I understand why you might think that 510 cal probably pushing 800 fpe would be the most effective but when your projectile zips through an animal like it's not even there it's not dumping it's energy and killing very quickly if I can make a recommendation watch 68 whisky slug design over caliber and another good one is their ethics video both really explain a lot as well as all of their videos
All that I shoot is hart lung shots. It anchors the little tree rats. Maybe 2% flop around but that hart lung shot does the trick.I don't understand why cries headshot so much I understand with a lower power gun without hollow points that's the only spot to shoot but for the higher power guys (35 fpe plus) why not take a vitals shot people say headshot is the most humane way to kill and I agree if and only if you hit where your aiming if you miss right around that area or the animal moves it's head then you could hit whatever your shooting at in the ear nose skim the skull or shoot it in the jaw or mouth ( which I have done before luckily it was close range and I was able to make a quick follow-up shot) but vitals on the other hand is a much bigger target that can't move so quickly and will kill the animal just as dead as a headshot it just takes a second longer I take my fair share of headshots to but only when I'm 100 percent sure of my range wind and that the animal isn't going to move other than that I aim for the vitals so just curious of everyone's thoughts rant over.....for now
I will guarantee you that a .17 HMR will remove the head, body shots, well it guts them. But we're talking pellet guns, not thermo nuclear rimfires.
I shoot CCI A17 out of my 17hmr. The only critters I've shot with it that I got an exit are most but not all long (90-120 yards) range body shot squirrels(massive exit), one smaller rabbit I wanted to eat, and one of the skunks I shot that was really a small skunk. Everything else I've shot with it the bullet does not exit, does a heck of a lot of damage dumping all that energy inside a pest. Instant kill on every body shot I took with it on squirrels, skunks, 1 rabbit(never again), and ground hogs. I shot a few milk jugs trying to capture a bullet around 120 yards with no luck. It doesn't go through 1 jug, but that jug splits and sprays the water violently enough I never found any pieces of the bullet, I found one plastic tip doing that, nothing else.
I've been using a neck/chest shot on squirrels lately. When they're eating and facing me, I basically shoot threw the pecan and into their throat area. Figure if I go high I hit their head, I go low I hit their heart. If it stays on center, it severs the spine. Usually just drops them without any dancing.
I couldn't agree more but somehow the only ethical shot is the head sounds like a bunch of baloney to me
If you place the shot in the right place they are all ethical.
Dang that is awesome nice shot on that hog that is definitely on my bucket list of airgun hunts
