Hatrick
Well-Known Member
Steve, let me ask another question here. Do you think there would be a better wound channel with a fast twist 140ish 6.5 compared to a slow twist .30 at the same speed. 140 6.5cm and 168 .308.
Larger diameter bullets allow more room for error?
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Steve, let me ask another question here. Do you think there would be a better wound channel with a fast twist 140ish 6.5 compared to a slow twist .30 at the same speed. 140 6.5cm and 168 .308.
bigngreen
Well-Known Member
I'd put the ALRB more explosive than the ELDX up close from what I've seen, absalutely makes a mess, probably the worst bullet I've seen for all round shooting!
The ABLR must be pretty "soft" to open up down to 1300 fps.
Ndfarmer
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I would love to carry my 6.5x284 for mule deer but have only ever hunted with 30 & 338 cal. So thanks for info. My brother used my 338 edge on his mule deer this year and the 285 eldx worked wonderfully. The last day of our trip we had a buck who wouldn't turn broadside. He was quartering toward us pretty strong angle, 450yards. Bullet entered in front of shoulder thru the lungs and out in front of opposite rear Ham. Buck dropped in his tracks. I hate carrying that rifle but love having the confidence in it.
FIGJAM
Well-Known Member
Is this true? I have never hunted in Africa, but I have read the opposite, that they aren't tougher than elk or mule deer...I heard a lot of guys who hunt the deer species over there shoot deer and elk calibers just like we do here in the US.
FIGJAM
Well-Known Member
Thats a great question.
.300H&H
Active Member
Find it hard to believe that I can grenade a regular AB but the LRAB doesn't? Many reports of the LRAB also being unreliable at high speeds and tough impacts.
Varminator 911
Well-Known Member
I'll answer that, no. That was easy. The energy involved in the spinning of the bullet is nearly nothing compared to the energy of forward motion. So even if all the spin energy is imparted to the animal it's nothing. The other aspect is that 250,000 rpm sounds like a buzz saw that would grind up anything. But for even a 7 twist after the bullet has slowed down some it's only one turn in maybe 5 inches of forward motion. The bullet rotates maybe 5-10 times inside the animal. Do you think 5-10 rotations of a 140 gn bullet will cause much damage? I don't.
FIGJAM
Well-Known Member
Would you rather hunt with a 30-30 or a 264 win mag? As I have thought about this, at some point energy will trump bullet diameter - it has too. But given equal energy's at impact I can see how the larger diameter bullet would create an exponentially larger wound channel.
Also, you momentum guys - momentum doesn't take into consideration the shape of the object, so wouldn't the sectional density of that object determine which has better pentration?
Also, you momentum guys - momentum doesn't take into consideration the shape of the object, so wouldn't the sectional density of that object determine which has better pentration?
Having hunted the big and dangerous guys in Africa a few decades ago,, I used a 375.........once! IMO, anything big, with claws, teeth, or horns at spitting distance with a 375 may be asking for trouble, IMO. WildRose, likewise, buddies in Africa also use the lighter calibers for the plains game.
With thin skinned game I agree with Yotekillers statement. My LR hunting is defined by maximum ranges for antelope to 1200 yards, deer to 1000 yards, and elk to 500 yards. While I have used the big 30's, my caliber of choice for the last 10 years or so is a 6.5 run at 3000FPS using 140/142 Berger/JLK VLD's. Driven at this MV, and shots surgically placed in the vital zone, will penetrate(sectional density) and shed energy that has proven to be more then sufficient to drop dozens of game animals from 100 yards to the max ranges stated above. Running higher velocities can expand the max distance performance, but trades off the predictable shorter range behavior of the bullet. I did a lot of testing(observing actual kills) to determine the sweet spot. I'm very picky about the shot, and conditions. Using calibers from .264-.308, it's all about the bullet, and it's behavior at point of impact. While I have been able to achieve comparable terminal performance with larger calibers, the diffetence in actual killing performance is not enough(using my range limits) to trade off rifle weight and recoil control which influences accuracy, and the ability to spot hits.
It seems, reading through the 200+ posts in this thread, that each individual has their own experiences, circumstances and criteria. It's wise to be cautious of extreme positions and gross generalities. IMO.
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I think the the only significant difference in the wound channel would be in its size. The 30 cal bullet surface area is 36% larger. Although the faster twist of the 6.5mm would seem to cause a frangible bullet design like the Berger to become more explosive, one should also remember that the slower twist 30 cal has more centrifugal force due to the larger radius. IMO-The dispersal pattern of the fragments would be very similar.
BINGO!!
Spent some time in Africa many years ago but it wasn't for hunting. Tried to gather as much info as I could at the time. It's still on my bucket list.
From what I gathered your right about hunters using the same calibers we use for similar sized deer species. However, there are some really big boys out there like the Eland that make an 1100 lb. bull elk look like runts... I'm thinking a 338 or 375 would work best for them.
BTW - When traveling to Africa be sure to bring your fishing pole! I've also been told that the bird hunting is supposed to be pretty incredible over there too!
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I think your are dead on with everything you said here!
I too really like the 6.5 but limit myself to cow elk under 500 yards. But there is an 800 lb. Gorilla about to enter the room and it is the 155-156 gr. Berger. I think this bullet matched up with a 26 Nosler would be awesome combo. The heavier bullet will slow down the big Magnum speeds which should help for the up close shots and the higher SD will help it smash thru bone better. The higher BC will add another 100-200 yards to your said limits.
