Gunplumber,
I re-read your .257 Roberts failure story today, and something strikes me as odd, namely the bullets failure to expand. The 117gr RN is meant for the 25-35, and its lower starting velocity. At speeds around 2900 one wouldn't expect that target-arrow hole. That isn't to say that I question your account. Not at all. I know it can happen because I saw 2 failures to expand in one season some years ago.
2 deer (recovered after 3/4 mile tracking jobs) that were hit with a 7mag/150 where the bullet just ice-picked through the critter. One was a WT doe at 400yards, and the bullet didn't take a rib coming or going, just poked a small hole in the lungs. Okay, longer range, slower impact velocity, sure....but the other was a mulie buck at about 75 yards, and it DID cleanly perforate a rib going in, but still performed like a FMJ. These were factory Rem Core Lok't bullets (early 2000's) showing little in the way of exposed lead to start expansion. A switch to Winchester PSP seemed to solve the problem. Leastwise it hasn't happened since.
I re-read your .257 Roberts failure story today, and something strikes me as odd, namely the bullets failure to expand. The 117gr RN is meant for the 25-35, and its lower starting velocity. At speeds around 2900 one wouldn't expect that target-arrow hole. That isn't to say that I question your account. Not at all. I know it can happen because I saw 2 failures to expand in one season some years ago.
2 deer (recovered after 3/4 mile tracking jobs) that were hit with a 7mag/150 where the bullet just ice-picked through the critter. One was a WT doe at 400yards, and the bullet didn't take a rib coming or going, just poked a small hole in the lungs. Okay, longer range, slower impact velocity, sure....but the other was a mulie buck at about 75 yards, and it DID cleanly perforate a rib going in, but still performed like a FMJ. These were factory Rem Core Lok't bullets (early 2000's) showing little in the way of exposed lead to start expansion. A switch to Winchester PSP seemed to solve the problem. Leastwise it hasn't happened since.