How Many Yards Until No Longer Lethal

[old_heli_logger]

I hit a frozen milk jug with my 10/22 with a CCI Mini-mag 36 grain HP at 500 yards...one time. I don't know how many magazines I dumped down the dusty road trying to walk one in.
It actually penetrated the plastic of the jug....just barely and the ice barely had a dent in it.

 

[MtPockets]

Wait, what? Do you even own anything that shoots "small bullets?" Don't you prairie dog hunt with a .338?

What, you don't?

You should see the size of the prairie dogs he has in the backyard!

Be afraid....be VERY afraid!

 

[Small Lady]

What, you don't?

You should see the size of the prairie dogs he has in the backyard!

Be afraid....be VERY afraid!

 

[Capt Nag]

Agree with just about every one. While I was a hunter ed instructor in Colorado, we taught the rule of thumb for killing medium game such as Mule Deer, Antelope, small Elk is to not go under 1000 ft lbs of kinetic energy.
Any reloading book can tell you that info. I would guess humans would fall into that same category. The exception would be a .22 rim fire nearly shot into ones heart, orbital eye socket, or ear canal. This is a common method to kill Elephants, or so I read.
To knowingly shoot any living thing with less than that, (in my opinion), would be unethical. But that's me

 

[shaughn]

Hunting,culling,self defense "other" are all vastly different as far as levels of "energy" and projectile type, if we want to use those term without getting too deep into subjects.

The levels of ethical and moral choices for each are such that the discusion indepth is best left off public boards/forum's.

 

[Small Lady]

I am simply, which isn't so simple, asking when does it become nonlethal.

A coworker wore no jacket, T-shirt only, and had 4 of us throw bullets at him tonight. Nothing but making him laugh, didn't even break the skin.

 

[blvette75]

Agree with just about every one. While I was a hunter ed instructor in Colorado, we taught the rule of thumb for killing medium game such as Mule Deer, Antelope, small Elk is to not go under 1000 ft lbs of kinetic energy.
Any reloading book can tell you that info. I would guess humans would fall into that same category. The exception would be a .22 rim fire nearly shot into ones heart, orbital eye socket, or ear canal. This is a common method to kill Elephants, or so I read.
To knowingly shoot any living thing with less than that, (in my opinion), would be unethical. But that's me

When hunting I agree with you, I don't want an animal to suffer. As far as long range shooting, the criteria of this post at 4100 yards there are so many variables and it is quite a long shot, even in ideal conditions. Shot placement would seem to be the determining factor as far as if the shot would kill. The bullet design, cartridge design, much better optics, accuracy international rifles and some of the custom rifles out there are pretty incredible compared to 35-45 years ago. It is pretty amazing that 4100 yards to engage a target is now possible.

 

[Small Lady]

So can we all agree that a 22 lr isn't lethal at 3000 yards, a 30-30 isn't at 6000 yards, a 7mm mag or prc isn't at 10,000 yards, and a 6.5 Creed isn't at 9 yards, because we all know they suck

 

[Ol' Red]

I am simply, which isn't so simple, asking when does it become nonlethal.

A coworker wore no jacket, T-shirt only, and had 4 of us throw bullets at him tonight. Nothing but making him laugh, didn't even break the skin.

After a hard days work and a couple drinks, we tend to do strange things for entertainment. But it's still better than watching a reality show.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I am simply, which isn't so simple, asking when does it become nonlethal.

A coworker wore no jacket, T-shirt only, and had 4 of us throw bullets at him tonight. Nothing but making him laugh, didn't even break the skin.

Tell your buddy to come see me, I got some testing to do

Well the fastest throwers I know of get paid lots of $$$ to do it. The projectile weighs about 5 oz and when they miss and hit the guy, they get their A** kicked.

But things get shot with subsonic ammo types all the time and it works.

For game animals, its about recovery...for "other" things its about getting it out of the fight...if it dies, even better.

 

[ButterBean]

Most of us that shoot Hammers use the minimum velocity as a guide, 1800 fps is where we call it quits, my 300 RUM @ 800 yards MV is 1894 so that where I call it quits

 

[Beluebow]

Realistic expectations of bullet performance VS ohh crap that just happened........I doubt there is a real answer for the latter.

 

[jessej]

and if you were to actually hit a person,

Animals are far harder to decapacitate than peoples.

 

[brianmahler10]

I was taught to have 2x the animals weight as a minimum.
Meaning if an cow elk weighs 800 lbs, and my bullet ballistics says its energy in ft/lbs drops below 1,600 ft/lbs at 900 yds. then I'm good with in 900yds.

This is just a general rule of thumb.
As we know it still depends on the shooter for good placement.

A .22 cal is just a lethal as a .50 cal. But the bigger caliber compensates for sloppier bullet placement.

FYI..More people have been killed with a .22 cal than any other caliber.