Why Do So Many People Use Such Heavy Bullets For Whitetails?

[MLN1963]

i have used 240 grain .430 XTP and 250 grain SST/Shockwave bullets almost exclusively on deer and hogs.  Big hogs can be much harder to kill than deer.  Don't have a problem putting down big hogs with either of those bullets:  Just put the bullet where it's supposed to go.  

Falcon

I can see how hogs would be tougher to kill. I haven't had the opportunity to try hog hunting yet but have heard they are some tough SOBs. I don't think whitetail deer are that hard to kill as long as you have good shot placement. 

Are you using the yellow or blue tipped SST/Shockwaves? I have some 200 grain yellow tipped non-bonded to try someday. I don't think I would use those on hogs of any size but would not be afraid to use them on deer.

 

[patinthehat1]

i agree with the overkill is better than underkill, especially when you are paying for the animal. most places say if you shoot, get a blood trail, but never find the animal, your tag is considered filled. i want to make sure i find the animal! with that being said in my muzzy i shoot hornady ftx 250s. in my  '06 i shoot a 180g psp core-lokt.

 

[MLN1963]

I guess I don't see how a 400 grain bullet leaving an entrance and exit hole is any better than a 200 grain bullet leaving an entrance and exit hole? Is a 400 grain bullet going to magically leave a bigger exit wound automatically? I don't see that happening, IMO it is the design of the bullet that will decide that. What am I missing?

 

[Marty1]

MLN1963, I figured since this thread is still active I'd chime in on deer and bullet weight. ( Fist of all, once you smoke your first deer with a muzzleloader, it's really tough to go back to centerfires. )

For thin-skinned game like white-tailed deer, my favorite bullet weight is either a 195 or 200 grain .40 caliber sabot bullet out of my .45 inlines.  While I don't expect to get a pass-through on deer using these lighter MLer bullets, I do anticipate one dead deer...all the time.  

Compared to your typical centerfire bores, a .50 bore is monstrous. Big bores demand big bullets...it's that simple. I think a lot of guys shoot "heavier" bullets simply because that's what out there on the market for .50 caliber muzzleloaders, and is based based upon proven bench and field performance.  

Good luck hunting!

 

[Muley Hunter]

Short big bullets may tumble. That's why they get so heavy. To give a better BC.

Not a problem with a round ball. It can't tumble.  

 

[Okie Hog]

"Are you using the yellow or blue tipped SST/Shockwaves?"

i used the 250 grain yellow tip non-bonded Shockwaves. Unlike the 250 grain SST bullets, the Shockwaves have a hard plastic tip. It took me a very long time to figure out there can be a difference in the expansion characteristics of the Shockwave with it's hard tip and the SST with its soft tip. Several times i have experienced a failure to expand when using the Shockwaves on deer and smaller hogs under about 120 pounds: This never happened with the SSTs.

Never have used the 200 grain Shockwaves on deer or hogs. My Encore shoots those bullets like a match rifle but i've just never hunted with them. Some folks i know use the 200 grain Shockwaves on deer; they say the bullets perform very well.

The 225 grain .430 Barnes XPB is a good hog killer. It's also expensive.

 

[MLN1963]

That is interesting. Everyone always says they are the same bullets rebadged for TC which is apparently only partially true. Thanks for letting us know about the differences in tip density. 

I see we are in the same neck of the woods. I'm north of Altus, you?

 

[GregK1]

Heavier bullets carry & deposit more energy than lighter bullets. Lighter bullets shed energy at a much faster rate than heavier bullets as distance increases.

Therefore, at longer distances a heavier bullet is much more likely to pass thru, or break bones. However, if the bullet doesn't pass thru, it dumps more shocking energy into the animal.

With that said, my personal opinion is that if you're shooting Whitetails out to 200 yards, a flyweight thru the lungs will kill them just as dead as any other bullet. If you need to anchor a deer with double shoulder breakage, then a tough 250 to 300gr + bullet in a .50 cal is very practical. 

In a .45 cal, SST 200, MZ 195, or a sabotless 250 Barnes or 260 PT Gold are great loads.

If you look at my signature, I like a full bore 275 grain. It makes a huge hole, stays together, & I can go from my shotgun only zone to the Bear zone & not wonder if I have enough bullet.

In the end, it comes down to what works the best for you, in your gun. Anything that gives you confidence is a good thing. Just make sure that it's something you know & not just something you've been told.

 

[GregK1]

That is interesting. Everyone always says they are the same bullets rebadged for TC which is apparently only partially true. Thanks for letting us know about the differences in tip density. 

I see we are in the same neck of the woods. I'm north of Altus, you?

Hornady redsigned the tip on the "FTX" style bullets a few years ago due to lack of expansion. That was direct from Hornady. Why they never made the change on the TC's is a mystery that I can't get an answer for.

 

[Okie Hog]

TC used to sell another bullet, probably also made by Hornady. The round nosed PTX bullet also has a hard plastic nose. In 2003 i drew an elk permit. Planned on using the excellent 300 grain .430 Hornady XTP bullet. Based on the recommendation of another hunter, i changed my mind at the last minute and used the 300 grain PTX bullet instead. That decision cost me a huge cow elk. The blood trail was good for about 200 yards: Then it stopped. Four of us looked for that elk for many hours to no avail.

Talked with the gent who found my elk and claimed her. She was hit solidly in one lung and nicked the in the other lung. The bullet did not expand. Had i used the 300 grain XTP bullet at least one lung would have been shredded.

It's sorry a bullet, driven by 150 grains of Pyrodex from a 26" barrel, that does not expand at 75 yards. Turns out the guy who recommened that bullet never used it, he's a notorious BS artist.

That was the last animal i lost. My only consolation is the fact that another hunter found her.

 

[Spitfire1]

Falcon an experience like that leaves a bad taste in the mouth , that's why i use the heaviest bullet my rifle will throw accurately.

Our animals tend to have their vitals lower in the chest and more in line with the shoulders so the bullet must be placed on the shoulder for maximum effect and as a result it must break through heavy bone and then a light bullet just won't cut it .

 

[MLN1963]

Falcon

I went to Walmart last night and checked the point of TC Shockwaves, both bonded and non-bonded, both had a very hard ballistic tip. 

Still, I find it odd that the TC Shockwaves won't expand yet other bullet brands use hard plastic tips and expand/explode fantastically. Maybe the jacket in the nose area is too thick to allow it to open up?

I picked up some 240 grain XTP HP with Mag Express sabots to try. I also got some Hornady SSTs 250 while I made my Cabela's order. I also won a couple dozen PT Gold 260s so I should be set on bullets. Ate least for deer sized game.

 

[MLN1963]

As for the 250 Thor the BC is .220.

Where are you guys finding the BCs of Thor bullets? I looked on the Thor website and didn't find anything useful.

Spitfire

Are you out there?

 

[Spitfire1]

MLN I saw it on a website that was discussing the Thor's , can't recall the name though