The Accurate Reloading Forums
What caliber?
06 August 2005, 21:38
jens poulsenWhat caliber?
Hi!
What caliber can "blow up" a goat, like a 22-250 does on a prairiedog?. I had in mind myself like 378 Weatherby, 460 weatherby, 500 jeffery or something in that area loaded up with varmintbullets?.Anybody out there who has some experience?.
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06 August 2005, 23:06
bartsche
Very interesting!
Let's say a PD is 2" accross the chest and a goat is 14". The bullet diameter would be about 1.5" in diameter or about 38 mm. In order for the goat to blow up in like manner the velocity would have to be around 3700'/sec. You might need a muzzle break or have it mounted on wheels.

roger
Old age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone..
Jens,
I reckon if you shot a goat from the rear end at 50 yards with a .585 Nyati you would near open it up like a book.......I have seen some spectacular kills with the .585 Nyati.
Seen some good kills with the .416 Rigby & 400gr Taipan bullets @ 2550 fps as well.
Just need a big cal with a soft bullet at good speed and catch some bone early in proceedings.
07 August 2005, 03:26
Idaho ShooterA Barret light 50 loaded with frangible bullets would meet your requirements.
750 gr at 2900 fps.
I suppose with the proper swaging dies, a fellow could hand build some four hundred grain bullets for real hot rod velocities.
Idaho Shooter
07 August 2005, 07:00
tmoore4627An RPG should do it...
Tim
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
George Orwell
07 August 2005, 11:24
HamishGidday Guys,
Sorry the Barrett doesn't cut it. Have used the .50 out of an M2 Browning and they just made bloody big holes.
The most effective blow up round on medium sized game I have witnessed is a 76mm HE from an M41 tank. It works well on deer and horses so a blow up on goarts is a given.
Just ask any Tankies from the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps who were based in Waiouru during the 70's. We all saw it happen.
Happy Hunting
Hamish
07 August 2005, 16:04
BushchookHamish ,
Those tanks have to be the ultimate long range varmint outfit ... even for elephant . Any gunshops in NZ stock them ?
The hunting imperative was part of every man's soul; some denied or suppressed it, others diverted it into less blatantly violent avenues of expression, wielding clubs on the golf course or racquets on the court, substituting a little white ball for the prey of flesh and blood.
Wilbur Smith
07 August 2005, 23:22
Idaho ShooterHamish,
Ah, but you need frangible bullets for the fifty. Those interbonds you were shooting out of the "Ma Deuce" may be fine for big game like APC's or maybe even the occasional jeep. But Hey, we're talking varmint hunting here.
Idaho Shooter
14 August 2005, 07:44
Whelen35I have no first hand time on this one, but what would happen if you took a 458 or a 45-70 and used pure lead paper patched bullets. I would think the expansion would be very great, and the exit .... well large. By goat how big are we tlaking. A 35-40 goat is very differant from a 120lb animal.
In North Dakota, winter sucks
14 August 2005, 15:07
HamishGidday Guys,
Bushchook I believe you may be able to pick up an M41A1 from the army museum in Waiouru. You are definitely in for reloading as I have yet to find a shop that stocks even AP rounds let alone HE or Smoke. Don't ask for loads as my experience has been with factory loads only.
Idaho shooter we didn't get to play with anything other than ball and tracer. The guys who were playing in the RSVN at the time said that they had spectacular success with projectiles for the .50 spotter off a 106 recoilless loaded into the M2 rounds on the varmints there. These are VERY frangible. With these loads any rabbit or magpie at 2000metres is in big trouble.
Happy Hunting
Hamish
14 August 2005, 20:18
bartschequote:
Originally posted by Whelen35:
I have no first hand time on this one, but what would happen if you took a 458 or a 45-70 and used pure lead paper patched bullets. I would think the expansion would be very great, and the exit .... well large. By goat how big are we tlaking. A 35-40 goat is very differant from a 120lb animal.
No hydraulic effect at 2400 ft/sec. I witnessed a lead 500 gr. 45 cal bullet go through a small mule deer at about 2200ft/sec. The entrance hole and exit hole were pretty close in size.

Old age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone..
14 August 2005, 23:22
Hired GunA 300 Weatherby with 110 Hornady spire points going out a 4000+ fps will open up a goat nicely. They will about cut a deer in half for sure.
NRA Life member and I vote.
NAHC Life member
15 August 2005, 03:03
DigitalDanAfter some deep consideration I have concluded that you may need an IED to accomplish this. 10# of N205 and some corn ought to make it happen.
If yuro'e corseseyd and dsyelixc can you siltl raed oaky?