RL66-I like that!!!

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dogz

this year, my wife and I shot 4 deer, 1 corsican sheep, and one mid-sized hog with 120 gr 6.5 mm barnes XLCs. Ranges from 25 to 250 yards. We only recovered 2 bullets - one of the bucks I shot was running quartering strongly away - I hit him in front of the right thigh and had the bullet lodge 26" away behind the front shoulder. My wife's hog was shot at about 25 yards away - the bullet blew through the spine and the off-side shoulder blade to lodge under the thick skin. This bullet lost part of one petal. All other shots resulted in complete pass throughs and good blood trails. All I can say is that I sure am glad I quit using ballistic tips else that buck running away from me would still be running - but wounded. Isn't the point of a premium bullet to make sure that you get the game when the shot angle isn't perfect?

Troy

Quote: "Isn't the point of a premium bullet to make sure you get the game when the shot angle isn't perfect. Answer: Absolutely not.

The point of a premium bullet is the frontal section of the bullet. Premium bullets should be designed to mushroom perfectly every time to twice their normal diameter. Perfect Premium bullets should retain at the least 75 percent of their original weight. Premium bullets should exhibit exceptional hunting accuracy. Premium bullets should be within no more than 1/2 grain above or below the listed weight on the container. Since premium bullets are priced higher, that added cost per piece, that premium bullet should be constructed of materials that will do as stated on the container. Premium bullets and plain old hunting bullets are all constructed of the very same materials, lead core, coverd by a copper jacket. Jacket thickness lead core compostition very from one manufacturer to another. Jacket thickness, lead core composition, core to jacket bonding integrity determine bullet performance.

The terms premium, failsafe, conotates this product is the best it can be, thus demands a higher cost per unit to you the consumer. No so called premium bullet, can or will, overcome a lousy shot, no matter what they advertise. Confidence in ones equipment is essential and enhances the success factor while in the field, however it may also produce a false sense of bullet invinceablity when that is not a realistic assumption the hunter should make.

Premium bullets will not overcome the placement of a poorly placed shot. If your mind set is along those lines your not in tune with how you should harvest game cleanly and humainly.

Choose the proper bullet for the job at hand and practice, practice, practice, to place that bullet where it must go for best resutls. It is better for all concerned if the animal walks than making poor shot placement decisions because your shooting a premium bullet.

RL66...very well said.

I have been using Barnes bullets for many years and find them a fine product. You could use worse.

Again as RL66 and others have said...its the shot placement.


swede

This is a good use for the Barnes bullets because of the velocity. I started using the Barnes triple shocks in my .257 Weatherby, 100 gr at 3700 fps for long beanfield shots. I didn't get a chance at a shootable buck this year, but shot a doe someone had hit in the back leg at 450 yards with the .257. The 300 RUM is obviously overkill, the bullet choice will be a lot better than a ballistic tip.

Actually, that wasn't very well said at all. There is a huge difference between a bad shot angle and a bad shot. When big animals (I'm not talking whitetails) are being hunted and brodside shots are not expected (they never are) get a better bullet or a bigger gun launching a heavier bullet. Otherwise expect to pass shots.

Back in the day when a deer could be killed with a 30-30 I would have said yes, it may be a bit much.. But! since deer have developed armor plating and radar systems of their own, I think you may actually be undergunned and should try to find a tougher bullet.

It depends on why you hunt. You don't hunt for wall hanger bull Elk, or whitetails for that matter, on expensive hunts with a 30-30. Heading out the back door to get away from it all for the afternoon might be a different matter.

The original question didn't ask if barnes bullets were necessary to knock over a whitetail. I believe it was, is it overkill?

It most certainly isn't.

Heck, no!
1. The Ultra mags need non-fragmenting bullets to assure penetration at their Ultra velocity.
2. Your "sweetheart" load sounds very accurate & confidence-building.
3. The 168 Triple Shock is a do-it-all load that will suffice for most anything you'll hunt with an Ultra in the Lower 48 and for many critters in Alaska, Canada, and Africa. One rifle, one load.
4. The buck of a lifetime will appear at dark, on the last day of the season, will be facing straight away from you, and the only shot available will require driving a bullet through 2.5 feet of deer to get to the heart or lungs. The 168 XXX will make it. Many bullets that will work just fine for lung shots won't go the distance on a Texas Heart Shot.

I made just that shot in those circumstances, but on a doe whitetail several years ago with the 125 grain .308 X bullet. It penetrated all the guts, drilled the heart from back to front, and she didn't go far. It was a gosh-awful mess to field-dress, and I probably wouldn't do that again just for a doe, but it was confidence-building to know that I could take a big buck that way if necessary.