In Marshall's recent post "Can less be more???"... I made a
statement in a reply that said, "How you rate this to killing power is up
to to you" and I further stated that there was no difference in the wound
channel between 1100 fps and 1400 fps. It was called to my attention that
statement was incorrect since the program was broken. I was mistaken...the
difference between 1000 fps and 1500 fps is 0.375"! Of course we must
decide if an animal with a 0.75" hole shot through will run off, where one
with a 1.125" hole shot through will fall dead! I think not! In both cases
we assume complete penetration. It is not my intent to take anything away from
the big guns, but rather put into perspective the comparison in Velocity Vs
Permanent Wound Channel. We know the heavy mass bullets, at equal
velocity, will penetrate deeper. However we must keep in mind that Permanent
Wound Channel is caused by Meplat/Velocity! With this in mind let's look at some
figures:
Beartooth 250 gr. LFN(meplat@.300")
1000 fps@ muzzle=0.750" 1200 fps@ muzzle=0.900" 1500 fps@
muzzle=1.125"
928 fps@ 50 yds=0.696" 1063 fps@ 50 yds=0.797" 1278 fps@ 50
yds=0.958"
898 fps@ 75 yds=0.673" 1014 fps@ 75 yds=0.760" 1187 fps@ 75
yds=0.890"
670 fps@100 yds=0.503" 974 fps@100 yds=0.731" 1113 fps@100
yds=0.835"
I know as a fact, having seen it done, that this bullet started at the muzzle
@ 1200 fps, will at 50 yards penetrate a large hog lengthwise! Compare that with
one started @ 1500 fps out at 50 yards. Do you really think that hog would be
any more dead with a 0.161" larger hole shot through it? I know the old
saying, "Better to have too much gun, than not enough!" I think that
was Elmer Keith, but he also said that his 250 gr #429421 at 1200/1400 fps was
a big game load! And it had only a meplat of .280"!
So, what is the point in all of this? The point is that, when it comes to
new shooters, we should be careful in our advice!
What is enough Velocity Vs Permanent Wound Channel? That depends on the
animal you might face! However, we should also take into consideration
just how much we need before recoil, muzzle blast, etc. take its toll on our
ability to place the shot! If you can handle the 1500 fps or the ultra heavies,
place your shots in a 9" paper plate at 100 yards....more power to you!
A lot of shooters can't! They would be better off at a velocity at
1200 fps, and live with the difference of 0.104" in the wound channel at
100 yards! That, Gentlemen, is the real world! Again, before the KaKa comes
down the tube to me...read what I have said! With complete penetration
(that's for you to decide) there is little real-life difference
between the Permanent Wound Channel between 1000 fps and 1400 fps!
Best Regards from The Hammock......James
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