Re: Does A-max expand at low velocities?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BobinNC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yes. It is very difficult to design a hunting bullet that will work at all velocities, both low and high.
If a bullet expands well in a game animal @ 1800 FPS, what to you think it will do @ 2800 FPS or faster? It will most likely blow up.
That's why bullets designed to expand at low velocities, like pistol bullets or rifle bullets designed for say the 45-70, have wide flat noses, or large hollow points or the like. Not good for LR shooting.
Bullets like the A-Max do work over a large velocity range. But expansion below 2000 FPS, will depend more on what it hits.
Punch through deer's chest at long range (after droping below 2000 FPS) with an A-Max,and miss rib bone, and likely little to no expansion. Hit some bone, and likely you get expansion.
Punch a deer through his heart, spine, liver, or both lungs and out the other side, and it matters little if the exit hole is 35 cal or 30 cal. You will eat venison.
In summary sometimes you will get expansion below 2000 FPS, and sometimes you won't. Hit the animal right, it won't matter, hit poorly, and all the expansion in the world will not help.
I should also note that a 208 Gr A-Max @ 1800 FPS impact will do more damage and penetrate further, than a 155 gr A-Max for example, going a bit faster.
Sectional Density and Ballistic Coefficients are not just a clever numbers. They have real meaning relating to penetration and bullet performance at long range.
It's easy to get seduced by velocity. But velocity is a wasting asset; SD and BC are forever.....
Bob
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Bob how does SD actually affect terminal ballistics? I read this article and still can't seem to get a grasp on it.
http://www.gsgroup.co.za/articlesd.html