Sorry but I am always interested in what our pellets actually do, after they enter the animal. This is gross. I already said that.
Parent gopher spawned a new hatch and the young'uns are coming up all over the yard with their customary vigor. I shot a couple already, about the size of mice. Then, what I believe to be daddy gopher popped up at very short range, perhaps 6 ft. So, of course I shot him through the head.
This was with P3/HW-40 using the 7 gr. RWS Hobbies. Based on experience, I'd say muzzle velocity was around 410 fps and as you know, the Hobbies are basically wadcutters and not hunting rounds. Whatever, he should have kept his head down.
A lovely head shot (you have to hold UNDER at these ranges if you are zeroed at 10 m) and it was immediately down. However, you can see an exit wound just short of rear left hind leg. WTF?
So, an autopsy reveals that brain was pulverised but pellet appears to have ricocheted lengthwise down the interior skin on the opposite side. It came out the skull but made a left turn, and ran nearly the whole length of the animal.