Well, I did it. I tested my 7 WSM with a 110 gr TNT hollowpoint. I was somewhat disapointed. I was expecting more devastation. It is my own fault though. I neglected to ensure proper target aspect. It was a shot from the side that is. Bullet went through and didn't expend its energy the way I was hoping. Still it made a hole that a crat could crawl through. I was hoping for chunks or a fine spray. At least so I would not have to pick anything up and throw it in the tall grass before I mow the yard. Lessons learned: 1. Make sure the crat is facing towards or directly away so the energy is expended inside. 2. It was the first loading of the tnt's so I was only using the starting loads. I need to work a little more towards max.

Conclusion: more data needed. I saw a gray one this morning..........

I hope you get the results you hope for.
In loading krat and woodchuck loads for to 30-06 I got simmilar results .
Even a end to end shot did not result in blow ups ,That were anything to write home about.

Putting cat in it's place with "High speed lead poisining"
Johnch

I was hoping the speer TNT would ensure effect I am looking for. I think most .30-06 bullets are made for big game, thus they don't blow up. Plus the 110 gr. TNT will be motoring along at around 3500 fps. Essentially the same as a .22-250 55 gr. but twice the weight therefore twice the energy. And the bullet construction should make sure the energy is delivered to the target.

swift, swift, swift, there is nothing like the good old 220 swift for blowing up crats

May I suggest the 150 swift scirroco in the 7WSM.
A friend of mine shot a rabbit ( just a little smaller than most crats ) at just short of 100 yards in his backyard a couple of weeks ago with his 7rem mag and let me tell you the red mist was there and several feet behind where the actual impact took place!
Bottom line was rabbit slushy!
Crats don't fair well with this combo either!
But this was a head on shot not broadside. The TNT should be devastating as well.

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Bottom line was rabbit slushy!

Big Al woulda liked one of those, may he rest in peace. Or at least wind up in as nice luggage in a good home.

JMO, if you want to reach new plateaus in the red mist quest you gotta creat secondary projectiles. Bone, teeth, jacket and lead fragments etc. Velocity and frangible jackets makes for nice pear shaped spray patterns, large but slower bullets that expand easily tend to make long narrow patterns. It's all a matter of what you want.

Dan

Pres., TYHC

http://www.TERMINAL.Ballistics

The box on the TNT's says the max velocity is 3500. I think my max loading is a little north of that. Pushing a very frangible bullet to the max. That ought to make em slushy. I had pretty good results on rabbits it 150 gr silvertips. I just want to push the envelope.

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should make sure the energy is delivered to the target.

I don't know about that line of thinking, but it should be enough energy to dissipate the target....