Rifle Ammunition
Rifle ammunition is somewhat mysterious
to some hunters.
Rifle ammunition comes many rifle
calibers,
cartridges, and thousands of different loads. It may seem a mystery that anyone can understand the names and numbers. Many hunters are attracted to certain numbers, rifle calibers, or rifle cartridges.
Logically experienced hunters know a good shot with any adequate ammunition will do the job.
The deer doesn't know the difference. But the merits and mystique of certain cartridges make life more interesting. Gun companies know this.
Learning about
rifle cartridges
is more like English than Math.
Math has rules you can depend on, English has some rules, but there are lots of exceptions:Rule #1, the bigger the caliber/cartridge the more powerful.
Exception to Rule #1, some big cartridges are loaded at lower power because some guns will not handle high pressure loads...
One rule which does not change; a well placed shot is always more important than a big gun.
There are great books and online sources for learning more about rifle ammunition. We will keep it simple and discuss only what is most important; keep in mind
the bullet
is actually the most important component. There are hundreds of adequate
deer rifle
cartridges. A "rule of thumb" is to have about 1000 ft- lbs. of energy for whitetail deer. If you look at the
ballistic table (pdf)
you'll see many cartridges have 1000+ ft-lbs. at the muzzle. There are better deer rifles, but the old .30-30 has has been around a long time, because it still works. Energy and velocity will decrease the greater the distance. Looking at the energy table, and using the 1000 ft-lbs. standard; we can see that the .30-30 has enough energy out to almost 200 yards. It's been used at longer range, but it's not great for that.
The .30-30 is a fairly low velocity round today. A look at the trajectory table shows the bullet will drop considerably at longer ranges. This means it will be harder to shoot accurately (require more hold-over) at longer range. Again, there are better long range cartridges.
Some hunters want the newest, biggest, baddest, hunting rifles they can buy.
Many are not interested in a puny, old, rifle cartridges like the .30-30. Don't try to tell them a .30-30 might be better than a new magnum. But, if they don't know what their doing, it might!Why! Because the bullet in most .30-30 ammunition is designed for deer. A hunter with a .30-30 is less likely to be using the wrong bullet. Whitetails, are most often shot at less than 200 yards. The .30-30 has enough power and accuracy for that. It doesn't kick and roar like some bigger cartridges, so it may be easier to shoot in some ways. Rifle bullets (depending on the cartridge) are designed for everything from small varmints to elephants. Some hunters don't understand bullet construction. They think that if they have the "latest and greatest" new rifle it should be deadly for almost anything. The most important component, the part that reaches out and touches the deer, is
the bullet.
A bullet which will totally demolish a small varmint may be too fragile for deer. If your rifle's bullet is too fragile it may blow-up or fragment, create a horrible surface wound, and a crippled deer.
Some hunters don't understand how a deer could run away after being shot with an elephant gun.
Why! Because a bullet which is designed for really big game can go completely through a deer with no expansion and do little immediate damage to the vital organs. The bullet may carry tremendous potential energy designed to penetrate a much tougher, and larger animal. It may just go through a deer without releasing much of it's energy. Modern rifle ammunition is great, and the
bullets
are versatile. Sometimes they work even when the wrong bullet is used, but that's not a good plan.
It's the hunters responsibility to select the correct loads, or the old .30-30 may be better.
Click on the book to shop!
 
We have many more pages of information.
Find any page easily with our:
Site Map
Rifle Ammunition to Rifle Calibers
Rifle Ammunition to Score-Your-Hunting.com
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.
|
