Expansion vs Penetration values.

[Jin]

I don't get the both values, when would I switch the ammo? I mean the weapon class makes sense, you can check which animal needs which weapon class. But when do I switch to more pen and when do I want more expansion? Also what exactly does it do? Is it something like short range: less pen more expansion and long range you want more pen and less expansion? :/

The "free" rifle ammo is always less pen with more expansion, and the one with more pen costs money. So the one that costs money is generally better?!

[Jin]

So nobody has a clue? Not even the devs that made the game? lol...

[VithiA]

Well i guess Expansion should be better for smashing organs and Penetration for smashing bones ? Any dev' confirmation please ? xD

"The "free" rifle ammo is always less pen with more expansion, and the one with more pen costs money." Well you can have many cr/xp and OS many animals with Lungs shots.
But yeah if you want to deal against an Bison with the 1st rifle you gonna spend generaly many ammo on him, It will be more effective to pee on it to show your dominance to be honest.

[Sälmjölk]

Polymer bullets are a kind of hollow-point bullet and thus have more expansion. They're specifically designed to increase tissue-damage by expanding and thus increase bleeding.
Maybe it will cause a wound that would have bleed rate "very low" to be "low" or from "low" to "medium"?

Penetration will make it more likely to go through bone and additional organs it seem from experience in the game, although I believe the caliber of the rifle is the most important factor (you can't shoot through the skull with the .243 most of the times).

[Frank Drebin]

No there is not realy a better ammo, in generell you can use what ever you want, but if you want to get the full Bonus EP/Money out of an animal you need the right weapon and ammo choice selection.
For Instance lets say you use a .243 with partial coat ammo this has high pen value so its easy to Drop Animals with weaker Bodys (Less Muscels and thiner Bones) cause you can easly hit 1 or 2 loungs on a well placed shot. (Roe Deer is weak compared to a Boar)

The .243 FMJ has less pen value but way more Stopping power for bigger Animals like Fallow Deer (Is somwhat stronger then Roe Deer) due to the fact the the projectile is breaking of on a hit like a Flower so it acts more like Bigger Projectile then it is actual but it can't pen as deep.

Try both Ammo choices on the same animals and check the harvest screen results you will see a difference.
Its a long learning curve but makes it even more imersiv in my opinion.

[SleeprunnerInc]

Penetration for more penetration power so you can destroy organs, usefull against bigger animals.
Expansion for more area damage so you can make them bleed out faster, good for if you mess up or for weaker animals.

[Rickenbacker]

Wait, the FMJ has less penetration than the hollowpoint (polymer nosed) or the soft point? That's... odd.

[Jin]

Thanks, that will help.

[SavageWhiteDude]

Expansion transfers energy from the projectile to whatever it is hitting. Penetration is self explanitory, how deep the round will push. You want to balance these values for what you are hunting. Big game animals with thick bones and hides require high penetration values. On the flip side if you're throwing a heavy, high velocity round at a smaller animal you want lower penetration values and higher expansion values so the round actually expands and transfers energy into the vital organs instead of just flying right through and out the other side with little damage done.

And no, FMJ should have more penetration. I think Wylander has it backwards. FMJ is not designed to "flower" like poly tipped, soft point, or standard hollow point.

[Jin]

Okay got ya, so when hunting bigger game weapon class 2 animals I pick the higher Penetration shot while when hunting smaller class 2 animals I pick the higher expanion ammo.

[SavageWhiteDude]

Exactly(in a nutshell). You'll notice with the starting rifle you get(.243) it doesn't have great penetration. When you shoot a deer, coyote, etc. broadside you will often double lung it. Shoot a moose or elk and you will only get a single lung even if your angle is right simply because it doesn't penetrate enough.

The ideal round should JUST barely fully pass through. Usually we choose to hunt with something that will easily pass through a full broadside shot though just encase you end up hitting the shoulder bone first.

[Feivelkater]

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