Beating a dead horse again

[WinchesterM1]

So with the success of this years hunting season in KY. My older brother killed his first deer and decided that he enjoys hunting. Well now his 13 year old daughter (my niece) wants to hunt on this youth season after Christmas.. but she is a small 13 year old. I am going to let her use one of my Ruger ranch rifles in 7.62x39, it’s small and light and easy to carry.
Here is the question, I’ve been hunting with my 308 using a RD 310-165 shallow HP272298

So my question to you is this, I have some FN casted up as well as some shallo and deep Hp, I get the best accuracy with any load going 1776fps( I fall it my freedom round) which would you use and why? I want a good clean ethical kill on a White tail at 75yards or less. Or am I trying to over complicate it?

[cupajoe]

Is that a spinoff of the bullet Michael originally designed for the 30-30, or a design for one of the "shortneck" cartridges? I'd almost bet that bullet would do well in any form, HP or FN.

[versa-06]

To each his own, but a 165 grain bullet (HP)will be a little lighter than the FN as I'm sure you know already. If the alloy is going to have any flex at all, I would prefer the heavier FN for penetration in case a shoulder or raking shot happens. But we all see things a little differently, & I do understand HP expansion. I just don't like any wasted meat. I'm sure others will chime in with good input.

[Hamish]

Put it through both lungs, either one will do.

[versa-06]

I just try to keep in mind we are helping a beginning youth along in a first hunt. We have no idea where they may wind up putting the boolit, maybe even a Texas Heart Shot?

[WinchesterM1]

I just try to keep in mind we are helping a beginning youth along in a first hunt. We have no idea where they may wind up putting the boolit, maybe even a Texas Heart Shot?

EXACTLY!!!
I’m confident in MY shot placement but a first time hunter who is good out to 100 yards on the range.... but we need to remember back how nervous/excited we were on our first hunt

[Bazoo]

I'd go solid. Better to loose a shoulder than the whole animal.

[RU shooter]

I'd go with the solid flatnose . Hope she does well and hits the deer in the vitals

[Texas by God]

Make sure she gets to practice with it before going on the hunt and it will probably work out fine. An adult should be right there beside her with gentle encouragement. For a kids first deer, I’d recommend a JSP 123/125 gr hunting load if going for the lungs. If she can center the neck or break the shoulders, use the cast bullet. Just my thoughts; placement is the most important thing. Good hunting.

[petroid]

I use 170 gr flat nose in my 300 blackout. About 1600 fps. Works great under 100 yards

[Silvercreek Farmer]

See which one she shoots the best. Use good ear pro, even doubling up plugs and muffs. The Ruger is probably louder.

[rking22]

It’s way more important where she hits than which of those bullets she hits with. Get one of the printed deer archery targets that has NO aiming point on it. Put it out at the expected max range( I would suggest 50 yards) and let her shoot it after describing the proper placement. Start with a 22 rifle and a good rest, then a rest like your stand, then try the other rifle choices. Remember to angle the target and discuss how that changes the bullet placement to still pass thru the center.

[jwhite]

My daughters and I have shot a lot of deer with a 7.62x39, I have always loaded jacketed bullets for them to use and recently switch to all copper e-tips which work really well. I have shot a few with cast bullets, some with pure lead softnose, some hollow pointed, some with tinfoil in the nose and some as cast. I may catch some flack for saying this but 30 caliber cast bullets are not ideal for a beginner hunter, in my opinion they are more aptly used by an experienced hunter whose shot placement will be perfect, more like archery gear. There is a world of difference stepping up to the .35 and larger caliber cast bullets who it comes to killing power. I would stick to a jacketed bullet for a novice hunter, not to say it cant be done but chances of a clean kill and quick recovery will be better with an expanding bullet in this round.

[gumbo333]

Hummm, 165 gr cast, isnt that the 30-30 cast boolit? It won't work? At 1600fps? A lot of deer have been really fooled. I think this is a great place to get started either cast or 123 jacketed. I think I'd prefer the cast in any nose form. Good luck.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Actually practicing on pictures of deer can make a substantial difference in her ability to place the shot correctly. Learning where to shoot on a picture of your intended target has been found to be one of the best training tools in shooting disciplines where the the target is not a tin can or a black/red/orange/grren circle on white paper. Understanding where to hit on an 'anatomically' correct picture helps prepare her mentally for the thought of shooting a deed AND where to shoot it. As for bullet, I would probably choose a jacketed 123/125 grain bullet meant for 'big' game, followed by 150-165gr Flatnose. Practice plenty with mild cast loads, hunt with jacketed 125, even 150's in the Mini-30. I think many of the Mini-30's shoot .308 jacketed accurately and if so, the available options are much larger, a 150 round nose meant for the 30-30 should work very well.

[beltfed]

There is also the Hornady 160 grain FTX bullets- flex tip, boat tail, designed to
expand down to 1600fps for the 30-30 and another variation with different ogive profile for
the 308 Marlin Express
I load those bullets as well as the Hornaty 125 gr SST in my 300 BO for deer. I KNOW the 125 SST
will take a deer nicely at 108 yards. One shot one kill. deer went about 15 yds and dropped dead.
Very light recoil loads
beltfed/arnie

[jwhite]

I always had the girls practicing with light cast boolit loads, I am lucky in that the little Ruger compact 7.62x39 shoots both full power jacket loads and my 115gr ranch dog bullet with 11.5grs of blue dot to the same point of aim. This year we loaded some Nosler e-tips, found the one pictures here just under the hide in the hindquarter of a doe my daughter shot head on.
272539

[jwhite]

272546

[bmortell]

ive recovered a 30cal 170gr flat point on a angled almost full length shot 75yds. it was 20gr 2400 in a 30-06 so same speed as your load. 2.5 antimony 1.5 tin barely expanded at all till it hit bone at the end. if i had to do it again id probably use 30-1 lead/tin