Minimum velocity for reliable expansion?
- Thread starter Rowdydog
- Start date
For actual expansion on game I would say 1650fps or so. Below that velocity and the 40gr. Ballistic Tip is going to act very similar to a 22lr projectile.
Best regards,
Nosler Inc.
Well, you can certainly kill a ground hog with a 22lr, but it sounds like we are stretching it to the limits with this load and caliber.
SlickerThanSnot
New member
600 yards is way out there. a 223 shooting a 40gr bullet would not be a real good choice for that kind of distance. good job if you can hit them out that far with it.
Rustydust
Active member
I dont think that it will be much myself. I have shot prairie dogs as far as 700 yards with the 50 grain Ballistic Tip (from my .223 AI) and while they were dead they were whole and not blown up like they would be at closer ranges. But dead is dead and they were dead where they were hit so obviously the bullet did its job.
It's not a high percentage shot, but more importantly, if I'm going to shoot them, I want to kill them, not wound them. I've tagged two at 525 and 535 with 77 SMKs. Both times it's knocked em down, but neither were convinced that they were dead. One was flat on his back, all four feet in the air twitching, then he rolled over, looked around and walked into the hedge row. The 77 SMKs just go right through. Blood but no body.
Rustydust
Active member
I have had the very same thing at much closer ranges happen when using match bullets. I thought, well, they are hollow points so they must be OK. Nope. Could push a pencil through the inner and outer holes with no visible shock. Some are indeed DRT when hit but so many are able to run to their holes after a good body hit. I absolutely hated that and for that reason I simply will not use them anymore. Not even for ground squirrels. I just hate runners. I want to see colors when I shoot one, not the tail end of it as it is running off!