Hunting report...

[Big50DEP]

New here, But wanted to say for hunting with my G20 I installed a Wolf Barrel and comp, with a Burris Fastfire II. Works great! I also use the Berrys 180gr Plated hollow points loaded with 11gr Blue dot(max load duplicate at your own risk) Have shot Lg Michigan white-tailed deer @ 60 paces with complete pass throughs.

[The_Shadow]

Hello 50DEP glad to see you made it over here, the forum has been a little slow for the last few days.  Congrats with that deer BTW!

[475/480]

Well done and thanks for the report. I hope to take a Tx whitetail with the same bullet at about 1500 fps (handload).


Sean

[REDLINE]

personally i thought it was more frag than i like to see. I had never seen it like that on any game i have ever harvested. The chest cavity was full of it! looked like i had hit gold. Hence my move to handloaded 180gr XTPs. Although i will take performance like that any day, its hard to say anything could have done a better job when they drop to mother earth like she did. Drop dead is drop dead where i come from. No matter hole/bullet size/weight.

thanks all!

Who is to say the fragnastiness of the 135gr isn't what partly made it so effective in this instance?  What could a 180gr have done any better?  It's like Michigun Hunter said;  "Drop dead is drop dead where i come from. No matter hole/bullet size/weight."  I don't see that that can be argued.

And why does the fragmentation of a 135 grain bullet that accomplished a spectacular kill automatically relegate going to 180 grain bullets?  Do we not also have well constructed bullets in the 155-165 grain weight class?  We're talking about Whitetail Deer here, not the bears of Kodiak Island.

Thanks again for sharing the spectacular results Michigun Hunter!

[MichiGun Hunter]

Who is to say the fragnastiness of the 135gr isn't what partly made it so effective in this instance?  What could a 180gr have done any better?  It's like Michigun Hunter said;  "Drop dead is drop dead where i come from. No matter hole/bullet size/weight."  I don't see that that can be argued.

Very well possible. Id say the transfer of all that energy at such a close range is what did it myself... I can tell you one thing, after seeing the aftermath, they will be my personal carry ammo of choice.

And why does the fragmentation of a 135 grain bullet that accomplished a spectacular kill automatically relegate going to 180 grain bullets?  Do we not also have well constructed bullets in the 155-165 grain weight class?  We're talking about Whitetail Deer here, not the bears of Kodiak Island.

I wouldn't hesitate to use them (135gr) again honestly if it was all i had. The main reason is i am looking for better penetration. Especially on a longer shot. Also they (180gr) are SUPER accurate out of my MechTech and Glock 20. Plus i just like playing and making up loads for my 10mms.


Thanks again for sharing the spectacular results Michigun Hunter!

As always, happy to report!

[/quote]

[REDLINE]

I wouldn't hesitate to use them (135gr) again honestly if it was all i had. The main reason is i am looking for better penetration. Especially on a longer shot. Also they (180gr) are SUPER accurate out of my MechTech and Glock 20. Plus i just like playing and making up loads for my 10mms.

Keep in mind -  On a longer shot the 135gr Nosler bullets will fragment less and penetrate further.  That is a win-win situation regardless the distance.

[MichiGun Hunter]

Redline,
  Please explain this to me if you will. I am confused. Farther distance shots will result in slower velocity at the target, correct? How would it penetrate further. I can understand lesser frag because there is less velocity. Im thinking less expansion with less velocity too? Maybe thats why? Less expansion leads to deeper penetration?

I know it isnt a real world (on deer) test, but when i used milk jugs of water at 25, 50, & 100 yards, the 180's had way more penetration than the 135's at all distances. Over twice as much at 25 yards.

Ive been shooting and reloading for years, i am just really trying to understand the "ballistics" side of things. Your info is much appreciated.

Thanks

[REDLINE]

2 main reasons you will get deeper penetration within some reason of distance:

1)  The bullet will retain more weight to penetrate deeper.

2)  The bullet won't expand as much, leaving a smaller frontal expanded diameter, in conjunction with more weight as noted above, all adding up to deeper penetration.


At what point velocity drops enough, to wash out other factors in terms of penetration depth, I'm not sure.  I do suspect the bullet would have to drop below 1100 fps for that to occur based on an educated guess.

I think Corbon uses a 135gr Sierra Bullet, which I don't have ballistics tables for.  But using a 135gr Nosler bullet ballistic table, starting out at 1450 fps, you would have to be shooting out to 65 yds before the bullet dropped below 1100fps.  At 100 yds it would still be doing +1000 fps.  Even at 1000 fps I'm sure that bullet would get some expansion and more than likely penetrate deeper than what you saw in the realm of fragnastiness at much higher velocity.


Make sense?

[Yondering]

Less expansion leads to deeper penetration?

This. With expanding bullets, velocity is inversely related to penetration, above the expansion threshold at least.

Kinetic energy is a measure of the bullet's ability to do work on the target. High velocity and rapid expansion causes more lateral energy transfer, which inhibits penetration. Basically, the expanded part of the bullet acts like a parachute. More expansion = bigger parachute. That energy has to go somewhere, so usually the initial wound cavity is bigger.

Of course, this changes if the bullet expands but then reduces in diameter again, either by shedding the expanded part, or folding back onto itself. Sort of like deploying the parachute, but then detaching it. In that case, sometimes the remaining portion of the bullet will still penetrate deeply. One reason I like Nosler Partition bullets in my hunting rifle ammo. Heavyweight cast hollowpoints can work the same way, although they're not generally available unless you cast your own.

[MichiGun Hunter]

Redline: Yes, very much so. Thank you. Considering the short distance (under 20 yards) of my shot, now you have me wondering...

Yondering: Love the parachute example. Very well put.

[REDLINE]

You bet.  Now it's just a matter of seeing how far out you can hit the vital zone size of deer.  I certainly wouldn't hesitate out to 75 yds on most Whitetails with the 135gr Corbon load if your shooting accuracy is on par for that vital zone size.  Beyond 75 yards would probably be around the pushing it point.

[Ramjet]

I have used a cast HP design in a 45-70 loaded rather paltry the mold is the Lyman 322 grain HP. Very effective.  I also have used a Nosler partition Ina 220 swift pushing the 4000 FPS mark both guns were very effective in there intended task. So the bullet driven at the intended speed and put in the right place will do its job. Hard debate venison in the freezer.