We all care about deer- so why dont we use explosive bullets to kill them quicker ?

[billy_boyle_2010]

Hi guys


We all care about deer right? We spend £1000s on kit to do the job effectively. We spend hours on the range and aren't happy without sub inch groups etc.

But why don't we use explosive/highly destructive bullets- a modern "vermin" bullet- to kill deer ? The types than turn a fox organs to jelly with a front on chest shot- or take a rabbits head half off.

The well placed shots would work- just a little quicker

The marginal shots would v likely kill quicker/more frequently, on average.

The wounding shots would, on occasion, kill acceptably quickly- or at least disable the beast sufficiently for a second shot. And again- out perform the standard hunting bullet.

So why not ? Meat damage, lead poisoning, lack or exit/blood trail, lack of avaliability?

Its probably v safe to assume food contamination by lead bullets hasnt been a reason why such destructive bullets havent been used until now. But perhaps a general "bullet debris in food" was a good reason not to ? It must still happen anyway- albeit less frequently with standard bullets.

With explosive copper bullets sometimes "petaling" on impact- and breaking off at times- but with a body of copper almost always going to exit- perhaps now is the perfect design for an explosive copper bullet to be marketed as more humane than lead ? In some ways, at more limited ranges of course- it probably could be ?

Thoughts would be interesting thanks you.

 

[Freeforester]

‘Thoughts would be interesting thanks you’

- Wouldn’t they indeed…

 

[tarponhead]

They become food and the projectiles we use now are more than adequate. It’s not a problem that needs solving

 

[Smellydog]

Don't worry the solstice is nearly here and the days will be getting longer.

 

[EssexBigMac]

Have a read…

Frangible Varmint Bullets for Big Game — Ron Spomer Outdoors

Fast, frangible varmint bullets are not recommended for taking big game, but when everything is perfect they kill decisively. Should you try them?

www.ronspomeroutdoors.com

fragmenting round for deer?

in the past i've always used the mushrooming type bullet in 30-06 for deer hunting and has work well most of the time. the ballistic tips do more...

www.thehighroad.org

 

[Mungo]

Hi guys


We all care about deer right? We spend £1000s on kit to do the job effectively. We spend hours on the range and aren't happy without sub inch groups etc.

But why don't we use explosive/highly destructive bullets- a modern "vermin" bullet- to kill deer ? The types than turn a fox organs to jelly with a front on chest shot- or take a rabbits head half off.

The well placed shots would work- just a little quicker

The marginal shots would v likely kill quicker/more frequently, on average.

The wounding shots would, on occasion, kill acceptably quickly- or at least disable the beast sufficiently for a second shot. And again- out perform the standard hunting bullet.

So why not ? Meat damage, lead poisoning, lack or exit/blood trail, lack of avaliability?

Its probably v safe to assume food contamination by lead bullets hasnt been a reason why such destructive bullets havent been used until now. But perhaps a general "bullet debris in food" was a good reason not to ? It must still happen anyway- albeit less frequently with standard bullets.

With explosive copper bullets sometimes "petaling" on impact- and breaking off at times- but with a body of copper almost always going to exit- perhaps now is the perfect design for an explosive copper bullet to be marketed as more humane than lead ? In some ways, at more limited ranges of course- it probably could be ?

Thoughts would be interesting thanks you.

What do you mean by explosive?

Plenty of people using things like Vmax and SST. Eldx and eldm can be pretty savage at close range.

Arguably explosive copper is already here - Yew Tree for instance.

I think you’re behind the curve.

 

[VSS]

I use 58grain V-Max Superperformance Varmint rounds through my 243 for fallow. They're pretty explosive. Frontal head shots only. Range rarely exceeds 100m. Drops them on the spot. They are extremely accurate through my rifle (which is the main consideration for head shots), and the destructive nature means that there's a little more margin for error - eg, a traditional bullet, poorly placed, might enter by the eye and exit by the ear and not kill the deer. A similarly poorly placed shot with the "explosive" bullet will most certainly kill the deer.

But that is for my park deer. I wouldn't entertain the thought of head shooting wild deer, and I wouldn't want to use such a destructive bullet through my 270 for chest shooting. I want a decent exit wound for rapid bleed out, and I want to minimise meat damage, so I use a traditional expanding 130grain bullet.

 

[finnbear270]

 

[sauer]

seriously?
kill them "quicker"

do you understand the basics of expanding ammo and what it and wound channel and an exit do?

ultra frangible fragmenting ammo on bigger "game" this case deer may result in blowing out a shoulder say and not getting the penetration into the "vitals" resulting not in a quicker kill but a horrible slower death ....and never mind the loss of meat which is main reason ( for me ) for deer stalking anyway

as already said, you can use a more frangible or "explosive" type bullet like vmax and many i know do on roe and have to them acceptable meat damage on a carcass dont know id like to use em on bigger species

right tool for the job, consider you quarry ( deer ) and then select bullet that do the job and give you end result =dead deer thats useable for food chain


Paul

 

[webley701]

Hi guys


We all care about deer right? We spend £1000s on kit to do the job effectively. We spend hours on the range and aren't happy without sub inch groups etc.

But why don't we use explosive/highly destructive bullets- a modern "vermin" bullet- to kill deer ? The types than turn a fox organs to jelly with a front on chest shot- or take a rabbits head half off.

The well placed shots would work- just a little quicker

The marginal shots would v likely kill quicker/more frequently, on average.

The wounding shots would, on occasion, kill acceptably quickly- or at least disable the beast sufficiently for a second shot. And again- out perform the standard hunting bullet.

So why not ? Meat damage, lead poisoning, lack or exit/blood trail, lack of avaliability?

Its probably v safe to assume food contamination by lead bullets hasnt been a reason why such destructive bullets havent been used until now. But perhaps a general "bullet debris in food" was a good reason not to ? It must still happen anyway- albeit less frequently with standard bullets.

With explosive copper bullets sometimes "petaling" on impact- and breaking off at times- but with a body of copper almost always going to exit- perhaps now is the perfect design for an explosive copper bullet to be marketed as more humane than lead ? In some ways, at more limited ranges of course- it probably could be ?

Thoughts would be interesting thanks

The sentiment behind your question is reasonable but it may be a better starting point to revise it to use the correct term rather than the very incorrect term ‘explosive’.

 

[billy_boyle_2010]

Im a little surprised by these hostile replies.

If they were true- we should all be using K98s in 308, 6x42 scopes and every 6 months someone would post asking where to get their guns serviced near them. It would otherwise be a bit of a ghost town.

Jeez its not like I'm asking to have a go on anyone's wives. Or worse..... their permissions.

 

[Mungo]

Im a little surprised by these hostile replies.

If they were true- we should all be using K98s in 308, 6x42 scopes and every 6 months someone would post asking where to get their guns serviced near them. It would otherwise be a bit of a ghost town.

Jeez its not like I'm asking to have a go on anyone's wives. Or worse..... their permissions.

I think the hostility is because people are suspicious that you’re either just trying to start an argument or don’t actually know what you’re talking about (possibly both).

As several have said: extremely aggressive expanding bullets, which you could call ‘explosive’, are already commonly used in certain contexts. It’s a non issue.

If you mean something with an actual explosive charge in it, no government is ever going to allow civilians access to that, for obvious reasons.

 

[User00033]

Im a little surprised by these hostile replies.

If they were true- we should all be using K98s in 308, 6x42 scopes and every 6 months someone would post asking where to get their guns serviced near them. It would otherwise be a bit of a ghost town.

Jeez its not like I'm asking to have a go on anyone's wives. Or worse..... their permissions.

You’re being a dick.

 

[addjunkie]

Jeez its not like I'm asking to have a go on anyone's wives. Or worse..... their permissions.

dont let your Mrs read that, or she will knowshes in the que behind shooting!

 

[billy_boyle_2010]

You’re being a dick.

Just to be clear- my reply was referring to the first 3 replies (and maybe one or two others). Not the more comprehensive ones.

I'm busy this morning- and actually since a phone update yesterday struggling to quote people's messages without my and theirs message being merged- so replying is much slower.

Or are you saying my initial post was me "being a dick" ?

 

[Foxyboy43]

Cut the guy some slack chaps - his post appears reasonable and is actually polite so maybe just concentrate on answering it.

 

[8x57]

Why don't you use explosive bullets to kill deer?​

You missed out the obvious option in you choice of answers - Because explosive bullets are illegal.

 

[gixer1]

just checking zero this morning….

 

[User00033]

Just to be clear- my reply was referring to the first 3 replies (and maybe one or two others). Not the more comprehensive ones.

I'm busy this morning- and actually since a phone update yesterday struggling to quote people's messages without my and theirs message being merged- so replying is much slower.

Or are you saying my initial post was me "being a dick" ?

#11

 

[tarponhead]

Im a little surprised by these hostile replies.

If they were true- we should all be using K98s in 308, 6x42 scopes and every 6 months someone would post asking where to get their guns serviced near them. It would otherwise be a bit of a ghost town.

Jeez its not like I'm asking to have a go on anyone's wives. Or worse..... their permissions.

It’s probably a reaction to the language you used your post - explosive bullets, killing deer - it’s semantics but many of think of ourselves as hunters, so it’s about so much more than the kill, which was absent from your poll. That reduced it to the kill using explosive means, which sounds unnecessary and potentially dangerous and inhumane. I get your sentiment, but language is everything especially in this day and age, so rather than offended by the reaction, think about what it might tell you. I’m only speaking for myself, but as you asked and I commented, I thought you deserved a straight answer.