I was going to post this in the "proving Copper" thread but it been up long enough to have probably run its course and I didn't want to hijack it so I'll start my own for this question. This is a question for the frequent used of unleaded rifle ammo. First I'll tell my one experience, which was 5 or 6 years ago then I'll ask my question.
Ammo used in this by both os us was 7mm mag Hornady GMX 139 gr copper
Went pig hunting with my son. We had hunted two days and were about to leave the ranch and head for home empty handed. As we approached the gate my son look over and loudly whispers "Pigs!" I say "where?" (not seeing them yet) He points and we see two pigs walking down the fence line about 75 yards from us. We lined up an them, him taking the left one, me the right. They were below us, walking down a hill so we were shooting down at them. When we fired his went down like a ton of ricks, DRT. Mine squealed and an to the bottom of the draw and then down the draw, running through grass that was higher then he was. I went after mine and when I got to the bottom of the draw saw a pretty good blood trail so I didn't think he'd got far. A few minutes later I found him lying next to a long but still alive so I gave him another round to finish him. Now, to detail the bullet performance. My son's pig was spine shot just behind the head and the bullet virtually detonated leaving a hole you could almost put your fist into, of course severing the spine. Nothing left of that bullet to recover. Mine the initial shot hit a little off center and hit the shoulder blade, the bullet expanded and made a wound channel about an inch wide down the outside of the ribs running from the high chest area and exiting near the belly (due to the downhill angle of the shot). No real vitals were hit but he bled like a stuck pig (pun intended) as he ran up the draw. The second round (to finish the job) he was lying down and it went in his back near the neck and exited out the chest. It didn't hit any rib or other bone and it went in 7 mm and came out 7 mm. No apparent expansion at all. Both round exited so there was no bullet to recover.
Now the question. Based on the above experience it appears that the copper bullets expand good if they hit something solid, like bone. On the other hand, if they don't happen to hit any bone there didn't seem to be any expansion as the second round appeared to enter and exit the same size. Of course, as I said, no bullets were recovered so I don't know it there was any expansion at all but just by looking at the wounds it appeared that if the copper bullets hit bone the expanded and if they didn't hit anything solid they didn't. What are the experiences of y'all regarding the expansion of copper bullets vs. lead. I used to hunt with Nosler Partitions and they never failed to expand no matter where or what was hit. Also, since this was 5 or 6 years ago have thing improved as far as copper bullet performance?
Ammo used in this by both os us was 7mm mag Hornady GMX 139 gr copper
Went pig hunting with my son. We had hunted two days and were about to leave the ranch and head for home empty handed. As we approached the gate my son look over and loudly whispers "Pigs!" I say "where?" (not seeing them yet) He points and we see two pigs walking down the fence line about 75 yards from us. We lined up an them, him taking the left one, me the right. They were below us, walking down a hill so we were shooting down at them. When we fired his went down like a ton of ricks, DRT. Mine squealed and an to the bottom of the draw and then down the draw, running through grass that was higher then he was. I went after mine and when I got to the bottom of the draw saw a pretty good blood trail so I didn't think he'd got far. A few minutes later I found him lying next to a long but still alive so I gave him another round to finish him. Now, to detail the bullet performance. My son's pig was spine shot just behind the head and the bullet virtually detonated leaving a hole you could almost put your fist into, of course severing the spine. Nothing left of that bullet to recover. Mine the initial shot hit a little off center and hit the shoulder blade, the bullet expanded and made a wound channel about an inch wide down the outside of the ribs running from the high chest area and exiting near the belly (due to the downhill angle of the shot). No real vitals were hit but he bled like a stuck pig (pun intended) as he ran up the draw. The second round (to finish the job) he was lying down and it went in his back near the neck and exited out the chest. It didn't hit any rib or other bone and it went in 7 mm and came out 7 mm. No apparent expansion at all. Both round exited so there was no bullet to recover.
Now the question. Based on the above experience it appears that the copper bullets expand good if they hit something solid, like bone. On the other hand, if they don't happen to hit any bone there didn't seem to be any expansion as the second round appeared to enter and exit the same size. Of course, as I said, no bullets were recovered so I don't know it there was any expansion at all but just by looking at the wounds it appeared that if the copper bullets hit bone the expanded and if they didn't hit anything solid they didn't. What are the experiences of y'all regarding the expansion of copper bullets vs. lead. I used to hunt with Nosler Partitions and they never failed to expand no matter where or what was hit. Also, since this was 5 or 6 years ago have thing improved as far as copper bullet performance?
