Bullet Expansion- Shockwave

[quigley]

Just what exactly should a good bullet do upon impact? A perfect mushroom? I shot my first deer with my muzzleloader this week. 250g Shockwave pushed by 100g pyrodex, Winchester 209 primer, from my TC Triumph. I hit the deer just a tad high. Got the top of the lungs, hit no bone. The deer went straight down. The bullet went straight through. Same size hole on both sides. No expansion. I was happy with the result, it was a clean kill with no meat damage, but was expecting a little more devastation I guess.

 

[ronlaughlin]

Your experience is one reason why i no longer use this bullet for hunting! A good bullet will show results of expansion even though it only hits hide, ribs, and lungs.

 

[Lee 9]

The bullet expanded or the deer wold not have gone right down. It opens up with a great deal of force and makes what is called a temporary cavity after that it slows some and so the hole it punches is reduced to the actual size. I have never had any problem getting Shock Waves to shoot accurate or open up. I do use the bonded ones on elk as I want them to open slower on that big an animal.

 

[lewistt]

That's why I use XTP's. In addition, they just cut a better hole on the way in. Don't look as sexy, though, and there is about a 2" difference in drop at 200. Raise your hand if that matters even a little.

 

[Semisane]

Raise your hand if that matters even a little.

Exactly (my hand is down). Where I hunt I'll never shoot over 175 yards and seldom over 100.

We don't need no stinking pointy bullets! :wink:

 

[MI.sabot]

In the last couple weeks, this is at least the 3rd thread I've read in multiple forums where someone has questioned the effectiveness of shockwaves (even though they may have been successful in harvesting their game).

I'm one of those in that camp, switching this year to Barnes TEZ's after taking a couple deer with shockwaves but being less than impressed with the results.

Here's some good reading:

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=310420
http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/topic,177656.0.html
http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=420368

Lot a people satisfied with them, some not so sure.

 

[bomtek44]

I have killed over 30 deer, from five yards to 217 yards with the 200 grain Shockwave and 110 grains of Triple Seven from my SS Disc Elite. All were complete pass throughs. One might be led to think that the bullet is not expanding. However, when you look at the craters in the inside of the ribcages, the two inch diameter holes through the lungs, and the split open hearts.....I say this bullet is the best kept secret in the game. It is a superbly accurate and devastatingly terminal projectile.

You cannot judge expansion by merely looking at the hole in the hide....from the outside.

Thanks,

bomtek44

 

[416LJT]

The bullet expanded or the deer wold not have gone right down. It opens up with a great deal of force and makes what is called a temporary cavity after that it slows some and so the hole it punches is reduced to the actual size. I have never had any problem getting Shock Waves to shoot accurate or open up. I do use the bonded ones on elk as I want them to open slower on that big an animal.

Not sure of the spelling on this but , that particular area on a deer is called , I believe the brachioplex ( spelling ?). A hit there, even if a bullet does not expand will drop a deer. It is an area where cenrtal nervous system components all tie together . All animals have this. It is desireable to purposely aim for this zone just for the one shot drop. I read about this in one of my hunting magazines in an article that dealt with shot placement on game animals , so this is not just some rambling of mine.

 

[shooter44n45]

I like my bullets to kill the animal quickly, I dont care if they have gapping wounds or not, dead is dead.

Now if its a bad shot and the animal runs, I woul rather have a pass through.

 

[SWThomas]

I like my bullets to kill the animal quickly, I dont care if they have gapping wounds or not, dead is dead.

Now if its a bad shot and the animal runs, I woul rather have a pass through.

A pass through is always good for a blood trail. But not all shots are bad if the animal doesn't drop on the spot. I have shot several deer right behind the shoulder and they ran anywhere from 30-100 yards. Upon opening them up I noticed that both lungs were a mess, livers had been destroyed and sometimes there's heart damage. That's a good shot in my book, even if the animal didn't go straight down.

 

[Lee 9]

I have noticed that a heart hit is usually the hit that will run. I believe all adrenalin is released enabling the animal to stay on his feet longer.

 

[jims]

I have had good luck with Shockwaves and SSTs. Never travelled more than 35 yards.
Heart hit deer run hard but not far in my experience.

 

[coh-1]

No issues with either the 250 grain or 300 grain Shockwaves with performance or expansion. Deer have either dropped in their tracks or stumbled 30 yards at the most.

Curtis

 

[frontier gander]

This heart hit deer went 5 yards. And another 15-20 feet rolling down the hill.

 

[Sam208]

nice deer FG

 

[rat trapper]

I have killed over 30 deer, from five yards to 217 yards with the 200 grain Shockwave and 110 grains of Triple Seven from my SS Disc Elite. All were complete pass throughs. One might be led to think that the bullet is not expanding. However, when you look at the craters in the inside of the ribcages, the two inch diameter holes through the lungs, and the split open hearts.....I say this bullet is the best kept secret in the game. It is a superbly accurate and devastatingly terminal projectile.

You cannot judge expansion by merely looking at the hole in the hide..

I have to agree with this as I have shoot a lot of deer with the TC 300 gr shock wave 50 cal bullets. If you take the time to look at the damage done inside you will not question this bullet.

 

[rat trapper]

Want more expansion and more damage to the critter, then use 150 grains of Triple Seven 2F !

 

[ronlaughlin]

You cannot judge expansion by merely looking at the hole in the hide..

I have to agree with this as I have shoot a lot of deer with the TC 300 gr shock wave 50 cal bullets. If you take the time to look at the damage done inside you will not question this bullet.

Granted i have only killed 5 deer using this bullet. (I assume you mean 45 caliber bullet with 50 caliber sabot.) I have taken the time to look at the damage done by this bullet. I took the time to look at the damage done by this bullet 5 times, and i found it to be sub-par. I found blood trails to be sparse also. Any one that believes the shockwave bullet does a lot of tissue damage should try the partition. One time, one look, and you will see the difference. The tissue damage done by a partition is some more than you will ever see done by a shockwave.

 

[flint head]

I have used the bonded 250 for the last five years or so on both deer and hogs... 99% of them went straight down and the couple that ran off didn't make it far.

 

[richdeerht]

I have shot 4 deer with the 200 gr Shockwave. None went very far. All dropped within sight. Usually using 100 gr 777.