There's a tire shop here locally that's been selling and installing a Texas made bumper that has a very heavy walled 4(?) inch pipe for the main bar and fairly thick tread plate as bracing/filler, with the "grill" protector made from some very heavy smaller pipe and plating material. 

I know of several guys that have them installed on their pickups and just laugh when they hit a deer. 

Personally, I think there's supposed to be a little "crumple" zone built in to the front of vehicles when they hit a car load of kids that accidentally pulls out in front of them.

When I used to race stock cars and modifieds, the bumpers were supposed to absorb the energy of an impact and save major damage to the frame.  It was a lot easier to replace a bumper than straighten a frame.  -- Food for thought if you put a non forgiving bumper on the front of your pickup:  be prepared for major frame damage if you don't hit a solid object (something larger than an animal) squarely, but you'll still have a good looking bumper.