Warren Jensen
Well-Known Member
It is time for a scolding!
A recurring theme on this forum as with many forums is "How will this or that bullet perform on game". A typical response will be
for another person to relate their experiences with shots on game. There is almost never a response that includes, "my testing data shows...". There should be.
Terminal performance testing is not difficult, time consuming overall, or expensive. It does require some preparatory thought and rounding up of the materials. Once you have done the initial work, the time and effort for each test session is not great. It should be as essential to the development of a load for hunting game as selecting the proper powder, zeroing the rifle, and markmanship practice.
It is astounding to me that this group who in general are meticulous in your preparation of rifles and loads are not doing this. Start. Start now. It is the only way you will know how a bullet will perform in game. It is essential in the selection process of the proper bullets and should be as essential as determining a particular bullet's accuracy potential. Going hunting without knowing the terminal performance of your bullet in your rifle, with your load, at the distances you intend to shoot is the same as the guy who goes to the store, buys a rifle, has it boresighted, and accepts the clerks assertion that it is "ready to go", without zeroing the rifle at the range.
Wound channels are many things, but what they are mostly are different each time. The various factors bullet construction from lot to lot, impact velocity, impact angles, tissue encountered, excitement state of the animal, and a multitude of other factors make each wound channel unique. As stated by Col. Frank T. Chamberlin, Med Corp. in P.O.Ackley's HANDBOOK FOR SHOOTERS AND RELOADERS,
"There is one fact that stands out in my mind based on hundreds of experimental wounds that we created under known conditions, known ammunition, the bullets traveling at known speeds, known shapes or contours and known weights, dissected, X-rayed, and photographed with specimens of the wound tissues examined microscopically. NO TWO WOUNDS WILL BE FOUND EXACTLY ALIKE."
The point here is that examination of wounds in animals is mandatory and a very good thing to do, but conclusions based upon sample populations of one, two, or ten are not sound. General conclusions of a particular bullet's performance are only valid when the sample population of game taken with that bullet is greater than 50. Yes, 50 and that is a minimum number. There are so many variations in construction from lot to lot and materials, year to year that conclusions based on lesser samples are not valid.
Testing in controlled media does provide valuable data and should be used before a particular bullet is taken to the field.
There are a number of methods. You can develop your own. The media can be newspaper, magazines, silt, sawdust, fine clay, and others. It should be soaking wet. A box to hold it is necessary. A cardboard box will do for one time use. A place to shoot is required. All of this is well within the means of the average hunter and especially within the means of the members of this forum.
I really want to start to see some "my terminal performance testing shows......", comments. We can then discuss and argue over the results and conclusions. This will be good and interesting.
The comment "I don't have the time or money"is Baloney! and Hogwash! That is not a reason. That is an excuse. You as a group spend infinitely more time and money selecting your rifles and scopes and the bullet is at least as important as part of the equation.
END OF SCOLDING.
A recurring theme on this forum as with many forums is "How will this or that bullet perform on game". A typical response will be
for another person to relate their experiences with shots on game. There is almost never a response that includes, "my testing data shows...". There should be.
Terminal performance testing is not difficult, time consuming overall, or expensive. It does require some preparatory thought and rounding up of the materials. Once you have done the initial work, the time and effort for each test session is not great. It should be as essential to the development of a load for hunting game as selecting the proper powder, zeroing the rifle, and markmanship practice.
It is astounding to me that this group who in general are meticulous in your preparation of rifles and loads are not doing this. Start. Start now. It is the only way you will know how a bullet will perform in game. It is essential in the selection process of the proper bullets and should be as essential as determining a particular bullet's accuracy potential. Going hunting without knowing the terminal performance of your bullet in your rifle, with your load, at the distances you intend to shoot is the same as the guy who goes to the store, buys a rifle, has it boresighted, and accepts the clerks assertion that it is "ready to go", without zeroing the rifle at the range.
Wound channels are many things, but what they are mostly are different each time. The various factors bullet construction from lot to lot, impact velocity, impact angles, tissue encountered, excitement state of the animal, and a multitude of other factors make each wound channel unique. As stated by Col. Frank T. Chamberlin, Med Corp. in P.O.Ackley's HANDBOOK FOR SHOOTERS AND RELOADERS,
"There is one fact that stands out in my mind based on hundreds of experimental wounds that we created under known conditions, known ammunition, the bullets traveling at known speeds, known shapes or contours and known weights, dissected, X-rayed, and photographed with specimens of the wound tissues examined microscopically. NO TWO WOUNDS WILL BE FOUND EXACTLY ALIKE."
The point here is that examination of wounds in animals is mandatory and a very good thing to do, but conclusions based upon sample populations of one, two, or ten are not sound. General conclusions of a particular bullet's performance are only valid when the sample population of game taken with that bullet is greater than 50. Yes, 50 and that is a minimum number. There are so many variations in construction from lot to lot and materials, year to year that conclusions based on lesser samples are not valid.
Testing in controlled media does provide valuable data and should be used before a particular bullet is taken to the field.
There are a number of methods. You can develop your own. The media can be newspaper, magazines, silt, sawdust, fine clay, and others. It should be soaking wet. A box to hold it is necessary. A cardboard box will do for one time use. A place to shoot is required. All of this is well within the means of the average hunter and especially within the means of the members of this forum.
I really want to start to see some "my terminal performance testing shows......", comments. We can then discuss and argue over the results and conclusions. This will be good and interesting.
The comment "I don't have the time or money"is Baloney! and Hogwash! That is not a reason. That is an excuse. You as a group spend infinitely more time and money selecting your rifles and scopes and the bullet is at least as important as part of the equation.
END OF SCOLDING.