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Lot's of assumptions or misunderstandings in this post. No mention of bullet construction or BC, both of which can be used to counter point what was posted. And easily...Do you reload? 250-300 yds can be covered with most any bullet you shoot from a 30-06. Light bullet's at higher velocity destroy more meat. Heavier bullet's at lower velocity destroy less and penetrate better. Heavier bullet's maintain velocity better. At some point, past 300 yds, the heavier bullet will pass the velocity of the lighter bullet. Either bullet will kill a deer just as dead.
Higher sectional density does not mean a bullet is "tuffer"...I don't think so. The OP claims he's shooting about 300yds max. What 30 cal bullet if properly placed won't get the job done? There's no voodo in cartridge's and bullet's, all pretty clear. For the range he's talking about, BC doesn't mean squat. For the game he's talking about, SD doesn't mean a whole lot more. The bigger SD will indicate the bullet is tuffer, will likely not come apart as fast as a smaller SD and if necessary will penetrate deeper. as we saw with the photo above, on a deer deep penetration generally doesn't mean a lot. I suspect that deer that the bullet didn't get through slammed the deer right down or maybe the deer did run off a bit and fell down. Think of shooting deer and antelope on the same level as shooting through a gallon jug of water, ain't gonna take much. Shoot the 130gr bullet into the water and it will probably not do the jug much good. Send a 200gr bullet from the same rifle through the same jug at the same distance and it won't be as much mess as the 130 but still not do the jug much good. Change the animal from a deer to an elk and things start to change pretty quick but, the OP isn't hunting elk. The bullet he use's on a deer or antelope from a 30-06 makes absolutely no difference if it is placed right the only difference will be the amount of recoil he has to take.
Now about BC, at 300yds using a 30-06 with pretty much any bullet up to about 180gr can be done with a dead on hold depending on how the rifle is sighted in. You want to mention BC as having anything to do with it the range is gonna have to get a whole lot farther than 300 yds! The way he sight's in his rifle will have a lot more to do than worry about BC at such a close range. The MPBR of most any 30 cal bullet from a 30-06 will allow him to hold right on to the range he want's, BC doesn't mean squat so close.
About the only thing's that will mean anything is how much damage he's willing to accept and how much recoil he's willing to accept. Damage will go up and recoil down with a light bullet and recoil will go up and damage down with the heavier bullet. If you could drive the 180 gr bullet as fast as the 130gr bullet, damage would go up. With a lot of shooter's and a 30-06, 300 yds is a chip shot! BC will give you no advantage and neither will SD if the bullet is placed right. I'm actually kind of surprised that 150gr bullet from a 300 mag shot into a deer at 40 yds didn't go clean through! Look at how flat the bullet is though, it expended a lot of energy inside the deer! Be interesting to know what all the bullet hit!
OOPS! The 300 mag with a 150gr bullet was in a different post! Sorry!
It can, but that number alone won't tell you which will penetrate better. Sectional density calculation involves only bullet diameter and weight. No consideration as to construction, which IMO is a larger factor in determining the ability to penetrate. Case in point, a 200gr plastic tipped target bullet has a higher sectional density than a 150gr monolithic bullet. I'd expect the 150gr monolithic to have a greater ability to penetrate.Ah I have always understood it to be an indication of a bullet's ability to penetrate. I take that to mean tuffer.
It can, but that number alone won't tell you which will penetrate better. Sectional density calculation involves only bullet diameter and weight. No consideration as to construction, which IMO is a larger factor in determining the ability to penetrate. Case in point, a 200gr plastic tipped target bullet has a higher sectional density than a 150gr monolithic bullet. I'd expect the 150gr monolithic to have a greater ability to penetrate.
You're still missing the point regarding the use of sectional density as to which bullet is "tuffer"...Comparing a monolithic bullet to a match bullet? Kidding, right? Compare to 150gr monolithic to a 200gr Hornady bonded bullet.
