Expanding on DV for rifles

[swampthing]

Can the DV formula be used on the smaller caliber, {.338 and smaller}, smaller meplat, higher velocity LBT bullets to achieve the same wound sizes?  Or would soft noses be required?

[swampthing]

For instance:  30 '06 launching  160-200g FN's at 2400fps or so. I would like to keep it simple and not go to soft noses if I don't have to. I think the meplat is .220" for these, according to the DV formula I will have approx DV of 125 @ muzzle and DV of 90 @200yds, roughly.  My lead alloy is 3% antimony, 1.5% tin, and .03% arsenic and is heat treated to 21BHN.
    I think what I read in your book is that this bullet will retain good weight and not disintegrate at close range impact for good leathality, but, will it utilize the smaller meplat for wounding at longer {+100yd} range?     

[Veral]

  Yes.  DV stays the same, but there is one little kink in it.  -  Wound size is actually created from the other edge of the meplat, so with small flats, wounding won't seem as good as with larger.  To explain it a bit better, suppose DV created a wound 1/8 inch per side larger than the meplat.  A half inch flat would make a 3/4 wound while a 1/8 inch flat would make only a 3/8 inch hole, a difference in blood letting ability of precisely 4 times, advantage to the wide nose.

  You want to keep it simple.  Just work at the upper end of the reccomended spectrum, of 135 and you'll love the way game goes down.

  Bullets with wide meplats expand easier than with small, so 2400 fps will cause some pretty good bullet brealkdown at 20 bhn with the FN bullet.  I would reccomend using the heaviest your rifle will chamber and keep top speeds at about 2200 fps.  A 160 to 200 gr bullet will kill clean with such speed out to at least 150 yards with a 160 gr and probably 200 to 250 yards with a 200 gr, due to better retained velocity for the heavier bullet.