mlang

I have used Federal Power-shock 150gr soft points for a couple of years for deer. Usually they have a good entrance and large single exit wound. I have had double lung+ heart shot every time and been real happy with them. The deer take a couple leaps and then falls overThis year I messed something up and hit him in the neck/shoulder area, he just colapsed where he stood. The bullet worked, dear is dead. But my question is that while the entrace wound looked normal, the wound channel was about 3" deep and then the bullet must have exploded.When I cleaned the deer I found multiple areas that were afectedfrom further up the neck to broken right shoulder, broken left front leg, lung and heart damage, but no where did any fragments exit. I have to chew carfully when I eat Grouse, I don't want to have to do the same with deer. Is this dramatic fragmentation typical with this bullet, or is this a freak thing? This shot was about 80 yards.

BrutalAttack

At close range, bullets are still traveling at high velocity which can sometimes cause them to blow up and turn into shrapnel. This is because most big game bullets are designed to expand at longer ranges and lower velocities. This is whyI reccomend the Nosler Partition.

270 bdl

Try some 180's.

James B

The front part of even the Partition bullet can come apart but usually does a great job. The Barnes TSX is probably the best insurance that you can buy. Being a one piece bullet, it will not come apart and will almost always exit. Federal loads the TXS in many calibers. They also load the Nosler Partition in most caliber.

Its also true as mentioned above, the 180 grain will usually hang together better.

BrutalAttack

I do like the TSX alot but I'm sure not so sure it isn't foolproff either.The petals can break off, it can expand radically and break apart just like any other bullet. It's kinda one peice but not really it has a large cavity in the center that is the last stage of the "tripe shock" and I'm sure it could expand radically and break alotof the top part off even though it isn't conventionally "bonded".

It's kind of splitting hairs but for most purposes I still like a lead core like the Partition or the Trophy Bonded Bearclaw.

It does tear an impressive wound channel though.

crimedog

What cal? I used the same load in 30.06 in the 80's and was the best in my opinion. If you are pushing the 150's in something faster I recomend 180's as well. Giving it some thought I never shot anything closer than 150 yards but I did make a sholder shot and the bullet stayed together, but didn't exit

mlang

Yes it is a 30-06 I was using. Thanks for the info guys.

skeeter 7MM

TSX is as foolproof as bullets get. After driving one on a heavy 1/4 away shot on bull moose at approx 70 yards,I can't imagine a bullet that would have performed better. The 140 gr TSX leave my muzzle at close to 3300 fps, it penterated the entire animal and broke the opposite scapula before coming to rest in the opposite hide, bullet measured .716(284 cal) and weight retention was 93% with a perfect mushroom. The moose of over 1000lbs feel in a heap at the hit and the meat damage to the shoulder was very minimal. I have also used it to harvest 2 bull elk, through the ribs it produced pass through with excellent wound channels and similar 2x the cal exits. One bull actually ran 100 yards the other manged only steps after I took out his heart and bottom lungs at less than 100 yards. On deer I am not sold though my sampling is very small. TSX zipped right through the chest cavity of 3 deer and the wound channel wasn't that impressive. Never lost them but the blood was droplets and required some close inspection to stay on track. Ilike more expansion for the thin skinned animals being a rib mainly shooter but if the pins were my choosen target the TSX would be a super choice for deer sized game IMHO.

BTWI have taken elk and moose with partitions, Failsafes, Accubonds and others they worked. But in the cases of an off angle shot I like the TSX and/orpartitions I know they'll drive to paydirt on larger game!!

As to the result high MV and hitting the neck or any heavy bonewill cause a standard cup and core bullet to expand violently. If your shots are close then either move up in grains size or construction.