Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Let's talk bullets.

First of all I would like to say that I am not a reloader. I have reloaded some bullets years ago for the police academy that I was attending and have only the basic's. So I hope these questions don't sound to stupid. But as I evaluate the different ammo avalible for rifles I have this understanding.

The performance of a cartridge is mainly due to the type of projectile that is used.

From what I have read, velocity x velocity x the wt. of the projectile, divided by 450 = energy in foot pounds.

So anything that increases the velocity will increase the energy.
And that is set in stone.

The differences we look for in performance is due to the bullet its self and the damage it will cause at impact.

Some animals require more damage to organs than others (Moose vs Deer) to bring them down, there for you should select a projectile on the basis of what we are hunting?

When I compare the 30.06 in a remington pointed soft point core lokt 150 gr. to the .280 in a remington pointed soft point core lokt 150 gr. The 06 is traveling 2910 ft/sec at the muzzle and the .280 is traveling at 2890 ft/sec. a difference of 20 ft/sec. But the .280 starts to pull away from the 30.06 at 200 yards by than 31 ft/sec.

Is that due to the difference in caliber? The .308 being a largerer diameter and catching more wind drag than the .284 at a smaller diameter?

Hoot

hoot: Exactly. the smaller caliber bullet, in the same weight has a better "ballistics coefficient". which means it has less drag, and loses its velocity slower.

As a practical matter, no deer will ever know the difference!

I agree completely. Ballistic charts are fun to review. I wish someone would make a chart on the projectiles them selves.

All I know about the bullets is the soft points dont explode inside a small deer like the ballistic tips do.

I used one once........ Once

Hoot, judging a bullet by one shot will cause you to pass up a lot of good bullets. I have killed over 100 whitetails with ballistic tip bullets and continue to use them. I decided this year to try some Berger 168 gr VLD bullets in my 30/06 for deer based on an article by MuleDeer. Eight kills without a hitch, number nine leaves a question in my mind. Doe at 175yds, center punched forth rib from the rear of the rib cage, exit took out four ribs on the opposite side. Deer dropped at the shot then got up and ran approx 75yds before dying. Guts were hanging out the exit hole. Before skinning the deer I thought she must have turned as I shot and didn't get a double lung shot and ran into the gut. But with the hide removed the entrance and exit were clearly visible. Did the bullet fragment? or was bone from the entrance hole rib the cause of a cut diaphram allowing the guts to protrude through the ribs. By the way heart and lungs were destroyed. If I had shot this deer first should I assume bullet failure and not use them any more? Strange things can happen when the bullet meets hide/muscle/bone. Point of this rambling is I don't judge a bullet's performance with one deer.Rick.

"Hoot writes: 'From what I have read, velocity x velocity x the wt. of the projectile, divided by 450 = energy in foot pounds.'"


I beleive the formula for energy is:
Velocity (fps) X Velocity (fps) X Bullet Wt. (grains) / 450,240.

djs,

That's exactly it, and it works fine just the way you have it.

works the same either way.

Did someone say charts? - I added a 165 gn Bullet to the 06 just because I like the 165 in the 06. I think it puts the 30-06 near magnum class.

Energy



Velocity




Path - Zero at 250 yds