ALL bullets will retain some of there original weight depending on the toughness of the animal/target, The distance to impact, the velocity at Impact, the design of the bullet, The impact location of the game to be shot, (Shoulder, spine , lungs, heavy muscle parts, soft tissue locations, ETC.
There are so many possibilities that a retained weight number/% is next to impossible to calculate. The ability to retain weight has a plus and a minus depending on the game hunted. A bullet that retains 90+% of its weight will probably completely pass through the game and not use all of the available energy. A bullet that retains little or no bullet weight will deliver all of its potential energy but may not exit producing a wound channel that will help recovery due to bleeding and tissue destruction for quick humane kills.
Ideally. a well placed bullet that delivers most all of its energy and just barely exits will perform its duties best.
Solids used on tough/dangerous game normally retain most if not all on the original weight because the object is to deliver most if not all of its energy while penetrating as much of the body and damaging as many organs as possible. These cartridge, bullet combinations are designed to take down game weighting 2000 +lbs of very dangerous game with bullets that will have 6 to 8000 ft/lbs of bullet energy and deliver all or most of it by retaining most or all of the bullets weight.
Good hunting bullets for big game should deliver most of its energy, retain 40 to 60% of its original weight, and expands to 2 or more diameters is the goal of most bullet makers and hunters.
J E CUSTOM
