Norma markets its Whitetail line for "small, medium to large game." This 150-grain load uses a soft point, a jacketed lead-core bullet with exposed lead at the nose, rated at a G1 BC of .341. It leaves the muzzle at 3,018 fps and still carries 1,664 ft-lbs at 300 yards.

Compared with Remington's Core-Lokt 150-grain PSP, another exposed-lead soft point, the Norma starts 92 fps slower and kicks about 3 percent less in the same rifle. The two stay close downrange: at 400 yards, a steady 10 mph wind blowing across the range pushes the Norma about 16 inches sideways and the Core-Lokt about 15. Compared with Federal's Power-Shok 150-grain, the Norma gives up more at distance. The same wind pushes the Power-Shok about 12 inches at 400 yards, and zeroed at 100 yards the Power-Shok drops about 24 inches at 400 against about 28 for the Norma.

Buy the Norma Whitetail if you hunt at moderate ranges and want a plain soft point with a little less recoil than the Core-Lokt. Pick the Core-Lokt if you want a bit more speed from the same kind of bullet; Remington markets it for big game. Pick the Power-Shok if your shots run longer and wind is a factor; Federal markets it for a "wide variety of medium and big game." If you need a lead-free bullet, Hornady's Outfitter 150-grain CX is a polymer-tipped copper alloy bullet with no lead core, built for areas "requiring nontraditional bullets."