Not happy with bullet performance.

[7.62Warbird]

Shot placement was a little low and a couple inches behind the shoulder. Hit the ribs right at the diaphram and exited the rib cage about 4 inches behind the entrace hole on the same side. Never had to track a deer before and this guy made it 250 yards before his guts all fell out and he died shortly ther after. Deer was quartering to me at 70 yds. Needless to say it was not my best shot as I was aiming at the front of the near shoulder.
 I shoot a Lazzeroni .308 running a Barnes MRX 165grain or TTSX 150grain. The gun shoot very well on the bench with these bullets but with poor performance and deflection like I got on said deer I'm looking at something different in a bullet.
 My thinking is that at almost 3800fps at the muzzle it may be too fast for the solid metal bullet and maybe I should be looking at a bonded lead core. What do you all think? I really like the gun and it shoots 150-165grain much better than 180grain and above. I do like to shoot longer ranges but you never know when that buck is gonna walk out right in front of you within a 100 yards.
 Nosler partitions in my 338 Win mag. have always done the job very well but at 215-250grains and only 2800-3000 fps it isn't really the same as my Lazz.
 Looking for help from shooters shooting faster than 3300 to 3400fps.
 Thanks

[Mike450r]

I shoot partitions in .257 wby and .300 wby at or near 3300-3400 and the performance has always been good.  I too prefer 165 grain in my .30 calibers.  I would recommend trying a partition or accubond.  I have always been happy with Noslers.

[h20hunter]

I think you may be right. To much velocity for an all copper round. Maybe try some testing with a softer slug.

[Biggerhammer]

Dump the barnes in the big 30 and go to a Nosler Accubond, I had the same trouble. Solid hits from a big magnums with Barnes bullets. I went to the 150gr Accubond in the .300 WSM, 165gr Accubond in the 300 Ultra and the 260gr Accubond in the .375 Ultra. Knocks mature mule deer right off their feet at 560 yards I have pictures of recover Accubonds from mule deer. So the rumor of them blowing up at high velocities are from the Barnes hugers.

If you would like me to post the pics, I can find them. Besides the Noslers are themost accurate hunting bullet I have shot, yes I gave up one Bergers and the Noslers have a hi BC. Killed alot of big game with them, as a matter of fact it is the only bullet I've hunted with since they were I introduced.

[Rick]

You're asking a lot of any bullet to perform at an impact velocity of almost 3800 FPS.

If any bullet is going to hold up and perform correctly,it would be something like what you're already shooting.

Going to something like an Accubond is going the wrong way IMO.

If you hadn't made a poor shot,we wouldn't even be having this conversation would we?

[whacker1]

You really have three options as I see it. 
1) a solid bullet like you have now, which like you said is probably moving too fast at that distance to do what you want
2) a bonded bullet that should open up faster, but still retain weight.  should cause more damage, but still exit
3) a bullet that will grenade inside the animal.  I am shooting a 168 grain berger in my 300 RUM.  The berger's reputation is to enter well and then grenade. 

I shoot a 140 grain accubond in my .270.  I would be shooting an accubond out of my 300 RUM, but I haven't found a load combination that shoots as well as the berger. I am taking accuracy over bullet performance for the time being.

What did the inside of the animal look like?  Did you get the liver and the guts, as that is what it sounded like?

[doyourtime89]

 I had the same problem with the Barnes.  I was shooting 180 gr in my .300 win mag and had poor performance on animals.  My son shots 140 gr in his .270 in the accubond and we love that.  He has taken a few deer and one elk no problem.  I was going to switch to shooting the accubond in my .300 win mag.  But I talked to a guy from Federal (Federal had a trailer set up at Sportsco in Fife a month or so back).  He said that accubond were better then the Barnes but he also said the Trophy Bonded Tip are better then the accubond.  So I am giving those a try this year.  They shoot great a the range so I will see.

[golfguy0912]

I shoot 167 grain barnes hollow points. They are one solid piece of metal that have always performed flawlessly. I shoot them out of a 300 win mag, and have used them on deer and moose. On deer, it has left exit holes that you could fit a coke can in, as well as rolls them at 100 yards. On the moose, it went through 18" of backbone, and retained over 95% of starting weight.

As it's been stated, shooting a bullet at that speed could be an issue, but it also sounds like the shot placement is what was a bigger factor in tracking the animal.

[MDGrand]

I would definitely say that the speed MAY be what is hindering the "knock down" performance you are looking for.

Sometimes, no matter what type of bullet you use, the animal is going to show AMAZING resilancy. That is just a fact of hunting.

That being said, I got a REALLY nice bull a few years ago in UT at 360 yards with my 180 Accubond out of a 300 Weatherby.. Best shot I EVER made.. bullet went in perfect low and behind the shoulder and put a whole about the size of a silver dollar through the heart and lodged in the other side of the rib cage just beneath the skin. But here is the kicker....

When he was hit.. he barely flinched and did NOT drop. The guide who was with me, told me to reload and put another one in him, which I did, this time hitting the shoulder ball socket and he dropped like I kicked the kickstand out from underneath him. He was dead on arrival, but I was amazed at how he did not even act like he got hit.

The following year, I used a 180 grain Trophy Bonded Tip from Federal.. shot a cow elk at about 100 yards.. bullet went through both lungs, albeit a little far back.. She initially dropped but got up and ran again another 100 yards.. I was able to walk up on her again, within 20 yards and unload ANOTHER 180 TBT into her.. this time, right through all the vitals.. she litterally groaned into the air and still not die until a few minutes later.

This last year.. my Muley was shot with a 180 Barnes TSX out of my 300 WSM. one shot, 300 yards through the lungs, he turned to run, went about 5 yards and just fell.. The kind of humane kill we all hope for.

So... I guess what I am trying to offer with these stories.. is sometimes, the animal will live no matter what bullet you bring and how well placed.. they are tough!

If it were me... I would stick with what you have. Accubond, Barnes TSX and Berger VLDs are probably the top 3 bullets you can get.

[Huntbear]

My brother shot his 5x5 bull last year at about 15-20 ft. with his .338 WM.  210 partitions leaving the barrel at 2900 fps..  broke both shoulders and the bull went 100 yds. and went down for good...

The partitions are made for that kind of work... close in, high velocities..

[Atroxus]

Personally I think it sounds like shot placement was more to blame than the bullet. Correct me if anything I deduce is wrong. You stated that the bullet hit "ribs" plural. If that is the case it seems to me that he would have had to be quartering pretty hard towards you, like almost face on, in order for the bullet to hit multiple ribs. The deer being almost face on could also cause  a miss of just a  few inches from the shoulder to hit much farther back along the deer's body, then if the animal was broadside. Any bullet if it hits bone at anything other than exactly dead on will deflect to some degree. Lighter bullets more so of course. If it hit a rib off-center, it would deflect, if it then then hit another rib this deflection could become more pronounced. Kinda like skipping a rock on a lake. The shallower the angle of impact the more likely it will skip instead of going straight in. 

[270Shooter]

3800 fps is screamin' man! I don't think it matters what bullet you use, when you it an animal at that kind of velocity you don't know what direction the bullet might deflect to. I doubt a softer bullet (like an accubond would even hold together at that kind of velocity. I guess its the price you pay when you shoot something that fast.

I like the accubond, its what i shoot out of my 270, its 140 grains. I've only killed 3 deer with it, but all my shots have been right around 300 yards, and one at 485 yards. I've recovered a few bullets and i like their performance, the 485 yard shot made it all the way through the buck (heart shot that didn't hit hardly any bone) and the entrance and exit hole were very small, but he only made it 100 yards. I guess this doesn't really pertain to you though because you've got over 800 fps on me at the muzzle

[wsmnut]

My wife just killed a doe yesterday with her .270 shooting 130gr. Barnes TSX.  Range 30 yards.  Speed right near 3000fps.
Deer was quartering towards her.  She was nervous and placed the bullet a bit high and centered on the shoulder.
That bullet ran diagonally through the chest of that doe and expanded to create an exit the size of a quarter or a bit bigger.  The deer ran 50 to 60 yards before crashing.  Everything in the boiler room was soup like you ran it through a blender.  That doe shouldn't have gone three steps!  They'll surprise you, but shot placement is everything. 

wsmnut

[demontang]

I have the .225 accubonds loaded up in my .338 win and they seem to hold together very well. Shot my elk last year at 30yds right through the shoulder and it held together and went out the other shoulder. To my suprise it didnt blow up just punched through, even at that close of range. Ive used the lighter 200gr accubonds too and shot a mulie at 75 yrds running away up a little hill. The bullet hit just left of the spine past the rear hip and traveled up the spine to the shoulders and then deflected down through the vitals and stuck in a rib bone, and he just crumpled up . Wasnt the greatest shot to take but I knew the noslers where tough.

[high country]

Rick sounds like a very smart guy.