Some may find the following both interesting and having some significance: I have two .338-caliber, 250gr Partitions retrieved from a bull moose. From 165 yards the first went through the broadside chest behind the shoulders, sending lung tissue and blood about 20 yards across the bushes. The 1000 - 1100 lb bull staggered but wasn't going anywhere. The 250 Partitiion left the muzzle of my .340 Wby at ~ 3000 fps (many chronographed before the hunt). So impact was around the .338 Win Mags published MV. I sidestepped a few yards for a better angle and the bull saw me for the first time and started to swing away. I gave him another that hit behind the short ribs as he was swinging away and he went down in a depression, out of sight. But I was ready to give another if he got back up, which he didn't until a few minutes later when my son arrived from a blind 350 yards away. He got too close and the bull stood in a very wobbly condition - and wasn't going anywhere. But I'd closed the distance to about 35 yards, and when he stood all I could see was his rump facing me whereupon I gave him another in the rump and he went down to stay. My son saw the bulge of my second shot on the offside about 4 inches from the exit wound from the first shot. He dug it out with a knife. That was the first 250gr retrieved. The 250gr from the third shot into the rump was also found by the butcher in the front part of the chest cavity. Before the carcass was delivered to the butcher 36 hours later (we had to wait until the following day to finish matters before leaving camp, then a 1000 mile drive home, then the following morning the moose was delivered to the butcher). So the moose had been field dressed and cut in two aft the short ribs to fit on out trailer. That bullet, as stated, was found by the butcher in the front portion of the rib cage.
The two bullet retrieved: The second, found under the hide by my son next to the first exit wound = 173 grains (69%)/ .61" avg diameter/ .58" in length. The last shot (3rd) into the rump, found by the butcher in forward part of chest cavity = 175 grains (70%)/ .70" by .62" expansion/ .45" in length, from 35 yards impact velocity was 2900 fps yet it epanded more, penetrated more and was significantly shorter! Of course, impact velocity was about 250 fps faster than the first two shots from 165 yards.
A 286 Partition was retrieved from a black bear shot frontally in the chest. In skinning it was found just poking through the hide in the right flank just in front of the hip. That bear went over an embankment and found dead at the bottom. It's retrieval is another story, but:
The bullet had tumbled with some "wings" on one side pointing forward. Nontheless, it retained 74% of initial weight (211 grains). MV from my 9.3 x 62 (1/14 twist) = +2600 fps. From treestand to bear = 68 yards as it faced me.
Bob
www.bigbores.ca
