I have shot two deer with Remington 120 grain Core-Lokts in a 25-06. In both cases bullet performance was not what I expected. Here in PA, rifle season is fast approaching and I don't know what bullet I should try this time. What do you guys/gals use with success?

Here is what happened to me. The first buck I shot (first one ever!) acted like it was never hit? I shot it behind the shoulder at 30 yards give or take with the deer perfectly broadside to me. It turned around and ran down hill. I thought I hit a twig or small branch which can happen in the PA woods. The deer went about 30 yards and dropped. No blood droplets on the gound where I shot it and very little where it lay. When I gutted the deer all the blood was inside - lungs were pretty much juiced. If the deer had gone another 20 yards into thicker cover I probably would have not known I got my first buck!

The second deer shot was broadside again and even closer - about 20 yards. I shot and off it went in full after-burner. Again it dropped about 30 yards later. I saw this one go down. Like the first deer I shot there was a little 1/4" hole going in and a 1/4" coming out. In both cases the bullet did not hit a rib going in.

It appears in both cases the bullet did not open up. How is this possible at close range where velocity is near 3000 fps. If the bullet will open up at 300 yards where the velocity is much lower how can it not open up at almost point blank range? It should act almost like a varmint bullet at close range.

What bullet should I try this season? I don't want the deer running to the next guys deer stand after I made a good hit!

Thanks for the help.

You may be laboring under the assumtion that deer drop as if struck by lightning when shot by high velocity bullets. This is not always the case. In fact, with a heart/lung shot they usually will run a bit. Most of the time an instant drop occurs due to interruption of the neural net, usually along the neck/spine.

Sounds like your bullets are working fine to me, but if you'd like to upgrade try Nosler Partitions, or the new Nosler/Hornady bonded core bullets. 100-120 grains. My experience with the 1/4 bore is similar to yours, gun goes boom, deer is dead. Sometimes they don't know it right away.

Hi there. Most deer I have killed with the heart-lung shot have run from 50-80 yards, then piled up. Listen for the crash after the shot and the run. The nosler partitions I have used left a very small entrance, slightly larger exit, and plenty of damage inside. Not too bad with meat damage though. I think you should try some ammo with the partition, then come back and tell your story. Good luck, Mike.

Your bullets performed wonderfully. Its quite common to have deer run a few yards after you destroy their lungs/heart. I've had it happen with 300 magnums. 243s. even a 375 H&H. OTOH I've had em drop at the shot with my 25-06 and even a .223 (don't ask)
They are living beings with an infinite number of variables involved in dropping it in hundreds of angles and countless environments. A deer that runs 30, 40 50 or even 100 yards is something you need to accept and learn how to track. That's part of hunting.

hogsaw65- if 30 yards is as far as they went, I'd consider that not far at all. It's all in good shot placement. Your results seem fairly typical in my opinion.

I've shot two deer with the 25-06 so far. Both with 120 Sierra HPBT's over a heavy load of H4831 at about 3100 fps.

First one was at about 70 yards walking across in front of me. It was hit through the lungs, in and out. Lungs were liquified, the deer jumped up in the air, ran about 40 yards and piled up.

Second one was about 50 yards at a moderate run straight for me. I was on a standing on a drive and it was being pushed to me. I shot it dead center in the white spot in the center of its chest. Exploded the heart and liquified the lungs. I recovered the bullet from the right side ribcage. The jacket looked like a mushroom although it did loose a lot of lead. On impact, the deer turned left 90 degrees and ran about 25 feet running into a tree and falling over.

I'm satisfied using the Sierra 120 HPBT but this year I'm trying the 100 grain Hornady Interlock. Nothing wrong with the Sierra's, I just like to experiment.

25-06 is a great deer caliber.

Hogsaw 65,

Only thing I can add to the great info. others have given you is that if you are looking for a real blood trail your going to have to go up considerably in caliber and bullet weight. I've shot caribou with the 257 Roberts and 115 partitions. I've never seen any exterior bleeding although the animals lungs had big holes chopped through them.

All to often we forget to apply the word "hunter/hunting" to what happens after the shot. Some move, some don't. Some bleed, some don't. Every animal and every situation is different. Recovering an animal after the shot sometimes takes as much skill as making the shot happen.

That said, 30yds seems good in my estimation also. Yet your concerns of thick cover, lots of hunters, and deer on adrenaline highs are not diminished in the least! You should place a premium on your skills as a marksman, and it sounds as though you do. My vote in the quarterbore goes to the 100gr Nosler Ballistic Tip.

I really dont ever remember a deer dropping instantly from a heart/lung shot. Usually they will run about 10-50 yds and drop....sounds like your corelok preformed as it should. In fact, the corelok penetrates and maintains it's weight much better than a ballistic tip. I've shot a ton of reloaded ballistic tips, and it's a fine bullet for deer in my mind, but the corelok will stay together much better if that is what you want.

Thanks for the help - guys. It sounds like the Core-lokts are doing just fine. I am surprised there is so little blood outside for all the damage that is done inside. The morale of the story is don't assume you missed or hit a twig - that deer could be laying just another 10 yards ahead of you.

I have also shot a nice buck with my 7mm-08 using Winchester, 140 grain power points. There was no question I made a good hit. The deer twisted when hit and spun around a couple of times and went down. When I shot I could see the red hole where I hit him. I guess every situation is different and you have to be prepared for it.

Good luck this season. Hope you bag the big one.

Hogsaw65

I've used the Hornady 120 HP in my .25-06 with good success on deer size animals.

I've killed three deer now with my 25/06 using a diferent bullet each time and they all performed as good as it gets. The silver tip deer walked 20 feet and dropped, Game King deer wieghed 300lbs and it dropped where it stood(later seen part of the bullet nicked the spine), Partition deer droped where it stood.

I have decided to stick with the 100gr Partition because it's the most accurate with my rifle and the bucks tend to be on the large side up here. The exit hole left by this bullet was about the size of a golf ball.

Howdy Hogsaw!

Keep doin' what you're doin'! Short ranges mean proper shot placement, and you've already done that twice! Punching both lungs means a dead critter...period. Elephant, buffalo, whitetail are all meat if you perforate both lungs...just don't expect them to "go down in flames". What everybody has said is absolutely correct...expect a run of up to 100 yards; then get out your knife!

For what it's worth, I took a whitetail doe a number of years ago with a .416 Rigby and a Barnes 350 grain "X". I didn't want to mess up any meat so (like you) I waited until she turned broadside and planted the bullet through both lungs. She sprinted about 50 yards before piling up.

Don't want 'em to run off? Don't shoot 'em through the lungs...take the spine or the front axle (both shoulders, please).

You keep doin' what you're doin'...you'll walk up to a dead deer every time!

Good hunting!

Hey Hogsaw.
I went through the same thing when I started using a new Sako in 25.06 for deer last year.First deer was broadside at about 80 yards and the bullet punched a small hole without touching a rib.Deer ran for it and made it almost to my feet before piling up.Was dead on his feet ,but did not know it.That was with Hornady light magnum ammo 117 g boat tails.
Similar experience on my trophy antelope hunt really got me searching for a better bullet combination.
I was used to shooting a 7mm rem mag and bought the 25.06 to get away from the recoil.Highly accurate and a real pleasure to shoot,but I like to anchor my deer close to where they were hit.
Long and the short of it after using Winchester 120 g peps and reloading four different bullet combinations ranging from cheaper to premium is this.Take the advice from the other posters and be happy with that bullet if it proves accurate.
Take out the front axles as was wisely suggested.
I have been sacrificing a bit of meat taking the front shoulder shot and my last three critters have all dropped very close to the shot.

hogsaw65,

I think the others have pretty much covered that a run is pretty common from heart/lung shot deer.

I will add that if the deer was spooked befre you took the shot ie just about to flee or suspicious in any other way this compounds the problem...

I am not sure how expirienced a hunter you are, but are you aware of the various reactions deer can show to being shot in different locations and what you should do with regards the follow up after taking the shot???

Knowing a little what to expect and what to do in such circumstances can be mean the difference between finding or loosing your animal..

Regards,

Pete

I have used many but keep coming back to this one. 117 Hornady BTSP. Man, what a bullet! Because of its very short bearing surface you can push it to 3200 fps out of a 24" barrel with IMR 7828, RL22 and 25. Accuracy is usually superb and performance is exemplary. Never recovered one with massive internal destruction.

Im just about convinced that the Ballistic tip variety of bullets are simply the best money can buy for deer sized game. Their accuracy is amazing, and too tough of a bullet on a thin skinned animal is NOT a good thing.

Core locts, interlocks and such work real good on deer. But Ive come to believe that the plastic tipped bullets offer a slight edge over them.

I love the 90 grain X-BT. This over a max charge of IMR 4831 has been a killer for me. The next is the Nosler partition. I like the speciality bullets here because you don't have alot of bullet weight to start with.

Every deer shot reacts differently depending on lots of variables. Any harvested deer is great. Dead is dead. If you search the favorite load section we had a bunch of 25/06 loads listed.

Good Luck

Hcliff