Lundy
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Yes sir!, I had two custom savage , 45 cal, that were special. I hope the new owners are enjoying them as much as I did.
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Looking for a Deer Rifle
- Thread starter Mdavis96
- Start date
The Winchester Powermax bonded 160 gr. grouped extremely well at 100 yds and are only limited by my mediocre shooting ability
Lundy
Member
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"170 gr barnes tsx - premium all copper bullet with price and performance to match" pick this one and never lookback. My opinion.
I agree this is probably a great round based upon the history of the bullet and Barnes.
I have enough of a stockpile of the other loadings that it'll probably be a few years before i start accumulating these.
@Lundy , what are your thoughts about the 150gr xp as a groundhog round ? Might be a nice way to get my kids on groundhogs.
ThatBuckeyeGuy
Active Member
Lundy
Member
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Should be great for kids with low recoil. As I'm sure you would agree, keep shots within range of the young persons capabilities so that they get a reward of a well placed shoot as thier reward for efforts.
So I shot 2 does with my 350 Legend and my brother in law used it on another. Its sighted in with the Win 150gr deer season xp bullets. It shoots them really well and the bullet is designed per Winchester website "The all-new 350 Legend cartridge is engineered for deer hunters to deliver massive downrange energy transfer with improved penetration from a modern straight-walled cartridge. The oversized impact diameter of the Extreme Point® bullet offers bigger impact trauma for larger wound cavities and faster knockdown. Make every hunt legendary with Deer Season XP® 350 Legend."
One deer was shot just slightly off directly head on. The shot went through the front ribs just above the heart, through the lungs and exited behind the shoulder. The deer dropped in its tracks, got up and hobbled 20 yards and fell over. The shoulder had tons of blood shot meat and was almost a complete waste.
Deer number two was an almost perfect broadside shot tight to the shoulder. Deer dropped in its tracks. Upon skinning and cutting up the meat there was a ton of blood shot meat in both shoulders with lots of wasted meat. Bullet did not hit the any bones directly but violently sent pieces of the bullet everywhere when it contacted the ribs.
Deer number three was running and wasn't a great shot placement, kinda far back and took out the liver. Deer kept running and the second shot literally took its tail off and broke its back then it was finished with a headshot. Once again around the entrypoint in the back there was a lot of wasted meat.
I'm comparing these deer and wounds to my brother's 45-70 shooting the 325 grain gummy tip leverevolution rounds. His deer were shot behind the shoulder and had considerably less meat damage than the one I shot behind the shoulder.
I'm going to see if any of the other grain weights group as well in my rifle (shooting sub MOA out to 200 yards). Then I'm going to use these on groundhogs come spring/summer. I'm a fan of the accuracy but not how they are performing on deer.
Thoughts?
One deer was shot just slightly off directly head on. The shot went through the front ribs just above the heart, through the lungs and exited behind the shoulder. The deer dropped in its tracks, got up and hobbled 20 yards and fell over. The shoulder had tons of blood shot meat and was almost a complete waste.
Deer number two was an almost perfect broadside shot tight to the shoulder. Deer dropped in its tracks. Upon skinning and cutting up the meat there was a ton of blood shot meat in both shoulders with lots of wasted meat. Bullet did not hit the any bones directly but violently sent pieces of the bullet everywhere when it contacted the ribs.
Deer number three was running and wasn't a great shot placement, kinda far back and took out the liver. Deer kept running and the second shot literally took its tail off and broke its back then it was finished with a headshot. Once again around the entrypoint in the back there was a lot of wasted meat.
I'm comparing these deer and wounds to my brother's 45-70 shooting the 325 grain gummy tip leverevolution rounds. His deer were shot behind the shoulder and had considerably less meat damage than the one I shot behind the shoulder.
I'm going to see if any of the other grain weights group as well in my rifle (shooting sub MOA out to 200 yards). Then I'm going to use these on groundhogs come spring/summer. I'm a fan of the accuracy but not how they are performing on deer.
Thoughts?
My shotgun for this part of the country all day long!
If I were to go west, my WIN .308s go with me.
If I were to go west, my WIN .308s go with me.
ThatBuckeyeGuy
Active Member
I had the same experience this year. First deer was shot double lung broadside and the shock damage to the right front quarter was crazy , second deer was a perfect quartering heart shot but dropped that one off at the processor so I didn't get to see the damage although while field dressing there was bone fragments everywhere inside .I'll be switching back to the 180 grain super x for next year. I had less bloodshot meat using them . The 150 xp rounds give impressive wound channels for sure but the shock is more than needed for the ranges I usually shoot deer at. Plus the 180 grain shoot very well out of my Ruger .
Interesting Doug, thanks for sharing. At 165yrds. in an open field with a slight quartering away, my 150gr. XP entered mid chest, middle high, and exited clean middle high and just behind her left shoulder. Absolutely destroyed her liver and lungs and she went down 40yrds away. I looked for blood an hair and it was hopeless in a cut bean field but I heard her crash and she laid just inside the wood line. I'll be following along with the higher weight bullets you guys try.
Bighoun52
Active Member
Big_Holla
Senior Member
180 gr. soft points, used them in my 30/06 and dad with his 30/30 for many many years, always had good blood trails and never much damaged meat.
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I'm with Big Holla on 180's being a good choice... Have shot numerous deer in Pa. using 180's with great results and little meat damage with a 30/06... But again I always aim for the boiler room where meat damage is not an issue... Also used 165 grain in the 06 with same results....
Beware of the 350 legend group in Facebook. I'm not new to the internet nor social media but wow the responses on there to the same post i made above.
"learn to shoot"
"shot placement is key"
"shoot the neck, no meat damage then"
"you dropped 2 on their tracks what are you complaining about"
and then a handful of actually useful responses that include similar experiences with the same bullet
"learn to shoot"
"shot placement is key"
"shoot the neck, no meat damage then"
"you dropped 2 on their tracks what are you complaining about"
and then a handful of actually useful responses that include similar experiences with the same bullet
It seems like this is how that bullet (150g xp) is designed to act. I didn't remember much damage with the previous deer i took with it but this year the difference between it and a 45-70 with similar shot placement is going to have me looking at different bullets for next season. Might even play around some this weekend if i get the time.
