Changing Concepts of the Big Game Bullet Changing Concepts of the Big Game Bullet | Page 3

The Underlying Principles

The basic principles used to make frangible projectiles haven’t changed for more than
a century. Two underlying principles you need to be aware of are that velocity has
always been against bullet performance and bullet expansion causes greater
resistance, decreasing the chances of a successful penetration. Varmint bullets often
come apart upon impact and this is great for non-edible pests because it reduces the
chances of a ricochet.
However, you need a bullet that
stays put when dealing with big
game. Some prefer complete
penetration, stating that exit
wounds make it easy to follow the
animal. Others want their bullets to
stay within the animal, making sure
that the energy isn’t wasted on
trees and rocks. And both choices
deserve equal merit. The third
thing that you need to understand
is that bullet weight can actually
help cover up flaws in bullet
performance.