Bob,
I'll just note that there have been a bunch of bullets "designed" for hunting that work much less than perfectly for the purpose. In fact some have been the biggest POS's ever devised, because they were designed by people who apparently haven't hunted much.
I have also seen some of today's most highly-touted "hunting" bullets fail as well, including some deemed to be the sort of magic bullet that penetrates the vitals from any angle.
John I couldn't agree more....part of the reason it has been so hard to pry me from Partitions.
I was not directing my comments directly at Bergers, just commenting that RC's 140's did not show the kind of wound channel I would have expected in light of what I have seen from other bullets at similar distances on the same animals....my comments would be the same with about any match bullet, including Sierra's, Hornady's, etc.....and no I have never fired a Berger at game...I will leave that up to you guys who are professional bullet testers.
I can understand using some of these as specialized tools of LR experts.
Short of doing a bunch of cull hunts in Africa, or donkey shoots in Australia, it takes a long time to fully understand what a bullet weight/design is capable of under a variety of circumstances and different animals; the reason I do little jumping around myself and lean more towards stuff of sturdier construction.
I think we are both of that age that we can recall why bullets like Partitions, BBC's, TBBC's, TSX's, etc., were originated and designed in the first place.....high velocity cartridges tore up some thin jacketed C&C bullets that did not penetrate well ; squished flat against vertebrae's and shoulders, expanded poorly, and failed to penetrate properly and otherwise get the job done....this even happened with moderate velocity cartridges on heavy animals. Generally the culprit is some thin jacketed something or other that simply did not do what the shooter intended....not up to the job.
Even such newer things as the Barnes has been through so many changes a guy can hardly keep track...when they first came out I would not use them....one look and you knew there would be expansion problems...and there were. I'd use and trust them today, but not on a bet when they first came out....it only took 20-something years for them to finally get it right. Same with BT's which a lot of guys like....but sifting through which one's have been built tougher these days and which one's have not is a daunting task...
When it comes to new wonder bullets for hunting, color me a carping skeptic.
