Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Observations of bullet performance

When i was a teenager my brothers and father and I semi-professionally shot kangaroos on wheat crops. As we weren't shooting them for the chillers, we used all manner of calibres and bullets. Yes they were pretty much all cup and cores.

The difference in reactions to similar hits was incredible, even with the same load, range etc. We mostly shot the shoulders, which aren't all that tough even on the biggest roos.

One large roo shot with a 100g Interlock from a 243 would be blown to bits with an exit wound bigger than a grapefruit. The next, the roo would literally go back to feeding (apologies to Don) or hop nonchalantly away.

None of this makes me an expert, but we would shoot thousands in a year. We used whatever we felt like using from 22 lever actions to 30 cal magnums. We also accounted for hundreds of pigs per year in much the same manner and I noticed much the same inconsistent performance at times.

The one thing I would definitely say i did learn, was that using softer bullets generally made for quicker put downs, setting aside the odd aforementioned abberation in performance. I still hold to this today and that's why i favour the likes of Interlocks, Gamekings, Hotcors and such over those hard monos and so on.


I don't think there's much point in thought-experimenting bullet "failure" to the n-th degree. Sometimes crap happens.

Interesting.

That about squares with what I've seen from Partitions at the 500+- yard mark. Hit right they make few tracks.

If you make a good shot into the heart-lung area, it doesn't matter which bullet you are using. Same thing goes for a bad shot. Just my opinion.

hanco: that's a pretty broad brush. Perhaps you should add: "within reason"' or "within reasonable limits". Otherwise one could conclude that a 22 short is all that is needed for any hunting situation.

I agree with Hanco to a large extent re the bad shots. A pig gut shot with a 458 Win will usually run just as far as one hit in the same spot with a 222 Rem.

never shot a pig with either a 458 or a 222, but would not be surprised if you are correct. A gut shot hog can go a long ways!

http://rs53.pbsrc.com/albums/g61/BlueRIO7/DSCF0228_zpsqo1bplaf.jpg~c100

http://rs53.pbsrc.com/albums/g61/BlueRIO7/DSCF0232_zps9okq6dar.jpg~c100

500 gr. Hornady, round nose soft, 94 yrds 450 Howell

Gemsbok, live weight 547#

yesterday. Rio7

Bet the blood trail was short.

Folded up like a wet rag. Rio7

Man that's a hole!

Anyone who thinks frontal area doesn't matter is full of prune juice.

Frontal area matters to varying degree depending on the game- circumstance.
Keep in mind that when hunting much much larger game and things go wrong,
both amateurs and professionals may willingly sacrifice frontal area for penetration by opting for solids-
to urgently finish the task that softs failed to do.

Diametric wound channel volume is not the only thing to consider, just as important can be how WCV
is distribute through the animal. A solid that makes a narrower but longer channel can prove to be more
effective simply by the fact it was able to reach and destroy critical anatomy that a soft would not reach.

Starman, You make a good point,but If you shoot-em on this side and it blows a big hole on the way out the other side what is a solid going to do better??? Rio7

Bobby T, you take hella good photographs!

07,
I used a solid only as an example, of course it also applies to softs that are better penetrators than
other softs. I just find that better penetration even at the cost of some reduced frontal area offers
me more potential shot options. Thats why I miss the old FailSafe.
I recall a person that instantly dropped a charging asian buff with .300magnum 180FS shattering its spine
and one who brained an elephant with .300 magnum 160gn mono metal soft, that exited the back of the skull.
- Just goes to show the true capability & potential versatility of some modern era high performance softs.

I've shot a few fallow - probably about the size of your slightly smaller whitetails.

I generally only use cup and cores out of non magnums. Weird things can happen.

sierra 85gr bthp - shot fallow at 75yards, perfect shot from good rest on deer craning it's neck to eat from high branch. Buck ran into wood. I left it an hour an 15minutes to try for another. When I followed up it was laid down at the base of a tree and got up as I approached. I examined the couch area and saw droplets of blood where the head had been. Left it and came back the next morning - dead with through and through lung shot. Bullet had entered between ribs and exited between ribs, some expansion in lungs but main factor was the skin had been stretched as it fed. When the bullet had exited the skin had returned to the normal position and sealed the holes so the lungs hadn't collapsed.

And that has been my main finding - bullets not hitting rib bones can expand less - they have a tough balance to manage from 25yard shots to the shoulder up to chest shots at 250yards with nothing solid hit.

150gr sierra prohunters out of my 18" M700 Ti which didn't like anything approaching max loads killed somewhat slowly - a change to BTs cured that.

A 125gr sierra pro hunter out of the same rifle appeared to be a clean miss at 200yards on a little roebuck. It walked into the wood and maybe just wobbled a tiny bit as it did so. I waited 20minutes followed up, saw it standing and shot it through the neck. Perfect double lung - no expansion at all. Start load, a BC like a brick and double the distance the load was intended for

At normal velocities/situtaions I've found the same bullets to work really well.

Fast scan of this thread...

two observations...

1. Buy a chronograph...

2. Everyone seems to be a velocity freak...

Even if your bullet is 200 fps slower than you had hoped... do you suddenly think it is ineffective?

for a loss of 200 fps than expected, check a trajectory chart to adjust your zero... how much does it tell ya to adjust your elevation? Two Clicks?

if you need faster velocity out of your 308, buy an 06... if you need faster velocity still, buy a 300 Mag...

guess I am too much old school...

pick a bullet that is up to the job...
and rely on shot placement....

if shot placement is a problem, try practicing at the range more... or get a set up that kicks less, and live with less velocity...

90% of all game is taken at 100 yds or less
95% is taken at 200 yds or less....

so how much time and effort does one have to spend so they can brag about being in that last 5% that take game beyond 200 yds?

If you need to be in that 5% group... then spend more time shooting and practicing at the range...or shooting at varmints in the off season...

More velocity and premium bullets isn't the answer to your problem....look in the mirror and you'll see what needs to be improved upon...

By arguing that a loss of 200 fps is meaningless, one can argue one's self down from a .300 Win Mag to a .32-20 for all North American big game, 200 fps at a time.

There are innumerable variables in field shooting at live game not present when firing at inanimate objects on a range. Quality bullets, flatter trajectories, and larger diameter calibers help mitigate these variables to help with a clean kill.

99% of all statistics cited on the internet are made up on the spot.

Make that 99.1%.....

I am liking these Bitterroots, at least out of my 7mm Mashburn, they produced my fastest pure rib/lung shot kill on an elk. Was cool to see her bounce.









They clocked right at 3020 from rifle. Shot was only 145 yards but it was pretty cool to catch this one. Pretty good sized cow as well.