Bullet Performance Database

[meigsbucks]

Took 5 head of game last week, great performance of the load/bullet. This is the only recovered slug, from a zebra shot quartering on, recovered under skin of back hindquarter

Barnes LRX 270gr @ 2850 FPS
.375 Weatherby
Retained weight 268.1gr
Max diameter 0.70”
Range to animal ~180 yards
Bullet entered inside front shoulder passing through vitals, gut, rear quarter, animal ran ~50 yards and fell dead.

View attachment 241348

I’ve long thought a.375 WBY. Would be a great round. After seeing this performance, I think I see one in my future.

 

[redriverjake]

This was from a few days ago. Perfect performance on a solid old buffalo bull.

Cal: 375 H&H mag
Bullet & velocity: 300gr Barnes TSX @ approximately 2450fps
Shot placement: Broadside @ 60+ yards
Result: Came to rest on the far side shoulder under the hide.

 

[Dirtdart]

Swift A-Frame 400 gr fired from .416 Remington (muzzle velocity 2250 fps) into 13.2 foot crocodile neck in offside hide at 105 yards. Retained weight 350.4 grains. I was a surprised to recover one of these in this condition but maybe those vertebrae are heavier than I thought.

 

[ChrisG]

Bullet: Barnes 120 grain TTSX
Range: 65-75 yards
Cartridge: 6.5x55mm
Rifle: Ruger M77 MkII
Handload: 43.5 grains RL22
Muzzle Velocity: 2,700 fps

First shot went through and through the vitals. Not recovered. This was the follow up as the deer ran away. Bullet impacted just above the tail, smash the tops off of 5 vertebrae and came to rest under hide between shoulder blades. Total penetration: 26" after smashing through probably 4" of solid bone.

 

[ChrisG]

View attachment 238773 My profile pic is of a recovered PRVI Partisan 208-grain bullet in 8x56R and part of its jacket, shot from my ancient straight-pull Steyr Mannlicher 95/30 carbine. The bullet passed through the chest cavities of two 90-pound hogs. It was recovered under the hide on the far side of the second hog. They were unlucky enough to line up next to each other, so I said why not.

I used to have one of these! They are so much fun... unfortunately, I am a hand loading addict and finding bullets to reload for it was a nightmare as only like 3 bullets in that diameter exist. If I recall they are like .328 diameter. So the rifle got traded in.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Bullet: Barnes 180 grain TTSX
Range: 112 yards
Cartridge: 300 Win Mag
Rifle: Weatherby
Handload: 70.5 gr. IMR 4831
Muzzle Velocity: 2,900 fps

Offside, inside of ribcage of Bull Elk.
The Loonie is 26.5 mm (1"+) in diameter.

The bullet is in the trees somewhere.

 

[ChrisG]

Bullet: Barnes 180 grain TTSX
Range: 112 yards
Cartridge: 300 Win Mag
Rifle: Weatherby
Handload: 70.5 gr. IMR 4831
Muzzle Velocity: 2,900 fps

Offside, inside of ribcage of Bull Elk.
The Loonie is 26.5 mm (1"+) in diameter.

View attachment 256949

The bullet is in the trees somewhere.

Thats one heckuva hole! I am becoming more and more of a fan of those tipped TSX bullets! They open up and then just penetrate like there's no tomorrow. I only found the one in the picture above because I asked it to punch through as much of a lengthwise deer as it could. It obliged me by destroying one of the backstraps, punching through a bunch of bone and STILL made it another 18". Just enough to thoroughly emulsify the 4lbs of meat in the right backstrap. And all for nothing because the first Barnes TTSX had killed the deer, he just didn't know it yet.

 

[1dirthawker]

hey guys,

Game: Cape Buffalo
Bullet: North Fork 400 gr soft
Range: 35 yards
Cartridge: 450-400 3"
Rifle: Zoli o/u double
Handload: 76 gr. IMR 4831
Muzzle Velocity: 2,100 fps

first shot, heart area, complete penetration broke off side leg, round under the hide - 385 gr retained
second shot, 6" left of anus, found in the stomach 369 gr retained

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

hey guys,

Game: Cape Buffalo
Bullet: North Fork 400 gr soft
Range: 35 yards
Cartridge: 450-400 3"
Rifle: Zoli o/u double
Handload: 76 gr. IMR 4831
Muzzle Velocity: 2,100 fps

first shot, heart area, complete penetration broke off side leg, round under the hide - 385 gr retained
second shot, 6" left of anus, found in the stomach 369 gr retained

View attachment 256972 View attachment 256973

First shot is like every NF I've recovered. The second shot looks like maybe it caught some bone perhaps at the hip?

 

[1dirthawker]

phil,

the first shot, broadside, is the longer, deformed bullet. did hit heavy bone, if you check out the video i posted (s africa buffalo hunt) you will see the bulls off shoulder/leg was broken by that bullet (when running down hill)

the second shot was the shot on his left hip, that bullet looks perfect, ended up in the stomach. in the video, you can clearly see the bulls left leg flopping so i believe i broke his hip with that shot, that was my intention anyway.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

phil,

the first shot, broadside, is the longer, deformed bullet. did hit heavy bone, if you check out the video i posted (s africa buffalo hunt) you will see the bulls off shoulder/leg was broken by that bullet (when running down hill)

the second shot was the shot on his left hip, that bullet looks perfect, ended up in the stomach. in the video, you can clearly see the bulls left leg flopping so i believe i broke his hip with that shot, that was my intention anyway.

Gotcha, haven’t seen video yet, will check it out.

 

[DG870]

154 Hornady Interbond
7mm Remington Magnum - 3150 at the muzzle
200 yard shot
Approximately 2750 FPS impact velocity
Broke both shoulders - mature mule deer
Bullet was found just under the hide

133 grain retained weight or about 86%

 

[Cleveland48]

120 grain barnes TTSX 6.5 Creedmoor
125 yards est velocity 2650 fps.
200 lb whitetail.
Entered point of onside shoulder recovered under hide on offside headquarter.
Recovered weight 119.4 grains

Maybe now it'll work

 

[Shootist43]

My go to rifle for deer hunting is a 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser. I normally load mine with 140 Gr. bullets at 2775 fps or factory Norma 156 Gr Oryx.

 

[Cleveland48]

Cleveland48 keep trying to load the picture. Ask Brickburn or Jerome for help. My go to rifle for deer hunting is a 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser. I normally load mine with 140 Gr. bullets at 2775 fps or factory Norma 156 Gr Oryx.

I also use the 140's. Just wanted to play with the barnes once. Overall was happy with them. I also used to own a 6.5x55. Still kicking myself for getting rid of it.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Bullet: Barnes 180 grain TTSX
Range: 285 yards
Cartridge: 300 Win Mag
Rifle: Weatherby
Handload: 71+/- IMR 4831
Muzzle Velocity: 2,850 fps

Recovered under the skin in the lower neck after traveling the length of a large Mule Deer Buck

 

[ChrisG]

My go to rifle for deer hunting is a 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser. I normally load mine with 140 Gr. bullets at 2775 fps or factory Norma 156 Gr Oryx.

The old swede has it all... a phenomenal record over the past 120 odd years of putting down both invaders and game animals. Kills way above its caliber should indicate that it should. I have some 140 partitions loaded up this rifle but I had some 120 TTSX handloads left this year. That's what it was sighted for and so I figured I would use them up. That buck only went about 20 yards, staggered and dropped.

 

[Shawn.54]

Whitetail deer 35 Whelen 225 Nosler Accubond 230-250 yards quartering towards bullet entered neck and exited behind shoulder opposite side breaking 5 ribs.
This rifle is now my son’s now and he is putting it to good use the accubonds do open up but they drop deer in there tracks.
Shawn

 

[Newboomer]

Very interesting thread. I swear by Barnes TSXs in my 7mmRemMag and Win 375HH. I get 1 shot kills and have yet to recover a bullet. Most of my pg were clean through from what we could see from the carcasses. I used Barnes 160 g TSX in the 7. My buff took a Barnes TSX 350 g 375HH in the chest head on and we didn't find the slug in him.
I am really interested in the posts of you guys using 6.5 CR. I loaded up some Hornady 143 g ELD-X with 37.5 g of 4064 for 2700 fps and 2300 ft/lb muzzle energy. Compared to your lighter loads for deer I'm considering taking my 6.5 to Africa next spring for pg ( springbok, bushbuck, maybe zebra and kudu).

Thoughts, suggestions?

 

[ChrisG]

Very interesting thread. I swear by Barnes TSXs in my 7mmRemMag and Win 375HH. I get 1 shot kills and have yet to recover a bullet. Most of my pg were clean through from what we could see from the carcasses. I used Barnes 160 g TSX in the 7. My buff took a Barnes TSX 350 g 375HH in the chest head on and we didn't find the slug in him.
I am really interested in the posts of you guys using 6.5 CR. I loaded up some Hornady 143 g ELD-X with 37.5 g of 4064 for 2700 fps and 2300 ft/lb muzzle energy. Compared to your lighter loads for deer I'm considering taking my 6.5 to Africa next spring for pg ( springbok, bushbuck, maybe zebra and kudu).

Thoughts, suggestions?

If you do... definitely post them on here. The one thing the 6.5 is lacking that some of the other magnums have is performance at a distance. My 6.5x55 works great (as evidenced by the dead deer above) within about 250 yards. Thats the point at which the bullet slows down enough that even good hits might result in slow kills. Thats where I would bring my .300 win mag loaded with 168 TTSX handloads and use those. However, I personally think that a 350 yard shot at a living animal is my personal max. So.... The 6.5mm is perfect and it also requires you to get in close, which is like 90% the fun of hunting. Nothing gets your blood pumping like having the trophy of a lifetime 40 yards away.