One deer hits the deck upon impact. Another runs a country mile before finally tipping over. Both were hit with the exact same distance, angle, and point of impact. What was different? Most likely — the bullet.
Without question, it’s a bad day when you lose a deer, or track one a long way. But the deer hunters who know their gear better (ammo included) are more apt to experience success.
“Deer hunting is an opportunity to harvest meat,” said Jared Kutney, vice president of operations with the Kinetic Group. “Deer are designed to survive, and you want a good bullet that offers the right amount of energy and penetration on target.”
Thus, it’s good to understand bullet materials, bullet construction styles, bullet toughness, types of bullet tips, and more. Here’s all about deer hunting bullets.
Bullet Material
Copper and lead are the most common metal types within whitetail ammunition offerings. Today, all-lead bullets are rare. Instead, a combination of the two are much more prevalent. For example, the cup-and-core bullet type, which includes a lead core and copper jacket.
Kutney notes that, with some of the monolithic rounds available today, and some of the all-copper bullets, are pre-programmed to open and present great petals. Of course, the remainder of the bullet is solid copper, and at close range, you can’t lose more than a petal or two.
Interestingly, there are noticeable differences in terminal performance between all-copper and copper-alloy bullets without lead and something that’s copper with a lead core.
Bullet Construction Styles
There are different types of bullet construction. These include A-frame, bonded, cup and core, partition, and more.
“The A-frame is a bullet with a rear and front core,” Kutney said. “It’s a bonded front core, though. That is bonded to a copper jacket. So, when it does terminally perform, it opens up, and that lead does a better job of sticking to the jacket and maintaining the weight retention needed to get the penetration.”
John Langenfeld with Remington notes that, if you punch through a deer’s lungs with an A-frame bullet, you might see differences in rates of expansion, shrapnel coming off, and variances in the wound cavity. So, select the right projectile for the animal.
“As for bonded rounds, these are basically a cup-and-core bullet,” said Remington’s Logan Henry. “However, that lead core is typically bonded to the jacket. Depending on jacket wall thickness, that provides a tougher bullet with slower expansion. How we structure the jacket can alter that. But in general, bonded bullets are tougher.
The biggest differences between bonded and cup-and-core projectiles can also be generalized. But increased weight retention, and sometimes better penetration, are the biggest significant changes between bonded and standard cup-and-core. Of course, with bonded, you’re keeping the jacket and the core together.
“When shooting higher velocity magnums at closer range, when those conventional cup-and-core projectiles impact, you could have cup-and-core separation if hitting shoulder bones and things like that,” Langenfeld said. “So, the advantage with bonding is keeping the jacket and core together. When you do that, you have a potential for deeper penetration due to retained mass.
“There is a lot of regard right now for thin-jacketed, cup-and-core bullets,” Kutney said. “While these do transfer energy well, sometimes they don’t perform as well and continue down the path you think they will after hitting more solid objects, such as shoulders or leg bones.
“Partition is a tried and true bullet that John Nosler came up with decades ago,” Kutney continued. “The premise is to make sure the rear core, which is similar to the A-frame with its rear core, but the rear core in the partition was the pioneering bullet that maintains that weight retention after the bullet opened up on a big game animal.”
According to Kutney, Nosler’s invention stemmed from him shooting a moose with a different bullet type. It fragmented, lost too much weight, and didn’t penetrate deep enough to produce a good result. This led him to design that rear core that wouldn’t come apart.
“Of course, the front end of a partition will be somewhat sacrificial,” Kutney said. “It will give up some of its weight retention in order to terminally perform. But the rear core ensures it has the weight retention needed to get through.”
Considering full-metal jacket ammo, this is usually a military-focused ammo type. Furthermore, Henry gives it the nod for bigger big game animals (regulations permitting), such as cape buffalo and other African game, but not so much for whitetails (or most other North American game). These have less expansion and more penetration, which is ideal for bigger-bodied animals with tougher hides, bones, and muscular structure.
“In some states, it’s not even legal to use full metal jacket, or any other ammo type that doesn’t expand, when hunting whitetails,” Langenfeld noted.
He notes that, in some areas, it might be a viable round for furbearers, as the lack of expansion minimizes pelt damage.
Bullet Toughness
Bullets come in various stages of expansion and toughness. Generally, from weakest to toughest, the bullet types to know about include match-grade (very thin jackets), cup-and-core hollow point (hunting oriented), soft point, bonded, controlled expansion, partition, controlled expansion that’s partition and bonded (like A-frame), monolithic (such as solid copper), and then full metal jacket (no expansion) or monolithic solids without a hollow cavity for fluids to drive expansion.
Langenfeld notes that bullets on the less-tough side, but not down to varmint category, are ideal. That brings you right into the bread-and-butter of a Core-Lokt or comparable bullet. It’s cup-and-core (not bonded), quick expansion, etc. You’re getting a 1.5-times expansion rate.
“You’re probably talking 70% to 90% weight expansion, depending on what it hits inside the vitals,” Langenfeld. “From there, you’re transferring the maximum amount of energy into that wound channel. It’s not uncommon to see what we call bang-flop situations, relative to shooting a bullet that would be more geared toward elk-sized game with heavier bone structures, where you’d need deeper penetration.”
While match-grade bullets are designed for utmost accuracy, these tend to sacrifice too much penetration. That’s a compromise most deer hunters shouldn’t want. In short, avoid match-grade ammo options.
Hollow, Soft, and Polymer (Ballistic) Points
Each bullet comes with a “business end.” These might be hollow, soft, or polymer tips. It’s important to remember that not all hollow point bullets are created equal. Nor do they perform the same way.
“The definition of a hollow point is that you have a hollow cavity when you look into the top of the projectile,” Langenfeld. “It’s hollow, so fluid can get into the cavity and start the expansion. So, I think the misconception of saying hollow points aren’t good for big game hunting is because, when most people think of hollow points, it’s handgun and varmint cartridges that expand too quickly and lose too much weight to penetrate adequately, and therefore ineffective for harvesting big game.”
That said, some hollow points are in fact tough enough to harvest big game. It depends on how the remainder of the bullet is constructed. Langenfeld points to something such as Remington’s Core-Lokt Copper, which is a hollow point in a monolithic copper bullet, which has almost 100% weight retention. It also has great penetration, expansion, and terminal performance.
That said, never write off a hollow point as ineffective for deer-sized game without a firm understanding of how the remainder of the bullet is designed.
“We have our Trophy Bonded and Trophy Bonded Tip bullets in the Federal lineup,” Kutney said. “But we also have the Terminal Ascent bullet, and it incorporates a lot of the technologies mentioned. This includes a bonded front core, solid copper shank, and polymer tip for a higher ballistic coefficient. Plus, it has a patented hollow core. So, even with lower velocities (downrange), that tip breaks off, which allows fluid to penetrate into the hollow point and initiate expansion. It does that at lower velocities than its counterparts in the industry.”
A soft point is another front-end type. It’s a round with exposed lead at the tip of the bullet. This initiates the expansion within the round upon impact. That isn’t the only factor, though.
“There can be other characteristics down inside the bullet you can’t see,” Langenfeld. “Again, generalizing and saying, here’s a soft point, but if it’s a very tough controlled expansion bullet, soft point might be generalized with a lesser constructed toughness like a traditional cup and core that doesn’t have controlled expansion. That said, in general terms, a soft-point bullet is a bullet with exposed lead at the nose.”
Some soft point rounds are excellent for deer hunting. For example, if the bullet is a traditional cup-and-core interior (not considering controlled expansion, partition walls, etc.) it has larger expansion, and maybe even some fragmentation. Therefore, caliber becomes more of a factor to ensure you have enough penetration and energy depositing into the animal.
Moving on, Nosler started the “ballistic tip” term, and since then, it’s been generalized. Perhaps a better all-encompassing term is “polymer tip” or “tipped projectile.” Today, most tipped projectiles have polymer tips, but not always.
“Remington actually had the first tipped projectile with Bronze Point,” Langenfeld. “That was way back before we started using polymer tips in the industry.”
So, what does a polymer tip do for you that a soft point does not? Henry notes that, bullets with polymer tips actually have hollow point cavities. Upon impact, the tip comes off, separates from the projectile, and the cavity begins expansion. This accomplishes several things, such as preventing plugging and increasing ballistic coefficient (BC).
The boattail describes the base of the bullet. Typically, these have an angled base, rather than a flat base. Generally, the implementation of this base style goes hand-in-hand with polymer tips. This assists in reaching a higher BC for your bullet and reducing aerodynamic drag.
Short- and Long-Range Hunting Bullets
Most hunters prefer certain calibers for different hunting situations. For example, hunting whitetails in long- or short-range settings, are better-suited with different caliber and rifle characteristics. Kutney is one of these individuals.
Of course, the idea of heavier calibers and bullets being great “brush guns” is a myth. No, certain calibers aren’t inherently better at staying on course when contacting sticks, twigs, and leaves between the barrel and target. If a bullet hits an obstruction that it shouldn’t, it’ll throw that shot off regardless of its girth or given name.
Even so, some options are more suitable for short-range hunting scenarios. “We launched the 360 BuckHammer,” Kutney said. “Frankly, that’s a cartridge that fits the bid well. Ballistics are easy to understand between point-blank and 200 yards. It’s a really good diameter bullet. I bought one of those for my own son, and he’s done well with that gun.
“It’s hard to overlook the 30-30 Win,” Kutney continued. “That cartridge has stood the test of time. You have to give it credit.”
“Frankly, some of these other guns that are more versed and in tune with longer-range shooting, are decent options for close range, too,” Kutney said.
For example, maybe you wouldn’t look at 7mm Backcountry for close range. Plus, you have the .30-06, .270, and others, that have killed countless deer. But these, and many others, do well at closer ranges, too.
Choosing the Right Deer Bullet
Selecting the right deer bullet involves understanding the above points and analyzing the following factors. First and foremost, hunting regulations influence this decision. These can impact what calibers, bullet materials, and other things can’t and can’t be used.
Hunting location matters, too. In some settings, you might choose a rifle that’s more suitable to shorter or longer ranges. In other instances, it might be choosing based on deer body size.
Personal preference and comfort levels matter as well. Of course, whitetails are medium-sized, thin-skinned animals. When analyzing the optimal deer bullet, it’s important to choose the one that provides the most effective harvest for that specific animal.
“If I can drop them in their tracks with a behind-the-shoulder shot, that’s the bullet I want,” Langenfeld.
“I teach people to shoot deer in the shoulder,” Kutney said. “But you want to be sure that bullet travels on toward that point you’re imagining in your mind.”
Next, what are you looking for? Are you looking for all of the energy to be deposited into the deer for shock effect? Or do you want more penetration and an exit wound for easier blood-trailing? These are important questions each shooter must ask themselves.
“Personally, I prefer to deposit as much energy into the game as I can,” Henry said. “If the bullet does what I want, the bullet buries up under the offside hide. Then, I know it’s deposited all of its energy into that deer.”
Generally, for whitetails, you want a bullet that’s tough but not too tough, to dump the appropriate volume of energy within the vitals. Generally, that’s best achieved and most dramatic with a bullet that stops against the offside hide, or just slightly exits.
“There are two sides of that campfire conversation,” Langenfeld said. “One guy wants his bullet to stay in the animal. Another wants to see it exit. There isn’t a right or wrong there. But no one can disagree that, when bullets stay inside, animals usually hit the ground faster.”
Of course, there is a caveat. Maybe a hunter is going on an out-of-state deer hunt. They might not be presented with a perfect broadside shot opportunity. Because of that, an off-angled shot might be necessary. Under these circumstances, you might want a tougher bullet to ensure it punches through the vitals.
Geographically speaking, most of the time, where you hunt whitetails doesn’t impact caliber or bullet selection all that much, though. For example, for broadside, lung-shot deer, Langenfeld, myself, and others feel that the acceptable range of calibers applies to all whitetails North to South.
However, this too, comes with caveats. Without question, a 300 Win Mag out-penetrates a .243 Win. Those attempting to take shoulder shots on a southern whitetail can use lighter calibers that simply wouldn’t work for punching a hole through the shoulders of northern-bodied deer. Therefore, while the range of acceptable calibers for broadside lung shots doesn’t change, it certainly does for off-angled shots.
Plus, if you’re going on a big destination hunt, it can change, too. Maybe it’s a paid outfitter deal. Perhaps you’re trading a hunt with someone. It could even be your own out-of-state lease. Whatever the case, having a bigger caliber can provide additional insurance and more room for error.
Overall, the best deer hunting bullets get enough penetration to punch through the vitals and dump as much energy inside the deer as possible. The best way to achieve that is a bullet that lodges in the off-side shoulder muscle or hide, or that barely exits. This can result in lighter blood trails, but these same trails tend to be much shorter.
All said, choose what’s most comfortable for you. If you shoot it accurately and with confidence, and take good, purposeful, ethical shots, your caliber and bullet selections should work just fine.