I use a lot of Core-Lokt, Hornadies, and Power Points. 90% of the time they work great, but I've had failures with all 3. I've also had failures with Sierras, Nosler Partitions, Barnes X. A friend of mine shot a coyote this year with a Scirocco at over 400 yds, and it failed-basically blew the coyote in two.

I'll continue to use non premiums on deer, caribou, and probably moose. I will not use them on elk or large and dangerous game.

Why not?

Because there ARE premiums.

NV Guide,

Do you drive a Rolls or Mercedes??

Why not???

NV Guide??????????????

No doubt conventional 180s have killed tons of elk. It is possible to go another route and drive a lighter 'premium' faster. The extra velocity helps the tougher premium expand, gives you a better trajectory, less recoil and likely the same killing effect.

This is why I use 232gr bonded Oryx's in my 9.3x62. Recoil is much reduced over the 286gr standard bullets and I don't have to worry in a moment of stress whether the bull is 175yards or 225yards away.

So for the recoil shy person who wants the confidence of not having to consider range (in a practical hunting scenario) then lighter but tougher and faster is a good way to use a premium.

You fellows use what you want. However, I agree with 1894 in that tough bullets are appropriate for high velocity rounds.

I once had a Core Loct blow up on a deer shot at close range. To paraphrase JBelk, hunters generally only put up with ONE failure from a particular bullet before switching. That was the case with me.

For any hunting in which I expect an impact velocity of approx. 2,500 fps or more, I think a premium bullet is appropriate. And that's impact velocity, not muzzle velocity.

Great Discussion guys. I didn't do this to take one side or another, but to stimulate discussion.
I was also looking for experiences with the Power-point. Keep the info coming.

How can a Barnes X fail?

I think that the power points are okay, as with the core lokt's. i like the new bonded core lokts better, but my reasoning for using premium's like the nosler partition is, it is going to work 100% of the time, i only say that about the partition. another bonus of this bullet is the increased ballistic coefficient which enhances downrange energy. i also love the woodleigh weldcore's for a 30-06. i don't see the point of spending a lot of money on something (like the cost of tags, etc.) and then going the cheap way on another. that is like buying a mercedes with a tape player in it, instead of a c.d. player.

jjwen, I had a similar but different experience with a .243. I fired 3 shots at a mulie trotting acrost the face of a mountain. (a clear cut) The deer showed no response to the shots, just kept on trotting. Afterward, my hunting companion said he could hear the bullets hitting the deer. We were in Colorado and I tracked the deer to the top of the mountain and beyond and never found any sort of indication of a hit. A check of the rifle showed it spot on. I spent the rest of that day and parts of five more looking for that deer and never found it. I have never been more distressed. When I got home I put the rifle in the safe and never fired it again at large game. I look at it as a hunter failure on my part not using enough gun. And, just the same, I'd rather not hear from all the .243 owners whose guns kill like the hammer of thor. I'm just telling what happened to me.

That's often been a problem with the .243.......too much velocity at close ranges for a standard bullet. Hence the horror stories of bullet blowup, etc. Thanks for your input. I would be using a powerpoint almost twice that weight (strength?) at 3-400 fps slower, so hopefully that would give better results.

Eremicus, your failures with the Power-points??

It's possible that you missed with your 243. Your hunting partner thinking he heard the bullets hit is not really a reliable indicator. My 6mm is the only rifle I normally use Noslers in and the reason has nothing to do with deer, it is the huge feral hogs that seem to be displacing the deer in a lot of areas in east Texas. This combonation works just fine on hogs so far to 300 pounds that seem to show up when I am using a rabbit distress call for coyotes/

beemanbeme,
I would bet that you missed the deer. My first BG rifle was a M70 fwt in .243. I bought it with the money I got for graduation from college in 1957.
I have killed a fair number of deer and antelope with it. I use other rifles also. I have a couple of friends who only use the .243 and the 6MM Rem.

I suspect that between the 3 of us we have taken at least 50 head of big game (and maybe a lot more}, and at least one elk with those cartridges. Results have been outstanding.
I mentioned that I use other cartridges. I also have taken deer with the .270, 7MM RM, and 300 Wby Mag. I have had a higher percentage of one shot in the tracks kills with the .243 than any other cartridge. I have used Hornady and Sierra bullets exclusively except the first deer I killed with it. I used a Nosler 100 gr partition, and the deer moved about 10 feet. I was disappointed in that and did not use them in the .243 again. The bullets for the .243 are designed for deer size animals and do an excellent job.

I load my .243 with 100 gr bullets to a chronograpned velocity of 3150 fps.

If you shot a deer 3 times and he ran off you missed. Sorry.

Jerry

You guys don't know how much I hope I missed. However, when a bullet hits an animal, it makes a distintive thump and, in this case, if it misses, it throws dust or dirt. My companion is a hunter of enough experience to recognize the difference. But still, I hope you're right.