The .22 Mag and even the LR can kill many things with close range head shots. Look at people using them for gator hunting. I don't think anyone disputes it. Truly, it's guaranteed that the ole' LR has taken at least one of everything on the North American continent.
But again, the question is WHY? And with the specific question about the Vmax, makes me think that head shots aren't part of the equation.
I had an incident last year during muzzleloader that still makes me question everything about terminal ballistics in general. I shot a doe in the head, as she was not quite squarely facing me, 63 yards, with a 200gr .40 caliber Shockwave bullet, muzzle velocity of 2000 fps (chrono'd). It entered about an inch under her eye, between her nose and eye, and didn't exit the back of her head. It was lodged in the bone; you could feel the bulge on the back of her head. It didn't pancake; there was still plenty of shank on the bullet. Until that moment, you would have NEVER convinced me that a 200gr slug wouldn't exit on a head shot on a doe.
But again, the question is WHY? And with the specific question about the Vmax, makes me think that head shots aren't part of the equation.
I had an incident last year during muzzleloader that still makes me question everything about terminal ballistics in general. I shot a doe in the head, as she was not quite squarely facing me, 63 yards, with a 200gr .40 caliber Shockwave bullet, muzzle velocity of 2000 fps (chrono'd). It entered about an inch under her eye, between her nose and eye, and didn't exit the back of her head. It was lodged in the bone; you could feel the bulge on the back of her head. It didn't pancake; there was still plenty of shank on the bullet. Until that moment, you would have NEVER convinced me that a 200gr slug wouldn't exit on a head shot on a doe.
