Meat Damage vs. Killing Power

[OhHeyThereBen]

This season I was able to take 4 whitetails with a rifle and two with a bow. My dad and brother added three to the mix as well with their rifles. Up until this season all I had been loading for us was Hornady ELD-X and SSTs in our 30-06s and I hunted a bit with my 6.5 MB as well. With two years of reloaded ammunition under our belts I'm deciding to switch us all over to something else as the Hornadys have just had too much meat damage on quartering shots.

I wish I had pictures of everything to show you guys, but I didn't think to take any. Here's a summary of the shots:
1. 143gr ELD-X going ~2750 fps. Doe at 200 yards quartering to. The bullet hit the elbow of the front leg, broke apart, blew up the heart, and hardly exited. No bullet pieces were recovered. The doe ran 50 yards hard and died ethically.
2. Same load as above. Doe at 230 yards quartering away. The bullet entered at the last rib, hitting the rib, and exited somehow on the same side. Although I'm quite unhappy that it didn't punch through and exit in front of the off side shoulder, the doe did die quickly and dropped on the spot. Again, there was a lot of internal damage, but the bullet didn't make it in as far as I'd hoped.
3. Same load as above. Doe at 250 yards broadside. Perfect shot behind the shoulder with an exit in the same spot. She ran about 50 yards and ethically died. The exit hole was quite large and what should have been a shot that resulted in little to no meat loss instead resulted in some meat loss on the off side shoulder.
4. 165gr SST in '06 going ~2700 fps. 100 yard shot was towards the back of the lungs and dropped the animal instantly. What should have been perfect resulted in a bit of backstrap meat being ruined.
5. Same as '06 above. 100 yard quartering to shot, detached the heart after hitting front shoulder. Front shoulder was probably 50% ruined.
6. Same as '06 above. 100 yard broadside shot. Blew up heart with a large exit, no meat ruined.

7. 165gr Accubond going ~2750 fps. 60-70 yard quartering to shot on a buck. Entered in front of the front shoulder and exited behind the off-side shoulder. No meat loss whatsoever and he dropped in his tracks.

I have and always will stand up for the Hornady bullets because they provide really great accuracy and reliable performance on everything I've shot with them for a great price. However, now that I'm in a bit different stage of my life, I'm able to afford to spend a little more on reloading components. I know that many of you will suggest trying monometal, and I just might do that, but I'm probably going to stick with the accubond for my dad and two brothers as it seems to be a solid bullet to get them set up with quickly (they don't like pissing around as much as I do and get impatient with load testing).

This isn't meant to be a discussion thread, I'm just hoping to share a bit of information to everyone here. The above kills are great examples of what some of the non-bonded and non-monometal bullets will do and it's what you should expect them to do. If this isn't acceptable to you then you should make sure that you go with a more premium bullet of your choice.

 

[thusby]

Thanks for the info. I get made fun of for shooting corelokts still but I don't spend much time tracking wounded game. If I want punch through I carry my .444 Marlin and shoot buffalo bore 270 grain JFNs.

 

[golfer]

I agree with going to the accubonds, I had shot a variety of others in the past and Sierra's seemed to cause a lot of bloodshot meat. Swapped to the accubond and in the lat 5-6 years I have seen very little meat damage or loss and a lot of dead critters.

 

[VikingsGuy]

If one has already got a lead bullet that works with their rifle and wants to stay with it I get it, but if you are going to the hassle/fun/cost of a change for a bullet used to bring home food to your kids why not go TTSX - easy loading, deep penetration, proven killer, low meat damage, no lead on the dinner plate.

 

[BRI]

I had a similar mindset this past year. I didn't really like the amount of bloodshot I was seeing with the accubonds I've always shot. I bought some 143 grain hammer hunters for my 280ai and developed a very accurate load easily. I shot 2 antelope, 3 whitetail does, 1 cow elk this year. Longest shot was 225 yards, closest was 100. All pass through and very minimal meat loss. So far I'm pretty happy and impressed.

 

[nrpate05]

If one is already got a lead bullet that works with their rifle and want to stay with it I get it, but if you are going to the hassle/fun/cost of a change for a bullet used to bring home food to your kids why not go TTSX - easy loading, deep penetration, proven killer, low meat damage, no lead on the dinner plate.

Agreed, my experience with the monolithic bullets has been very little meat damage.

 

[Stay Sharp]

One of the many reasons I only Bowhunt after killing stuff with both gun and bows for 45+ years. Far less meat damage with a double lung pass through and a sharp broadhead..

 

[wyoboypt]

This season I was able to take 4 whitetails with a rifle and two with a bow. My dad and brother added three to the mix as well with their rifles. Up until this season all I had been loading for us was Hornady ELD-X and SSTs in our 30-06s and I hunted a bit with my 6.5 MB as well. With two years of reloaded ammunition under our belts I'm deciding to switch us all over to something else as the Hornadys have just had too much meat damage on quartering shots.

I wish I had pictures of everything to show you guys, but I didn't think to take any. Here's a summary of the shots:
1. 143gr ELD-X going ~2750 fps. Doe at 200 yards quartering to. The bullet hit the elbow of the front leg, broke apart, blew up the heart, and hardly exited. No bullet pieces were recovered. The doe ran 50 yards hard and died ethically.
2. Same load as above. Doe at 230 yards quartering away. The bullet entered at the last rib, hitting the rib, and exited somehow on the same side. Although I'm quite unhappy that it didn't punch through and exit in front of the off side shoulder, the doe did die quickly and dropped on the spot. Again, there was a lot of internal damage, but the bullet didn't make it in as far as I'd hoped.
3. Same load as above. Doe at 250 yards broadside. Perfect shot behind the shoulder with an exit in the same spot. She ran about 50 yards and ethically died. The exit hole was quite large and what should have been a shot that resulted in little to no meat loss instead resulted in some meat loss on the off side shoulder.
4. 165gr SST in '06 going ~2700 fps. 100 yard shot was towards the back of the lungs and dropped the animal instantly. What should have been perfect resulted in a bit of backstrap meat being ruined.
5. Same as '06 above. 100 yard quartering to shot, detached the heart after hitting front shoulder. Front shoulder was probably 50% ruined.
6. Same as '06 above. 100 yard broadside shot. Blew up heart with a large exit, no meat ruined.

7. 165gr Accubond going ~2750 fps. 60-70 yard quartering to shot on a buck. Entered in front of the front shoulder and exited behind the off-side shoulder. No meat loss whatsoever and he dropped in his tracks.

I have and always will stand up for the Hornady bullets because they provide really great accuracy and reliable performance on everything I've shot with them for a great price. However, now that I'm in a bit different stage of my life, I'm able to afford to spend a little more on reloading components. I know that many of you will suggest trying monometal, and I just might do that, but I'm probably going to stick with the accubond for my dad and two brothers as it seems to be a solid bullet to get them set up with quickly (they don't like pissing around as much as I do and get impatient with load testing).

This isn't meant to be a discussion thread, I'm just hoping to share a bit of information to everyone here. The above kills are great examples of what some of the non-bonded and non-monometal bullets will do and it's what you should expect them to do. If this isn't acceptable to you then you should make sure that you go with a more premium bullet of your choice.

I’ve had much less than satisfactory performance out of the sst with my .270. Changing to interlocks has been infinitely more devastating killing my elk over the years. Used the sst for about 5 years or 6. Then finally went to interlocks. Puts an elk down much faster. In my experience. (Killed around 12 elk+or- and several deer and antelope with the sst) but the sst is probably fine for deer or smaller game. Before going to sst I used Remington corelokts. Also does a fantastic job at putting elk down.

As far as meat damage, I can’t really say if there’s more or less either way. Lots of factors in how much damage takes place-shot placement, distance of shot ect.

 

[Don Fischer]

Agreed, my experience with the monolithic bullets has been very little meat damage.

I don't believe the monolithic bullet's of the same weight as lead core give off the same energy and certainly not the secondary projectiles. Could be why there's less damage. Light for caliber bullet's kill faster than heavy for caliber, lead core, and the light bullet's shed more weight probably giving off more energy and destroying more tissue. Without a CNS hit, destroying tissue kills. Read somewhere about with the eruption of energy, blood in the bode is forced into the heart destroying the heart. I think we all know a heart shot animal can appear to have been missed and run off some before actually falling down.

 

[ShadowFast1]

I have experienced similar terminal performance and meat loss on hogs with the SST in .30-06. I've moved to a different bullet and different shot placement for that application. I go for a spine shot at the neck. They don't go far if anywhere with that shot and minimal meat loss. My minimal experience on game with a TTSX resulted in a little meat loss in a cow elk when the bullet passed through the ribs and into the opposite shoulder, hitting bone, and causing meat damage from the bone shrapnel. Not the bullet's fault but it shows how important shot placement is to meat damage.

 

[bowhuntmontana]

I was in a similar situation. I loaded up SSTs for a few years and had great accuracy but a lot of meat loss, including almost an entire front shoulder on a cow elk. I loaded up some GMX's this year and enjoyed the same accuracy. Shot 1 antelope doe and 4 whitetail does with that load and am pleased with the performance and lack of meat loss from the bullet.

Good luck in the tinkering to find something you are happy with. That is part of what I love about reloading.

 

[BWALKER77]

Less tissue damage results in a longer time for the animal to expire. It's a trade off. If you want less damage and more penetration go with a mono. If you want more instant kills go with a lead and copper bullet.

 

[mtmuley]

Less tissue damage results in a longer time for the animal to expire. It's a trade off. If you want less damage and more penetration go with a mono. If you want more instant kills go with a lead and copper bullet.

Interesting stuff. But, one of the most "instant" kills I 've ever had was a whitetail buck using an 80 grain Hammer from my .243. And I 've been killing with a .300 RUM for almost 20 years. mtmuley

 

[BWALKER77]

I've been using the 300 rum since it came out. For years all I used was the 180 Nosler Ballistic Tip and the 165 Accubond. Never had a deer run from either of those and shot quit a few during regular hunting season in two state and canada every other year, plus crop damage permits. Also killed several elk with the 180 BT. Only had one bull run and that was a staggering 50 yards blowing blood all over the place.
This year alone using g the 175 LRX and the same RUM I had two animals run after the shot and all the elk I have shot with the LRX/ TTSX have ran save one, which was hit through the shoulder blades.
I have also used the 100 TSX and TTSX out of a 25-06. I had antelope drop at the shot at 400 yards with the TSX and have had them run 75+ yards with the same bullet. TTSX has been better put of the 25-, but still they dont kill as abruptly as a BT. Why would they? They simply dont do as much damage.

 

[midwesthunter]

Less tissue damage results in a longer time for the animal to expire. It's a trade off. If you want less damage and more penetration go with a mono. If you want more instant kills go with a lead and copper bullet.

This is not true, There is a lot that goes into how fast an animal expires. The animals that drop in their tracks and don't even twitch didn't die instantly. Their nervous systems were shocked and they are paralyzed and die from the trauma.

Look into hypershock and hydroshock.

The old timers would tell you a 45-70 is the perfect cartridge, you can eat right up to the hole.

 

[BWALKER77]

Actually it is a scientific fact that t what kills animals is a loss of blood pressure from tissue damage. More damage leads to more bleeding leads to faster death.

 

[mtmuley]

Look into hypershock and hydroshock.

http://www.rathcoombe.net/sci-tech/ballistics/wounding.html I think you mean hydro-static shock. This is a good read about that. mtmuley

 

[midwesthunter]

http://www.rathcoombe.net/sci-tech/ballistics/wounding.html I think you mean hydro-static shock. This is a good read about that. mtmuley

You are correct, here is another good read on the subject.

Effective Game Killing

Effective game killing- How bullets kill and where to aim to ensure a fast clean kill.

www.ballisticstudies.com

 

[mtmuley]

To me, hydrostatic shock is a myth. mtmuley

 

[BWALKER77]

The quickest killing bullet made IMO is the Berger VLD and other like it. At closer ranges it penetrates 3"or so with out much expansion and then comes completely unhinged. Caliber hole going in and appears as if a bomb went off inside the chest cavity.