So hydrostatic shock...

[Double Naught Spy]

I know little about hydrostatic shock, and don't really enjoy dissecting the minute details of this sort of stuff. I can relate somewhat to shock, just by way of hunting a lot. The hog below was shot by me last night, and was shot straight up the snout...breaking both jaws and there was enough energy there to make one eyeball pop right out of it's skull. I was using my 6.5 Creedmore and I would definitely say there was some type of shock inside it's skull !

Given that hydrostatic shock is the remote wounding of structures and you placed the bullet up the snout, then is likely to have occurred here is the overpressure from hydraulic shock, which is localized (think temporary wound cavity).

IMHO, hydrostatic shock does happen at higher velocities and more so with expanding bullets. Expanding bullets not only make a bigger hole, but disperse their energy while expanding and that energy is dispersed into the tissue. If one butchers their own game, hydrostatic shock is readily apparent anytime bone, and/or heavy muscle is hit.

That is hydraulic shock.

From the article cited above...

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/Effective+Game+Killing.html

Hydraulic shock is the civil engineers term also known as water hammer but in terminal ballistics context refers to the pressure of accelerated fluid particles that create the temporary wound channel.

Hydrostatic shock transfer refers to the effect when shock waves travel through flesh to distant nerve centers, disrupting their ability to emit electrical impulses.

 

[MarkCO]

You are correct Double Naught Spy. When you SEE tissue damage, that is not the result of Hydrostatic shock. That is mechanical damage due to the strength of the tissue being surpassed and causing permanent damage.

 

[HiBC]

I won't blame anyone for doubting this story.I'd be skeptical,hearing it myself.
But,as Elmer might say"Hell,I was there!"

I make no claim this is about "Ackley Magic",either.
Maybe 20 years ago I killed an antelope.I took a longish shot,and did not estimate everything just right. In any case,she dropped (I had a doe only tag)
When I got to her,she was dead.I found no entry/exit hole.I looked real hard. I was baffled.
I found a crease/furrow through the hair on the sternum,but the hide was not broken.Skinning,I found a bruise area maybe 5 in in diameter on the sternum area.

I assumed a fibrillation thing or? Your "hydrostatic" nerve thing explains it.

 

[rickyrick]

Put simply, hydrostatic shock knocks them out so they are unconscious as they die.

Instant loss of consciousness = probably hydrostatic shock
Animal ran off then died = probably not hydrostatic shock

 

[jackstrawIII]

According to a medical journal I read, human tissue resonates at approx 2500fps. In order to induce "hydrolic shock", a bullet would need to be traveling faster than that to inflect permenant tissue damage outside of the bullet path. This is why you see such excessive damage with rounds like 7mm mag or 300 Win mag on deer. The meat will behaved in a large radius around the bullet path. Whereas a round like a slow 45/70 you can "eat right up to the hole".

As others have said, I think the NEED for fast bullets is largely exaggerated these days. Bullets kill by damaging vital organs. Doesn't take shockwaves to do so.

Hydrostatic shock is really unpredictable. It's whether the bullet overwhelms the animals bodily nerve responses so it doesn't run. Tends to happen with faster bullets, but you just can't rely on it to "kill". Killing is done by organ damage.

 

[ShootistPRS]

When the 7mm Mag was first introduced there was a lot of bullets that were not designed for its velocity. Sometimes the bullet would go straight through without much damage and other times it would over expand and do a lot of damage that didn't reach the vitals. If velocity alone caused damage the 7mm mag would have ben the most successful round out there. It wasn't.
Speed is only a small part of the killing potential of any round. I'll take a big bullet at moderate speeds over any bullet at super high velocity. That is how the buffalo, elephant and rhino were reduced in population.

 

[mnhunter3030]

FrakenMauser, that was a beautifully written description of "hydrostatic shock" everyone can appreciate.
In my simple little mind I think of it like this, fill your sink with water and then spread out your hand and slowly immerse your hand, next slam your hand down violently. Hurts don't it lol, did you notice the big back splash? that would be the tempory wound cavity its going to fill back in as the skin of water comes back together. the slow immersion cut clean and easily dispersed the surface water. slow heavy bullets disperse water molecules better than super high speed. I favor my 3030 for just that reason

 

[Double Naught Spy]

In my simple little mind I think of it like this, fill your sink with water and then spread out your hand and slowly immerse your hand, next slam your hand down violently. Hurts don't it lol, did you notice the big back splash? that would be the tempory wound cavity its going to fill back in as the skin of water comes back together. the slow immersion cut clean and easily dispersed the surface water. slow heavy bullets disperse water molecules better than super high speed. I favor my 3030 for just that reason

I have no idea what you are describing.