Hunting

[Steve crawford]

Who needs expansion when you start out at more than 50 Cal. That will leave a good blood trail if the deer can still stand. JMHO

Steve

[Naphtali]

I have both 1863s and muzzleloading .72-caliber English-style rifles. While I cannot comment directly to your question, I cast my 775-grain conical 72s at 30:1. Testing [comparing] for penetration among: Barnes 150-grain Triple Shock @ 2900 fps (chronographed) as our control; 45-70 420-grain WFN-GC WW+2 @ 1725 fps (chronographed); 45-70 420-grain WFN-GC WW+2 heat treated @ 1725 fps (chronographed); and .72-caliber 775-grain FN conical, 30:1, 110-grains Goex FFg; CCI #11 Magnum cap, mallet-loaded in (High Grade) Pedersoli Kodiak Express rifle.

All bullets fired at 15 yards into 12 inches of New Yorker Magazines duct taped into a solid mass. Magazines were dry because dry paper is more penetration resistant than wet. Three shots fired per bullet with results averaged.

1. Triple Shock, a proven performer on elk, penetrated 6.5 inches (No bullet penetrated 12 inches of magazines). Penetration was straight. Bullet petaled just like advertising photographs. Frontal area did not increase more than .100 inch. Peripheral damage surrounding hole was less than 1.00 inch. Considering how effective this bullet and load have been, we were surprised at is lack of destruction.

2. 45-70 420-grain WFN-GC WW+2 @ 1725 fps penetrated right at 6.0 inches. Penetration was straight. Bullet slightly expanded at nose. Peripheral damage surrounding hole was extensive at about 2.5 inches.

3. 45-70 420-grain WFN-GC WW+2 heat treated @ 1725 fps was an eye opener. Penetration was about 1.5 inches. Bullet shattered a impact with three large chunk going every-which-way.

4. 72-caliber 30:1 bullet was a real eye opener. Penetration was about 4.75 inches and straight. Bullet expanded from .725 inch to about 1.5 inches as an irregular mushroom. Peripheral damage was about 4.5 inches surrounding the penetration hole. The massive damage appeared to be as though the target had be smashed with an aluminum baseball bat - a real mess.
*****
To put penetration results into something useful, the 72 bullet has always penetrated through-and-through on whitetails and elk. However, no shot has been taken on game beyond about 50 yards.

Hope this information is useful.

[boge]

The double edged sword with large projectiles is that they have so much mass, as well as lower velocity, that it is harder to get bullet/ball expansion in flesh unless bone is hit or a cavernous hollow point is used. This however greatly aids in penetration. This test may surprise you re pure lead:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PifleEwbeko