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Looking for a Deer Rifle

Lundy

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I love guns, own a bunch and hunt all over but love bowhunting most. That being said I have a few muzzleloaders, one of which is a custom smokeless. This is my go to deer gun. Legal basically everywhere, can outshoot most rifles and feels different to me being a one shot and done. Granted everyone has a flavor, needs and desires but this is a niche most aren’t considering that is so sweet.

Good Luck. The best thing you can do is shoot a few different guns.
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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Isaacorps

Member
5,230
145
Columbus
The Winchester Powermax bonded 160 gr. grouped extremely well at 100 yds and are only limited by my mediocre shooting ability
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Lundy

Member
1,307
127
145 gr win = fmj
150 gr win deer season xp - bullet designed to expand and dump all its energy into the deer
165 gr Hornady - gummy tip like leverevolution rounds, lots of people seem to love them
160 gr win - bonded soft point, bonded bullet, may be more bullet than a whitetail needs but good to great penetration
170 gr barnes tsx - premium all copper bullet with price and performance to match
180 gr pointed soft point- traditional 30-30 style lead and copper bullet, good penetration in whitetail seems to be

There's also a browning load with a fast expanding bullet, and i think another Hornady load with a more traditional lead and copper bullet. Federal has loadings also.

From the 350 legend Facebook group people seem to love or hate the 150s, 180s seem to be effective but a few haters, 165s if your gun likes them seem seem to be well liked. A lot of people were all about the maker all copper but those were $$ in their loadings and otherwise required reloading to use. So far the barnes seem to be working well.

I've read and seen the photos of 2 Maine moose and multiple bears taken with the 180s.

The maximum point blank range using my ballistic app for a +/- 3" point of impact is 217 yards with the 150s down to 198 yards eth the winchester 180s.
"170 gr barnes tsx - premium all copper bullet with price and performance to match" pick this one and never lookback. My opinion.
 
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Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
"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.
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
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7,145
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Mohicanish
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?
 
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ThatBuckeyeGuy

Active Member
943
46
Ohio
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?
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 .
 

5Cent

Dignitary Member
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12,291
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North Central Ohio
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.
 

Mike

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Up Nort
I heart shot my doe at 70 yards broadside up in a 15' ladder stand with the 150 xp and also lost meat in the opposite front shoulder. She ran about 40 yards. I should have aimed higher. Following.
 
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Bighoun52

Active Member
545
53
In the woods
Good discussion. I have yet to shoot one with my 350 legend. Have it sighted in with 180 grain Winchester. On a big deer, older buck, do you think the 150s would do more damage or would the 180 hold up better and get better results?
 
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Fletch

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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....
 
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Hedgelj

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7,145
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Mohicanish
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
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
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Mohicanish
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.