The bullet failure thread

[NorthIdahoDude]

180 grain Sierra Pro Hunters out of my 303 British. 4x4 mule deer at around 30-40 yards. 4 through the chest (last 4 rounds I had on me that day, long story). Might as well have stuck him through 4 times with an ice pick. He laid down close enough I could watch him, and eventually bled out internally and died (took about 10 or 15 minutes). Cutting him open, there was no expansion at all. Lungs are not even deflated. Shot placement could be argued (heart or spine would have ended it much faster), but I hit both lungs all 4 times, which I generally think should be good enough.

I found out later that specific bullet is very hard and even Sierra recommends you send it through a shoulder bone if you want it to expand.

Haven't hunted with a Sierra since, but I am "this close" to giving SGKs a try since I can't get anything else to shoot good in my 30-06.

 

[7RemMag]

When I was poor in college and didn’t know anything about ballistics, I shot 180gr core-lokts from a 300WM. They crushed deer and elk. Never had an issue out to 300 yards, which was kind of my max range with a simple 3-9 duplex VX2 Leupy.

And I don’t doubt that. It’s not impossible that 2 people can have totally different experiences. I don’t like them. I’m sure that my old man had a valid reason to believe that the bullets “failed”, though I can’t specifically remember what it was. Inconsistent expansion rings a bell.

Oddly enough, my best friend growing up and still to this day grew up hunting on the other side of town in the exact same applications and his family swore by them for years. He’s regularly showing me projectiles that were recovered from deer and a few bears that look to have expanded just fine….

Like I said….Strictly anecdotal evidence. Lots of people use them even now with success. I’m not, and likely never will be one of them.