Can A Bullet Be Zipping Too Fast? Hammer 99 Hunter @ 3170 FPS On Hogs

[Zen Archery]

3 Hogs down, Kinda.
Really curious if I am zipping this little pill way too fast for hogs?
It was my fastest hunt to date. Literally 5 minute walk down to property and pew, pew, pew...
When I get back from my Prairie Dog Hunt, gonna try and run this through some ballistic gel.

 

[Frog4aday]

I don't think a bullet designed to expand can 'go too fast' to expand within the body of a deer or hog and fail to do damage, but what do I know? I watched your videos and part of me is just, "That's hogs. Things are durable, unpredictable, and tough." But I also know you've shot so many of them that you have a 'feel' for what's good, average and bad performance. I don't question your feelings that something isn't quite right.

If it makes you feel any better, John Barsness, one of the gun writers I truly respect, wrote an article on the subject of bullet performance at high speeds. Here is an excerpt: "The truth is that almost all hunting bullets expand completely by the time they penetrate their own length. This has been proven by high-speed photography and by ballistic media that retain the shape of the hole created by the bullet's impact. The biggest hole made by a typical hunting bullet is immediately after it enters, not several inches beyond. Some hunters might argue that various ballistic media aren't "reality." C'mon, guys. Most meat damage on a deer occurs around the entrance hole, not on the far side of the animal."
Article in full is here: https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2010/11/4/expanding-bullets-how-they-really-work/

It'll be interesting to hear what others have to say on this subject. It just seems the bullets you're using and the speed they are going just doesn't seem to be the right mojo for hogs.

 

[long450]

I consider 150+ pound hogs as thick skinned game. I have killed in excess of 60 hogs with a verity of bullets and calibers including the Grendel. I have not used it in the lighter bullet area, always 120 grain and above, never failed to recover any of these animals. I have killed a good many with the 6mm bullets in a 6mm AR, Grendel necked down to 6mm, and have had good kills with Barnes solid bullets in the 80 to 90 grain weight, but had a few with good shot placement, escape recovery. IMHO the heavier weight bullets, heavier than 100 grains in 6mm and 120 grains in 6.5mm, are more reliable for recovering 150+ hogs.

 

[HARPERC]

I don't believe too fast to expand.

I will say it's the first I've seen you make other than CNS hits. If you're looking for exits on full length shots, you will see more if you kick up a weight.

I would have liked to see the bullet, but wouldn't have dug for it either.

 

[FEENIX]

Ed,

You have the coolest hunt/video. Thanks for sharing.

Ed

 

[Wedgy]

Again, another nice video.

 

[JimFromTN]

I have had a couple of bad experiences using 180gr sierra gamekings out of a 300wm at 2900 fps where the bullet blew up on impact. Some bullets do have a maximum velocity on impact. Apparently, I exceeded it with the gamekings. One hog I found and the other I did not. The one I found had a huge entrance wound. It was an 80lb sow. The one I lost was about a 150lb boar which I hit with an angling shot to the front of the shoulder. The hog went down then the hog got up and ran away. I actually found a bone fragment from the shoulder while I was tracking him. I have hunted with nosler partitions ever since.

 

[budlight]

I'm a feral Texas pig hunter. Always doing the feeders with stands. Until I bought an ar-10 308 24 inch I was exclusively using my 29 inch barrel 270 win. 150 spbt's are always a blow through and the farthest one ran off was maybe 50 yards leaving chunks of lung on the ground. 120 gr hollow points at 3400 are DRT with no exit wound unless they are under 100 pounds.

Bullet design has lots to do with it

 

[Capt RB]

Ed,

You have the coolest hunt/video. Thanks for sharing.

Ed

+1 here as well!!!

 

[Deleted member 103481]

No I don't think so

I'm sending the 71 shock or whatever it is faster than that from a243 and it straight .... hammers ........ deer

 

[P7M13]

Really enjoy your videos.
What do you use to avoid being tick magnets like those hogs?

 

[Skimbleshanks]

Too fast to expand no. Too fast to be effective... possible. Varmint bullets that open and come apart completly before reaching the vitals of a deer is a thing. A solid copper bullet, I doubt it, but I've never used a solid copper bullet.

 

[UplandFreak]

Great video - those velocities aren't too high. Sounds like you just need to get a better bullet than the hammers. That is disappointing performance.

 

[Mustang72]

Looked like they blew some pretty decent holes to me. Hogs are just tough and shot placement is very important. I think the bullets are performing like they were designed to. I think a heavier bullet wouldn't hurt! I have dropped them in there tracks and shot another one only to look back and they are trying to get up and away.--Even with 30/06 and 7 mag. Even with good shot placement and even with partitions! Most of the time they just crumple but some of them are just tough!put four holes in one with a 243 and he got up and charged me!