re: 30-06 core lock 150 grain

Shot a buck last year with 150 grain core lock from my 30-06 from about 40 yards away. Dropped him instantly breaking his front shoulder and stopping in his back shoulder.

Found the shard bullet that mushroomed partially. I'm considering changing to another or a heavier grain. I'm not shooting over 100 or 150 yards, so I'll probably go heavier.

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Too light of a bullet and deer too close.

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Shots at close range are demanding on the bullet, always resulting in decreased penetration (compared to the same shot at a further distance) and commonly resulting excessive expansion of the bullet, jacket/core separation and other problems. Result: the bullet doesn't penetrate as deep as it otherwise would. What type of tissue the bullet encounters and angle of the shot play roles as well. On a broadside lung shot, a bullet that passes between the ribs will penetrate deeper than the same bullet that hits bone like a rib or shoulder (especially on the entrance wound). On an angling away shot, not many bullets will exit, especially if the stomach is hit.

What all in the deer did your bullets hit?

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Last year I shot a deer...35 yards tops broad side. First shot in kill spot, deer drops. Lays there fighting for a few minutes, then finally see blood out of where I shot him. After watching him almost get up for a few more minutes, I decide to put another in him as he is laying facing away from me in kill zone. When skinning him I found both bullets.
Now you know the story, have anybody else ever had a problem with them? I've shot them for years and never had a problem. Could I have a bad box of bullets, I just don't know???

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Meh...... Switch to a .22 long rifle,..... one shot behind the ear and eye it is over. Drops them like rock lol...... Core locks are awful. Always go with a run of the mill simple round nose soft point in the ought 6.

Here he is in case anyone was wondering. Was shot through lungs from other side. And once from between his front legs from underneath in heart. Notice the lack of exit wound and blood. [/URL][/img]

yall got me skeered now. I had always shot core lokts outta my aught 6 and never had a problem. I've moved to a 270wsm, so logically, ive been shooting 130gr core lokts out of it, and they shoot great.

My hunting ranges anywhere from a 30 yard shot to a 500 yard shot, so i'm thinking i need something more consistent at any distance. Like a copper bullet maybe.

do yall re-sight in after switching from round to round? or just roll with it? I ain't got time for that in the middle of deer season.

Look man, first and foremost shoot what works for you. If you've shot a shitpile of deer with it and never been dissatisfied than don't change. You're fixing problems you don't even have. Piles upon piles of deer are killed weekly with the core lock in this country. I put my dog on more deer shot with core lock than anything else because far more deer get shot with core locks than anything else. The percentage of fail-to-exits is not high by any stretch.

That said, I would shoot a premium bullet if I was shooting deer with a .270wsm. It's a fast caliber that uses light bullets which isn't really what the core lock is designed for. I would use Nosler partition (if my gun shot them well), barns TSX, Nosler accubond, Nosler ballistic tip, or one of the other top-shelf bullets out there. If you shoot a deer at 20 yard square in the shoulder knuckle you'll need a very tough bullet to drive through.

That's just my option. You should shoot what your gun likes and what you like. Don't go on a witch hunt because of some internet babble. I personally use core locks in my .30-30 without a second thought and have never had a bad experience with that combo. Out of my 06 I shoot 180gr partitions, mainly just because I can.

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That said, I would shoot a premium bullet if I was shooting deer with a .270wsm. It's a fast caliber that uses light bullets which isn't really what the core lock is designed for. I would use Nosler partition (if my gun shot them well), barns TSX, Nosler accubond,

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Agree.
Personally, I wouldn't use the Nosler BT in a magnum round like the 270 WSM. I think the NBT is not stout enough for a very high velocity round like the 270 WSM and would expect too much expansion and not enough penetration compared to the aforementioned controlled expansion rounds.

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do yall re-sight in after switching from round to round?

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Yup.

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I ain't got time for that in the middle of deer season.

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Sure you do. It doesn't take that long to sight in a gun when changing loads. Do it during the middle of the day when you're taking a break and you're not on the stand.

This isn't meant for anyone in particular, but if you are shooting a scoped rifle at a deer at under 75 yards you should be able to shoot a dang FMJ and kill it quickly. Too many guys love to shoot those high shoulder shots every time and drop them in their tracks, but if it's a close shot shoot them lower in the heart and I guarantee you no deer is running more than 50 yards with a rifle shot blowing the heart up.

As said, bullets are made for different things. You can't have the perfect bullet for every scenario, just pick how to use it the best.

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do yall re-sight in after switching from round to round?

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Yup

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I knew the answer but was hoping you'd make me feel okay about being lazy.