stopping power of a caliber and terminal effect of a bullet
- Thread starter medvedqc
- Start date
With the .458 I found a notable difference between factory speed, hot hand-loads and Lott level ammo. Speed matters, and it doesn't last.
True. My 450 Ackley hurts on both ends, but it is not a really good long distance cartridge. My 458 was the same, but the effective range was a little shorter. - dan
I have now built 9 custom smokeless ML in 458 cal.
Here is my experience on whitetail.
2740 FPS load - nothing takes another step. I never get the bullet back and I would suspect hydrostatic shock does them in. None have taken even one more step.
2450 FPS load - animals take up to 30 yards and are dead on their feet with some that do not take a step mixed in.
2922 FPS load - most accurate but not hunted with.
Bullet is TTSX 300 grain all copper.
I have only ever recovered one bullet and that was with a 2450 FPS load. Whitetail buck almost straight on with slight quarter. Bullet hit front right shoulder and went right though shattering shoulder bones. Then took out 6 inches of spine and travelled diagonally through body cavity shattering left side of pelvis and blowing head of femur to pieces.
It went through thick hip muscles and lodged just under skin on left butt cheek. 241 grains retained weight.
39 inches travel through animal at 90 yards.
Shot took buck back a few feet and was DRT. Very odd to see something moved backwards.
Both loads worked great on game. Speed, weight, and caliber size seem to really define stopping power as in DRT but does it really matter?
Good placement and enough penetration and the animal is walking dead on its feet.
