Given all things being equal, muzzle velocity, terminal velocity, caliber, bullet weight,which bullet would give the best penetration and do the most damage on a deer?

The same supposed. Whichever has the highest sectional density should penetrate the best.

A Ballistic Tip is just a hollow point with a plastic cap over it. Consider it to be a hollow point. That said, that is the only bullet I use and have used on deer (in my 270 and 260) for many years. Very explosive, and some say too explosive. Very deadly. Messes up a lot of meat, so I shoot em in the lungs and ruin just the ribs, which we don't eat anyway.

Any chance you are considering the Winchester Power Max?
http://winchester-powermax.com/

I would like to know if anyone has used it and how it performed on deer.

Never been a ballistic tip fan, not a hater just never got bit by the bug, but it's my understanding that different caliber/weights of BT's will give different results. IIRC the jacket thickness varies from caliber to caliber, and possibly over different weight ranges within a given caliber.

Personally, if you want a round that is devastating yet performs consistently, the Sierra Pro Hunter and Game King line of bullets are the best bang for the buck I have found. They are still a cup and core bullet, but penetrate well on medium game, expand ferociously, and are typically very easy to load accurately.

I've seen plenty of critters kilt with a BT bullet. Very devastating wound channels. I have little negative to say about them, but for the price difference, I'd look at a more conventional cup and core bullet since they are going to perform about the same way, and they cost less.

Agree about the Sierra Pro Hunter.

Totally depends on which bullet and the construction of that bullet. Certain HP bullets hold together very well, and certain HP bullets fragment drastically. Same for tipped bullets. It depends on whose bullet we are talking about. Which one are you reffering to?

I have used Nosler BT in my 7-08 and 30.06 for the last 5 years. I ussually shot 2-3 deer and 3-7 hogs a year and have only had 2 that did not pass through. These were head shots to boars over 250 lbs with 7-08. I have been happy with the results.

Used a Sierra 85 gr HP in my wifes 243. She hit a hog in the front shoulder bullet did not penetrate. Found bone and very little blood. Lost blood trail after 40 yards and lost confidence in the bullets.

While a pig IS a varmint, they are not the intended type or size of game Sierra had in mind when they made the HP. I have shot numerous pigs with the 708 loaded with 100 Sierra HP's. Nasty little bullets, but yeah, they don't penetrate worth a darn.

IMO, the Partition is one of the best big game bullets available. It's the one all the others are compared to and you're not limited in the kind of shot you can take. The Accubond has earned a stellar reputation also, and they're less expensive that Partitions also.

Always been impressed with Sierra Game King spire points.

That is what laid this fella out last week. 30-06 with 180gr SGK over 55.4gr of IMR4350. Even with an admittedly poor shot he dropped in sight within 30 yards.



-ww

They are some death dealing bullets for sure. Nice buck!

I like ballistic tips for deer but like others have suggested it depends on the size and weight of the particular model your talking about.

The .308 150gr+ for example are great for deer at 30.06 and below speeds.

I've long been a Ballistic Tip fan and have been shooting the 120's in my 260 - until this year. I decided that, in the interest of a bit more velocity, I'd go with the 100 gr Ballistic Tips. Last evening was the first test of that bullet, when I shot a big hog. Last year, every hog I shot with the 120's dropped on the spot. Last evening, the hog ran off after I thumped him right behind the shoulder with the 100 grainer, and there was no blood trail. I had to track for about 40 yards, but he was running in soft dirt, so tracking was pretty easy. I found him and discovered that he was a darn big hog. Weight is a guess, but since I could barely drag him at all, I'll say he was between 225 and 250. Had decent tusks. I guess I was asking a lot of that bullet to go through that much hog. I might go back to the 120's, but more testing is in order before I do that.

And it turns out that he's the big hog that got away from me about 2 weeks ago. I thought I shot high, and there was the groove right across his back.

That is a good un! Not a lot of vitals behind the shoulder on a hog, could have just been a matter of a slight angle towards you or an inch further back than usual was the reason for the 40yd dash.

I've shot both from Noslers to Hornady and now am using the TTSX
Barnes..I shot an old doe in Tarpley first day looking at me..ctr. of the neck, in the spinal column and it exited about 5 to 6 inches down the backstrap area..no damage..I've shot deer in
the shoulders and meaty part of the neck and put holes in them you could put a large pc. of fruit in..We eat'm so I will stay with the copper..and I try also just to shoot the head or neck..
Yrs. past I didn't have good luck with BT's on long shots..spent a lot of time trailing wounded animals..and most all had good hits..one of my buddies lost a paid Axis 2 wks ago to one and he
even hired a helo to look for it...I'm not a fan unless the projectile is very solid and won't come apart..Don

This exactly. I've used SPH and SGK bullets for more years than I care to remember with excellent results. Same is true for the Hornady Interlock and ESPECIALLY Remington Cor-Lokts.

Nothing exotic, but for my purposes, they just work and work well.

I shoot 140 Barnes TSX's in my 7-08 because of the fantastic accuracy but I have had very little luck getting an exit wound. This makes a difficult tracking job. I lost a good buck last week in Arkansas because of no exit wound. The buck hit the ground like a ton of bricks but started kicking and rolled out of the lane into the woods never to be seen again. I shoot Nosler 125's ballastic tip boat tails in my 30-06, here again I have the same results super accuracy but no exit wounds and no blood trails. I have shot a total of 12 deer this year and only 3 of them ran any distance at all(less than 30 yds), 9 dropped in their tracks with the 7-08 with distances of 85-125 yds. I am considering going to a heavier bullet in both guns if that would help with the exit wounds.

I have had 100% pass throughs on all deer taken with 150 Nosler BT 30.06 and 120 Nosler BT in 7.08.

Are you shooting them into the shoulder bone? I have not shot anything with a partiton or barnes bullet yet, but would be dissapointed if I did not get pass throughs on the majority of my shots

This morning I went to Tarpley and shot a doe in the head and waited about 5 mins. and an 8 point we have needed to take came down the fence line. I made it a point to shoot him squarely thru both shoulders w/a 308 w/Barnes 150 gr TTSX. He hit the ground and came up and pushed his head and front end about 30 yds
and piled up. We butchered him and there was a lot of red bubbly
blood around the rib cage, but the meat in both shoulders was good, and undamaged. Small entry and exit holes and he was about
85 to 100 yds. so it was a good hit. Much less damage than the Nosler or Hornady in any caliber w/Ballistic Tips. The Hornady took out about all of one entire shoulder on one a couple of yrs.
ago..Don

One thing I've noted in some of you guys comments is references to blood trails, ect. Personally, I had rather not have to ever trail one more wounded animal of any kind. I know many folks are taught from their early childhood to shoot animals in the shoulders or lungs, and I've hunted w/quite a few who do. But if
you hit any animal squarely in it's spinal column..neck, top of shoulders or even a "Texas Heart Shot", chances are it's yours. I
guided my partners Banker on a Buck in Uvalde County some yrs. ago. I only saw the deer maybe twice in 12 mos., we got him 5 mins after leaving the house, and he was walking away looking over his shoulder..The guy would not shoot.. The next door neighbor got him the next yr. 26in wide inside, 19 points and one
of the largest free ranging whitetails ever taken in Uvalde County. The Banker was out the $1200 fee for not taking the shot. We didn't have anything any better..Good Hunting..DD

I was just about to make a thread asking the same question about what bullet would be best for deer and/or hogs. The only rifles I have are my AR15 and my Saiga which are both in .223/5.56.

I just shot a doe at around 75 or 85 yards with a 55 gr. Nosler Varmint BT. The shot broke a rib and went through the lung. Ran about 30 yards and that was it. No exit hole.

The diagram shows that at 3000 fps, the bullet pretty much explodes which is what it appeared to do.
http://www.nosler.com/bullets/ballistic-tip-varmint.aspx

Given identical construction.

Huh?