Ackley on .224 for big game
Toby Bradshaw
with about the same arguments as now (Ackley's book was
copyrighted in 1962, but describes a lot of shooting from
the 1930s on).
Excerpted (without permission) from: "Handbook for shooters
and reloaders" Vol. 1 by P.O. Ackley
"Killing power"
Mr. Lester Womack, now a ranger at the Grand Canyon National
Park, is an experienced hunter who has had wide hunting
experience both as a big game hunter and in control work.
He has used the .220 Swift almost since its introduction and
he has had wide experience hunting in the company of hunters
using much larger cartridges. He has had greater
opportunity to observe the effectiveness of the Swift in
comparison with other cartridges than almost anyone. Mr.
Womack has the following to say about the .220 Swift:
That great ivory hunter, the late W.D.M. Bell, killed more
than eight hundred head of the biggest bull elephants in
Africa. For this task did he use the .416 Rigby? The
.450/500? The .600 Nitro Express? Certainly not. He used
the 7mm Mauser. In those days, as now, in Africa as in
America, the argument of the big bore versus the small bore
raged. Mr. Bell found that the 7mm rifle killed elephants
dead -- and nothing will kill deader than dead. He was an
exceptionally cool shot and had an excellent knowledge of
the anatomy of the elephant. Even the .600 Nitro will not
kill elephants with poorly placed shots and there are many
recorded instances where elephants simply vanished --
carrying with them a number of these massive 900 grain
slugs! Now, in this land of ours, there are hunters who
will tell you with a straight face that the 7mm Mauser
cartridge is barely adequate for deer and should never be
used on the elk or brown bear. The fine .270 Winchester,
some will tell you, is a passable deer cartridge and that is
about all. For any of the smaller calibers they have
nothing but contempt.
Just why these cannon worshipers should hold such animosity
toward the small bore rifle is not too obvious. Perhaps it
is just a hang-over from the big lead bullets of black
powder days. Perhaps it is just because, in this country
anyway, most people like everything big. Big houses, big
autos, big hats, the bigger the better.
Each year these big bore enthusiasts take to the field with
their particular rifle, be it .35 Newton, .375 H&H, or .458
Winchester, and announce to the world that they have the
only suitable rifle for taking the thin skinned game of
America. They go to great lengths to extoll the virtues of
the big, heavy, bullet. To the heavy bullet clan's way of
thinking, the big bores kill like the wrath of God, and the
little ones are mere toys. On the other hand, the small
bore rifleman goes his way, gets his share of game, and it
never enters his head to deride the big bore. If anything,
he feels a bit sorry for the chap who must shoot a rifle
with a punishing recoil and fearsome muzzle blast.
[Paragraph on nutty caliber restrictions from Arizona Game
and Fish deleted]
From these "Weapons Regulations," it is more than noticeable
that the Game and Fish Department has discriminated against
the very small bore cartridges, i.e.: the .220 Swift, .22-
250, and .228 Ackley Magnum. Do they have valid reasons?
Has the Department conducted exhaustive research and found
that these cartridges do not produce clean kills? Has the
department discovered some mysterious fact that the merest
six thousandths of an inch will make one rifle suitable for
taking big game and the other not? To the best of the
author's knowledge, no game department in this country has
made any effort whatsoever to conduct any serious studies on
the comparative efficiency of various cartridges.
For the past twenty years this writer has made an effort to
find out why the small bore, ultra velocity rifle has been
outlawed by the majority of the big game states. To this
end I must confess utter failure. From the non-user the
answers are always the same: "It's too small." "They won't
penetrate." "They only wound and won't leave a blood
trail," etc.
[he goes on to relate his experience at shooting deer with
the .220 Swift for the state of Arizona]
I soon found that the Swift was the most efficient rifle I
had ever used on deer. With any solid hit a deer went down
and never got up. It was a very rare occasion when a second
shot was required. Upon autopsy it was found that the
bullet disintegrated in the body cavity. It was noted that
the lung-liver area shot was extremely effective. (...)
Even the "gut shot" put them down, but they didn't appear to
die on their feet as with the liver shot.
[more on end-to-end penetration on large mule deer with
Ackley bullets (same design as Trophy Bonded) deleted]
[paragraphs on one-shot kills of 600 pound feral burros at
up to 600 yards deleted; hunting in company with .30-06,
.30-40, 8mm Mauser]
[If you can't take this, don't buy this book and read about
burro shooting with .17 caliber]
-Toby Bradshaw
to...@u.washington.edu
Mark E. Kilpela
>with about the same arguments as now (Ackley's book was
>copyrighted in 1962, but describes a lot of shooting from
>the 1930s on).
>
>Excerpted (without permission) from: "Handbook for shooters
>and reloaders" Vol. 1 by P.O. Ackley
>
>
>I soon found that the Swift was the most efficient rifle I
>had ever used on deer. With any solid hit a deer went down
>and never got up. It was a very rare occasion when a second
>shot was required.
I have a friend who uses the .222 on deer and hasn't lost an animal in
years, and he has shot a good number over a few years. As said above, the
deer go down immediately in most cases. He has used the .222 to help his
cousin, who farms, fill block permits farmers get to take care of problem
deer in crop fields. I used to agree on those smaller calibers being too
small, but not anymore!!!
>[LOTS OF STUFF DELETED]
>
>-Toby Bradshaw
>to...@u.washington.edu
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