Does velocity really matter?

[Jeep]

Deer ain't really deer - down here, .223 would be fine. A 200 lb. whitetail in Nebraska is different as is a 250 lb. whitetail in Maine. Add in some differences in topography and that south Texas deer (while small) may be much better harvested with a very flat shooting rifle/cartridge based solely on shooting down a sendero....

I live in the mid-Atlantic. We have some big deer. While .223/5.56 is generally not legal, I have little doubt that a well made 62 grain softpoint would do the trick with them if you made a good hit. Conversely, the preferred shotgun slug will not work if you flinch at the recoil before shooting. More than a few wounded deer that eventually die from precisely that phenomena.

[Duelist]

Of course, it does. Except when or if it doesn't. And vice-versa.

Above a certain velocity threshold for application, bullet placement matters more than caliber or velocity or bullet construction.

And if you miss, then none of it matters.

[LSP552]

Velocity needs to be carefully matched to bullet weight and/or construction for the intended game.

[Unobtanium]

Velocity needs to be carefully matched to bullet weight and/or construction for the intended game.

Roger that.

Let me further quantify my question.

The other day, I was testing expansion characteristics at 100 yards with a few bonded bullets in .223/5.56.

The Gold Dot expanded to well over .6" across at the widest point, while the 64gr BSB and 62gr TBBC expanded to around .45 caliber. Yet they arrived doing around 250fps more than the 75gr Gold Dot.

Is that 250fps significant? Is the .1-ish inch larger expansion significant? Is one more significant than the other? They all penetrated the same distance in milk jugs.

All of them will kill someone dead, and to be honest, my main mission here is finding the best hunting round, as my M4 is my deer rifle. I know with a person, you pull the trigger again until you get effect, but on a deer, maybe not so much. One good shot is what you get.

Here are the expanded projectiles as recovered. They all penetrated 3 milk jugs fully, and came to rest inside the 4th.

L to R: Gold Dot, TBBC, 64gr Bonded.


The widest of the GD was 0.605", and it's narrowest, 0.537"
The widest of the TBBC was 0.49" and it's narrowest, 0.432"
The widest of the BSB was 0.467" and it's narrowest 0.45"

So...is the 200-250fps penalty (at 100 yards, but nearly 450fps at the across the room!) penalty worth it with the Gold Dot for the larger physical expansion, or is it worth it at 100 yards, but not for home-defense at 5 yards, or...?

The estimated impact velocities for each, from a 16" barrel, is as follows:
75gr Gold Dot: 2269
62gr TBBC: 2492fps
64gr BSB:2345

[DocGKR]

Those would all work and would unlikely provoke any significant perceived terminal performance variance.

[Unobtanium]

Those would all work and would unlikely provoke any significant perceived terminal performance variance.

Thanks! The time to buy in bulk has come. Do you have a preference for 62 or 75gr Gold Dot? Why?

Is the fact that Gold Dot is not sealed at the case neck meaningful?

[ranger]

In the case you mention, velocity is adequate with both bullets. The greater sectional density of the heavier bullet is what gets results. Velocity isn't everything and an obsessive quest for it can lead to diminishing returns, especially as you get above 3,000 fps. Along with velocity, I'd include sectional density, bullet construction, and target characteristics (at a minimum) in a good set of parameters.

For instance, the old Africa hands tended to believe firmly in keeping velocity between 2,100 fps and 2,400 fps with FMJ bullets that had SD over about .280 for dangerous game with thick skin, heavy layers of muscle, and hard, dense bone. Bore diameter didn't matter much as long as it was over about 0.375", though decisive results tended to be more common as bore diameter increased IF the other variables remained roughly the same. What emerged was a class of stopping rifles with bullets of about 500 grains and muzzle velocity of about 2,100 fps. The mediums (375 H&H, 416 Rigby, 425 Westley Richards, etc.) tended to have lighter bullets (300-400ish grains) at about 2,400 fps, and were considered almost as effective given good placement. And even the more highly regarded smallbores (7x57 Mauser, 318 Westley Richards, 333 Jeffery, etc.) tended to have about the same SD and velocity.

In the end, it's as much art as it is science. The art lies in how you adjust each parameter for your situation. For whitetails, I'd go for velocity from 2,300-2,800 fps, bullet diameter from .257" to .358" and bullet weight from 125-220 grains. To allow for the type of shots I'd expect, I could set the various indicators for open country and get the 25/06, the 270 and 280. Set them for brush and I get the 35 Remington and the 348 Winchester. Set them in the middle and I get the 30-30, 308 and the 30/06.

In each case, if I got to the point where a few hundred feet per second meant the difference between success and failure, I'd go back and bump up one or more of the other variables. Overkill never fails.


Okie John

Based on your comments above, 6.8 SPC and 6.5 Grendel could also be added to the list.