Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Penetration on african plains game with the NP and the Swift-A-Frames

There is clearly a huge difference in impact velocity and animal reaction with all bullets, Even a solid or FMJ shot fast enough will blow open a huge wound channel as tissue struggles to get out of the way of that bullet as it passes through.

Velocity is the main cause of what most folks refer to as Bloodshot meat. The hematoma from the compressed tissue between the bullets path and the skin causes this. It's why on small game or smaller antelopes they blow apart. The skin cannot contain the tissue as it is pushing out of the way of that bullet. Remember two things cannot occupy the same place at the same time. Kinda like shooting pool. The cue ball is the only one with any velocity at the moment you hit it. But the other balls assume the same speed when the impact happens. This is nearly identical to the way tissue reacts to bullet impact.

Quite often you will read on this forums of people saying to just use a solid or FMJ and you won't blow up the game because the bullet won't expand. It's those comments that show the true experience of the person giving the guidance. It's simply not true at all. The velocity is what is most responsible for the excess damage. Sure an expanding bullet will damage tissue too, but even a solid from a 375HH only going 2500fps will blow a giant hole through a steenbok. No different then a cup and core Hornady 270 grain bullet at 2850fps.

So the velocity is a major contributor to the visual impacts with the X bullets. It's one of the main reasons I use the 165 rather then the 180's in the 30/06. Still not great results with the visual, but noticeable enough over the 180's that I use them.

You will not likely be able to appreciate the visual difference in impacts as the shooter. You must be the audience or spotter, or guide/PH to see this. Or even in a follow up later with a video.