What is the most devastating .30 cal bullet you are aware of?

[Formidilosus]

I normally try to take out a shoulder to limit mobility if they do run but they just drop.

And you believe they are dropping due to the 338fed and not because you are breaking the spine?

 

[Rich M]

Nosler Partition gives some good bloodshot meat if that's what you are looking for.

No idea why you are worried about a "blow it to smithereens" type of bullet.

Punch a hole in the lungs is what you really need to be worried about.

 

[Southern Lights]

178 AMAX/ELD-M is phenomenal in a 308. Huge amounts of damage. I almost blew a coyote in half with one once. I couldn't believe how bad it was. They cause consistently bad damage (almost too much).

I hunted for a while with 155 Lapua Scenar match bullets in .308. Not as devastating as the AMAX, but really effective and accurate in a 308.

 

[RobHazmat89]

and how many with the magic rifle and bullets where the deer never take a step?

Who f***in cares if they take a few steps afterwards.

 

[06 SB]

And you believe they are dropping due to the 338fed and not because you are breaking the spine?

I generally make the same shots with other cartridges. Also, I do not aim or normally break the spine with any shots. I cannot explain it either…

 

[Mike Islander]

I was a little devastated to learn my new to me 300 WM was way more gun with far more recoil than I need for any game in North America. She does look good on the wall.

 

[FLS]

150 Nosler Ballistic tips out of a 300 WSM. I shot several does in the neck and the only thing holding the head on was a strip of skin. Shoot one in the shoulder and the front end was wrecked. I switched to 180 NBTs and there was significantly less damage, tougher jacket and slower impact velocity, but decided that was still way more gun than I needed to kill a deer.
125 NBTs and Sierras out of a 308 will make a mess too if the impact velocity is high.

 

[FLS]

And you believe they are dropping due to the 338fed and not because you are breaking the spine?

I’ve had deer drop on the spot, yet when cleaning / butchering them there is no apparent damage to the spine. My guess is they were stunned, I don’t know the medical term, by the impact and bled out before they could get up? I’ve shot a lot of deer and this is pretty common.

 

[sndmn11]

The 140 Berger Hunting VLD out of a fast 6.5 has caused more damage on the animals I've shot with them.

That's the best performer I've seen hand's down...even in a slow creed.