I'm confused after reading about the variety of bullets available to the reloader. I tried to make heads or tails of their uses, velocity and distances for each.

I am an eastern Carolina boy who typically hunts deer that range from 100lbs to 140lbs dressed. You have to take a second look to ensure it IS a deer. The typical shot is under 150 yards. And YES, I have got caught up in the glammer of premium bullets. But at the costs of clean humane kills is it worth it?

What I fear is that I will not be making clean and humane kills because the bullet that I am using is the wrong type. I see that some bullet makers list a minimum and maximum working velocity. I gather expansion is based upon variables. But does this mean that the bullet will fully expand between those velocities? Or If all variables would be the same, does the bullet expand more at a slower velocity at a closer distance? And less with a faster velocity at closer distances?

I know that cup and core bullets have taken deer since 'the beginning.' I know competition drives businss. But I am not out in the west or up north taking long distance shots or for much larger game. I am just looking for advice to get good quality expansion on smaller deer at close distances. Right now I am trying Accubonds, Partitions in the Nosler line and Interbonds and Interlocks in the Hornady line in 130gr bullets for .270Win.

There's a lot to choose from for sure and the good news is that you really can't make a real bad choice as long as you use a hunting bullet.....I consider target bullets to be a poor choice for deer even though they take quite a few every year.

There's no need at all for the premiums for deer.....even though I use some Northforks and A-Frames occasionally.

From all you have said about your hunting I'd feel very comfortable in recommending Hornady's flat base interlocks for you hunting regardless of caliber. They're relatively cheap and have been working like a champ for many years. It's darn hard to beat.

I agree w/ vapo but will add, the vel. you push those bullets matters. Cup/core bullets were fine back in the day when 3000fps MV was a dream. Todays carts. push the envelope of many cup/core bullets. The higher your impact vel. (closer your shot) the more you should look at a premium bullet IMO. If you are shooting a std. cart. like the 7-08 or 308, cup/core bullets will work fine upto 2800fp or so impact vel.

If I shot a 270 at small deer at under 150 yards, I'd load a 150 gr. round nose at something like 2600 fps. Cheap, accurate, consistent, and little meat damage at those velocities.

But, to answer your questions, yes, bullets should perform if you stay between within the performance parameters given. Generally, between 1,800 and 2,700 fps for conventional bullets. For premium bullets, anything over 2000 fps impact velocity should be fine.

In your case, you don't need speed, because you don't have to worry about either wind drift or trajectory. You just need a bullet that goes through a small deer at 2400 fps. They ALL do that.......

Premium bullets don't perform better, they perform over a larger range of velocities. Premiums are for guys like me, that hunt in situations where a small deer can pop up from 50 to 350 yards, or, five minutes later, a 800 lb bull elk "of a lifetime" at powder burn distance or "across the clearcut. That's asking a lot from a bullet.

In your case, save your $$$. The easiest bullets to get to shoot is usually a roundnose, and they are more consistent in their behavior after impact, too. Buy a box of 150 gr. Hornady roundnoses, load them up to about 2600 fps, and go whack some deer. Less cost, less recoil, less meat damage, less muzzle blast. JMO,Dutch.