Well in the .284 bullet size the ones that have worked the best and have been deadly accurate for me have been 140gr Noslers in both the partition and ballistic tip. The later is what I shoot now and has done nothing but drop animals right in their tracks and ring the gong at 500yrds but that is out of my .280AI and in my .280rem that I used to own.

          I know some guys that really like the accubonds but with the 10 (give or take) deer I've killed with them the 160 grains I used did not like bone whatsoever.  Fine if I made a good shot behind the shoulder and a very accurate bullet but I'd like to try something different.  I try to be pretty careful when I take a shot but if I do mess up a little and hit a bone I'd like a bullet that might hold up a little better.

        How bout the Speer Deep Curls?  Supposed to be similar to the federal fusions which the Miss and I really liked in her 2506.  Anyone try those out?

Shrubs I am going to ask again what do you want your bullets to do?  When you shoot behind the shoulder or if you hit the shoulder?  Answer that and I will tell you with one to use.

        My apologies should have been clearer.  I aim for the lungs.  If I happen to mess up and hit a larger bone like the front shoulder or spine I would like a bullet that will hold up and not blow apart, yet still expand at the longer ranges.  I'd like to not make this an argument about shot placement or how good accubonds are I know what I've seen and let's not pretend like shit doesn't happen. 

       I have a pretty good idea about what I'd like to try but still appreciate the input.

   



     

             Yeah it's hard to say any bullet I've ever used has really failed in the end I guess it depends on what a persons definition of failure is.  Maybe it's better to say sometimes a bullet can overstate it's point .  Never ran into a bullet that wouldn't kill game, bullet choice used to be a matter of what wal mart had in stock at the time and can't say any of the regular winchester or federal ammo didn't do a good job.  Can't even tell you what bullets they were lol.
             
            Anyways thanks for the suggestions hopefully I can get a little more time in the next week or two to make a road trip and do some shopping.

You have a point, that said, there are situations where follow up shots, tracking, etc are required. Bullets fail and prey do not die, or do die and are not recovered. Some require followup shots and bullets, or wound channels are analyzed later. Shot placement is very important, but only one part of the equation.

  While I to do hear what you are saying and I will not disagree with you most critters I have encountered have been mostly bang flops. 
 
  Here is two SST 154gr .284 bullets.  The first bullet was shot into a white tail buck at around 150 yards or so straight on dead in chest the bullet was found in the hind quarter against the hide that’s a lot of penetration for just a jacket being left.  Deer was dead before it hit the ground did this SST fail because it does not look like a perfect mushroom and all that is left it a jacket?
 
 The second is all so an SST 154gr .284 bullet this was shot into a white tail buck just behind the shoulder and about the middle of the deer range was 530 yards or close two.  Same result bang flop yes the second bullet is magazine quality but in the end same result.       

Jimmy- I agree with you. My thoughts are most controlled expansion bullets in a 7 mm (and most center fire offerings for that matter) will kill a deer. Dead is dead.

I have had bad experiences with Barnes X bullets not expanding at all in wolf, deer, and bighorn sheep. With those bullets I was not ever able to recover a bullet. I also had a complete pass through on a deer shot in the chest facing me at a long distance (not the best shot placement for certain).

Jimmy- I agree with you. My thoughts are most controlled expansion bullets in a 7 mm (and most center fire offerings for that matter) will kill a deer. Dead is dead.

I have had bad experiences with Barnes X bullets not expanding at all in wolf, deer, and bighorn sheep. With those bullets I was not ever able to recover a bullet. I also had a complete pass through on a deer shot in the chest facing me at a long distance (not the best shot placement for certain).

  Barns bullets sounds like in the quest for the perfect bullet they made a decent Fmj.   

Pencil holes in and out.......

Pencil holes does not mean they are not expanding.  But I hear you because I am like you and like a little more of an exit.  Fist sized would be ideal

Nube- I don't follow your logic on expansion. If the entrance and exit holes are the same diameter, the bullets are not expanding.