Hell Toupee
Well-Known Member
Gents,
I've started loading within the last year, recipe: Hornady interlock 150gn, sako brass, CCI primers and 44.4gn N140, COAL 2.750
The accuracy started noticeably dropping off with any further increase in powder.
I've shot a fair few roe, 2 sika (stag and hind) and 3 red hinds with them so far. In general the meat damage has been minute, to the point that often with roe (and one red hind) there was not a drop of blood to be seen, but it lay dead 20 yards away. Even with 'perfect' heart shots there is very little blood to be seen.
On two occasions despite lung shots, the bullet had fragmented and burst the rumen, and on one, a heart shot left me with a bit of jacket in my shoulder curry.
Now, I'm not bemoaning a lack of meat damage, but the mixture of no damage at all vs. fragmented rounds and contamination is confusing me.
I'm not sure if I just accept it and carry on (nothing has done a runner) or if I try to modify my recipe?
If I was to modify the recipe - what options do I have?
1 - increase the powder and increase speed (not got a chrono) - hopefully more blood but more risk of contamination/meat damage?
2 - change bullet to something more friable (more damage/more blood)?
3 - have different loads for different deer (not keen on this)?
4 - change bullet weight?
Your thoughts greatly appreciated.
HT
I've started loading within the last year, recipe: Hornady interlock 150gn, sako brass, CCI primers and 44.4gn N140, COAL 2.750
The accuracy started noticeably dropping off with any further increase in powder.
I've shot a fair few roe, 2 sika (stag and hind) and 3 red hinds with them so far. In general the meat damage has been minute, to the point that often with roe (and one red hind) there was not a drop of blood to be seen, but it lay dead 20 yards away. Even with 'perfect' heart shots there is very little blood to be seen.
On two occasions despite lung shots, the bullet had fragmented and burst the rumen, and on one, a heart shot left me with a bit of jacket in my shoulder curry.
Now, I'm not bemoaning a lack of meat damage, but the mixture of no damage at all vs. fragmented rounds and contamination is confusing me.
I'm not sure if I just accept it and carry on (nothing has done a runner) or if I try to modify my recipe?
If I was to modify the recipe - what options do I have?
1 - increase the powder and increase speed (not got a chrono) - hopefully more blood but more risk of contamination/meat damage?
2 - change bullet to something more friable (more damage/more blood)?
3 - have different loads for different deer (not keen on this)?
4 - change bullet weight?
Your thoughts greatly appreciated.
HT