Wouldn't Option #1 Be The Best??

Field dressing is messy enough in it's own right, wouldn't option #1 be the best, especially for the person doing the field dressing? This refers to the Buffalo Bore Deer Grenade .44 Magnum load.

#1 At an impact velocity of 1,100 fps it will mushroom to about 75 Cal. and should push right through any deer with a broadside shot.

#2 At an impact velocity of 1,500 fps it will mushroom and some of the mushroom will fragment off and send bullet particles flying through the deer, but much of the mushroom and shank will remain intact and should push through any deer hit broadside.

#3 At an impact velocity of 1,900 fps the entire mushroom will turn into shrapnel and send bullet particles all throughout the deer. The shank will remain intact, but will re-mushroom and do horrific damage inside the deer and will probably push through any deer hit broadside.

I prefer my #1...

Cast bullet at 1000fps...punches right through,

I say, do all 3 and confirm the terminal performance of the bullet at various impact velocities.

I did that last season with the 7mm 162gr A-Max bullet. Fired it out of 3 different cartridges (one of which was a Specialty Pistol) at varying muzzle velocities of 2,200 - 3,400 fps. Then, did autopsies on the deer to ascertain the bullet performance and resulting damage.

Result? Dead deer and data proving the bullets performance over a broad spectrum of impact velocities.

So, I say..........test all three!!!

I am not a fan of picking shrapnel out of good deer meat so I like option 1 providing you get good groups with that load from Your gun.

I am not a fan of picking shrapnel out of good deer meat so I like option 1 providing you get good groups with that load from Your gun.

Option #4 XTP

i have only gutted or helped gut somewhere close to 200 deer and have never seen any expanding bullet shrapnel get out of the chest cavity even using high velocity rounds and bullets like the ballistic tip. not enough data to say definitively, but i would go with the xtp as others have suggested. the deer that i have shot with them personally all went down either instantly or within 20 feet of where they shot.

#4 XTP

XTP

#4 XTP

With XTP being the choice of many of you here, I don't think t would matter much, if any, but which bullet weight, 200 gr. or the 240 gr.? Starting to realize that just about any bullet will kill a white tail. I think smart bullet choices need to be made when moving up to bigger/dangerous game, and what is ideal in one situation may be far from ideal when used in another.
I can see how the "this bullet vs. that bullet" controversy can rage on for years.

what caliber? if i remember correctly, one of the lighter xtps 200 or 180 grain in 44 is intended for 44 special velocities and wont hold up well on deer. i like the 240 xtp n my 44s

For where I hunt it is whatever drops them as close to where they stand as possible whether that is rifle, shotgun, front stuffer, bow, or handgun. If they run where I am odds are they go down a canyon and you have a long day (or night) humping the critter out. Its easier for me to accept I may lose a little more meat if it means I don't have to go spelunking for my deer.

Our members are pretty smart in bullet choices for large dangerous game. One of my buddies used a punch bullet in .475 & another used a A-Frame in his 454, both killed Cape Buffalo. I also have a good friend that dropped a Water Buff with his 475 Linebaugh using a 400 gr. XTP. We are a smart group of guys & gals 4 shore!