Is shot placement more important than bullets?

FEENIX said:
Definitely not me! But as @Jon Bischof noted, "it is not an excuse for picking a bullet that doesn't have the terminal performance required to best ensure kill and recovery."
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Granted, but there is a spectrum of bullets that would fit that description. As Jon mentioned, an FMJ can do the job, but there are better bullets for sure. The devil is in the details, for example; an FMJ is fine if your taking a head shot up close, a bonded bullet works great if you have enough velocity, and so on.
My point was that its up to each person to decide what best fits their plan. The only absolute that applies to every situation is hitting the right spot.
 
phorwath said:
Shot placement and bullet performance can be equally important.
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coldboremiracle said:
1) Equal? 2) So if a bullet opens and causes a damage in the wrong spot, is that just as good as a bullet that didn't open but hit the right spot?
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1st question response: Yes, they can be equally important. A bullet centered thru both lungs is of no use if it doesn't expand or tumble, based on my three experiences - described above. Might as well shoot a target arrow with a field point thru the ribs of the animal and watch it run off, never to be recovered, as to punch a non-expanding bullet thru both lungs. A guy in his 50s was shot point blank range, face on through his chest, with a 338 Winchester Magnum about 40 miles from where I live around 10-15 years ago. The bullet didn't hit the heart, but damaged some lung close to the heart. The guy that was shot fell down and asked his neighbor why he shot him. They had been having a heated argument. The victim's wife called 911. He was transported to the hospital in Soldotna, Alaska. Surgeon said he was one lucky SOB. The bullet passed thru without expansion, causing minimal damage. Guy was released from the hospital and last I knew, healthy as can be with good lung function. I suspect this incident could be found with a Google search, since it was recent enough to be recorded on the www as an electronic document.

2nd question response: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Surely you know the answer to your question... It depends entirely on the location of "wrong spot" bullet impact. Do you think otherwise? There is no simple, correct, yes or no answer that applies to ALL bullet impact locations. An expanded bullet thru the guts can cause quicker death than a non-expanded bullet broadside thru ribs and lungs, particularly if a portion of the liver or a large artery or vein is damaged by the expanding bullet behind the diaphram. If a bullet strikes the brain or CNS, expanded bullet or not, results will be very similar. Animal will go down. And be recovered and dispatched if the hunter has another cartridge in possession.
 
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coldboremiracle said:
The only absolute that applies to every situation is hitting the right spot.
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You neglect recognition of the fact that there are many more "right spot"s with an expanding bullet, than with a non-expanding bullet that pencils thru without tumbling thru the interior of the game animal.

If "right spot" means the animal expires in relatively short order and is recovered by the hunter...
 
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phorwath said:
You neglect recognition of the fact that there are many more "right spot"s with an expanding bullet, than with a non-expanding bullet that pencils thru without tumbling thru the interior of the game animal.

If "right spot" means the animal expires in relatively short order and recovered by the hunter.
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That's your opinion, one of many but I'll agree with coldbore
 
To each his own. We'll disagree. The Forum would be dull and boring otherwise.

I'm exactly correct in my statements for my priorities, needs, and uses. No other opinion matters...
 
coldboremiracle said:
Granted, but there is a spectrum of bullets that would fit that description. As Jon mentioned, an FMJ can do the job, but there are better bullets for sure. The devil is in the details, for example; an FMJ is fine if your taking a head shot up close, a bonded bullet works great if you have enough velocity, and so on.
My point was that its up to each person to decide what best fits their plan. The only absolute that applies to every situation is hitting the right spot.
Click to expand...
I never said FMJ would not work, but I will never use it on games when I have better choices. I am NOT going to tell you what bullet to use or how you take the game. Perhaps you missed my response in #10 and my sig line.
 
phorwath said:
1st question response: Yes, they can be equally important. A bullet centered thru both lungs is of no use if it doesn't expand or tumble, based on my three experiences - described above. Might as well shoot a target arrow with a field point thru the ribs of the animal and watch it run off, never to be recovered, as to punch a non-expanding bullet thru both lungs. A guy in his 50s was shot point blank range, face on through his chest, with a 338 Winchester Magnum about 40 miles from where I live around 10-15 years ago. The bullet didn't hit the heart, but damaged some lung close to the heart. The guy that was shot fell down and asked his neighbor why he shot him. They had been having a heated argument. The victim's wife called 911. He was transported to the hospital in Soldotna, Alaska. Surgeon said he was one lucky SOB. The bullet passed thru without expansion, causing minimal damage. Guy was released from the hospital and last I knew, healthy as can be with good lung function. I suspect this incident could be found with a Google search, since it was recent enough to be recorded on the www as an electronic document.

2nd question response: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Surely you know the answer to your question... It depends entirely on the location of "wrong spot" bullet impact. Do you think otherwise? There is no simple, correct, yes or no answer that applies to ALL bullet impact locations. An expanded bullet thru the guts can cause quicker death than a non-expanded bullet broadside thru ribs and lungs, particularly if a portion of the liver or a large artery or vein is damaged by the expanding bullet behind the diaphram. If a bullet strikes the brain or CNS, expanded bullet or not, results will be very similar. Animal will go down. And be reovered and dispatched if the hunter has another cartridge in possession.
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Im not disagreeing with you, except on your first point. Because Ive also seen animals hit with a bullet that did zero expansion, couldnt even find the bullet hole or blood on the animal. But it did the exact same thing you'd expect if it had expanded, ran a few yards and tipped over. Had it been a gut shot, or anything less than vitals, it'd of run off and assumed a miss.
we've all seen and heard stories of gut shot animals going for days, even with guts hanging out.
I like the three rules posted right above this, aim/hit for the vitals, use a bullet known to work, and recover it.
And I'm quite aware that there are more than one right spots, but they are all vitals.
 
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FEENIX said:
I never said FMJ would not work, but I will never use it on games when I have better choices. I am NOT going to tell you what bullet to use or how you take the game. Perhaps you missed my response in #10 and my sig line.
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Sorry, I didnt mean to infer that you had. I agree completely, as mentioned in the article I think everybody should shoot what works for them.
 

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