Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Does bore diameter matter?

Let's say just using this as an example, I wouldn't have thought that the expanded diamter of the bullet really counts for anythnig until like 6 inches. Or most of a deer's vitals. Like Mule Deer says, the expansion happens instantly pretty much but that first 6 inches as a whole is way more damage than a low velocity expanding bullet would do.




With that in mind, I can really see why, at least on a deer like critter but even big game, if you hit em in the vitals without needing to bust through a whole lot of heavy animal body first....diameter really probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference unless you're really stepping up velocity in a like constructed bullet.

They'll all make a pretty similar cavitation and damage a lot more internal organ than only that within the direct path of the expanded bullet until quite a few inches of travel.

One of the reasons I'd think say "308 Win vs 6.5 CM" bigger is better argument is kind of bogus. The bulk of the damage is done before the size of the expanded bullet (whichever ends up a tiny bit bigger) is the primary wounding mechanism! On most shot presentations anyway. Gettin through a moose front quarter first? Might be different.