Does Bigger Bullets Kill Quicker?

[BBCT]

Interesting stats, the fact that the .270 accounts for almost 53% of animals wounded and lost is telling, nothing wrong with the calibre,maybe ammo choice?
The last hunt I was on this season, out of 15 animals shot 3 were wounded and lost, all 3 were shot with a .270

I've developed a particular theory about the 270 and it's reputation for wounding, based on having been soundly put in my place around the braai a couple of times in the past by what I'd loosely call "occasional hunters" that are devotees of the calibre...............

Firstly let me say that I think the 270 is a bit of a specialised calibre that does its best work on long shots with 130-140 grain bullets on springbok/blesbok size animals when the wind is blowing.

This doesn't mean that it can't do anything else. I've seen guys that shoot/hunt and/or handle their firearms "every day" using a 270 to do anything and everything from jackal to eland, and they swear by the calibre. They know where to place their bullets, they know the trajectory and they'll pass up a shot if they know it isn't going to be succesful because they know they'll get another chance later or the next day. But in fairness, they would probably be able to do the same with just about any calibre rifle.

The problem comes in with a guy that hunts once a year. He has spoken to the above farmer about what rifle & calibre to get and loudly and proudly proclaims at the braai "But muh peee-aitch says he does'n use anyfing else because vuh 270 jus shoots so flat and fast.........". He's watched the farmer in action while said farmer has taken the proverbial 300 metre shot on a running springbok and dropped it in it's tracks so he's convinced it's a death ray. Unfortunately this oke doesn't know as much about shot placement as the farmer does, only handles his gun once or twice a year, a box of 20 PMP brown box lasts him 4 years. He also doesn't practise enough to get used to shooting in the wind. The recoil is a bit more than he can really handle because he doesn't shoot it all that much so consequently he doesn't shoot it all that well. He's also under time pressure because he only has 2 days of hunting in which to collect his few springbok or a kudu or whatever, so he doesn't want to pass up (maybe he can't even identify them) marginal shots like the farmer would, so ends up taking shots that are actually a bit beyond his capabilities. Maybe he's also hunting in the bushveld this year instead of the Karoo so shots are under 100 metres instead of over 200 and the animals are a bit heavier than springbok.

Bullets have improved tremendously over the last few years but even 10-15 years ago, 270 bullets were typically fragile and with high impact velcities would blow up and either shred the lungs of an animal completely leading to spectacular kills, or would hit the shoulder and cause lots of meat damage but not penetrate to reach the vitals so animals would run off and have to be followed up.

Does any of this make sense to anyone else or is it just in my mind? ;-)

(PS: I don't braai with that crowd any more)

[TStone]

Interesting stats, the fact that the .270 accounts for almost 53% of animals wounded and lost is telling, nothing wrong with the calibre,maybe ammo choice?
The last hunt I was on this season, out of 15 animals shot 3 were wounded and lost, all 3 were shot with a .270

Yes, but statistics are dangerous things.

Below is the wounding ratio of some of the most commonly used (on the reserve) calibers during 2020:

Cartridge Number Hunted Number wounded and lost Percentage lost
6.5 CR 197 6 3.0%
.270 382 13 3.4%
.303 27 3 11.1%
.30-'06 126 2 1.6%
.300 wm 53 1 1.9%
9.3x62 133 2 1.5%

[TStone]

Somehow my carefully designed columns did not survive publication in the thread. First number after caliber is no. of animals hunted, second no. animals wounded and lost, third % of animals wounded and lost.

Thus, percentage wounded and lost by caliber for the year of our Lord 2020:
6.5 Creedmoor - 3.0%
.270 win - 3.4%
.303 Brit - 11.1%
.30-'06 - 1.6%
.300 win mag - 1.9%
9.3x62 - 1.5%

This would seem to bear out that the larger calibers, with the exception of the .303, kill better than the smaller calibers when taking into account all species hunted. However, much more animals were shot with the Creedmoor and the .270 than with the larger calibers.

[treeman]

I've developed a particular theory about the 270 and it's reputation for wounding,First time I ever hear of the .270 having a reputation for wounding _ EVER_ Refered to as a meat mincer, many times.
Bullets have improved tremendously over the last few years but even 10-15 years ago, 270 bullets were typically fragile and with high impact velcities would blow up and either shred the lungs of an animal completely leading to spectacular kills, or would hit the shoulder and cause lots of meat damage but not penetrate to reach the vitals so animals would run off and have to be followed up
Unless one is using varment grenades or some other designed to fragment bullets, a standard Hornady Interlok or PMP will reach far shoulder through near shoulder on most table animals excluding the biggest of Kudu and Eland with all but the rarest exception. A distance not exceeding 25/30 cm on most animals. A shoulder shot on a Blessbuck/Impala/Fallow Deer etc will just about always pass through and exit.
I have likely shot close to 100 Kudu using a .270 of which perhaps half were using Hornady I/Lock or Capstan I/Lock. I really like the .270, but make no claim to it being the ultimate Rifle/caliber, I would hand that to the 30 cal, 7- 8 mm calibers.

Does any of this make sense to anyone else or is it just in my mind? ;-)

(PS: I don't braai with that crowd any more)

******************************************

I am thinking just in your mind - everything you have mentioned applies to about every hunting caliber out there.

[FFourie]

Yes, but statistics are dangerous things.

Below is the wounding ratio of some of the most commonly used (on the reserve) calibers during 2020:

Cartridge Number Hunted Number wounded and lost Percentage lost
6.5 CR 197 6 3.0%
.270 382 13 3.4%
.303 27 3 11.1%
.30-'06 126 2 1.6%
.300 wm 53 1 1.9%
9.3x62 133 2 1.5%

I am really surprised that the .308Win is absent from the list. Would have expected it to be one of the most used cartridges.

[DeVilliers]

From what I have read it seems if your pet wildebeest is sick the best thing to do is shoot him as his health will rapidly improve.

Sent from my SM-A315F using Tapatalk

[TStone]

I am really surprised that the .308Win is absent from the list. Would have expected it to be one of the most used cartridges.

These are rifles owned by reserve employees. None of us own a .308, a lot of visiting hunters, local and foreign do use .308's.

[driepootx]

You are keeping a lot of data regarding the hunts. Did you record bullet types used with the wounding stats?

[TStone]

You are keeping a lot of data regarding the hunts. Did you record bullet types used with the wounding stats?

I have fairly comprehensive data, including bullet type and weight, for my own rifles and also for the .270, .30-'06 and .303.
As part of my job, I need to record all data for animals hunted, including species, age, weight and sex. As I have to update that database anyway, I added information for calibers and bullets used and distances shot at and record that as far as possible. It is not practical to gather all data on client's calibers and bullets though, as we often have 6-8 hunters here.

Bullets used for wounded animals listed.
For the 6.5CM 120 GMX bullets, except for 1 springbok 143 ELD-x.
For .270 150gr Hornady Interlock. Owner recently changed to 130gr GMX.
For the .303 150gr Hornady Interlock.
For the .30-'06 165gr Hornady Interlock. Owner recently changed to 165gr GMX.
For the .300 win mag 180gr Hornady GMX.
For the 9.3x62 250gr Hornady GMX.

It is difficult to tell when you do not recover the wounded animal, but I am fairly certain that none of the animals were lost due to bullet failure.

[TStone]

In my limited experience a 143 ELD X in 6.5CM hits like a freight train, including BWB and Oryx.

I stopped using ELD-x bullets in my 6.5 Creedmoor a while ago, not because I experienced problems in the 6.5mm but because I wanted a bullet that gave better penetration in the larger antelope. Then this past weekend a client shot a warthog boar with his 6.5 Creedmoor and a 143gr ELD-x. The bullet disintegrated in the shoulder, blowing a fist sized hole in the shoulder without penetrating into the chest cavity. Shot was at ±200m.