Hornady loads the American Whitetail with a 140-grain InterLock bullet at 2940 feet per second, generating 2687 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. The InterLock design features a raised ring inside the jacket that mechanically locks the lead core in place, preventing the jacket-core separation that can occur with conventional soft points during expansion. This construction maintains bullet integrity through tissue while still allowing reliable mushrooming.

The 0.486 ballistic coefficient—impressive for a soft-point hunting bullet—helps the 140-grain projectile maintain velocity at distance better than lighter bullets with lower aerodynamic efficiency. This translates to flatter trajectory and retained energy at the ranges where most deer are actually taken. The exposed lead tip ensures expansion initiates reliably even at the lower velocities encountered past 300 yards.

This load represents the practical middle ground for deer hunters. The 140-grain weight provides more penetration than 130-grain alternatives without sacrificing excessive trajectory flatness. Hunters pursuing larger-bodied mule deer or those who expect quartering shots through heavy shoulder benefit from the additional mass. The American Whitetail pricing keeps ammunition accessible for hunters who want to practice with their actual hunting load rather than substituting cheaper range ammunition.