Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska .35 Whelen Rifle Question

bsa & Sitka deer: While I agree with your statements, how does the arbitrary term ‘stopping power’ play into the equation? What I mean is how does the caliber and weight of the bullet affect ‘killing power’? I thought I understood how velocity, sectional density, cross sectional area and energy played a role in bringing down a tough animal, but your statements have me questioning what I thought I knew. I do understand how penetration and bullet construction play a role as well. So why then is the .375 H&H a minimum caliber for dangerous game in many African countries? Sure, dangerous game can effectively be stopped with smaller calibers and shot-placement is key, but what are the advantages (other than recoil, perhaps) of using a .30-06 over a .35W or 9.2x63 – or vice versa – for any reasonable comparison one could make?

In the case of defending against a brown bear charge, would not a larger and ‘more powerful’ load be desirable? I personally have never been in such a situation, but I would think that in such a case that the 9.3x62 w/ a well-constructed 286 gr. Pill would be more effective than a .30-06 w/ a cup & core 200 grained bullet, and perhaps a 430 grained JFN in .45-70 would be better still at stopping a charge. Putting aside any preconceived notions, favoritism or arbitrary terms such as ‘killing power,’ my thinking is that penetration, along with shot placement are the most important factors in turning a charge or putting down a tough and/or enraged dangerous game animal. Of course, there are other intangibles such as field reports that state a particular caliber performed far in excess of what its ballistics would have indicated – should such reports be taken into consideration or discarded? So in this case, is the .30-06 just as effective as a larger caliber and if so why or why not?