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Loaded For Whitetail

Lead-core bullets remain the best choice for America's most popular big game.

Loaded For Whitetail
Although these four loads are vastly different, the terminal performance their bullets deliver on deer is similar in that it primarily results in high energy transfer, wide bullet expansion and large wound channels. Loads that anchor deer quickly include (left to right) Norma Whitetail, Winchester Deer Season XP, Hornady American Whitetail and Remington Core-Lokt. (Photo by Richard Mann)

When deer hunters use big-game cartridges with muzzle velocities below 3,000 fps—cartridges like the .243 Win. and .308 Win. or the 6.5 Creedmoor and 7mm-08 Rem.—they are better served with lead-core bullets that expand widely, dump lots of energy and create profound wound cavities through material transfer. Ammo manufacturers know this, too, and it’s why we now have an assortment of loads that have been ideally adapted for deer hunting.

Mono-metal or bonded bullets make sense for deer hunting if you’re using a cartridge that produces an extremely high velocity, like the .300 Win. Mag., or a small-caliber cartridge like the .223 Rem. High impact velocities necessitate bullets that hold together, and small-diameter, lightweight bullets need to retain their weight to facilitate necessary penetration. (Of course, another reason to use mono-metal bullets for deer is if you’re hunting in a state or area that mandates non-lead projectiles.) For most of the common deer-hunting cartridges, turn to the deer-specific, cup-and-core loads for the best performance.

Here’s a look at four loads that have all been crafted to deliver in the deer woods. One is relatively new, two have been with us for a few years, and another is likely older than you are. Regardless of their age, all these loads have one thing in common. They are designed to drop deer through the application of dynamic lead-core expansion, which results in significant amounts of intensive energy transfer.

Norma Whitetail

Norma has a reputation for manufacturing precision ammunition, and their bonded Oryx bullet is a legendary big-game bullet worldwide. Now, Norma offers a line of ammunition specifically intended for whitetail deer, and it utilizes a bullet of traditional construction with a lead core encased in a thin jacket. This allows the bullet to deliver maximum energy transfer. Inside 100 yards you can expect about 16 inches of penetration and double-diameter expansion with around 60-percent weight retention. This is ideal terminal performance to put deer down and keep them there. normausa.com

Winchester Deer Season XP

The Deer Season XP line from Winchester delivers terminal performance very similar to that of the Norma Whitetail line, but it gets there a bit differently. The Extreme Point bullet has a large polymer tip to help initiate dramatic expansion and improve downrange flight characteristics. Behind that tip is an alloyed lead core surrounded by a tapered jacket. These bullets deliver massive wound cavities, extreme energy dump and moderate penetration—just what deer hunters need. winchester.com

Hornady American Whitetail

Hornady celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, and these deer-specific loads use the InterLock bullet that made the company famous. The InterLock has a one-piece lead core that’s locked into the tapered jacket via a raised, internal ring. Penetration is on the moderate side, and wound cavities are large due to generous expansion. At woods ranges, InterLock bullets will retain 65 to 70 percent of their weight and dump 70 to 75 percent of their energy during the first 8 inches of penetration, while pushing to about double that depth. hornady.com

Remington Core-Lokt

The Remington Core-Lokt has been a go-to deer bullet for more than 80 years. It’s known as “the deadliest mushroom in the woods” for a reason. The bullet’s cup-and-core design has a soft lead core that expands wide, sheds material and transfers as much as 75 percent of its energy through only 8 inches of penetration. There’s nothing new about the Core-Lokt and there doesn’t need to be. While it may not sound as sexy as some of the more modern loads, it’s been dropping deer for the better part of a century. remington.com


  • This article was featured in the 2024 issue of Public Land Hunter. Click to purchase.



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