Thread: Shot placement on deer with ballistic tips??

I thought with a 270 you were supposed to eject the round into your hand and throw it at the deer?

Look at Nathan fosters site he recommends the sst Bullets and shows how you can make them a bit less explosive by heating them,not loaded ammo obviously but the projectile.ive used the 150g sst in .308 on Sika and it jellies a lot of meat at bush hunting ranges that’s for sure,deer never go far tho.

Originally Posted by The bomb

Look at Nathan fosters site he recommends the sst Bullets and shows how you can make them a bit less explosive by heating them,not loaded ammo obviously but the projectile.ive used the 150g sst in .308 on Sika and it jellies a lot of meat at bush hunting ranges that’s for sure,deer never go far tho.

Annealing brass is almost a requirement for handloaders in some regards.

Annealing projectiles is another level of desperate.



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Originally Posted by R93

Annealing brass is almost a requirement for handloaders in some regards.

Annealing projectiles is another level of desperate.



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Especially when the tips melt at long range anyway

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Another reason to avoid that Nathan Foster site if he is now annealing his SST's. I suppose he has to though, he has recommended them in every calibre. Even in the cartridges he hasn't even shot.

I will mention here in passing, referring to an earlier post, that I have personally found it quite easy to kill deer with a .270. I cannot imagine the deer I could not kill with one.


I have only used Nosler Ballistic Tips in .308 or just at targets so cant say too much about them except that they do seem quite accurate.

I have used the Hornady SST bullet in different calibers, and I do not use it anymore, because it seems to blow up quickly, to the point of shotgunning apart. I shoot things fairly up close so there is no need for 'special' bullets really. I used some TTSX's but haven't found them to kill deader than anything else, so am leery of the price, as I am of other premiums, like Partitions, Accubonds, Interbonds and the like.

I tend to shoot for a high shoulder shot if I can get it, out of habit now, simply because they drop on the spot and I don't like looking for them. It's really a spine shot, but frags of bullet and bone will take out lungs too. It works fine . But you have to watch them though as a you can get a bullet that will go under the spine but not touch vital organs, even if it drills holes in the top of the shoulder blade...they will drop to the shot, and then pop up again later...so its not foolproof.
But once you are up on the anatomy you can solve problems with bullets and that just comes from experience and a few autopsies. My old man always liked to know what the bullet had done, and I inherited his messy curiosity. I am not above a headshot if I think I can do it (most uncommon though) and I will make a liver shot if I really have to. Rear end shots are actually spine shots as well, the way I do them, but I do not like them.

The moral of the story are deer are not hard to kill with a high powered rifle, with standard Interlocks, Hot Cors, Corelockts etc.

Originally Posted by The bomb

Look at Nathan fosters site

no thank you

Originally Posted by GravelBen

I thought with a 270 you were supposed to eject the round into your hand and throw it at the deer?

Yep heard way too many stories from very experienced hunters losing the big old once in a lifetime red in the roar, one of which was a 14 pointer they shot,sat on it, counted the points then leapt up, another 2 shots, blood everywhere and never to be found. Had 2 mates last roar lose a stag each with well placed shots, same thing, blood everywhere but not found(.270 sold after that). only heard of it happening on huge reds though, great cal for everything else but just wouldn't use it in the roar on big stags.

Originally Posted by kiwigreen

Yep heard way too many stories from very experienced hunters losing the big old once in a lifetime red in the roar, one of which was a 14 pointer they shot,sat on it, counted the points then leapt up, another 2 shots, blood everywhere and never to be found. Had 2 mates last roar lose a stag each with well placed shots, same thing, blood everywhere but not found(.270 sold after that). only heard of it happening on huge reds though, great cal for everything else but just wouldn't use it in the roar on big stags.

Obviously they weren’t well placed shots, bit hard to tell if you can’t find it.

Originally Posted by kiwigreen

Yep heard way too many stories from very experienced hunters losing the big old once in a lifetime red in the roar, one of which was a 14 pointer they shot,sat on it, counted the points then leapt up, another 2 shots, blood everywhere and never to be found. Had 2 mates last roar lose a stag each with well placed shots, same thing, blood everywhere but not found(.270 sold after that). only heard of it happening on huge reds though, great cal for everything else but just wouldn't use it in the roar on big stags.

Lmao never heard of such false logic. Losing those animals had nothing to do with what Cal they were using and it certainly wasnt because they were using a 270 thats for sure. Firstly, if they were well placed shots they have the animal on the ground. Just because they thought they were well placed doesnt mean they were. What type of pill they were using may have a factor on the results as well. Some are more suited for certain ranges and size of animals than others. Choice of projectile is not the fault of the Cal but the owner so either way its user error, not the Cal thats the problem.

Secondly, i use 165ssts in my 308. Use them for bush stalking and longer range and i always aim for the shoulder region where possible. If hit in that region they always go down. Avoid headshots where possible and be very careful with neck shots. If dont strike the right area and hit bone i ve had big stags shot thur the neck drop on the spot. Short time later they up and off, been lucky and managed to chase them down and finish them off but the best percentage shot is that shoulder region.
Have shot many animals now, many with the mighty 243 with softpoints and adding a few now with the 165sst in 308 and they all go down without a problem if hit in the right area.
PS kiwigreen, ye mates prob dont like the big bang and recoil of those 270 and cant shoot as good as they think. Upgrade them to a 243 and and they drop anything they put the crosshairs on if they can shoot, including huge stags.....my go to Cal for the roar