180 Berger VLD expansion mystery

[WildRose]

To my knowledge and recollection, the banana bullets have always (or primarily) been low velocity impacts. Always, with respect to Elkaholic's expansion testing of Berger VLDs. A member in the NW Territory recovered a 210 VLD from a smallish bull moose at long range (like 880 yds) from a 300 Win Mag and he provided photos of a banana bullet. The bullet that struck this deer was from a 7mm RUM at high velocity. It hit bone both upon entrance and again just before exit. Dunno what the strikes on leg bones does to the banana bullet theory. But Elkaholic has repeatedly recovered banana shaped VLDs at impact velocity less than ~2000 fps in the media he's tested them on.

Striking bone at high velocity should have sheared off at least the leading hollow jacket tip on this VLD.

should have yes. But if it was one that did not have the hole all the way through or damaged in loading/magazine feeding, or clogged you essentially have an FMJ.

I'm still leaning towards that with a perhaps collapsed or only partially opened tip with little or no fragmenting causing the yaw/pitch fishtailing or simply a bent bullet coming out sideways.

That exit wound in the flesh just looks like something came out sideways.

If it had been flipping end over end all the way through I think there would have been much more damage internally but again, we're all doing a good bit of speculating since we don't have a bullet to look at.

 

[Pdvdh]

Wouldn't be half as fun if we had the bullet.

 

[WildRose]

Wouldn't be half as fun if we had the bullet.

Or half as long... .gun)

 

[oldmossy]

I gotta give you guys credit. You're really trying to get it figured out.LOL

 

[oldmossy]

getn prepped for doe season tomorrow. tried the staple method on my bergers. i had 5 out of 32 that i could not get staple into. thanks for the tip. i b sure to keep an eye on them from now on.