Bullet Performance Database

[Jon Glajchen]

Swift Scirocco 270 win 130 gr reload at approximately 3050 fps. Black Wildebeest shot at 270m.
The bullet broke the near shoulder and penetrated through the vitals and was recovered under the skin on the opposite side. Weight retention was 118,7 gr, equating to 91%

 

[shootist~]

@Jon Glajchen
Thanks for posting. There is very little data available on the Swift Scirocco bullets.

 

[colorado]

They are a little soft for my taste, I even steer clear of the accubonds, though many people swear by them. I like Nosler Partitions for thin skinned game, A-Frames and TSX's for tougher game.

 

[Longwalker]

I shot two black bears yesterday, troublemakers damaging stuff at my sister in laws cottage. I was shooting my Beretta double rifle, 9.3x74R, Norma Oryx 18.5G factory loads. Both young male 100 -120 KG bears were centre chest / heart shots from about 120M and 80 M. The effect of the shots were immediately apparent, both did a quick death dash into cover but for only a short distance. I could easily hear the sound of the impact in both cases. Both shots exited. The second bear ran into very thick cover and still moving slightly when I found him, so I put and insurance shot from behind, through mid-back severing the spine. This is the bullet, recovered from the skin at the base of the throat area. Very impressive, after going through all that spinal bone and the sternum. Double diameter expansion with 95% weight retention and good penetration. I like Oryx bullets!

 

[inkonkoni]

This was fired from my friend's .270 when he killed a black bear last week. It definitely was effective as the animal only took 1 step and then 'fell over like a tree' as he put it. Before the hunt he had asked me for suggestions for ammunition. I recommended something loaded with heavy, bonded bullets. These Sako Hammerheads fit that description. However I'm not impressed with how the bullet held together (or failed to, rather). It retained 30.8% of its weight. In the close up picture I was trying to show how it basically lost its core, with a small amount of lead still bound to the jacket. At the end of the day, it did result in a clean kill, but I don't believe I would recommend these on heavier game such as elk or moose.

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This is quite shocking. In 2018 my brother and I Hunted the Umkomazi river valley.

I shot several Kudu and Impala with 180gn Sako Hammerhead bullets out of my 30-06.

Not a single one recovered even on some raking shots.

Perhaps at the shots being mostly 180m + the velocity was low enough to keep then together?

Very interesting though.

Shoot Straight!

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Calibre: 500 Jeffery
Type of bullet: Woodleigh RNSN Weldcore
Muzzle Velocity: 2380fps
Distance of shot: 20 metres
Impact Velocity: 2330fps
Original weight: 535 grains
Recovered weight: 506.8 grains (95%)
Expansion: Just over 1" (doubled original diameter)
Species: Brumby Stallion
Shot placement: Entry left hind quarter, recovered just under the skin behind right shoulder, around 1.5 metres of penetration, mind you I don't think the bullet encountered any solid bone in it's travels. Still extremely impressive penetration, expansion and weight retention for a projectile travelling well above its recommended impact velocity.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Have you ever tried the 275 PPSP in your Whelen? I'll be running the 225 ABs in my Ackley Whelen this year, but I'd like to try the 250s and 275s as well, just in case I ever decide to hunt something bigger. I did run some of the 310 RNs through it, and penetration is pretty amazing, but not something I need, for what I hunt.

@5shot
I only recover 2 bullets in Namibia. The 250 grain Hornaday roundnose left a golf ball size exit hole in my Oryx. The 250grain Woodleigh PPSP would be even better being bonded.
Bob

 

[Longwalker]

24 pages of good reports and very interesting data, but nothing at all on RWS bullets? I'd be particularly interested in reports of the effectiveness of EVO bonded core bullets. I just ordered a case of RWS ammo for my new Krieghoff Hubertus Kipplauf in .30R Blaser, so I'm committed anyway, but would like some reassurance!

 

[Professor Mawla]

UPDATE , 14th November 2020 : Hornady 500 grain DGS ( Dangerous Game Solid ) meplat nose copper clad steel jacketed solids ( used in .458 Winchester Magnum factory loads ) are completely unsuited for frontal brain shots on rogue Asiatic jungle elephant bulls .

Gross deformation and bullet failure experienced at 30 yard range , on seven ton rogue Asiatic jungle elephant bull . Animal had to be downed with borrowed .303 British ( standard forest department issue Lee Enfield ) and 215 grain meplat nosed nickel clad steel jacketed solids ( East Bengal Ordinance Factories production loading ) .

Suggestions for improvement : Bonding steel jacket to alloy core , increasing jacket thickness , enclosing bullet’s rear end with steel jacket .

Personal note : Extremely disappointed . Genuinely was under the impression that Hornady had improved the construction of all their bullets . Based on above experience , the Hornady DGS cannot be recommended for shoulder shots on Gaur bulls either .

 

[colorado]

Sorry to hear. Suggestion: Don't use Hornady bullets period.

 

[Professor Mawla]

Sorry to hear. Suggestion: Don't use Hornady bullets period.

@colorado
I know that you mean . If my Garo tracker did not hand me the .303 British in time , then that rogue Asiatic jungle elephant bull would have managed to reach me ; day before yesterday .

 

[BeeMaa]

@Professor Mawla
Might I suggest trying a full brass solid.
Norma ammo uses a Barnes machined brass solid.
Federal loads the Woodleigh Hydrostatic solid.
There are also a number of reloadable bullets available.

These are not inexpensive options.
But better ones than being trampled.

Glad you were not injured.
Stay safe out there.

 

[Pheroze]

@colorado
I know that you mean . If my Garo tracker did not hand me the .303 British in time , then that rogue Asiatic jungle elephant bull would have managed to reach me ; day before yesterday .

That sounds like quite the experience! Glad you are ok

 

[Professor Mawla]

@Professor Mawla
Might I suggest trying a full brass solid.
Norma ammo uses a Barnes machined brass solid.
Federal loads the Woodleigh Hydrostatic solid.
There are also a number of reloadable bullets available.

These are not inexpensive options.
But better ones than being trampled.

Glad you were not injured.
Stay safe out there.

@BeeMaa
That is extremely thoughtful of you . And a most sensible suggestion . An extremely experienced acquaintance of mine by the name of Mr . Richard Harland ( author of “ Ndlovu : The Art Of Hunting The African Elephant ) , recommended that the 475 grain South African Dzombo monolithic meplat brass solid is an excellent hand loaded bullet for the .458 Winchester Magnum . This is what he was been using in his own .458 Winchester Magnum , ever since he began reloading for the calibre in 2006 . And he recommended that I use them .

If I could acquire a properly constructed 500 grain round nosed steel jacketed solid for the .458 Winchester Magnum however , then that is what I would personally opt for . I shall also be trialing some Woodleigh round nosed steel jacketed solids and some Ken Stewart round nosed copper jacketed solids in my .458 Winchester Magnum , and I shall document the penetration tests .

 

[Professor Mawla]

That sounds like quite the experience! Glad you are ok

@Pheroze
Thank you very much . Yes , it was quite a close call . The last time that I had encountered bullet failure on another charging rogue Asiatic jungle elephant bull , was in 1977 . It was a 500 grain Winchester Super X round nosed cupronickel jacketed solid .458 Winchester Magnum factory load . I understand that Winchester was loading their factory ammunition with Hornady bullets , even during the 1970s ( until the 1990s ) .

It is truly tragic about Hornady bullets . They are indeed quite capable of turning out an excellent product , but their principal problem is that they have been frequently letting the quality of their products deteriorate ( countless times over the years ) . Between 1958 to 1965 and 1980 to 1990 , Hornady used to manufacture an excellent round nosed steel jacketed 500 grain solid as a reloading component ( in .458 calibre ) . These were renowned for their extremely robust construction and thick steel jackets , as specially designed by Joyce Hornady himself . Often , a fired bullet remained flawlessly intact upon recovery and could easily be reloaded and used a second time . Barring the rifling marks , one would never have known that they had been fired .

Day before yesterday’s experience , has reinforced Murphy’s law in my mind : If something bad can happen , then it will .

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

@BeeMaa
That is extremely thoughtful of you . And a most sensible suggestion . An extremely experienced acquaintance of mine by the name of Mr . Richard Harland ( author of “ Ndlovu : The Art Of Hunting The African Elephant ) , recommended that the 475 grain South African Dzombo monolithic meplat brass solid is an excellent hand loaded bullet for the .458 Winchester Magnum . This is what he was been using in his own .458 Winchester Magnum , ever since he began reloading for the calibre in 2006 . And he recommended that I use them .

If I could acquire a properly constructed 500 grain round nosed steel jacketed solid for the .458 Winchester Magnum however , then that is what I would personally opt for . I shall also be trialing some Woodleigh round nosed steel jacketed solids and some Ken Stewart round nosed copper jacketed solids in my .458 Winchester Magnum , and I shall document the penetration tests .

May I suggest if you can source them the following:

.458 500gr Safari Solid - 20ct

20ct This .458 diameter 500 grain Safari Solid™ hunting bullet is designed for Bolt Action Rifles as well as double rifles. Design incorporates 3 + 1 band configuration for reduced barrel strain. It has the 67% Meplat BBW#13™ nose profile which has proven to give the deepest penetration of any...

cuttingedgebullets.com

The design of these bullets went thru a lot of effort by CEB and AH's own @michael458. The flat meplat and shoulder went thru many iterations until optimized for straight line and overall depth of penetration.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@BeeMaa
That is extremely thoughtful of you . And a most sensible suggestion . An extremely experienced acquaintance of mine by the name of Mr . Richard Harland ( author of “ Ndlovu : The Art Of Hunting The African Elephant ) , recommended that the 475 grain South African Dzombo monolithic meplat brass solid is an excellent hand loaded bullet for the .458 Winchester Magnum . This is what he was been using in his own .458 Winchester Magnum , ever since he began reloading for the calibre in 2006 . And he recommended that I use them .

If I could acquire a properly constructed 500 grain round nosed steel jacketed solid for the .458 Winchester Magnum however , then that is what I would personally opt for . I shall also be trialing some Woodleigh round nosed steel jacketed solids and some Ken Stewart round nosed copper jacketed solids in my .458 Winchester Magnum , and I shall document the penetration tests .

@Professor Mawla
The Woodleigh hydrostatic stabilized projectiles will out penetrate any conventional lead core solid wether steel or copper jacket and do it in a straight line. When your life depends on penetration the woodleigh works.
Are they expensive yes but so is a funeral when thing go pear shaped.
Bob

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I’d sure like to hear that story sometime @Professor Mawla , you certainly lead an exciting life. I would try the CEB solids, in your 458 win mag. The 450 grain should be perfect.

 

[PeteG]

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UPDATE , 14th November 2020 : Hornady 500 grain DGS ( Dangerous Game Solid ) meplat nose copper clad steel jacketed solids ( used in .458 Winchester Magnum factory loads ) are completely unsuited for frontal brain shots on rogue Asiatic jungle elephant bulls .

Gross deformation and bullet failure experienced at 30 yard range , on seven ton rogue Asiatic jungle elephant bull . Animal had to be downed with borrowed .303 British ( standard forest department issue Lee Enfield ) and 215 grain meplat nosed nickel clad steel jacketed solids ( East Bengal Ordinance Factories production loading ) .

Suggestions for improvement : Bonding steel jacket to alloy core , increasing jacket thickness , enclosing bullet’s rear end with steel jacket .

Personal note : Extremely disappointed . Genuinely was under the impression that Hornady had improved the construction of all their bullets . Based on above experience , the Hornady DGS cannot be recommended for shoulder shots on Gaur bulls either .

Was this really used on a rogue asiatic elephant?

 

[Professor Mawla]

Was this really used on a rogue asiatic elephant?

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@PeteG
I am sorry , but I cannot use the actual photograph ( there is the elephant carcass in the background ) . So I used a sample photograph to illustrate how the bullet may look like . The actual bullet had the lead core also getting squeezed out of the opening , at the base . As I have described in my post .