I want to say something about several of the more popular threads here but decised to start anew with my expressions.
I have opinions and generally express them freely as most of you know. I have my favorite brands of rifles and handguns. I have my favorite calibers and my favorite brands of bullets for each. Those of you who have read my ramblings know what they are, some agree with them and some don't. So, of course, my opinion about bullets for the 300 RUM and which is better more energy or more bullet weight, will be received with mixed reviews.
In general, (that is based on laws of physics) any caliber which delivers high energy levels from higher velocity will require more strongly built bullets than will standard calibers. The reason for this is all that energy and how it will be dissapated. (meaning into what form will it be transfered.) Will it be used to destroy animal tissue or will it be used to destroy the bullet. Make no mistake, if it destroys the bullet at impact with you quarry, it will be less likely to destroy enough of the animal to bring about a quick kill. The higher this energy level, the more likely it will destroy the bullet and cause a shallow wound that will require more attention than if the bullet had stayed intact and penetrated into the vitals.
I have no quarrel with the 300 Ultra or any ultra mag. And when the subject comes up I am consistant in my advice to use strongly built bullets.
Now, "strong built bullets" is a relative term. If you take all your shots at 300 yds or more, when the velocity is lower, a partition or interlock will work fine. And those bullets may work fine inside 100 yds. But, they may fail miserably at the short line and could cause serious problems. The stronger bullets will work just as well at 300-400 yds and are much more reliable performers when close. Why not use what will stay together and work for us from 10 feet to 1000 yards?
Strong bullets are: North Fork-very tough good for high velocity and low and good for tough animals. Very accurate. Expensive but worth every penny.
Barnes X, TSX-For the highest velocity and the toughest critters. Accurate in most rifles, better in larger bore (above 30 cal.) Expensive, of course. Has some reputation for failure to expand at lower velocity.
Trophy Bonded Bearclaws.- Very tough, sometimes too tough may perform like a solid. Accuracy, generally not so good. Expensive and not available in all calibers.
A Square Dead Tough-Tough bullet, not needed in North America. Very expensive and availability poor. Midway has some in stock.
Swift A frame-Tough, versatile, reliable. Not as tough as some but much better than others. Accuracy is very good. Availability is very good and for most calibers. The best compromise bullet for all kinds of hunting. Expensive, of course.
Nosler Partition- Best bullet for standard velocity but not for high speed calibers. Accuracy, very good. Availability very good for any huinting caliber. Expensive. (I guess they all are)
Kodiak Bonded-(I will also include the Woodleigh and until proven unworthy the Accubond and Scirocco) Bonded will stay together but will expand rapidly when driven fast. They will not penetrate well at high impact velocity. Accuracy, some very good some just good. Availability, getting better, but not for every caliber.
Speer Grand slam is a very good bullet but not for the highest velocity. Accuracy is not top notch, but can be very good. Availability is low.
Core-Lokt, Inter-locked, zip locked, what ever they are called. Are Standard velocity bullets. Accuracy, can be very good.
I'm sure there are others and I'm sure some one has a story that will show performance better or worse than I describe above. Also, a high velocity caliber at 400 yards is not a high velocity caliber. The performance of a 300 Ultra or 300 Lapua at 50 yards is much different at 400 yards.
More about energy. The 45 caliber Sharps in the 2 7/8" case (later called the 45-110) has low energy level when compared to our modern day super mags. With its 540 grain bullet at 1500 fps, it produces 2711 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy. The 300 Ultra, Weatherby, Lapua. (pick one) with a 180 grain bullet at 3200 fps will yield 4113 ft. lbs. of energy.
The Sharps will kill more consistanly and reliably at 500 yards than the 300 super mag. Bold statement? Sure is. But consider this. The 45-110 doesn't need to expand to make a very big hole. It will penetrate a North American bison end to end at 500 yards, every time. The low velocity is not enough to cause expansion and therefore penetration is good.
Any bullet which expands, stops penetrating. Small calibers need to expand to make larger wounds. Expansion and penetration are on oppososite ends of the scale, a compromise must be reached and must be matched to the impact velocity and the animal hunted. These are well established facts.
My calculations above were with a $10 calculator.
Energy=1/2 the mass times velocity squared.
Mass is the weight in pounds divided by the accelleration of gravity.
M=grains/7000/32/2 (I do this stuff in my sleep)
Momentum=mass times velocity (MxV) Often a more meaningful measure of what a bullet can do.
When a guy buys a new rifle, he studies the numbers and features of the various models and buys the one that best suits his particular needs (or wants). After this he believes he has what he needs and plies his skills to make it the most effective combination he can muster. All this is good. This brings about satisfaction and confidence and all that helps build skill. Of course this will work when these conditions come together. That's what it's about. Satisfaction, warm fuzzys. Making the shot. Good shootin'.
Murphy
I have opinions and generally express them freely as most of you know. I have my favorite brands of rifles and handguns. I have my favorite calibers and my favorite brands of bullets for each. Those of you who have read my ramblings know what they are, some agree with them and some don't. So, of course, my opinion about bullets for the 300 RUM and which is better more energy or more bullet weight, will be received with mixed reviews.
In general, (that is based on laws of physics) any caliber which delivers high energy levels from higher velocity will require more strongly built bullets than will standard calibers. The reason for this is all that energy and how it will be dissapated. (meaning into what form will it be transfered.) Will it be used to destroy animal tissue or will it be used to destroy the bullet. Make no mistake, if it destroys the bullet at impact with you quarry, it will be less likely to destroy enough of the animal to bring about a quick kill. The higher this energy level, the more likely it will destroy the bullet and cause a shallow wound that will require more attention than if the bullet had stayed intact and penetrated into the vitals.
I have no quarrel with the 300 Ultra or any ultra mag. And when the subject comes up I am consistant in my advice to use strongly built bullets.
Now, "strong built bullets" is a relative term. If you take all your shots at 300 yds or more, when the velocity is lower, a partition or interlock will work fine. And those bullets may work fine inside 100 yds. But, they may fail miserably at the short line and could cause serious problems. The stronger bullets will work just as well at 300-400 yds and are much more reliable performers when close. Why not use what will stay together and work for us from 10 feet to 1000 yards?
Strong bullets are: North Fork-very tough good for high velocity and low and good for tough animals. Very accurate. Expensive but worth every penny.
Barnes X, TSX-For the highest velocity and the toughest critters. Accurate in most rifles, better in larger bore (above 30 cal.) Expensive, of course. Has some reputation for failure to expand at lower velocity.
Trophy Bonded Bearclaws.- Very tough, sometimes too tough may perform like a solid. Accuracy, generally not so good. Expensive and not available in all calibers.
A Square Dead Tough-Tough bullet, not needed in North America. Very expensive and availability poor. Midway has some in stock.
Swift A frame-Tough, versatile, reliable. Not as tough as some but much better than others. Accuracy is very good. Availability is very good and for most calibers. The best compromise bullet for all kinds of hunting. Expensive, of course.
Nosler Partition- Best bullet for standard velocity but not for high speed calibers. Accuracy, very good. Availability very good for any huinting caliber. Expensive. (I guess they all are)
Kodiak Bonded-(I will also include the Woodleigh and until proven unworthy the Accubond and Scirocco) Bonded will stay together but will expand rapidly when driven fast. They will not penetrate well at high impact velocity. Accuracy, some very good some just good. Availability, getting better, but not for every caliber.
Speer Grand slam is a very good bullet but not for the highest velocity. Accuracy is not top notch, but can be very good. Availability is low.
Core-Lokt, Inter-locked, zip locked, what ever they are called. Are Standard velocity bullets. Accuracy, can be very good.
I'm sure there are others and I'm sure some one has a story that will show performance better or worse than I describe above. Also, a high velocity caliber at 400 yards is not a high velocity caliber. The performance of a 300 Ultra or 300 Lapua at 50 yards is much different at 400 yards.
More about energy. The 45 caliber Sharps in the 2 7/8" case (later called the 45-110) has low energy level when compared to our modern day super mags. With its 540 grain bullet at 1500 fps, it produces 2711 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy. The 300 Ultra, Weatherby, Lapua. (pick one) with a 180 grain bullet at 3200 fps will yield 4113 ft. lbs. of energy.
The Sharps will kill more consistanly and reliably at 500 yards than the 300 super mag. Bold statement? Sure is. But consider this. The 45-110 doesn't need to expand to make a very big hole. It will penetrate a North American bison end to end at 500 yards, every time. The low velocity is not enough to cause expansion and therefore penetration is good.
Any bullet which expands, stops penetrating. Small calibers need to expand to make larger wounds. Expansion and penetration are on oppososite ends of the scale, a compromise must be reached and must be matched to the impact velocity and the animal hunted. These are well established facts.
My calculations above were with a $10 calculator.
Energy=1/2 the mass times velocity squared.
Mass is the weight in pounds divided by the accelleration of gravity.
M=grains/7000/32/2 (I do this stuff in my sleep)
Momentum=mass times velocity (MxV) Often a more meaningful measure of what a bullet can do.
When a guy buys a new rifle, he studies the numbers and features of the various models and buys the one that best suits his particular needs (or wants). After this he believes he has what he needs and plies his skills to make it the most effective combination he can muster. All this is good. This brings about satisfaction and confidence and all that helps build skill. Of course this will work when these conditions come together. That's what it's about. Satisfaction, warm fuzzys. Making the shot. Good shootin'.
Murphy
