why use lighter projectiles when heavier one shoot flatter?

[NZVarminter]

When I built up my 6br, I was planning to shoot 65-70g projectiles for varminting as I assumed they would shoot flatter out to say 500m due to the faster velocity. I never bothered to run the ballistics on them, but now I have shot the 70's against the 87 vmax and other 90 weight projectiles, I have found the heavier projectiles actually shoot much flatter as well as having much less wind drift.

e.g 87 vmax shoot 4' flatter at 300m than 70 BT's and 7' flatter at 500m. That's quite a significant advantage in drop and drift.

Yet I read numerous accounts from many of you shooting well past 500m with 70g projectiles.....why?

I will acknowledge the lighter projectiles have more splat factor, and some of the 85-90 are probably a bit too thick jacketed for smaller game, but the 87's seem to be destructive enough.

Just curious, it seems to me the 6br is much better suited to the 85+ bullet weight.

Cheers

Grant

 

[MarkS]

Grant,

I like the light bullets because they will come apart on impact, hit or miss. On impact all the bullet energy is released in the target, for a instant kill. I don't have to worry about a bullet passing and on to the landowners livestock.

Most of my hunting is inside 750 yds, on Eastern Groundhogs, so lighter works better for me.

When the heavier bullets slow down they tend to pass thru and not kill as well. I have seem this many times with the Vld bullets.

The 87 vmax is a great varmint bullet. When pushed by a bigger case, like a 6mmAI at 3500 to 3600 f/s the killing powder is unreal.

Mark Schronce

 

[mikecr]

I have seen that lighter bullets kill woodchucks 'better' than heavier bullets. For instance, a 40gr V-Max from a std 223 will not allow a woodchuck to crawl to any hole. A shockwave will knock it out,with any mass hit), and it just tips over to die without a twitch. Liquified inside..

With a 6br and 95gr VLDs, I often blow chucks into pieces -that drag themselves 10ft back into holes!!
There just isn't the same kind of energy released on varmints with heavy bullets, that is present with lighter ones.

 

[RJinTexas]

Red mist and splatter!!!!
RJ