High Velocity, Smaller Calibers, and Kinetic Energy

In the years following WWI there was a trend to convert surplus 
03 Springfields into sporting rifles.The 30-06 was the caliber in the Springfield, and thus the 30cal set the industry standard for decades on Big Game Hunting in the U.S.

Just like the the Big Block muscle cars of the 60's, the thought was Bigger is Better when it came to knock-down power on Big Game, and with the limited bullet designs there were back then that thought was true. 

With too many Sportsman today that notion is alive and well. On the other side of the coin there are many of us that love the smaller, higher velocity cartridges, that the bench shooters brought into play, with their so called wildcat rounds - with their lower recoil, flatter trajectories, and their efficient way of delivering the technologically advanced bullets of today. Their controlled expansion, combined with high velocity, stays with the animal as it goes down. 

Let me explain! Kinetic energy is the energy of mass in motion. A 180gr bullet traveling at 2950fps hitting a deer is going to do the job, however most of the heavier bullet's kinetic energy is lost passing out the other side of the deer. With a 129gr bullet traveling at 3400fps, the lighter bullet will hit the deer, release its energy inside through controlled expansion much more efficiently, and create devastating dropping power.The high velocity combined with today's modern bullet designs makes for fantastic ballistics and stopping power.       

In the earlier days of bullet designs the round nose and spitzers were it. Then in 1948 John Nosler designed the Partition bullet, which revolutionized the industry. Most of the Rifles back then were controlled feed, so the soft point of the partition combined with the weight retention of the bullet when it expanded (mushroom effect) worked well. Then, as the more common push feed bolt actions came into the field, the soft lead tipped bullets were getting distorted upon hitting the feed ramp as it entered the chamber, causing the bullet to lose accuracy. 

Once again John Nosler designed and introduced the Ballistic Tip in 1984 and changed the industry for years to come. With its hard polymer tip, it did not distort upon hitting the feed ramp with push feed bolts. And thus made for a more accurate, faster, and superior expansion on impact. Not to mention better ballistic coefficients (aerodynamics of the bullet) in flight. It also required less propellant to move the bullet faster, thus less recoil and less flinching. The ballistic tip, and Accubond bullets, have incredible controlled expansion and are designed to expand in the animal and disperse the bullets kinetic energy inside the animal and not lose it going out the other side. Here is a ballistic gelatin test photo to show how and where the energy is dumped upon expansion:


As you can see this 110gr bullet at 3000fps opened up at 5" inside, released its kinetic energy, and leaves at 12" as clean as it went in. The 18" mark is just about the width of most deer. It still went through the deer BUT it released its power inside. Here is a quote from a friend in the industry which makes sense:

"A 200-pound deer's chest is about 2 inches wider than a 100-pound deer's chest. You don't have to shoot through an extra 100 pounds to kill a 200-pound deer." I tend to agree and my thought is MANY Elk, Moose and Bear were put down with a pop gun called the 44 Henry !!!


Here are a few of my favorite choices for calibers for deer, and these work very well for larger game also.  
   
LONG ACTIONS   300-600yds

• 26 Nosler Hands down the NEW CHAMP!!! Muzzle velocity 3400fps with a129gr bullet out performs the 264win mag, 338 lapua, 270win, 30-06 sprg. Zeroed at 350yrds the 26 Nosler has a point blank range of 415yrds,and at 400yrds has the same velocity as a 260rem does at the muzzle.
• 280 Ackley Improved
• 280 rem
• 25-06

SHORT ACTIONS   100-300yrds

• 270wsm  a zipper and good beyond 300yrds

• 260 rem  this little cartridge is a flat shooter, low recoil, and a wide variety of factory loadings

• 7mm-08 rem  another great round often called the improved 7x57

Benefits of smaller High Velocity cartridges

• Flatter trajectory (makes hold over much easier and forgiving).
• Lower recoil (in most cases less recoil means less flinching. I like watching it happen right thru the scope ! )
• Great distribution of energy INTO your Game, NOT in the tree BEHIND IT!!!
• Quite a few of these lighter rounds travel so fast, that they do buck the wind better than most people think.

 Reccommended  Bullets

• Deer, Antelope     Nosler  Ballistic Tip
• Elk, Moose           Nosler  Accubond

                                       !!! Good Luck to you ALL this season !!!!    
Jim Kromka
 kromkasportingadventures.com