1948 Report on Deer Ammo Results:

[Guy]

"The only factory load which, in our records, established a 100 percent effective record of deer stopping, over a five-year survey period, was the U.S.C. Co 145 grain Hollow-Copper Point, later loaded by Winchester. Even when handloaded to velocities as low as 2600 f.s.m.v. or to as high as 3100 f.s.m.v. it seemed always to reliably penetrate the chest cavity about six inches before blowing up. The other 150 grain factory bullets did not open as reliably and, at times they failed to stop a bounding buck in his tracks." 1948, F.C. Ness, in Practical Dope on the Big Bores.

Yes, I like old books on hunting and guns.

Seems a lot like the results I've seen with Berger VLD bullets on mule deer.

Regards, Guy

 

[PsRpOiGrRiAtM]

I’d love to see a schematic of the design.

 

[44hunter45]

Curious how he defines a "big bore"

 

[T Bone]

Interesting!

Upon returning from WWII, my Grandfather purchased a Rem 721 in 30-06. With open sights and nearly free surplus fmj ammo he filled the freezer for many years.

Maybe the hollow points did kill like lightning when compared to the cheap fmj ammo.

 

[Guy]

Curious how he defines a "big bore"

His other book was "Practical Dope on the 22"

I think most cartridges over about 25 caliber qualified for this "Practical Dope on the Big Bores" as far as ol' Ness was concerned. He gets into the 348 Win and the 45/70 as well as a few others. Spends a lot of time on the 30-40 Krag and the 30-06 and similar cartridges. Dang, there's a LOT of info in the old book. I hadn't read it in years. Pulled it off the shelf recently and read through some of it again.

It doesn't correspond with what we think of as big bore rifles anymore, the .40's and up, but it's a great book with wonderful info.

Regards, Guy

 

[44hunter45]

I love the old books, too. I'm always looking for them in thrift shops and recycle bins.

In the 1960's, one of my father's cowboy and hunting friends swore by his .30-40 Army surplus scabbard rifle. He killed a lot of deer and coyotes with it.
Another carried a Winchester 1895 in .30-06. My dad envied them as all he could afford at the time was his 1894 in .30-30, which he thought was weak medicine for mule deer.
He was not the gun nut that I am, so discussions of box magazines and pointed bullets were not his thing.

Ironically, that .30-30 is the most valuable rifle in my safe today.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I love those old books. Cool find!

 

[Hammsolo]

"The only factory load which, in our records, established a 100 percent effective record of deer stopping, over a five-year survey period, was the U.S.C. Co 145 grain Hollow-Copper Point, later loaded by Winchester. Even when handloaded to velocities as low as 2600 f.s.m.v. or to as high as 3100 f.s.m.v. it seemed always to reliably penetrate the chest cavity about six inches before blowing up. The other 150 grain factory bullets did not open as reliably and, at times they failed to stop a bounding buck in his tracks." 1948, F.C. Ness, in Practical Dope on the Big Bores.

Yes, I like old books on hunting and guns.

Seems a lot like the results I've seen with Berger VLD bullets on mule deer.

Regards, Guy

Wayne Miller, my hunting mentor growing up and recently deceased thanks to Covid, talked about the advent of the 300 wm. He bought one when they first came out, and talked about how the old bullets performed. They clearly were engineered for lower velocity. He only handloaded, and on his first hunt with the 300 they performed terribly. Both he and his buddy had the bullet explode like a grenade on the mule deer they shot. They didn’t lose a deer, but the meat waste was atrocious. Thank God for science and engineering!

 

[Guy]

I love those old books. Cool find!

Pretty easy - I pulled it off the shelf and blew the dust of it. The book belonged to my grandfather and migrated to my custody decades ago. I just hadn't opened it in a long time, maybe 20 years?

It's got a lot of gems - I'll quote some of them later. Fun to see how things were regarded 70 years ago.