I'm looking for a good round for Ga whitetails for those of you who don't know 100-200 pounds. I'm shooting a 300WSM, I would prefer to stick with a 150 grain. I shot a deer last year that never bled only found by luck. This deer was dead center directly behind the shoulder. I had a similar problem this afternoon only I didn't find this deer. I know for a fact it was but there was no blood hair lung particles nothing. The deer last year was shot with a ballistic silver tip. Just wondering if there is something better.
Ammo recommendations
- Thread starter coyotewsm
- Start date
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
Ballistic tips pushed that fast can "blow up" and not penetrate enough if they hit bone. Use whichever 150 gr standard soft point is the most accurate in your rifle. Or, better yet, stick with the BTs and use neck shots only. You'd have found both of them lying where they were shot.
Was there an exit hole? Factory or hand loads? Range at impact? Same bullets both times?
I could see a 150 gr BT at 300 WSM speeds not giving enough penetration on elk size game, but that should be about perfect for whitetails, especially the small ones here. An honest 200 lb deer would be a monster here, closer to 100-150 is far more common.
If that had happened to me twice I'd be looking to try something else too, but honestly what you're using is probably what I'd have used. I suppose you could have gotten a bad batch of bullets if it happened both times with the same lot of ammo.
I wouldn't make any drastic changes, but it wouldn't hurt to try another brand of bullets.
If you are going to use a bullet designed for rapid expansion (Ballistic Tip/SST/Berger/SGK), go heavy for caliber and avoid shooting for the shoulder...... If it's a blood trail you want, use a tougher bullet- exit wounds are bigger than entrance wounds, and two holes bleed more than one ..... granted, sometimes an explosively expanding bullet will give spectacular results ..... and sometimes the bullet will come apart before it penetrates to somthing imediately vital ..... either way, it won't bleed a lot.....
A 150gr BT driven at 300WSM speeds is not likely to exit.....
A 150gr BT driven at 300WSM speeds is not likely to exit.....
Well I was actually 2 different rounds. As I stated the first was a Winchester ballistic silvertip impact between 80 to 100 yards. What I used today was a reload 150 grain Sierra gameking btsp I'm pact 175 to 200 yards. I may be over reacting but I was thinking about just dropping the reloads and going factory till I come up with something better. I will say when I used game kings 2 years ago they performed excellent however all those shots were made under 100 yards.
To be honest I dont. All the ammo companies have changed how you read their ballistics info, to the point that can't hardly compare rounds. I would guess the difference is negligible. With that being said what bullet to buy would be the other question. Remington doesn't load 180 gr corelokts for my rifle. I could buy a ballistic silver tip in 180 gr or an accurate bond or a swift scirocco or a nosler partition. What to do what to do?
Berger has (or did) a free ballistic calculator online..... as does Hornady..... and most of the reloading manuals have tables that you can figure trajectory if you know the bullet's ballistic coefficient and muzzle velocity. You'll need a chronograph to get your muzzle velocity......
How sure are you that you didn't miss? Nosler partitions are great bullets , you could try those. You've honestly got "too much gun" for 100-150 lb thin skinned game at under 200 yards. Try finding loads advertised as reduced recoil. They will be slower allowing your bullets to expand more. A 300 WSM is hauling brass at under 200 yards. As others already pointed out, that's less than ideal for small white tail with BT bullets.
Not a fan of Sierra Game Kings
I think what you have experienced is what I've experienced except in a different caliber.
Shooting 130 gr SGK in my 270 I have shot 3 deer in the last couple years. Two of them were less than 100 yds and one was around 150. The 2 under 100 yds were recovered BUT there was no exit wound and inside the bullet had exploded!... The third was never recovered though we blood trailed him for over a mile.
I have now switched to cup/core bullets or just recently got some Nosler partitions. Good luck with your search for the perfect bullet for you.
I think what you have experienced is what I've experienced except in a different caliber.
Shooting 130 gr SGK in my 270 I have shot 3 deer in the last couple years. Two of them were less than 100 yds and one was around 150. The 2 under 100 yds were recovered BUT there was no exit wound and inside the bullet had exploded!... The third was never recovered though we blood trailed him for over a mile.
I have now switched to cup/core bullets or just recently got some Nosler partitions. Good luck with your search for the perfect bullet for you.
Ripnbst I'm aware I have to much rifle. It was not my choice of calibers but I needed a rifle and got a deal on it I couldn't refuse. I've grown to love the rifle don't ever plan to part with it, but I can't afford to buy another on at this point and my 30-30 won't shoot 300 yards.
With everything that everyone has said I'm thinking of switching from 150s to 180s and possibly going to a polymer tipped bonded bullet.
With everything that everyone has said I'm thinking of switching from 150s to 180s and possibly going to a polymer tipped bonded bullet.
Geo_Erudite
New member
Barnes VOR-TX, it comes in 150 grain or 165 grain. The tipped triple-shock X bullets should give you the performance you are looking for.
