Round Nose vs Spire Point - Which Hits Harder?

I agree with you, assuming that the speed is accompanied by reasonable mass... my experience with .450 Marlin is exactly one season and three bears... all decent sized. The two I lung shot with a hot load and 350 RN, went 20 yards each, huffed and died... 5 seconds? The one shot by a client when his rifle jammed dropped straight down, shot through the shoulders. I don't know how much speed would have improved those kills, but certainly would have done more damage... would the lung shots have gone straight down... maybe. I think mostly we are referring to stopping power, those times where you don't want the critter to take even one more step... speed is definitely your friend there. When it comes to something I plan to eat, I go the slow & heavy route and if they want to run a bit that is fine... there will be two holes and lots of blood on the pine needles... and the skinning and butchering will be a lot less, Rocky Horror Picture Show"esque." LOL.

I look forward to your continued adventures with the .450, my sample size isn’t big enough to be as conclusive as I enjoy being. In general, I found .300s and .375s within reason made for less variability in results. But as I am careful to note every time I get on my soapbox, regardless of the chambering and load none of the animals… got away. You know the shots we have here in the rivers better than any, it wasn’t a great tool for Jim’s Bar work.

I still foresee an affair for you with the .375, especially after likely future adventures. :d Sort of the best of all worlds, or at least the best all round compromise of worlds.
 
Someone was well into the sauce last night

For the big bore lever guns, Hornady flex tip bullets seem to be pretty damaging. Small sample size though and the moose that I'd seen that were killed with them were neck shot. But the damage looked pretty convincing.

375 does have a way of winning people over!
 
All things being equal as far as bullet construction goes, I really don't think a person can tell and neither can an animal) if a round nosed bullet "hits harder".
meplat size difference in the kill cannot be seen in real time in two bullets of the same weight suitable for the animal , it can be measured mathematically and theoretically I suppose, but if the bullet is placed where it is supposed to go, I doubt very much that the difference can be seen by the hunter.
I know many disagree with this analogy however......
Cat
 
I look forward to your continued adventures with the .450, my sample size isn’t big enough to be as conclusive as I enjoy being. In general, I found .300s and .375s within reason made for less variability in results. But as I am careful to note every time I get on my soapbox, regardless of the chambering and load none of the animals… got away. You know the shots we have here in the rivers better than any, it wasn’t a great tool for Jim’s Bar work.

I still foresee an affair for you with the .375, especially after likely future adventures. :d Sort of the best of all worlds, or at least the best all round compromise of worlds.

I agree with all points you make... my experience with the .450 Marlin M77, was only the one season, but it was purpose built for a specific task, with 350 grain RN's loaded... it's attributes are not what I would choose for most hunting scenarios... it did work out very well. When I want smack down type performance, ie. Not wanting to crawl around in the Devils Club looking for blood... I would choose a fast round carrying some weight, I still have .358-375 Ruger, .375 Ruger, .375 H&H and .458 Lott... loaded correctly these do as you say... bring the "smack-down." When hunting for meat, I tend to dumb it down.
 
I agree with all points you make... my experience with the .450 Marlin M77, was only the one season, but it was purpose built for a specific task, with 350 grain RN's loaded... it's attributes are not what I would choose for most hunting scenarios... it did work out very well. When I want smack down type performance, ie. Not wanting to crawl around in the Devils Club looking for blood... I would choose a fast round carrying some weight, I still have .358-375 Ruger, .375 Ruger, .375 H&H and .458 Lott... loaded correctly these do as you say... bring the "smack-down." When hunting for meat, I tend to dumb it down.

There's Devil's Club in Ontario? (Outside 2 Islands with no hunting).
 
No, but there is in NW BC where I was referring to, with the guy that hunts NW BC.

I see. It occurs in the interior in riparian zones. Be interesting to know which is the source population, that in the West or a few islands in Lake Superior.
 
Bullets , which hits harder
I remmember the old silver tips ..
and now the new terminal ascent ..
Give me the silver tips on deer anyday
bang flop
Flat nose .. the 300 gr barnes in the 45-70 is dynamite
 
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