Is a rifle round always better than a pistol round?

[j.d.allen]

There is a MUCH larger temporary stretch cavity produced by the 5.56 mm projectile at 2700fps than the .40 bullet at 900fps.

And this temp. Stretch cavity DOES contribute to wounding if I understand correctly...

[mosin46]

HUNTING context only. a thru and thru yielding a blood trail CAN matter. just an observation-no science at all.

[John Hearne]

HUNTING context only. a thru and thru yielding a blood trail CAN matter. just an observation-no science at all.

I haven't shot enough critters to be confident in this but so far, anything I've shot in the heart lungs with a good 223 and the bullet did not exit was an almost instantaneous drop. Like piled up within 10 yards of the spot they took the round.

This has been deer and feral hogs. I still remember a hog I shot just behind the front shoulder with a Federal 55 grain bonded. The round stopped in the back shoulder and broke it. The hog dropped and on field dressing, everything in the chest was pulped. Like a grenade had gone off inside the critter.

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[j.d.allen]

I haven't shot enough critters to be confident in this but so far, anything I've shot in the heart lungs with a good 223 and the bullet did not exit was an almost instantaneous drop. Like piled up within 10 yards of the spot they took the round.

This has been deer and feral hogs. I still remember a hog I shot just behind the front shoulder with a Federal 55 grain bonded. The round stopped in the back shoulder and broke it. The hog dropped and on field dressing, everything in the chest was pulped. Like a grenade had gone off inside the critter.

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This is interesting to know since pigs are supposed to be pretty similar to humans...was this a fusion round?

[John Hearne]

This is interesting to know since pigs are supposed to be pretty similar to humans...was this a fusion round?

The bonded tactical that is their duty round. IIRC, it the same as the fusion in 55 grain format.

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[DiscipulusArmorum]

I think the Federal Tactical bonded 55 grain you might be referring to is a TBBC bullet (Trophy Bonded Bear Claw), which is constructed a bit differently than the Fusion/Gold Dot-style bullets. From Doc Roberts and others testing that I've seen, the Fusion/GD bullet is very good, but the TBBC does better being a tougher bullet with a shorter neck length and larger temp cavity.

[HCM]

This is interesting to know since pigs are supposed to be pretty similar to humans...was this a fusion round?

Yes and no, since we don't normally shoot pigs while they are upright. Their heart is farther forward than a deer so we have to punch through the shoulder bone to get to the heart.

I've had good luck with federal 62 gr bond sp .223 on feral hogs.

[j.d.allen]

Yes and no, since we don't normally shoot pigs while they are upright.

I was thinking this right after I typed that. As well as the fact that we generally try to shoot humans from the front instead of from the side...

[John Hearne]

I am hard pressed to distinguish between shooting a pig and shooting a 250lb muscled up biker wearing a leather jacket in a non-frontal trajectory. If it works on the four legged hog, it will work as well as anything handheld on the two-legged hog rider.

[j.d.allen]

dupe post. Sorry