Bullet weight vs. velocity and energy

[demontang]

Id go with the heavier bullet think of what would happen if you had a bad shot?? would you rather hit the shoulder with a 150gr or 180gr? always think worst case that why you are ready for it. My bear I shot this last year soaked up two 225gr bullets one didnt exit and it never touched bone.

[ADAMS]

"My bear I shot this last year soaked up two 225gr bullets one didn't exit and it never touched bone."

.338?  Where did you hit him and at what range?

[Intruder]

I'm not sure I agree that you have to shoot bigger bullets to anchor an animal.  A well placed shot in the shoulder w/ a bonded bullet or something like a barnes will anchor it just as well as a bigger bullet.  In fact it's the shot placement that accounts for 95% of it.  A lung shot regardless of bullet size is likely to result in the bear making it at least a short distance. 

One point of clarification.  I'm not implying that bullet weight isn't important.  There's certainly applications where a bigger bullet is preferred or necessary.  That being said, under the circumstances of deciding between 150s and 180s out of 30-06 it's not going to make much difference.  If the question wanted to expand upon other calibers and compare something like a .338 w/ a 250 to a .270 w/ a 130 then the merits of the discussion would hold more water.  IMO, choose 1 bullet that is best for your gun/needs and shoot it for everything.  If it's a 180, great.... if it's a 150 great.  Just think you can get wrapped around the axle trying to mix and match different bullets out of the same gun when it doesn't really offer substantial advantages.     

[demontang]

Well first shot broad side at 70yds got the lungs and heart. Second shot was 40yds died in the middle of the chest which round him. The bear was still trying to breath when we started to walk his way. I shot my 338 225 accubonds. I know people have taken bears with smaller cals and I would feel good with a 06 with a bullet in the 180 range.

[high country]

the funny thing about bullet talk is after you have shot so many different critters with so many different bullets yo forget the most important factor.....accuracy. there is not a bear alive that can tell the difference of 30 grains of weight when getting a bullet smashed through its lungs.

pick one that shoots well.

[Bob33]

pick one that shoots well.

That's what the man said.

An animal gut shot with a 180 will suffer far more than the one shot in the lungs with a 150.

Today's bullets are vastly improved.  In the days when bullets didn't hold together very well, using 180 grains going in meant 100 to 120 grains left.  With some of the current bullets, you can shoot an animal with 150 grains going in, and 149.5 grains going out.

I've shot elk with a 30-06 with bullets weighing 150, 165, and 180 grain.  To be honest I'd probably have a slight preference for 180 grain, but only if they shot as well and had the same ballistic characteristics as a lighter bullet.

[Karl Blanchard]

The odds of me switching from my 150's is slim to none.  I've killed 23 big game animals with my rifle with that exact bullet and rifle.  I have only had two bullets that didn't exit.  One was a whitetail buck that got the old kentucky heart shot, the bullet was lodged in the hide up in the neck.  It traveled through the body cavity went through the shoulder and a lot of neck meat before it stopped.  the other was a montana buck a few years ago.  Bullet stopped in the hide on the offside shoulder (quartering away).  Hornady makes an awesome bullet.  I also have about a thousand of them in 30 cal 150 grain.