[Mystro]

I thought I would open up a discussion since there is quite a few new rifles being shot in and ammo selection is going to be a big factor, Whats your thought with the latest ultra premium bullets verses the tried and true proven Soft Points for deer/black bear/goats etc.....???????

I have killed alot of deer with the old Winchester Power Points and similar Soft Points. They seem to have always put the smack down with good bullet placements. I have also shot a few deer with premium ammo like SST and bonded or monolithic bullets.
If you have a rifle that shoots both equally well, what would you use?? With smaller calibers, I have seen a big advantage using monolithic bullets like Barnes TSX. I killed a nice doe this year with my 223 shooting Barnes 55gr TSX from 130 yards on a broadside shot. I purposely shot the doe to in the chest instead of the neck to see if the newer bullets really hold together. Total pass through, took out top of the heart and both lungs leaving a nice exit wound. Textbook kill and she only managed to run 4 seconds and was dead. So what about the bigger calibers?? Is it even worth the extra money for premium ammo on deer if you rifle shoots them equally well??

My 270 and 308 shoot Federal Fusions equally well as the premium loads. I love ballistics and experimenting with different loads but I have to wonder if its worth paying $45.00 a box if the less glamorous $20.00 a box kills em just as dead.

Then there is the terrain that is being hunted in like thick brushy clear cuts or open fields. Certain bullets will go through brush better than others. All these are factors to consider.

I value real world life experiences, so lets here how certain bullets performed on your hunts and see if a pattern emerges.