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What Ammunition Is Best For Deer Hunting ...........................?

rhagenw said:
Obviously you haven’t tried SST pushed to the max lol...my dad has shot two deer with the 300 wby and it barely makes it into the vitals
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SST = Super Splash Tip , my findings align with yours, the good thing about this ammo rush was I unloaded several hundred rounds of this stuff, worst whitetail bullet I have ever personally experienced, it’s like a big varmint bullet, the old Nosler BTs were the same way, the newer BTs are supposed to be beefed up.
 
I like my boolits, like I like my arrows heavy and slow Federal .35 Rem 200 gr. Marlin 336
Never had one go more than 50 yds, just like my heavy 610gr. arrows.
After they are hit, they just kind of "wobble" around and drop.
 
The best hunting ammo is the one you have the most confidence in. Times are tough in the availability area but if you can find something your gun will shoot accurately and can put any make of bullet where you’re aiming then that’s the best for your gun. Mine may like something different but what will be the same is having no doubt me and my weapon can do our part. Let the powder burn and the steaks sizzle. Simple
 
There are so many good deer hunting rounds available its hard to suggest just one or a few. There are some considerations to make though. Where are you hunting these deer? In a woodland/brushy setting, are you a beanfield shooter? A balance of these types of environments? For me, we are usually in a forest or woodland setting and open crop fields. If you hunt 'em like you're a bowhunter (close up in thick cover) a 12 or 20 guage slug is great from 0-75 yards and if you need some added distance, put a slug barrel on with rifling and shoot sabots or something equivalent that allows you to impart a spin on the slug.

If you need more distance, any of the short actions are phenomenal deer cartridges. .243, 7mm-08, .308, .358 all based on the .308 case. Tons of options, plenty of accuracy, tried and true. With the 6mm pills I would make sure you're aiming for the point of the shoulder to cause some decent mushrooming. You want enough bullet weight in these as many use them for varmint hunting so be sure to use at least 100gr. bullets in these. These are also more mild in recoil and are great for newer or younger shooters and have excellent accuracy.

I'm not very experienced at long distance shooting but here's where your 7mm rem mag, .300 win mag, etc. come into play. The .270 is tried and true.

If you'll also be pursuing elk or bear, I'd head up to the 7mm Rem. Mag. or .30 cal long action territory like above and/or .35 Rem., or 30.-06 etc. These are very general generalizations and everyone has pet loads or ammo they enjoy.

Since we are now allowed to use centerfire rifles here in WNY after many many years of shotgun only, its been a great excuse to get more firearms but with the exception of one nice buck I shot feeding in a cut corn field at 8:30am in the morning..... all of my harvests were pretty much as doable by bow as they were with the rifle. I have really come to enjoy the .30-.30 Henry Lever Action I've been using over the past few years. Fun to shoot, no recoil, quick loading, it is a nice balance for the type of terrain and vegetation I mostly hunt.
 
trailblazer75 said:
NOT HORNADY WHITETAIL SPECIAL.

At least in 129 grain, for the 6.5 Creedmoor. I was completely let down by that round's performance.
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I load all my own ammo, I gave up on Hornady bullets many years ago. I load mostly Nosler bullets now, but when I bought loaded ammo I killed a ton of deer with the old Remington Core Lokt ammo in my old .270.
 
Aweful experience lately with hornady whitetail loads in 270. Several bad primers from different boxes last few years in PA. Using different load this year for sure.
 
MA_PAdeerslayer said:
Aweful experience lately with hornady whitetail loads in 270. Several bad primers from different boxes last few years in PA. Using different load this year for sure.
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Yup and Hornady is famous for using primers from different manufacturers in the same box of shells, ever notice sometimes they are not even the same color in one box(primers), my advice to anybody is avoid Hornady factory loaded ammo like the plague.
 
Topdog said:
Yup and Hornady is famous for using primers from different manufacturers in the same box of shells, ever notice sometimes they are not even the same color in one box(primers), my advice to anybody is avoid Hornady factory loaded ammo like the plague.
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i have noticed that. I missed a buck amd a doe last two yearsin PA due to bad primers. Thought it was the bolt assembly so I called Savage they sent new one and it happened again. Of course it’s never happened on the range. Just when I’m licking my chops over fresh meat. I’ll be shooting Winchester’s this year. Already dialed em in this spring. Shot 1.75-2.00” group at 300 in 5 different 3 shot groups. That equals meat in the freezer.
 
Hmm. Glad I saw this.

I had purchased 2 boxes of Hornaday Whitetail in 7mm-08 as it was all I could get my hands on. I was pretty satisfied with how it shot at the range and it dropped a running buck dead in his tracks for me.

The shot was probably 80-100yds and struck the hind quarter, with the deer quartering to nearly straight away. The trauma from the bullet traveling through the deer was extensive. This wasn't a heavy bodied deer, I was putting it down because it had been earlier shot in the leg by another hunter, so maybe that played a role.

I had a similar experience with another buck and was shooting plain old Rem Core-lokt. It dropped, was still for a spell, but ultimately had enough left to crawl 20-30yds before I got one into the boiler room. I know Core-lokt isn't premium ammo, but in 7mm-08 it's dropped every deer I've ever shot with it except 1 which left me a 40yd red carpet before he fell.

Anecdotally, the Hornaday WS seemed to create more internal wreckage and between the two aforementioned bucks, it put the deer down faster, which had impressed me. Glad I'm hearing about the issues before I run anymore. I definitely won't risk primer failure, my uncle lost a huge buck due to that (Federal 12ga slugs, if I recollect correctly).
 
I’d say the kind that’s reliable regardless of caliber… it needs to go bang and be accurate through your firearm. (whatever is legal in your state) the way I look at it… I use a 2 blade broadhead and kill them. If I punch a hole through both lungs with my .223 (legal in my state) or my 6.5 cm… I expect a dead deer, but only if I’ve done my part.
 
Plebe said:
Hmm. Glad I saw this.

I had purchased 2 boxes of Hornaday Whitetail in 7mm-08 as it was all I could get my hands on. I was pretty satisfied with how it shot at the range and it dropped a running buck dead in his tracks for me.

The shot was probably 80-100yds and struck the hind quarter, with the deer quartering to nearly straight away. The trauma from the bullet traveling through the deer was extensive. This wasn't a heavy bodied deer, I was putting it down because it had been earlier shot in the leg by another hunter, so maybe that played a role.

I had a similar experience with another buck and was shooting plain old Rem Core-lokt. It dropped, was still for a spell, but ultimately had enough left to crawl 20-30yds before I got one into the boiler room. I know Core-lokt isn't premium ammo, but in 7mm-08 it's dropped every deer I've ever shot with it except 1 which left me a 40yd red carpet before he fell.

Anecdotally, the Hornaday WS seemed to create more internal wreckage and between the two aforementioned bucks, it put the deer down faster, which had impressed me. Glad I'm hearing about the issues before I run anymore. I definitely won't risk primer failure, my uncle lost a huge buck due to that (Federal 12ga slugs, if I recollect correctly).
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A few years ago I heard rumblings of a “huge buck” by my house, so I went out back and shot him the first night, one shot 270 130 grain Hornady SST, and he wasn’t huge by the way, the bullet penciled in and the buck went about 150 yards no blood and laid there dead. A couple days later I decided to double check my rifle it got banged up a little while dragging that buck, first shot dented primer, next shot bang, next shot click dented primer, 2 duds in that box, Hornady superformance 270 130 grain SST, I switched back to Winchester 150 grain power points after that, I also changed the sear on my timney trigger first to a longer sear thinking it wasn’t parking the firing pin back far enough. Last winter with the chrono I was getting over a 200 fps spread on some factory loaded Hornady 223 vmax loads, I was trying to burn them up for the brass, my hand loads I usually finish off with a 10-20 fps spread on the chrono, my 7/08 with a 120 grain Nosler ballistic tip, Varget powder, and Lapua brass will often get dupes on the chrono, I am sure most of Hornadys factory stuff is more than adequate for most everybody under normal hunting I’m just sour after those couple experiences, I now hand load almost everything I use.
 
Topdog said:
A few years ago I heard rumblings of a “huge buck” by my house, so I went out back and shot him the first night, one shot 270 130 grain Hornady SST, and he wasn’t huge by the way, the bullet penciled in and the buck went about 150 yards no blood and laid there dead. A couple days later I decided to double check my rifle it got banged up a little while dragging that buck, first shot dented primer, next shot bang, next shot click dented primer, 2 duds in that box, Hornady superformance 270 130 grain SST, I switched back to Winchester 150 grain power points after that, I also changed the sear on my timney trigger first to a longer sear thinking it wasn’t parking the firing pin back far enough. Last winter with the chrono I was getting over a 200 fps spread on some factory loaded Hornady 223 vmax loads, I was trying to burn them up for the brass, my hand loads I usually finish off with a 10-20 fps spread on the chrono, my 7/08 with a 120 grain Nosler ballistic tip, Varget powder, and Lapua brass will often get dupes on the chrono, I am sure most of Hornadys factory stuff is more than adequate for most everybody under normal hunting I’m just sour after those couple experiences, I now hand load almost everything I use.
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I heard of some issues with the SST shotgun slugs, but never paid attention as we were using Lightfields and Federal Premium Barnes Expanders. I just did a google search and those issues seem in line with you experienced with the rifle ammo line.

I'll lose my mind if I ever hear just, "click" from ammo I'm using.

I had a friend who handloaded, and we had a ball with that. He had lots of hunting rifles, so we shot often and tried tons of different stuff. It's a hobby I'd love to have but unfortunately don't have time for. I'm fascinated by wildcat cartridges.
 
Want to talk misfires? I blew shots on 3 deer due to misfires in my Tikka T3 .308. I tried everything, different lubes on the firing pin, dry firing pin, graphite, new spring, still, at temps below 10 degrees F I had FTF. I finally figured out it was the CCI primers I was using. I switched to Federal primers and no more problems. I also now mostly use a Montana 9mm-08.
 
Zippo lighter fluid is the best way to flush a trigger, few drops up top and wipe it off as if hits your trigger guard, I disassemble my 700 bolt on my deer rifle twice a year, before season and soon as it ends, I wipe it clean with Rem oil, the firing pin and spring, so I mostly run it dry for cold weather, and grease the lugs. I always tape my barrels too, to keep snow and **** out. Plebe I have 2 wildcats, 416 Hoffman and 300 Jarret, the hoffman I have to fire form brass, the Jarret I fire form some and have originals also from Kenny’s shop. They are both a complete pain in the ass, but it’s a fun hobby in the winter when I have extra time in the evenings and reload quite often, I shoot almost every week all winter off a bench on my porch about 50’ from where I reload in my shop, I love it!
 
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