Post by jrbhunter on Nov 25, 2014 14:31:24 GMT -5
Recently we've been jumping around with random discussions in various threads, which is fine, but I wanted to start a discussion about bullet performance for future reference. Feel free to share your experiences or research or autopsies, positive or negative, about whatever you're shooting. We can jump off on tangents like "This one time...." but I hope this thread hangs around a while and becomes a resource for guys messing with new rifles or new bullets.
I was skinning some critters on Sunday and noticed how my 45gr Hollow Point (From a 22-250) had performed EXACTLY as I'd hoped with shot placement square in a coyotes shoulder from a 170 yard broadside angle. I also had a petite red fox skinned out that was shot through the lungs with the same bullet at the same distance. I was really tickled with the bang/flop performance in both scenarios and it was even more impressive after they were skinned. I planned to take pictures, measurements and do a little autopsy but my carcass guy showed up and I still had a couple coons to shuck out for him.
Anyways, to me it's not about how bullets perform in the perfect scenario. Many poor bullet choices will perform well in PERFECT scenarios. To me the whole discussion about "Coyote Capable Rifles" boils down to the threshold of mass/energy that it takes to kill CALLED coyotes CONSISTANTLY. More specifically, coyotes of the size I'm shooting, at the ranges I'm familiar with and in unfortunate angles on the neck & shoulder, because that's what calling scenarios often leave us with. Those shots require some penetration, not just shock and explosive expansion.
I'm no bullet or rifle expert, they're all just tools to me. I've learned more by doing things wrong than anything else and unfortunately that's left some gimp coyotes running around. That said, I absolutely hate the concept of shooting coyotes with "Varmint Bullets" in centerfires smaller than 243. Anything in the 20-60 grain range of polymers, fragmenting or otherwise explosive bullets just makes me grit my teeth. I've had bad experiences with them personally, so I've settled on a variety of hollow points for my rifles.
I was messing around with some elevation & windage charts online today and saw a link to Youtube videos about bullet performance. Eventually I stumbled into a couple clips that really impressed me and made me think. Take a look at these two videos. The first one is a gel test performed by a groundhog shooter, obviously he wants some explosive damage, but I think he's also highlighting why we shouldn't be using these bullets on larger game like coyotes. The 2nd video is along the same lines, it shows how explosive a V-Max is and how the pressure affects internal soft tissue. These two videos really raised my eyebrows, what do you guys think?
YOUTUBE LINK: BALLISTIC GEL 17HMR, 20VT, 22-250