Don,
Lots of total truth there.
ALL bullets have a "velocity zone" within which they are designed to work well. Several of the bullet manufacturers actually publish the velocity parameters of indivicual bullets. For instance, The Fifth Edition of the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading Volume 2 lists the muzzle velocity range of every single bullet Hornady makes ... just take a look at pages 19 through 41.
Other bullet manufacturers keep the velocity range a "whisper number," which I believe is a disservice to the handloader.
I've always found the Nosler .257" 100-grain Ballistic Tip to be a tough little cookie. I suspect it's velocity envelope is designed to include the .25-'06 and the .257 Weatherby. Fired in the wonderful .250 Ackley, the bullet would be slightly tough and quite adequate for the majority of big game critters. The fact that Karen and I have never ever found a single one proves it's toughness and penetration.
I've also found the Hornady .284" 139-grain and 154-grain to be wonderful killers in my .280 Ackley. I've murdered a passel of elk with each of these. In fact a few years ago, I had an opportunity to kill an Asian Water Buffalo. My rifle of choice was my old .280 Ackley with the 154-grain Hornady Spire Point Interlocked (just plain old cheap red box cup-and-core boolits 
)
I shot my buffalo at about fifty yards, dead through both carotid arteries. He fell and gushed a fountain as his lifeblood surged out of his system. He was immobile instantly, but totally bled out within two minutes.
The wonderful Hornady bullet penetrated the two-inch thick neck hide, coursed the neck while taking-out both carotic arteries and fully-penetrated the two-inch neck hide on the far side, leaving a two-inch exit hole. Probably eighteen-inches of tough meat penetrated, plus four-inches of the toughest hide this side of Zimbabwe.
For all I know, the Hornady bullet is still in low-orbit of the earth.
Great bullets used within their velocity envelope will always perform admirably. Used outside their envelope, they will fail ... it's just as simple as that.
Steve Timm
