The complex science of terminal ballistics

[Kachok]

"Fragmentation
I would disagree with this whole paragraph if it is applied to large game, specifically whitetail deer. I would much rather the bullet go where I intend it to go, rather than spitting fragments in random directions, no matter how much damage they do. If the bullet stays in one piece, it will do the maximum damage to the area I choose to place it, which if I do my job will be the best placement available. Varmints, or game which is highly "overpowered" by caliber choice, is a different topic, and this doesn't really apply.

It's for precisely this reason I don't use plastic tipped bullets. I take note of bullet performance in game while dressing it, and didn't like how the two that I used on deer came apart, suspecting that eventually I would lose a deer to poor bullet performance. Subsequently I had friends who were presented with less than optimum shot angles on trophy deer where exactly that happened. I'm quite sure these deer died, but they weren't found. I fully expect the plastic tip crowd to disagree most vehemently with this, but I simply refuse to use them, YMMV. I have had excellent success with several varieties of pointed soft point bullets, and much prefer them on whitetails. I do most of my hunting with a 7mm-08.

First of all I am talking about limited fragmentation, where enough of the bullet is intact to continue through the target. I thought I made that very clear. Secondly and this might suprise the heck out of you, but most soft points fragment MORE then the main poly tips (BTs, ABs, SIIs and SSTs). I don't use 150gr core-lockts because they usualy shed more of their weight then ballistic tips do, too much for my liking. My 130gr BTs stay intact enough to pass through deer even at close range/max load speeds of my 270WSM which is over 3,300fps! No regular core-lokt will do that, the ultra bonded might but why pay the extra for bonded. BTs are a controld expansion bullet with a very heft jacket on the back half of the bullet, while I have never recoverd one I hear people say 60-75% weight retention depending on the caliber and impact speed, the fragmentation I have seen is larger pieces imbeded in the lining of the rib cage, the exact performance I am looking for to maximize energy transfer where it counts while making sure to give me an exit wound. Until someone comes up with a .308 cal bullet that will expand to 1"+ limited fragmentation is the only way we can get maximum energy transfer our of todays high powered rifles on deer sized game.

 

[NM Mountainman]

Good overall summary by the OP of several important principles in terminal ballistics.

I have one minor nitpick with the OP's statement that flat point bullets are best in the brush. That is a myth that was laid to rest decades ago after extensive testing by the US military, the big ammo companies, and several independent ballistic labs.

No bullet type performs well in the brush. All bullet types deflect when they encounter twigs and branches. A flat point has no advantage over a pointed spitzer in that regard.

A 7mm-08 firing a pointed spitzer is just as good at "brush busting" as is a .30-30 with a flat nose bullet. That is to say, neither one is very good at shooting through brush.

 

[Kachok]

Agreed, as I said it is a mute point for me since I don't take any shot through any brush for saftey and ethics reasons. They all suck going through brush though technicly bullets heavy on the for end (flat points) are more inharently stable then those with a rear weight bias (spritzers) when is the last time you saw a 12ga foster slug deflect off of bone? Now when is the last time you saw a zippy little .223 FMJ radicly change corse just in static ballistics gel.....darn near ever time.