discontinued, but the biggest problem with that bullet was that it was to hard and would just punch through everything including, mtn goat, moose, and elk.

 

[muleybucks]

So I bought a box of Barnes Tipped 168gr TSX Boattails to do some reloading in the near future. I'll report back later.

Thanks again for all the input.

Happy Holidays!!!
Monte
[email protected]

 

[RELH]

Fullcurlhunter;

If that is in fact a picture of the entrance wound on one of those deer shot at 200 or more yards, I would be reluctant to use that bullet on tougher game, as in elk or moose, and taking a shoulder shot.
In order to blow that big of hole in a light bone, or no bone hide of a deer, that bullet is showing very very rapid expansion.
I have doubts it will hold up on a heavy bone shot at the velocity you are shooting them at and not get in to the vitals.

RELH

 

[Ottersix]

The last time I saw an entrance wound like that was when I handloaded 130gr Silvertips in a 270 Weatherby. I gotta say they did the job, but I moved up to 150gr Grand Slams in that rifle to even out the results. In my 300 RUM, I have had good results on deer with the 180gr Hornady, 200gr Accu Bond, and the 200gr Sierra spitzer boat tail. The 165gr Hornady is getting a little destructive on close in shots here in the east. The TSX may very well be the ultimate .30 magnum bullet, though I haven't had the occasion to try them yet. I have heard good things about them from other 300 mag shooters.