gamestalker
member
A buddy of mine who has recently opened a small business that among other things, offers load development engaged in a debate with me about bullets for big game hunting. We were primarily discussing deer hunting bullets. His opinion is a bullet that has less jacket to core integrity is more suitable than say a Nosler Partition, Accubond, Speer Grand Slam and so, you get the idea.
Anyway he contends that a super high velocity light weight bullet for varmit hunting or a standard construction integrity bullet for the 7mm Rem. mag., which was the example he threw out there, is going to produce a more efficient and quicker kill than one of the other bullets constructed to produce good penetration and controlled expansion. I was kind of surprised at his off the wall optinion. He says a bullet that explodes with massive fragmenting is going to do much more in terms of stopping power.
I've killed a lot of deer in my life time, not to mention elk and other larger game and have always used a bullet known for it core to jacket integrity and have yet to loose an animal or excessive meat damage. As I explained to him, I've been fortunate enough to have made a lot of vital shots on most of my kills, and the effects are always simular. The bullet produces a small entry hole, and leaves an exit hole the size of a soft ball or larger using big game hunting grade bullets. I can't imagine choosing a 110 gr. TNT at 3700 fps to kill a 200 plus pound mule deer. Don't get me wrong, I load light weight bullets (120 gr. - 130 gr.) for deer and such as well, but I use bullets of excellent integrity that will expand well while producing 100% penetration. The word hamburger comes to mind.
By the way, he leaves on the 22nd of this month for an Alaskan Caribou hunt. I didn't ask him what bullet he will use but I would hope it won't be a light weight HP or he just might piss the animal off, or more seriously speaking, he might wind up loosing his trophy bull
Anyway he contends that a super high velocity light weight bullet for varmit hunting or a standard construction integrity bullet for the 7mm Rem. mag., which was the example he threw out there, is going to produce a more efficient and quicker kill than one of the other bullets constructed to produce good penetration and controlled expansion. I was kind of surprised at his off the wall optinion. He says a bullet that explodes with massive fragmenting is going to do much more in terms of stopping power.
I've killed a lot of deer in my life time, not to mention elk and other larger game and have always used a bullet known for it core to jacket integrity and have yet to loose an animal or excessive meat damage. As I explained to him, I've been fortunate enough to have made a lot of vital shots on most of my kills, and the effects are always simular. The bullet produces a small entry hole, and leaves an exit hole the size of a soft ball or larger using big game hunting grade bullets. I can't imagine choosing a 110 gr. TNT at 3700 fps to kill a 200 plus pound mule deer. Don't get me wrong, I load light weight bullets (120 gr. - 130 gr.) for deer and such as well, but I use bullets of excellent integrity that will expand well while producing 100% penetration. The word hamburger comes to mind.
By the way, he leaves on the 22nd of this month for an Alaskan Caribou hunt. I didn't ask him what bullet he will use but I would hope it won't be a light weight HP or he just might piss the animal off, or more seriously speaking, he might wind up loosing his trophy bull