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That is a question I ask myself every time I hear about hunting bullet "failure". Is a Barnes TSX bullet considered "failed" if it retrieved out of a dead moose that expired within 5 steps of being shot and the bullet upon retrieval was found to have lost one of it's petals? I would put forward the notion that a hunting bullet "fails" if the target animal is not killed quickly and humanely with a decent shot placement.

Words matter. Failure vs optimal performance vs unexpected performance vs poor performance? To me I see big game hunting bullets as operating on a performance scale that ranges from extremely hard monometal solids to highly frangible. A "failed" bullet is one that does not kill the quarry assuming proper shot placement.

My first whitetail deer was taken with a 7mm Remington Magnum using Federal Premium 150 grain factory ammunition. At that time, Federal was loading Sierra GameKings in that particular offering. The shot was maybe 75 yards, broadside on a deer that was maybe 200 pounds on the hoof. The shot entered just behind the right shoulder through the ribs, and blew the offside shoulder to bits. The bullet jacket was found under the hide on the off shoulder side and the separated lead core was a pass through. Did that bullet "fail"? Never in my life have I ever considered that bullet a failure. Soft? Yes, absolutely. Driven too fast for such a short range shot? Most likely. However that deer took one step and fell over stone dead.

I now know a lot more than I did when I started hunting back in the early 1980s. Bullets have also improved dramatically. Would I still use a GameKing? Yes, but only in the appropriate cartridge, at milder velocities, and only for selectively taken textbook broadside shots for appropriately sized game. I truly prefer to use the best modern premium bullets now commonly available. Barnes TSX, TTSX, Swift Aframes when I can get them, Woodleighs, and of course Nosler partitions and Accubonds. With these better, harder, and bonded premium bullets, one can take more liberties with shot angles and the like. After all, the textbook broadside shot is not always offered. With those fancy premium bullets, it gives today's hunters the ability to take less optimal angle shots and still drive deeply to get to the vitals, assuming of course the Hunter has chosen appropriate cartridges for the game at hand.

I think that one must know the design characteristics of the bullet one is using and apply it appropriately. This may mean passing up certain shots where distance and or difficult shot angles won't work well.

Another thought on the subject while I'm rambling on.... DG hunting changes the game from hunting deer and antelope and the like. The principles are the same but bullet selection becomes far more critical and bullets should be chosen from the harder end of the bullet scale. Too much can go pear shaped very quickly. It could be a life or death situation if one can't take poor angle shots. One must be prepared for taking a bad angle shot and have confidence that the bullet will penetrate deeply to find the vitals in spite of the bad angle.

Today's hunts cost a great deal more than even the most expensive bullets. Economics should NOT be a factor for choosing hunting bullets. Ask yourself how many hunting bullets one might use big game hunting during a year. Even a cheap local hunt costs a great deal more than the hunting bullet one unleashes. If the bullet cost $2 or $5 or even $20, I submit to you that it is far and away the cheapest part of the hunt and an irrelevant cost unless you like to use hunting bullets for frequent target practice. For me, a local deer hunt will see me spend $150 in gas alone going to and from the hunt camp. Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating for price increases on hunting bullets, but I'm suggesting to keep things in perspective. Coming from me the cheap hand loader that is almost more concerned about policing my spent brass than watching where my game fell.

Edited by Postman (07/12/16 09:37 AM)