Originally Posted by K_Salonek
Originally Posted by smokepole
Originally Posted by K_Salonek
And don't get me wrong, please?

Can't argue with success!
But I call that a bullet failure.


That depends on the criteria you use to define "bullet failure."

Is is what the bullet looks like after you recover it from a dead animal, or what the animal does after it's shot?


Yes!

Back in the day, way back. When I first started hunting, think early 70s.
Some of the old-timers in camp used ball-ammo that they ground the tip off of.
Ol Coggers! Danged if they didn't get them to work!

Minnesota deer camp, not a lot of distance to cover with heavy brush.
Not every shot was efective, and not every hit either.

Excitement was a factor. Bad shot placment wasn't the norm, but happened.
We always processes our own game, and it was never pleasant trying to find something to eat from around a bullet hole!

I would hate to see what is left after a bad hit from a Berger bullet?
Fragmenters were/are discouraged for that reason.

I happen to be a real fan of aggressive expanision!
Before I started hunting, the term controlled expansion was already in use.
John Nolser was all about this idea, his Partition bullet is a benchmark of craftsmanship.

Is there an art involved with the effects, the 'whoop' we put on our game?

I call eating part of the sport! Spoilage (bad shot placement, shrapnel) is not what I am looking for.
Dead-Elk-Walking is a no-no as well.

Some like elk to leak from both sides.

My rating?

SSTs, too aggressive. Not a fragmenter, but sheds.

NBTs , fantastic, not a lot of tracking!

Silver Tips, (factory loads) agressive, maybe on par with NBTs. I have not see one recovered.

GameKings, another form of art!

Partitions, fantastic for those that use them. I like a little more 'whoop' .

Remington Core-locks, seen failures to expand.

Good friend of mine passed away, lived just down the road from Barns, he knew the family. He gave me a hard time for not using Barns. I know they have some excellent performers.

I would use a Berger, as mentioned.
It sure is easier finding load data for other choices. I would not be a fan of buying their manual to give them a try. Sure it's possible to figure out a load. Sure is nice to have a ballpark to start.

This is a typical example of NBTs, note the lungs damage from the nose:

[Linked Image]

Just my $0.02 cents worth, it is good we have a lot of manufacturers competing for loyalty. There are a lot of good choices.


If finding load data is an issue, you must not load much....

We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....