Every deer season, you hear the same stories—“hit him square, but he ran 300 yards,” or “found hair, no blood.” More often than not, the problem isn’t the shooter—it’s the cartridge choice. Some rounds look great on paper but don’t perform worth a dime in the real world. Whether it’s poor penetration, low velocity, or bullets that expand too fast, these rounds tend to wound more deer than they drop.
Deer aren’t hard to kill, but they do demand a bullet that reaches the vitals and holds together. Lightweight, high-speed, or poorly constructed projectiles often cause superficial damage without hitting anything that matters. The result is a miserable tracking job and a lost deer. If you’ve ever wondered why some cartridges keep showing up in these frustrating stories, here are the ones most hunters have learned to leave in the box.
.223 Remington (with varmint bullets)
The .223 Remington can kill deer cleanly, but only with the right bullet. Too many hunters load it with thin-jacketed varmint rounds that explode on impact and fail to reach the vitals. Those bullets were designed for coyotes and prairie dogs, not 150-pound whitetails. The result is shallow penetration, poor blood trails, and deer that run for miles.
With controlled-expansion bullets like the Barnes TSX or Federal Fusion, the .223 can be surprisingly effective. But with soft, lightweight hollow points, you’re asking for disappointment. The caliber’s low energy and small frontal area already limit margin for error—combine that with a bullet that fragments too soon, and you’re likely to wound instead of drop. The .223 isn’t a bad deer round—it’s just unforgiving when paired with the wrong projectile.
.22-250 Remington
The .22-250 Remington is blazing fast and tack-sharp accurate, but its speed works against it when used on deer. Those thin-skinned varmint bullets explode on contact, delivering shocking energy but minimal penetration. Many hunters have watched perfect broadside hits result in flesh wounds or fragments stopping short of the lungs.
Even when using heavier bullets, the .22-250’s extreme velocity can cause over-expansion on close shots. It simply wasn’t designed for deer-sized game. Yes, you can make it work with the right bonded bullet and precise shot placement—but the odds of wounding go way up with marginal hits. It’s a fantastic predator rifle, but when it comes to deer, too many hunters have learned the hard way that fast doesn’t always mean effective.
.17 HMR
The .17 HMR has taken a lot of varmints cleanly, but on deer, it’s downright irresponsible. The tiny 17-grain bullet lacks both mass and energy to penetrate deeply enough for a humane kill. Even a perfect heart shot might not reach both lungs. At best, you’re wounding; at worst, you’re leaving an animal to suffer.
The cartridge’s incredible accuracy gives shooters false confidence. You can stack shots at 100 yards, but that doesn’t make it lethal on big game. A bullet that tiny simply can’t break bone or reach vital organs consistently. Every state that allows .17 HMR for deer sees a rash of wounded animals each season. It’s fine for rabbits or coyotes—but it has no business in a deer blind.
.243 Winchester (with light or varmint loads)
The .243 Winchester is one of the most polarizing deer cartridges ever made. With a 100-grain controlled-expansion bullet, it drops deer cleanly. But when hunters use lightweight 55- or 70-grain varmint bullets, performance falls apart fast. Those rounds blow up on the shoulder and never reach the lungs.
The .243 doesn’t have much energy to spare, so bullet construction matters. If your shot angle isn’t perfect, or you clip bone, the lighter loads can fail completely. Many hunters love the mild recoil and flat trajectory, but too many deer have been wounded because of poor bullet selection. Stick to heavy, bonded bullets and treat it like the precision cartridge it is. Anything else risks turning your next deer into a tracking nightmare.
6.5 Creedmoor (with match or target bullets)
The 6.5 Creedmoor is accurate, efficient, and everywhere—but not all ammo labeled “6.5” is made for hunting. Many shooters grab match-grade loads, which are designed for paper targets, not deer. Those bullets, like Hornady’s ELD Match or Sierra MatchKing, fragment quickly and lack controlled expansion. On game, that means shallow wounds and poor penetration.
Plenty of deer have been wounded by hunters mistaking target ammo for hunting rounds. Match bullets are thin-skinned and meant to disintegrate, not stay together through shoulder and lung tissue. The Creedmoor performs beautifully with proper hunting loads like the ELD-X or Nosler Partition, but if you run the wrong bullet, it’s no better than a .243 varmint round. Accuracy doesn’t mean lethality if the bullet fails to do its job.
7mm-08 Remington (with light ballistic tips)
The 7mm-08 is capable and proven, but when loaded with light ballistic-tip bullets, it loses effectiveness. Those bullets expand violently at close range, sometimes fragmenting before reaching vital organs. At moderate velocities, they work fine—but when fired from modern high-pressure loads, they tend to come apart on impact.
Many hunters have been fooled by impressive accuracy at the range, only to find poor terminal performance in the field. The 7mm-08 works best with bonded or controlled-expansion bullets that can handle shoulder bone and muscle. The lighter ballistic-tipped versions are fine for smaller deer, but on bigger-bodied animals or close shots, they’re more likely to wound than drop clean. It’s a reminder that bullet selection matters more than caliber when it comes to ethical kills.
.25-06 Remington
The .25-06 Remington is flat-shooting and powerful—but with the wrong bullet, it becomes unpredictable. It’s another caliber that thrives with tough, bonded bullets but fails with light, explosive ones. Many 100-grain soft points expand too quickly, creating massive entry wounds and minimal penetration.
Hunters often report deer running hundreds of yards after a solid hit, especially on shoulder shots. The .25-06’s high velocity accelerates bullet breakup, robbing it of energy where it matters. With heavier bullets like 115- or 120-grain controlled-expansion designs, it shines. But too many boxes on the shelf are loaded for varmints, not venison. If you don’t pick carefully, this otherwise capable round turns into one of the worst offenders for wounding instead of dropping deer.
.270 Winchester (with rapid-expanding bullets)
The .270 Winchester has been taking deer for nearly a century, but some of the newer bullet designs don’t hold up to its velocity. Lightweight ballistic tips and thin-jacketed projectiles often blow apart on impact when fired from fast .270 loads. The result is massive surface trauma and limited penetration.
At close range, especially inside 100 yards, these bullets hit too hard and expand too early. Many hunters see small entry holes, no exit, and poor blood trails. The .270 shines when paired with heavier, bonded bullets that maintain structure after impact. But too many shooters buy whatever’s cheapest and end up tracking deer all afternoon. The cartridge itself isn’t the problem—it’s the ammo.
.30-30 Winchester (with outdated soft points)
The .30-30 Winchester has a storied history, but some of the old cup-and-core soft points used in lever guns expand too rapidly at close range and fail to penetrate deeply. When fired from modern rifles with tighter bores or higher pressure, they hit harder than the bullet design can handle.
On broadside shots, they can do fine. But if you hit the shoulder or quartering angle, they tend to pancake and stop short. The .30-30 can still be a great deer round—but only with modern bonded or monolithic bullets like Hornady’s FTX. Those older flat-nose loads were built for black powder velocities, not today’s higher pressures. Use them now, and you risk wounding instead of cleanly killing.
.300 Blackout (supersonic)
The .300 Blackout was designed for suppressed shooting and close-quarters defense, not deer hunting. While supersonic loads improve velocity, most bullets in this caliber were built for tactical use, not terminal performance on game. They expand too soon or fail to penetrate deeply enough for ethical kills.
The cartridge’s limited case capacity and short bullets restrict expansion control. On smaller southern whitetails, it can get by, but on big-bodied deer, too many hunters see minimal blood trails and lost animals. The .300 Blackout’s slow velocity simply doesn’t give the bullet enough momentum to break through shoulder bone or exit cleanly. It’s a fun range and hog gun, but not a reliable deer cartridge.
.350 Legend (with non-expanding bullets)
The .350 Legend promised “legendary” performance, but in reality, it’s hit or miss—literally. When loaded with non-expanding FMJ or poorly constructed bullets, it fails to create effective wound channels. The round’s low velocity and moderate energy demand expansion for lethality, and without it, penetration is deep but narrow.
Hunters have reported deer running long distances even after solid hits. The .350 Legend works best with soft-point or bonded bullets that expand reliably, but the market is flooded with ammo designed for target shooting or cheap range use. Use the wrong load, and you’ll spend the evening tracking instead of tagging. It’s not a bad cartridge, but it demands careful ammo selection.
6.5 Grendel
The 6.5 Grendel is efficient and accurate, but it doesn’t carry enough velocity to guarantee expansion at longer ranges. Many bullets fail to open properly past 200 yards, especially the tougher designs meant for bigger cartridges. That means pencil-sized wound channels and deer that run out of sight.
At close range, it performs better, but shot placement becomes critical. Even small mistakes can mean long tracking jobs. The Grendel is an excellent cartridge for hogs and smaller deer when ranges are moderate and ammo is chosen carefully. But when paired with slow-expanding bullets or stretched distances, it’s earned its reputation as one of the rounds that wounds more often than it drops.
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
