lot of bullet failures all of a sudden. is it a case of wrong bullet, wrong palce, wrong time?

It's good when we get an accurate report though. For those of us who can't spend 5-6 weeks hunting, it's good to get a heads up on what works & what could be a roll of the dice.

No kidding....



But the truth is the truth, and failure is still a failure, so long as it fits the true definition of "failure".



If you hunt enough, listen to enough hunters and read these forums long enough it's plain to see that just about all bullet makes eventually disappoint someone or otherwise "fail". Sometimes the failures are very real, and sometimes they aren't. Many times "failures" get blamed on bullets when in reality it was the guy yanking the trigger who was at fault because he didn't place that "failed" bullet well; this part often gets left out of the discussion! Just like cartridges get blamed for shooter-related failures, so do bullets, especially now with quality bullets widely-available, and bullet integrity a concept that is more widely understood by hunters than it's ever been before.



But for all of this blessed abundance and understanding, there are still no fool-proof bullets. There never have been, and there never will be.



There has never been a fool-proof fool, either.......



AD

As I recall, some newsman once said, "you don't report all the cats that aren't lost". So when you think about how many thousands (or more) of game bullets that have been sent downrange so far this fall, the incident of failure is quite small.
As Allen posted, the lesson to be learned, if there is a lesson to be learned, is there are no magic bullets. Nor are there any magic calibres nor rifles. In the final analysis, it still comes down to the little nut holding the trigger and selecting the bullet and knowing his own limitations. And even that isn't foolproof.
To quote A.E.Housman: "...and while the sun and moon indure, lucks a chance but troubles sure. I'd face it as a wise man would and train for ill and not for good..."

allen, i agree with everything you said, and would add that it is more than "possible" that many of these "failures" are the result of using the wrong bullet for the wrong job. i could cite many examples, not necessarily from anyone here, just in general.



considering that 99% of my hunting is and always will be for deer or antelope with "standard" cartridges, i would submit that plain jane bullets from sierra, hornady, speer and even remington, federal or winchester are going to be all i ever need. does this mean i should quite looking for a "better" bullet? heck no! but it is amazing that these "old" pills are still the best all-around medicine.