.475 Linebaugh for black bear.

[Ramjet-SS]

Nice congrats the 325 at 1100 is as we told you a great boolit and will get the job done..

[doghawg]

When I review this experience I've been wondering.....I had three loads to chose from with three different boolits. The 325 Lee WFNGC at 1160 fps, LBT 380 gr. LFN at about 1120 fps and RCBS 400 gr. (actual about 412 gr.) at right at 1100 fps. The Lee was loaded over humble ol' Unique powder and the other two with HS6. All three were about 12 BHN.

The Lee did a complete pass through and tore up the lungs pretty well. All three loads would have killed the bear with the same shot placement but I can't help but wonder if the heavier bullets with their smaller meplat would possibly have been slightly LESS effective? Any opinions? Campfire speculation?



Edit to add...Bear chops are outstanding!!

[DougGuy]

Not to steer the thread but in reference to the comment about the meplat: My deer load is a LBT 250gr OWC which is almost 95% meplat running 1200fps. I picked this because it's nearly a full wadcutter, I believe it would create the most effective wound channel than any of the other WFN designs for the 45. This is the same reason I backed you on your choice. I have not taken game with this exact boolit as we type, but I expect it to be pretty much a 2 hole with a lot of damage between.

It's certainly not a Linebaugh, but these deer aren't wearing armor either last I checked.

L to R LBT250 WFN-PB, LBT250 WFN-GC, LBT250 OWC:

[doghawg]

DougGuy There is no doubt in my mind your load will hammer whitetails and probably bear also. What I'm wondering is if a much heavier bullet with a smaller frontal surface might in fact be somewhat less effective?

My bear went 80 yards after the lung shot. If she would have gone another 50 yards into the cedar/alder tangle she was headed for it would have been been a major ordeal for two old men to get her out.

[megasupermagnum]

It's tough to honestly play the what-if game. I don't think there is any doubt that a smaller flat, at a lower velocity would produced a narrower wound, as a trade off for more penetration. The question is, is the difference significant? I'll give you my only real comparison that I have seen with my own eyes. The 357 magnum Keith bullet with a .250" meplat, and a 44 magnum Keith bullet with a .275" meplat, both going ballpark 1250 fps, give or take. Looking at the deer one right after the other, I honestly could not tell which deer was shot with which. both were reasonably quick kills, producing holes about the same size in and out. Then put a 180 grain XTP hollow point in the 357 magnum, and the wound is dramatically bigger. The trade off is penetration, but in all cases, bullets passed all the way through.