So the reason I asked about the meat damage is because if I couldn’t eat ‘em, I’d just quit killing ‘em.
I don't hunt deer..... perhaps with the exception of New Zealand on a couple of trips......Red Stag... Elk.......... Most all my hunting has been with larger calibers. This 100 Flat Base Raptor began life as a 100 ESP Raptor/Solid. Enhanced System Projectile. It could be loaded both ways, Raptor and reversed end as a Solid. However, the Solid end of this particular bullet had a very short Nose Projection, which caused it to be seated very deep in the case, and the short nose projection limited its penetration. There is a 130 ESP Raptor/Solid that is superb for 30/30, and both ends can be used effectively, either as a Raptor Trauma Enhanced, or as a pure Solid. I redesigned the 100 gr bullet as a pure Flat Base Raptor, and did away with the Solid portion completely.
My friends had been using the ESP version for several years as a Raptor only. Extreme success with deer and pigs, mostly in 308 Winchester. The 100 Flat Base Raptor was much better for nearly all .308 calibers in my opinion, superb in the smaller capacity cases such as 300 BLK and 7.62X40. Removing the Talon Tip for 30/30 it is a top end performer and really enhances the capabilities of the lever cartridge.
Terminal performance is just incredible with these. The load I gave out, 40.5/AA 2520 with the 100 Raptor in 30/30 is under 42000 PSI, will work in any lever gun without issue and below max safe pressures. Lever guns are not all created equal. I have one 16 inch gun that I have run this bullet to over 3000 fps. However, this load also locks other guns up tight. I am sure sustained use of this load would in the end do damage to it at some point, even though it handles it, does not make it suitable. Since I have several other lever guns in 30./30, I went across the spectrum and found I needed to stay below 42000 PSI for all guns to function properly.
The 110 Lehigh Chaos mentioned above is also a good bullet, behaves very similar to the Raptor, with the exception the petals peel, break off, do lots of damage of course, but the base of the bullet is half what the base of a Raptor is, therefore some less penetration of the base. Still devastating.
Very thin skin smaller animals may show serious damage on entrance, larger animals less damage on entry, and all animals massive internal damage. Exits for smaller calibers, 338 caliber and less, is mostly caliber size. A deer the size of my sons above will normally show caliber entrance and caliber exit...... We have heard the phrase "Pencil Through", however those terms forgot to add that everything in between is MUSH......... These people do not do internal investigation. Raptors inflict more trauma and tissue damage than any bullet out there, and penetration is not sacrificed. There is no upper end of velocity. Low end velocity the bullet does not shear at 1400-1500 fps...... Some other Raptors are designed to shear at lower velocity 800-1200 fps......... but we are talking this 100 FB Raptor currrently, and I would guess low end shear would be 1400 fps or so. At which point the tip would break apart, and it would become a hollow point solid or cup point bullet.
Now, with SINGLE SHOT, using the Talon Tip, here is what that tip buys you at 50 yards in an early test with the 100 ESP Raptors.................