SST & AMax lack of expansion.?

[Jake in NC]

.. Hey fellas.. After a deer season of using the 162gr Amax's and SST's I have yet to see much evidence of expansion in the Whitetails I've taken this year.. Before the "anti-target bullet" gang gets too excited, I will say that not one of these deer have taken another step after being hit.. I just don't see much in the way of expansion via the exit wound.. The load is a 7Mag @ 3150fps.. Too fast.? Too slow.?? Too close.? The deer were shot at 370, 350, 440 and one 280 yard headshot that did not seem to exit.. I guess maybe that one was "fully expanded".?? Hehehe.. The others were shoulder/spine junction shots.. I'm not complaining, just curious.. Especially since I hear that a lotta folks think that AMax's are too frangible for deer sized game.. TIA.. d:^) JiNC

[MAELTY]

I recently took 2 deer in Penna. using the 162 gr SST's with my 7MM WSM. One was shot at about 70 paces the other at about 150. Both were shot at the same place you shot yours. The one dropped dead on his legs the other went 10 ft up and come down dead.

And I can say this. I soaked blood shot deer meat for days. The wound channel on both were through and through and the tissue destruction was horrific.

[Michael Eichele]

I once shot a dall ram at 275 yards w/150 Nosler ballistic tip and hit both shoulder blades. He dropped instantly and didnt so much as flinch after he fell. The blade that had the exit dissplayed a 30 caliber hole [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] The meat on the impact shoulder was completely lost [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

The MV was 3100 FPS and the bullet was 30 cal. I know it wasent an SST or AMAX, but the ballistic tip is similar to the SST.

I will be trying the AMAX this year.

[Charles A]

Thats because there blowing up inside, and only part of them are exiting. Theres just not much left of the bullet after it hits something [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] . If they did not exit(unless you broke the spine on every one) they would not have travled two feet(straight to the ground [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ).

[Dave in Idaho]

I shot a big mule deer at 387yds with a 6.5mm 140 A MAX and he went down on the spot. A neck shot that did not connect with any major bones, or arteries. The shock did the job. Exit was fifty-cent sized hole. I was VERY impressed with it.
Dave in Idaho

[Headhunter]

The only thing I have ever shot with an A-Max was a Antelope at exactly 400 yards, out of a .280. The bullet was a 162 grain A-max.
Hit him right behind the shoulder, he dropped, no exit, bullet jacket lodged under the hide on the opposite side.

Headhunter