When going after Whitetails size game do you guys who use the solid wide meplat bullets use them? Or prefer a expanding type bullet?

SEEMINGLY, THE SMALLER THE CALIBER THE MORE LIKELY THE USE OF A GOOD JACKETED HP. IN 357, 41 AND 44 A LOT OF THE GUYS HERE USE JACKETED HP's. IN THE LARGER CALIBERS (.452 AND UP), PERSONALLY, I MOSTLY USE BULLETS WITH AN APPROPRIATE MEPLAT THAT WILL MAINTAIN THEIR INTEGRITY AT AND AFTER IMPACT. ALSO, CAST BULLETS HAVE THEIR VELOCITY LIMITATIONS AND IF YOU WANT HIGHER MV's YOU MAY NEED TO OPT FOR A GOOD JACKETED BULEET.

For whitetails I want violent expansion, decent penetration, and big internal damage.
I've taken a bunch with Keith and SSK lead bullets in many calibers, but they don't do all the above. My reliable deer bullets are Rem. HPs, old Speer half jacket HPs, old Speer HPs and newer Speer Deep Curls. They meet all my criteria.
Never used Nosler HPs. Had many bad outcomes with XTPs.

Generally speaking, Whitetails , structurally, are fairly fragile ( though have a great will to live) as compared to some other animals of similar body size. They, and Antelope, may be about the only game animals that I?d use expanding bullets on. However, a 265 grain semi-wadcutter (44 mag.) did pretty well on my buck Antelope. Probably, would have worked much better had I placed it properly!

Personally, I?ll continue using, cast, wide metplat bullets for game, while attempting to put it through the shoulder....creating more damage with bone fragments creating more damage to internal organs. Though, with smaller calibers.....maybe an expanding bullet may be in order! memtb

Having shot light framed medium game with WFN 350 and 465gr bullets from .51 caliber guns, I much prefer something that will provide some expansion AND penetration. It is possible to use too much bullet even if it is half inch when it starts down the barrel.
A soft cast HP or a jacketed expanding bullet is my preference for light boned game that weighs less than 300 pounds.

Trapr

WFN do very little (tissue damage) to thin skinned game..expanding bullets are the way to go...anyone that has shot a bunch of deer sized game with a handgun, will tell you the same. Expanding bullets create much more tissue damage and faster one shot kills on deer sized game, or in my case, every handgun round that I have ever hunted with, from big to small, expanding is far superior.

I've always had good results with cast solids in my revolvers but I'm getting better results with HP's that are cast softer & powder coated. The trick with HP's is finding the "sweet spot" where you don't overdrive them. Alloy hardness & velocity have to work together.

A little experimenting & some deer under your belt helps a great deal, I'm really enjoying them.

Dick

I've used expanding bullets in all of my hunting handguns, save for one: a shorter barreled 41 Magnum Blackhawk. Since its my backup or close range gun for those quick shots that may be less than ideal angles, I decided on heavy hardcast WFNGC bullets that will punch right through the vitals.