Resisual energy or speed, whacks kills?

[EXPRESS]

At the limits of whatever round you are using, with what do you think account for the most killing power; plain energy or speed to allow bullets to expand?

It is kbvious that it best to have both, and either canake the difference on their own, but given today's bullets someone should have a definitive answer.

 

[WildRose]

You can't separate the two. Velocity is a big part of the energy equation.

It all boils down to this, does the bullet have the necessary velocity and sectional density to penetrate deeply enough to hit the vitals and is the shot itself on target.

 

[Southern Boys Lawncare]

Id listen to Wildrose on this.

 

[Tikkamike]

Bullets kill! They need to be going fast enough to expand or penetrate. The type of expansion or non expansion is what dictates the wound channel. And the wound channel and its collateral damage disrupt homeostasis and cause death

 

[EXPRESS]

I should give away a little more detail on the reasons behind my question.

I am going to start shooting with a .338 win mag, which will be my go to big game and steel shooting gun. Now, realistically I can, have and will make shots to about 700 yards max in a hunting situations. That has been with a 6.5-284 mostly, and a .300 win mag.

To be totally honest I'm not sure I need to go much further, because my preferred hunting style is not the long range that some guys here regularly do. I don't tend to go out and look for a long range shot, but I like to make them when presented, especially if there is no other option.

But as I was looking at the ballistics of the 300 grain Berger VLDs in .338 it looks like with the .338 win mag you can start at 2400fps, and at 1500 yards still have around 1000 ft/lbs of energy, while being somewhere in the 1200fps range. Much lower than anyone claims a bullet can expand.

I would guess that that is enough residual energy to push that slug through a deer, which, providing vital organs are hit, and maybe even shoulder bones, be enough to kill.

The reality is that this thread makes me realize that the .338 win mag, is capable of killing beyond the ranges I will ever shoot at.

If the . 338 win mag is considered to be around 250 yards shy of the Lapua mag, in terms of performance, then that means I have a lot of practising to do before I run out of range.

 

[Pdvdh]

Bullets kill! They need to be going fast enough to expand or penetrate. The type of expansion or non expansion is what dictates the wound channel. And the wound channel and its collateral damage disrupt homeostasis and cause death

They need to be going fast enough to expand and penetrate, in order to kill quickly, shy of brain and central nervous system hits between the front shoulder and neck. Other than that, the bullets need to tumble in order to cause a substantial permanent would channel through the animal. Non-expanding bullets that don't tumble, and simply pencil through an animal are inefficient killers - except for the brain and CNS hits. I suspect the 300gr Berger OTMs are performing well on game at long range because even should they not expand, they are likely tumbling thru large game.

If I were using a .338 Win Mag for long range hunting, I'd try the 285gr Hornady Amax with the plastic tips, which I believe are a much more reliable initiator of expansion than the needle sized diameter hollow points in the Berger VLD OTM style bullets. The Amax have an excellent reputation for accuracy, and the plastic tips will help ensure consistent expansion at lower impact velocities.

 

[Tikkamike]

Typo. I meant AND.. However penetration is relative to the type of bullet you shoot.