Best factory ammo choice for .270 WSM for antelope

[Titan_Bow]

I just got back from an antelope hunt with my little boy. This was my first antelope and my first gun kill since i was 13 years old (I've been bowhunting for 20+years) Earlier this year I purchased a slightly used .270 WSM Savage 16. I've been shooting 130gr Winchester Ballistic Silvertips out of it, and been very pleased with the accuracy of them. We shot a doe on Sunday morning; she was probably 75 yards out or so, and the meat damage seemed very excessive. She was quartering slightly forward, and the bullet just devastated her shoulder, and pulled a good portion of her internal organs out the exit hole.
Are there better choices of factory ammo that might not cause so much damage but still put them down? I bought this gun mainly as a meat getting tool to fill the freezer. We have abundant cow/doe antelope, deer, and elk tags available for rifle so I purchased this gun thinking it would be a good all around choice. (and it was a good price)

[handirifle]

While there is probably no perfect answer to your question, the best answer is, "it depends". I say that cause a 70yd shot with any magnum caliber is going to do a lot of meat damage. High velocity is devastating to meat. I just killed a small mulie buck with my 308 and 150gr Nosler Etip bullet. The entry and exit holes were almost at caliber size and about a 1.5" circle of damaged meat.

Why? Two reasons, first, muzzle velocity is about 2600 (compared to yours at about 3200+ I am guessing) and second the shot was at 180yds. He ran 50 yards and dropped dead. There is nothing wrong with the caliber you chose, IF you anticipate some 200+ yd shots being the norm. If all your shots are going to be the average American hunters 150 or less, then you might be a little overgunned, at least with factory ammo.

If you expect to encounter more of the close shots, I'd look for a slightly tougher bullet, one that's meant for tougher game. Remember, it's purely velocity that opens bullets. Softer bullets are best to use if the shot is expected to be long, since they open at lower velocities, the bullet will have bled a lot of speed by 250yds, and the meat damage will not be as bad. If you purchase ammo with tougher bullets, it may not open fully on an antelope, but I suspect at 70yds the antelope would never know it.

Maybe others with your exact problem will have better info for you. The good news, is since it's a Savage, and you decide to change calibers, it doesn't mean having to buy a new rifle. A 260 Rem would still shoot very flat, have less recoil, and most likely ammo would be less, not sure there though.

[Titan_Bow]

Thanks for the informative reply Handi. In retrospect, I think my bowhunting habits caused me to get a lot closer to her than I needed to. Long distance shots I would imagine, would be the norm out here. Im hunting west of Casper, WY, and its BIG country.
I looked at Winchesters Ballistics calculator, and it shows 3275fps at the muzzle with the Silvertip 130gr. I used. At 200yds, its slowed to 2818fps and bled off 800ft.lbs of energy. If I went with a tougher bullet, and encountered a 200-300yd shot, would the result be similar to a softer bullet at close range?

[CJ in WY]

If you dont want to waste as much meat about you only choices are to
#1 Hallar at them and pull the trigger when they are 400 yards out or more
#2 Put the bullet where there is no meat!
#3 Use a controlled expantion bullet(Accubonds,SSTs, Barnes) But if you hit muscle they the velocity is still gonna make a mess!
Like you I bowhunted (Farris mountian) for a month trying to get a nice buck in bow range only to end up walking up on this guy @42 yards with the 7mag with 162 grain SSTs.

http://photos.imageevent.com/cjnmn/wygoatanddeerhunting/websize/DSC04363.JPG

The SST penciled through the lungs like a target arrow but the second shot blew both rear legs off below the hock(it hit bone!) My hunting partner shot his goat with a 154 SST out of the 7mag.It mushroomed perfect but like you he hit the off shoulder and he lost the whole shoulder....All 5 lbs of it.
Long way around the barn but I would stay with the ballistic tips and try for just the lungs for goats. you might loose a little meat here and there but you gotta hit them first and do enough damage to put them down ASAP. I just grabed my elk rifle (7mag) instead of the 25-06 loaded with 115g Balistic tips, will not make that mistake again! Ya the 7 mag worked but the 25-06 would have dropped him right there/right now with no need for a second shot.

[handirifle]

Thanks for the informative reply Handi. In retrospect, I think my bowhunting habits caused me to get a lot closer to her than I needed to. Long distance shots I would imagine, would be the norm out here. Im hunting west of Casper, WY, and its BIG country.
I looked at Winchesters Ballistics calculator, and it shows 3275fps at the muzzle with the Silvertip 130gr. I used. At 200yds, its slowed to 2818fps and bled off 800ft.lbs of energy. If I went with a tougher bullet, and encountered a 200-300yd shot, would the result be similar to a softer bullet at close range?


no, the tougher bullet would open more slowly, at any range, but at close range, it would not blow up like some softer slugs will. CJ's last comments are probably best, just make sure you shoot only double lung shots, stay away from the shoulders, especially on shots under 150 or so. If you took a 300yd shot and hit shoulder, I bet the results would have been more to your liking. In that case CJ's first suggestion might be best, but ya better be able to hit a fast moving target :D ;D.

[hub]

Oh brother,with all that velocity I,d want something pretty tough such as an accubond, TSX. Scirocco. Even a partition. The power points,core locks any of the softpoints cheap ammo won,t leave anything to eat if ya take em out at under 150 yards. I know federal premium loads the accubond, partition and the TXS. There ammo is spendy but will kill em and save the meat. Good luck