Great input Short Barrel. I certainly prefer & greatly appreciate real world experiences over all other science based speculation, etc. I like my 336 JM Marlin in 30-30 and found a good deal on Armslist for ammo. So, unless a great deal, read trade, comes along, it is what I will be using this coming Fall. This forum has been great for causing me to think about things that should have been obvious. Again, I must thank Willie for his idea on going "African Style" and taking out the shoulder.
1 BTU = Energy required to change temperature of 1 gallon of water 1 degree.
How well do you like the .500 S&W? Is the ammo expensive or difficult to find? Have you managed to dispatched much game with it? If so, how many were DRT?
Forgot to ask, what differences are you seeing between the cartridges that accounts for the advantages of the 45/70? According to the ballistics information from Remington, the 170 grain 30/30 has greater energies than the 45/70. As previously mentioned, I believe more in real world results than science based speculation. And for snorts & giggles, I am an engineer!
Olaf, You are right. 1 BTU = energy to change the temperature of 1 POUND of water 1 degree Fahrenheit.
ShortBarrel,
Learning about twist, actually Gyroscopic Stablility (Sg) is easy. I created an Excel spreadsheet to do the math. Visualize the bullet as a football. Too little rotation and it wobbles all over the place. Too much, and it is always flying nose up. When it is right, it always points in the direction it is traveling. And for an object traveling at bullet speeds, well, it makes a difference.
Yes sir, we are.
I definitely am NOT in favor of the neck shot, but thanks to Art for his participation and suggestion. Yes, CNS disruption is, by far, the best shot all the way around. However, Short Barrel, your expereince was not a fluke. The spine of most game-sized animals is about the size of a large snake and generally moving in relationship to both the animal and ground. The only time the spine is not moving is either while at rest or during the actual act of drinking or feeding off the ground. I am a fairly good shot even when quick on the trigger, but know I am not good enough to hit a moving snake at even 50 yards. And if you miss that snake, or the main artery, you have the results you witnessed first hand. A head shot, even without brain damage, is far more damaging than the equivalent pass through of the neck. So, unless you are hunting over a food plot where the deer feel safe, ...and I really don't call that hunting.
Alas, I am envious. I had to sell my bikes due to reasons I would rather not recollect (as always it involved a woman). Have you ever tried the run from the Peaks of Otter east to 501? During the Fall, I would not be surprised to find the Lord walking the Parkway admiring his handiwork.
Anyhow, I got pretty good at it.
For me, the neck-shot deal came from my father: "When you shoot them in the white spot, they don't go anywhere." Okay, so that meant I had to work on the skill to be able to hit the white spot. Common sense, of course, says that you don't ALWAYS take that shot.
Art & Buck,
Swamp,
Once again olaf, you are correct. I hadn't thought of foraging rounds and didn't know Remington had sold them. During the War of Northern Aggression, troops were actually given hardwood rounds for such. Still, I imagine foraging rounds would be limited by the stresses of rifling and spinning the round to 57,000+ RPM. I would like to know your results, including accuracy and bore fouling.
