I could use a few more Bitterroots in 338 and 375! I recently went back through a bunch of correspondence with Bill and re-read the bullet test for the 375 H&H that Andy Tillman finished in 1982, very good stuff.
labdad: That was good stuff! I have somehow lost my old copies of those writings and also wish I had some of Bill's writings as well.....need to call and pester him for a copy.
Also deeply regret I ever got rid of my 338 BBC's...but after messing with the 375's I got out of the 338 game altogether.
I had 250+ of the .358 250's I got from old Ivan Jones up in Alaska....had no 35 caliber rifle for them so built a 35 on a full length, blown out H&H case after confabbing with Bill about which 35 to do(?).
I find the post by the gentleman above interesting,about bonded bullets rocking game somewhat more than the X types but have never used an X on an animal,so can't comment personally on those; but have used the BBC quite a bit and have seen that reaction...usually with solid chest hits you get a reaction....it rocks them "down". I suspect (but don't know)that this comes from early expansion to a broad frontal area,and enough weight retention to chop a good wound channel through vitals.It seems the killing effect is good and penetration deep enough.
I have opened up the chests of elk and deer sized game struck with Bitterroots at high velocity and there was really nothing left but soup...the trauma was substantial.Scrapnel from bullets disintegrating is one way to get a lot of trauma, but not the only way.
I have noticed the effect falls off a bit at long range,one reason I like the BBC at high velocity and magnum cases that give it....I bet BBC's, Barnes, NF's etc just work better at relatively high velocity,and this was what Bill always said......I think it is tough to tear any of them up at speeds we can drive them.
