Hawkeye Ammosmithing

07/15/2026

What actually makes a hunting bullet effective?

Is it expansion? Pe*******on? Fragmentation? Weight retention? Energy? A big temporary cavity? An exit wound?

The answer is more complicated than any one of those—and that’s exactly why hunters can look at the same bullet performance and come to completely different conclusions.

I’ve spent a lot of time studying terminal ballistics, cutting bullets apart, comparing construction, looking at real-world performance, and trying to separate what bullets are supposed to do from what actually happens after impact.

This article brings all of that together.

Terminal Ballistics: What Really Happens When a Bullet Hits an Animal

It covers:

• What actually happens during bullet impact
• Permanent vs. temporary wound cavities
• Expansion, fragmentation, and pe*******on
• Why weight retention can be misleading
• How bullet construction controls terminal performance
• Why impact velocity matters more than many hunters realize
• Monolithic, bonded, cup-and-core, match-style, and fragmenting designs
• Why the “best” bullet depends on what you’re asking it to do

This isn’t an argument that one bullet design is universally better than another. The goal is to understand how different bullets work, why they behave differently, and how to choose the performance characteristics that fit your hunting and shot conditions.

If you’ve ever wondered why one hunter swears by a bullet that another hunter absolutely hates, this article may help explain why.

HAWKEYE BALLISTICS SERIES VOLUME I WHAT ACTUALLY KILLS GAME ANIMALS? Understanding Terminal Ballistics Beyond the Myths Aaron Peterson Founder • Hawkeye Ammosmithing Data-Driven Ballistics, Tested & Proven. Publication Information Series: Hawkeye Ballistics Series Volume: I Title: What...

02/06/2026

A lot of people focus on extreme muzzle velocity as the answer to flatter shooting, less wind drift, and better long-range performance.

And early on, it works.

But there’s a point where drag compounds, velocity advantage fades, and ballistic coefficient takes over whether we like it or not.

I published a companion article to my more in-depth BC article, that breaks down:

• Why high MV looks great at shorter distances
• Where and why the crossover happens
• How BC increasingly dominates past that point
• And how this applies to real-world hunting and shooting (not just ELR)

Read the article here:

https://hawkeyeammosmithing.com/threads/why-extreme-muzzle-velocity-works-until-it-doesnt.151/

This isn’t about “slow vs fast” or telling anyone how they should hunt or shoot, it’s about understanding the physics so you can make smarter equipment and load choices for your own distances.

If you’ve ever wondered why speed works… until it doesn’t — this one’s for you.

02/04/2026

📣 New article up.

https://hawkeyeammosmithing.com/threads/ballistic-coefficient-time-of-flight-wind-drift-and-lethality.150/

BC, wind drift, and “time of flight” get talked about constantly, and misunderstood just as often.

I just published a deep technical breakdown explaining:

• what BC actually represents
• why wind drift isn’t just “wind × time”
• how drag, lag time, and uncertainty really drive drift
• why BC still matters for hunters (as margin, not lethality)
• and why real-world results often seem to contradict calculators

It’s a long, unapologetically technical read — not for casual scrolling — but if you’ve ever wondered why this topic never seems to settle, this maybe will connect the dots.

01/18/2026

📣Field Contributor Call

I’m building a reference-focused site centered on documented, real-world hunting and shooting experience.

I’m looking for a small number of Field Contributors — people who hunt, compete, test, reload, and train regularly, and are willing to document what they actually see and do.

This is not opinion writing, brand advocacy, or internet debate. Contributions are based on firsthand experience and can include:

• hunt reports and recovery documentation
• observed bullet and terminal performance in animals
• rifle, cartridge, optic, and system setups used in the field
• NRL Hunter / field competition experiences
• controlled testing and experience-based how-to content.

There’s no monetary compensation at this stage. What I can offer is clear attribution, editorial support, and the opportunity to help shape something early that’s intentionally quality-focused and slow-growing.

If this sounds like a good fit — or if you know someone whose thinking and experience you trust — feel free to reach out.

The site is here:

Welcome to Hawkeye Ammosmithing — a community dedicated to the science, skill, and shared passion of shooting, hunting, reloading, and terminal ballistics.

01/11/2026

I just published a two-part article series on Return on Investment at the reloading bench on my website/forum, because I keep seeing the same questions and frustrations come up over and over:

“Why doesn’t this step make a difference?”
“Am I wasting my time doing X?”
“My groups aren’t where I want them, but I don’t think it’s the ammo.”

Part 1 breaks down why a lot of theoretically sound reloading practices don’t always show measurable improvement — not because they’re wrong, but because they’re often buried under larger variables (shooter input, rifle setup, internal case volume, testing methods, etc).

Part 2 focuses on where the biggest gains actually come from — shooter, rifle, components, sizing methods, load development, and how to structure your workflow so improvements can actually show up on target. It also gets into efficiency and when doing less, but more consistently, produces better results.

This isn’t a “do everything” checklist or a hot-take article. It’s about understanding scale, order of operations, and ROI, so you can stop chasing marginal steps and start focusing on what actually moves the needle.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing “all the right things” but not seeing the results you expect, these might be worth a read.

Here’s the link to Part 1 and at the end of the article is the link to Part 2:

Return on Investment at the Reloading Bench Why Some Things “Should” Matter — and Why They Often Don’t Show Up on Target By Aaron Peterson — Founder, Hawkeye Ammosmithing “Data-driven ballistics, tested & proven.” Precision shooting is full of practices that are technically correct, wi...

11/21/2025

https://youtu.be/1AJqS6dBC2I?si=Eulw1jrloWiz7ZIj

A basic video on how I convert 5.56/223 brass into 25-45 Sharps brass.hawkeyeammosmithing.com

11/21/2025

https://youtu.be/7e0cCPTL8Zs?si=ej7d-yXcR4X7YIUu

I'm excited to give you all a long overdue update to this channel and talk about the future of it.The new website and forum:https://hawkeyeammosmithing.com/J...

11/12/2025

With hunting seasons in full swing, the question often comes up on what bullet to use for your particular task or animal you're after. Here's an article I wrote that goes into detail to answer that question and really give you a lot to think about and consider and hopefully equip you to better make that choice.

What Goes into Picking the Right Bullet Section 1: The Misconceptions with Lead Core Bullets (Cup and Core) Starting out, I'll give an example scenario: let's say a skeptical hunter has been on the internet looking at others' experiences hunting and has seen many folks talk about their...

10/05/2025

🦅 Exciting News — Hawkeye Ammosmithing is Live!

After a lot of late nights and learning curves, I finally have the Hawkeye Ammosmithing website up and running! It’s still a work in progress, but the forum side is officially live and ready to join in.
Right now, it’s a place for hunters, reloaders, shooters, and ballistics nerds to connect — share experiences, ask questions, and learn from each other without all the usual restrictions you’d run into on Facebook or other platforms.

There’s also a classifieds section where members can post and browse 2A-related gear, ammo, and equipment for sale or trade — no censorship or “community guideline” headaches.
This is just the beginning. My long-term goal is to expand the site into a full platform for my upcoming ammo manufacturing, precision brass prep, and custom load development business once it officially launches. The forum will remain a core part of that — a space for open discussion, data sharing, and real-world results.

If you’re into reloading, terminal ballistics, precision shooting, or hunting — or just want to be part of a solid community of like-minded people — come check it out, register, and help it grow!

🔗 https://hawkeyeammosmithing.com

🦅 Hawkeye Ammosmithing — built by shooters, for shooters.

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