Fallow deer ammo choice

MISportsman · Jul 25, 2019

This fall I will be hunting fallow deer and I will be taking my 6.5x55. The only factory ammo choices I have are federal fusion and hornady sst, I do not reload. Shots will more than likely be 50-150 yards. Which bullet will give me a quick kill, but not do too much meat damage on this small deer?

Mauser78 · Jul 25, 2019

Try to get the 156gr Norma Oryx.

Red Leg · Jul 25, 2019

Whichever your rifle shoots best. Fallow deer are not the sharpest tools in the shed. You should have an opportunity at very reasonable range and either fusion or SST will put a fallow deer down cleanly. I personally would prefer fusion on deer, but my Swede is happy with that load.

Shootist43 · Jul 25, 2019

140 Gr. Remington Core Lokt is also a good choice. My Swedes gobble up just about everything available and spits them out in small groups.

Alistair · Jul 25, 2019

Wouldn't worry overmuch if shots are less than 150.

I've shot my only fallow with a Federal Powershok 130gr out of a .270win. Roughly 200yds, H&L shot, couple steps and fell over. Subsequent examination showed that the bullet went through both atria and shredded the aorta. Damage wasn't bad at all really, decent expansion, nothing drastic and clipped the shoulder bone coming out the far side. I ate him with my uni house mates over the course of a couple months, and he was very tasty.

Moral of the story, if there is one, is that they aren't overly tough animals and within a couple hundred yards a basic cup and core bullet works just fine at a moderate velocity.

Of the two rounds you listed, I'd lean towards a 140gr fusion as a perfectly adequate bullet, so long as it groups. SSTs would work admirably, but might waste a bit more meat (he says with authority, based on no practical experience and exclusively on it having a polymer tip)

bruce moulds · Jul 25, 2019

100 gn sierra in 25/06, 130 gn various in 270, and 140 gn various in 280 rem and 7stw have been proven fallow killers.
too hard a bullet might be a disadvantage, as would a varmint bullet.
fallow are very susceptible to shock.
this is all heading towards not needing buffalo stopping ammo, but rather mid weight cup and core being well suited.
not sure what is around in 120 to 130 gn 6.5X55 factory ammo.
if I were handloading I would look long ad hard at the 120 gn sierra pushed by h4350.
bruce.

Von S. · Jul 25, 2019

My good Michigan Squire...

A very tightly wound spitball at a decent velocity will kill a Fallow Deer along with a Caribou.

JakeH · Jul 25, 2019

No experience with a fallow, but whitetail have never gone very far with 130gr Fusions in my .270Win. And in the grand scheme of things what’s 0.2mm and 10gr worth of difference?

gizmo · Jul 25, 2019

I’ve hunted fallow for many years and I raise them. They aren’t particularly tough to kill as long as you hit them well. The bucks also generally aren’t difficult to get close to. Either bullet choice will work. I don’t care for Hornady ammo much but the SST is a pretty good bullet. I’d use the federal only for the fact that I won’t give Hornady my $$$$ anymore. I still have a boat load of mid and small bore Hornady bullets and I do use them mainly for target practice and culling. Might as well I bought them.
My round of choice though, Barnes TTSX. That’s for pretty much everything though.

gizmo · Jul 25, 2019

Von S. said:
My good Michigan Squire...

A very tightly wound spitball at a decent velocity will kill a Fallow Deer along with a Caribou.

Love it. That’s up there with Velo’s frozen herring.

JimP · Jul 25, 2019

The best thing for little meat damage is not to go for a heart shot. Shoot him through the ribs just behind the front shoulder. If you hit one of the front shoulders that meat most likely will be all blood shot and unless you are like what my mom was most of it will be wasted. Now my mom would clean up that bloody mess to where all there was wasted was where the bullet went. She would then make a BBQ sauce and simmer that meat in it for a few hours. Man I do miss that meal.

bruce moulds · Jul 26, 2019

yes that is a good shot jim.
probably another good reason to use a fast opening bullet, as that shot offers little resistance to a bullet.
upper neck is also a good shot for saving the best meat.
of course the brainpan is a good meat getter for those who are not into antlers.
personally I now have a policy of women and children first, offering choice of the brainpan more often, plus better meat.
I shot a rutting buck once, and the meat tasted like rusty tin, so we gave it to the dogs.
they would not eat it either.
bruce.

Hoss Delgado · Jul 26, 2019

The best ammunition l ever used on deer , was a box of vintage ammunition which my Granddad gave me along with his .375 HH Magnum Winchester Model 70 in 2006. It was a blue and yellow box of .375 HH Magnum ammo called " Winchester Silvertips " . I have tried for years to find Winchester Silvertips in .375 HH Magnum. But to no avail .

johnnyblues · Jul 26, 2019

Any deer caliber will do. If you hunt whitetail and have a favorite gun/ caliber, there’s your fallow gun..

Red Leg · Jul 26, 2019

Hoss Delgado said:
The best ammunition l ever used on deer , was a box of vintage ammunition which my Granddad gave me along with his .375 HH Magnum Winchester Model 70 in 2006. It was a blue and yellow box of .375 HH Magnum ammo called " Winchester Silvertips " . I have tried for years to find Winchester Silvertips in .375 HH Magnum. But to no avail .

Out of a .375?!? I imagine Winchester Silvertips did work on a deer. Wouldn’t even have to argue over 270 or 300 gr.

It is somewhat depressing to read about Winchester Silvertips as Granddad’s vintage ammunition.

As @johnnyblues notes, any deer caliber with any bullet it likes and that you trust will be fine for a fallow deer.

Hoss Delgado · Jul 26, 2019

Red Leg said:
Out of a .375?!? I imagine Winchester Silvertips did work on a deer. Wouldn’t even have to have the usual forum argument over 270 or 300 gr.

It is somewhat depressing to read about Winchester Silvertips as Granddad’s vintage ammunition.

At the time , it was either that or my .22 Savage Hi Power Red leg ! .375s loaded with silver tips were REALLY REALLY effective on deer and elk. Like an idiot l burnt through the entire box in a year and THEN realized how hard it is ,to find.
I really , really loved those rounds. Nothing fancy by today's standards , but l damn , were they good.
I assume by your comment that you are familiar with silver tips as well ?

MISportsman · Jul 26, 2019

Thank you you all for all of the great answers. For whitetail here in Michigan I usually use my .270 with130 grain core lokts, but iI was afraid that at close range that would have too much velocity and do too much meat damage. I figured it would be a good excuse to use my 6.5x55. I think I'm going to grab a box of the fusions and see how they shoot.

Hoss Delgado · Jul 26, 2019

MISportsman said:
Thank you you all for all of the great answers. For whitetail here in Michigan I usually use my .270 with130 grain core lokts, but iI was afraid that at close range that would have too much velocity and do too much meat damage. I figured it would be a good excuse to use my 6.5x55. I think I'm going to grab a box of the fusions and see how they shoot.

I must ask. .270 Weatherby or Winchester ?

MISportsman · Jul 26, 2019

.270 Winchester. I'm sorry, had a dumb American moment

crs · Jul 26, 2019

Von S.AH Fanatic said-
" A very tightly wound spitball at a decent velocity will kill a Fallow Deer"
I agree!
They are very common on Texas exotic ranches and make decent fare if you have no chance at an Axis deer.

Fallow deer ammo choice

MISportsman

Mauser78

Red Leg

Shootist43

Alistair

bruce moulds

Von S.

JakeH

gizmo

gizmo

JimP

bruce moulds

Hoss Delgado

johnnyblues

Red Leg

Hoss Delgado

MISportsman

Hoss Delgado

MISportsman

crs

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