I don't completely disagree with the above, but I don't completely agree with it either.RavenArmament wrote:
Shot placement isn't any more important with subsonic, supersonic, or archery equipment. They all need to hit the same place. Period.
Expansion is over-romanticized especially in hunting. Too much emphasis is placed on bullet expansion, but bullet expansion is needed for high velocity jacketed bullets to perform better than cast bullets. That's part of where that expansion marketing comes from and it is several decades old. Expansion is touted as more effective and in order to do that velocity needs to increase to upset the bullet jacket and follow through with rupture and expansion of the bullet core.
"Don't use subsonic bullets for hunting because they don't expand". They don't need to expand. They need to be placed deep in the vitals to kill. So do that and you will kill. That is what the "old guard" won't understand and refuses to listen to.
A non expanding subsonic can kill, of that no doubt. I have done it. the issue with the 300blk is these long heavy non expanding bullets have no issue hitting and penetrating deep, the problem is they penetrate too deep. they will easily go thru most big game. What they tend to do is leave very little tissue disruption and also little to no blood trail. this allows the game to travel a good distance before expiring. in thick woods this makes it very difficult to track down the animal.
in my experience I have found that some type of expansion aids tremendously in adding both tissue disruption, and a good size exit wound to let them bleed out quickly.
A non expanding sub can be used ethically. And if I lost the ability to make my hollow pointed cast then I would have no issue using a non expanding sub. But since I have the choice I will use an expanding one.