Bullet Performance Database

[bruce moulds]

you certainly would not rule out the oryx and the corelokt based on that.
there is however a difference between a shoulder joint and a water jug.
this might tip things more toward the barnes for bigger species.
bruce.

 

[Ridgewalker]

VAHunter, did you per chance measure the max diameter of each bullet?
IMO, they all performed well for penetration.
What is the cross section dimension of a water bottle! Maybe 8”? I don’t have one to measure. If so, the TTSX may have penetrated 8” more than the others. That could be critical depending on the angle of the shot into an animal to reach the vitals.

 

[VAHunter]

VAHunter, did you per chance measure the max diameter of each bullet?
IMO, they all performed well for penetration.
What is the cross section dimension of a water bottle! Maybe 8”? I don’t have one to measure. If so, the TTSX may have penetrated 8” more than the others. That could be critical depending on the angle of the shot into an animal to reach the vitals.

.692 TTSX, .731 CoreLokt, .670 Nos AB, .710 Oryx
I don't have a jug left to measure. They all ended up shreded!

 

[shootist~]

On the 180 Oryx, VAHunter's pick backs up what I've read - great results at 3006 speeds; not so great when using a 300 magnum.

Now I want to load up some jugs and test my 6.5 140 grain NP load for comparison.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Asking for a my dad , does anyone know where l can get .30-06 round nose fmj solids or monolithic solids ? I would prefer factory loaded ammunition , if possible..

Woodleigh makes a 220 grain round nose FMJ available at midway

 

[Alchemist]

Alchemist, have you had a chance to weigh the bullet? Just wondering how the NAB held up.

The retained weight was 122.4gr. 68.0% of the original weight.
The polymer tip as a matter of interest only weighs 1.2 gr. Much lighter than what I expected.

 

[Art Lambart II]

I used a 180 grn NP in my 30-06 on both of my safaris and never worried about expansion or penetration, the track record of the NP speaks for itself. Please note that I do not recommend the NP at magnum velocities.

 

[JnB06]

I’m curious if anyone has used Hornady factory load ELD-X ammo on a PG safari and how it performed. I’m planning to use my Tikka .308 and Hornady ELD-X 178gr. Largest animal I intend to hunt is a waterbuck. It shoots incredibly accurate out of my rifle but I’m wondering how the bullet will hold up. Alternative I’m looking at is Nosler AB or PT. If this has already been discussed please let me know. Thanks!

 

[Mike Van Horn]

I did a water test with .375 bullets
270 grain TSX
300 grain A-Frame
350 grain Northfork
Shots were at 30 yards. The water jugs are 12". The TSX was in the third jug. The A-Frame and the Northfork were in the fourth jug. The Northfork almost exited the fourth jug

 

[Mike Van Horn]

Also tested a 162 grain ELD-X out of a 28 Nosler at 50 yards. Bullet was in second jug

 

[bruce moulds]

at first glance that eldx seems to be less of a bullet performer than the other 3, but then you have to realize what the 28 nosler would do to it at that range.
bruce.

 

[Mike Van Horn]

at first glance that eldx seems to be less of a bullet performer than the other 3, but then you have to realize what the 28 nosler would do to it at that range.
bruce.

What l have tested and seen of the ELD-X line. It performs best with muzzle velocity 3000 and lower, or with this bullet out of the 28, 200 yards and farther. IMO

 

[JnB06]

What l have tested and seen of the ELD-X line. It performs best with muzzle velocity 3000 and lower, or with this bullet out of the 28, 200 yards and farther. IMO

Mike, thanks for sharing your test data. Supposed to be 2600 muzzle velo out of my .308 per Hornady. I haven’t measured it myself though.

 

[Alchemist]

I’m curious if anyone has used Hornady factory load ELD-X ammo on a PG safari and how it performed. I’m planning to use my Tikka .308 and Hornady ELD-X 178gr. Largest animal I intend to hunt is a waterbuck. It shoots incredibly accurate out of my rifle but I’m wondering how the bullet will hold up. Alternative I’m looking at is Nosler AB or PT. If this has already been discussed please let me know. Thanks!

I have not used the Hornady but do hunt with a Tikka 30-06 and Tikka 300 WM using Nosler AB 180gr. They have not let me down. I have posted some pictures on this thread where we recovered these bullets. As accurate as you can ask for. Attached is a pic of a Waterbuck taken with the 30-06 using 180gr AB over about 130 meters by my son in July.

 

[Newboomer]

That is my thought, too. I really don't like to shoot much over 200-250 yards. Too many variables and where we hunted in RSA it was open plain and rather windy. Several times I had to pass on a good shot because of wind. Got him later on a good stalk at closer range. That's the challenge--outsmart him on his own turf. I think with a heavier bullet at near max load and within reasonable range I should be good.

I did take my 6.5 CR to Africa on my last hunt. I used Hornady 143 ELD-X on impala, springbok and bushbuck at ranges from 80 to 286 yards. All one shot kills, no bullet recovered. A bullet sized entry and the exit was a good half inch on most. The farthest any of them went was one or two steps. Very impressive performance. I wouldn't hesitate to use that round on any pg up to zebra and wildebeest. A little light for bigger stuff, I think. Load stats are posted elsewhere in this thread.

 

[JnB06]

I did take my 6.5 CR to Africa on my last hunt. I used Hornady 143 ELD-X on impala, springbok and bushbuck at ranges from 80 to 286 yards. All one shot kills, no bullet recovered. A bullet sized entry and the exit was a good half inch on most. The farthest any of them went was one or two steps. Very impressive performance. I wouldn't hesitate to use that round on any pg up to zebra and wildebeest. A little light for bigger stuff, I think. Load stats are posted elsewhere in this thread.

Appreciate you sharing your experience. Good to know how they performed.

 

[JnB06]

I have not used the Hornady but do hunt with a Tikka 30-06 and Tikka 300 WM using Nosler AB 180gr. They have not let me down. I have posted some pictures on this thread where we recovered these bullets. As accurate as you can ask for. Attached is a pic of a Waterbuck taken with the 30-06 using 180gr AB over about 130 meters by my son in July. View attachment 303561

Thanks for sharing. Seems like the Tikka with 180 gr AB is a great choice as well. I’ve seen a lot of positive reports on it.

 

[Hearties]

I’m curious if anyone has used Hornady factory load ELD-X ammo on a PG safari and how it performed. I’m planning to use my Tikka .308 and Hornady ELD-X 178gr. Largest animal I intend to hunt is a waterbuck. It shoots incredibly accurate out of my rifle but I’m wondering how the bullet will hold up. Alternative I’m looking at is Nosler AB or PT. If this has already been discussed please let me know. Thanks!

I’m sure that at .308 velocities the 178gr will work perfectly

 

[Ridgewalker]

I did a water test with .375 bullets
270 grain TSX
300 grain A-Frame
350 grain Northfork
Shots were at 30 yards. The water jugs are 12". The TSX was in the third jug. The A-Frame and the Northfork were in the fourth jug. The Northfork almost exited the fourth jug

This is not the results I have been lead to believe would happen on game. Everyone believes and writes that the Barnes would and does penetrate further and will exit game. I can see the 350 NF happening for sure. Even Barnes says you can use a bullet 15-20% lighter and get the same penetration as a standard bullet. Obviously an A-frame is not a “standard” bullet.
Very interesting! Thanks for the test!

 

[Mike Van Horn]

This is not the results I have been lead to believe would happen on game. Everyone believes and writes that the Barnes would and does penetrate further and will exit game. I can see the 350 NF happening for sure. Even Barnes says you can use a bullet 15-20% lighter and get the same penetration as a standard bullet. Obviously an A-frame is not a “standard” bullet.
Very interesting! Thanks for the test!

The A-Frame was in the fourth jug, but no way of telling how far it went before stopping. It did not hit the back of the jug. The Barnes did hit the back of the third jug and was leaking.
There was a noticeable difference between the NF and the other two, on impact performance and penetration