How important is the initial energy dump rt after impact a factor when u shoot for hunting, or gel test for that matter or do prefer a long wound channel .what do folks think ?
N/A Damage from slug energy
- Thread starter mikey fingers
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That depends on what your hunting, going for hogs, raccons, or armadillos? Get a slug that can penetrate deep enough without fragmenting or expanding so quickly.
Going for squirrels, birds, iguanas? Go for a slug with a larger cavity, softer lead and thinner hp walls to expand quickly upon entry.
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I agree with JaceSpace's post but want to make some points. First, the term "energy dump" is, in my opinion, nonsense. In movies we see people flying through the air after being hit from a shotgun, for instance. That sort of thing does not happen from shoulder fired weapons. If it did, the shooter would fly through the air too! We see images of wound channels in ballistic gel and think that is what our airguns do. It is not. Rounds well under 1000 fps do not move animal tissue fast enough to permanently damage it except in the direct path of the projectile. The tissue off to the sides expands and then moves back essentially undamaged. Much higher velocity rifles do expand animal tissue fast enough to damage it but not most pistols and essentially all air rifles.
What expansion of air rifle projectiles does is create a wider and not as deep hole through the animal. JaceSpace correctly points out that small animals like squirrels do not require a lot of penetration to reach vital organs. A solid projectile is likely to exit from guns 25fpe (approximately) or higher. A wider hole will do more damage and tend to lead to a faster death for the animal just like use of a larger caliber would. So for something like my near 40 fpe Caiman X in 22 caliber, I have no issue with H&N slugs that expand because they still penetrate far enough in wet paper that I know they will get to the squirrels vitals and may even exit. I think it's a good idea to test expanding projectiles to understand how much penetration you will get but the basic idea that a wider wound channel is preferable to an exiting pellet is a totally valid point.
I will also add, however, that I've killed over 20 squirrels with a non-expanding domed pellet from my 177. I only lost one and it was totally my fault, I shot it in the rear end and it crawled off where I couldn't find it after it fell. So I have over 20 clean kills with a non-expanding 177. The squirrels drop a little quicker with a 22 or 25 but expansion is not really necessary in my opinion for squirrels. It's OK to have it but the squirrel will drop very quickly as long as you place the projectile properly. Non-expanding 22s and 25s drop squirrels at impact most of the time and no reasonably placed projectile will let them travel more than a few feet.
What expansion of air rifle projectiles does is create a wider and not as deep hole through the animal. JaceSpace correctly points out that small animals like squirrels do not require a lot of penetration to reach vital organs. A solid projectile is likely to exit from guns 25fpe (approximately) or higher. A wider hole will do more damage and tend to lead to a faster death for the animal just like use of a larger caliber would. So for something like my near 40 fpe Caiman X in 22 caliber, I have no issue with H&N slugs that expand because they still penetrate far enough in wet paper that I know they will get to the squirrels vitals and may even exit. I think it's a good idea to test expanding projectiles to understand how much penetration you will get but the basic idea that a wider wound channel is preferable to an exiting pellet is a totally valid point.
I will also add, however, that I've killed over 20 squirrels with a non-expanding domed pellet from my 177. I only lost one and it was totally my fault, I shot it in the rear end and it crawled off where I couldn't find it after it fell. So I have over 20 clean kills with a non-expanding 177. The squirrels drop a little quicker with a 22 or 25 but expansion is not really necessary in my opinion for squirrels. It's OK to have it but the squirrel will drop very quickly as long as you place the projectile properly. Non-expanding 22s and 25s drop squirrels at impact most of the time and no reasonably placed projectile will let them travel more than a few feet.
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