Bullet Performance Database

[tward1604]

This could be my favorite thread on here. I get all sorts of excited to recover a bullet.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

12 gauge Remington Express Magnum 3" 10 Pellet OOO Buck

Verdict: Nice tight patterns out of the fully choked left barrel of my Beretta Model 626E. Pellets are softer than those of the old British Eley Alphamax buckshot shells with which I enjoyed so many excellent hunts during my youth. Clearly antimony content is comparatively lower and pellets tend to flatten out very quickly upon hitting Chital bone.

Prvi Partizan 7x57mm Mauser 173Gr soft point (thank you @mark-hunter for helping me find these)

Verdict: The cup & core design induces jacket-core separation when the bullet strikes bones. But they work excellently for other shots on up to medium sized thin skinned game such as Chital.

 

[Graham Hunter]

Are you shooting them at close range? The 7x57.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Are you shooting them at close range? The 7x57.

Yes, most Chital are hunted in the Sundarban mangrove forests at ranges under 50 yards die to the dense foliage.

 

[pvanwyk]

Type of bullet - Barnes 300g TSX
Bullet speed - 2540ft/s
Distance of shot - 65 yards
Original weight - 300gr
Recovered weight - 299gr
Calibre - 375H&H
Species - hippo
Shot placement e.g. Frontal, headshot. etc. - backup shoulder shot from original headshot. Found bullet just under far side shoulder under the skin

Type of bullet 400gr Woodleigh soft
Bullet speed - 2150ft/s
Distance of shot - 80yards
Original weight - 400gr
Recovered weight - 389gr
Calibre - 450/400NE
Species - giraffe
Shot placement e.g. Frontal, headshot. etc. - shoulder shot. Bullet found on opposite shoulder just under skin. Full penetration shoulder to shoulder

 

[Osama Mahdi]

Both bullets performed very well. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Kiwifire111]

Bullet, 180gr Woodleigh SP PP
Calibre, 300H&H
Rifle, Ruger No1
Velocity, 2850fps
Distance, 220 yd
Target Animal, Chital Stag
Application, Broadside through both shoulders
Retained weight, 119 grs.

Bullet, 130gr Woodleigh SP
Calibre, 308 win
Rifle, Bergara BA 13
Velocity, 2850fps
Target animal, Chital Stag
Application, frontal chest/ spine
Retained weight, 122grs

 

[mcaustin]

Type of bullet - Hammer Hunter 174 gr
Bullet speed - 3200 ft/s
Distance of shot - 225-359 yards (can't be sure which of 2 bullets was recovered)
Original weight - 174 gr
Recovered weight - 95.9 gr
Calibre - .300 WM w/ 1-9 twist
Species - Sable
Shot placement - broadside, very slight quartering away

In the photo below, this bullet is the smaller one in the middle. My first shot on the sable was at about 225 gr, as we stalked out into the plain toward the herd, with herds of wildebeest and springbok all around us. After the first shot hit, the bull moved with the herd and it took a minute to get a clear shot for a second shot, at 359 yards. While waiting for a clear second shot, we saw frothy pink blood at the sable's mouth through our glass. My guess is that this is the second shot, and the first was a pass through. Both shots hit within a couple inches of each other and were good hits.

Type of bullet - Hammer Hunter 174 gr
Bullet speed - 3200 ft/s
Distance of shot - 15 yards
Original weight - 174 gr
Recovered weight - 99.4 gr
Calibre - .300 WM w/ 1-9 twist
Species - Golden wildebeest
Shot placement - hard quartering to; slightly off frontal

This bullet is the bullet on the right in the above photos. This bullet was recovered following a finishing shot on my bow hunted wildebeest. The wildebeest was laying down under a tree with branches and brush blocking most of our view. The shot entered nearly at the neck and the bullet traveled down toward the opposite hind quarter.

During this hunt, I used this load for a waterbuck, shot at 210 yards (pass through), sable, and golden wildebeest (described above). My friend also used my rifle and this load to take impala, sable, and golden wildebeest. These were the only two bullets recovered. I'll echo what others have said, that these Hammer Hunters were easy to develop a load for, and my rifle likes them at this 3200 ft/s load. Of note, I selected 1-9 twist when I rebarreled this rifle.

These bullets performed well for both of us, and I'll continued to shoot them in my 300WM.

 

[khesser]

Type of bullet - Federal 170gr Terminal Ascent factory boxed ammunition.
Bullet speed - 3000fps
Muzzle Energy -3400 ft-lb
Distance of shot - 253 yards
Impact Velocity - 2660fps
Impact Energy - 2670 ft-lb
Original weight - 170 gr
Recovered weight - 162.34 gr
Calibre - 7 PRC / 1:8 twist
Species - Blesbok
Shot placement - broadside just behind shoulder.

This was the only bullet recovered on a recent trip to South Africa. All other shots passed through even on a Kudu at 580 yards. The Blesbok was shot from a ridge line at a slight down angle just entering behind the shoulder breaking a ribs on both sides of the animal. Bullet was found list under the skin on the far side. Recovered bullet width .55 - .65 inches.

Federal 7mm Terminal Ascent bullets are only offered in factory ammunition at this point and hopefully they will sell just the bullets at some point. Factory box ammo performed great out of my custom 24” Bartlein barrel with a 3000fps avg.

 

[davidg8480]

thanks for the report i have been really curious about Federals Terminal Ascent performance .

 

[Frederik]

SAFARI BULLET COMPANY - Manufactured in Randburg, Joihannesburg RSA.
Solid Shank copper CNC turned bullet with cavity and then filled with lead and bonded.
Calibre 7mm weight 160gr
Shot out of m CZ550 7x57
Speed 2600fps
Load Norma 204 47.2gr 77.7mm/ 3.059" COL
Distance 80 meters
Animal taken Mature Eland Cow
Weight retained 151gr 94%

Eland was standing with her front part quartering while her rest of her body was full broadside so I had to squeeze in the shot infront of the right leg as per photo below.
Sorry about poor quality but moving a 800lbs animals is not that easy

View attachment 607616
Bullet enrtry marked with green circle.

Bullet then travelled trought the heavy chest bones and ended up on the opposite shoulder as per photo.

She only managed 30 meters after the shot how she was found after we waited 5 minutes.

Meat damage was minimal

Very happy with the performance the bullet had to work hard and a eland is not a small animal with a convential non bonded bullet I don't see that I would have killed the animal cleanly and would have resulted in a wounded animal.

Left 160gr 7mm bullet from eland vs 500gr .458 bullet out of buffalo both Safari Bullet Company

 

[dchum]

Calibre: 7mm Rem Mag
Barnes TTSX (factory)
Muzzle Speed : 3100-3200 (garmin verfied)
Distance :aprox 250 yards (ranged during stalk)
Original weight :140 gr
Retained: Looks about 97% if not 99%
Species : Aoudad (Barbary sheep)
hard quartering away and steep downhill. Through the left side of body and found in right side armpit skin

I never thought I would see one after seeing a picture of something similar on this thread. But I guess it happens. It smushed the tip sideways as it entered the Goat. Then This bullet tumbled inside giving it the slight bend the damage was absolutely devastating and jellied. This massive bodied aoudad ran up hill for 30 yards and fell over. Dead in 10 seconds while still full of adrenaline trying to make his escape

Even tumbling it had straight line penetration through heavy paunch/stomach and into the vitals wrecking them
I will still use Barnes.

My friend Joe made a nice shot.

 

[Brian]

Safari Bullet Company .458 500gr shot out of a 458 Lott, recovered out of Buffalo.
Waiting for feedback from client about weight retention.

View attachment 595319
View attachment 595320

Interesting new to me bullet. Please tell where the buffalo was hit and what organs did it go through? Also, how far did buffalo go after being hit? Thank you very much ! I am a keen student of bullets and buffalo hunt. Brian

 

[deewayne2003]

.470ne 500gr Woodleigh Hydro
78gr of IMR3031 and Knyoch wad with WLRM primer.

Muzzle velocity 2050fps
Shot distance 11yds on tuskless estimated 3.5 metric tons.

This bullet is believed to be the first shot at the tuskless cow that was quartering to me and nearly cut a 3” diameter tree limb in half; broke the shoulder and penetrating the heart then breaking a rib on the opposite side rear ribs.

Recovered weight of 494gr - Note I believe the 6gr of weight loss is from the axe strike that discovered it and sliced a piece of it off.

The 2nd shot to the left shoulder missed the tree limb and hit her 2” higher than the first shot and noticeably rocked her and after reloading gave the 3rd and final shot to the forehead… neither of which were recovered.

 

[Frederik]

Interesting new to me bullet. Please tell where the buffalo was hit and what organs did it go through? Also, how far did buffalo go after being hit? Thank you very much ! I am a keen student of bullets and buffalo hunt. Brian

Brian, the buffalo didn't go far was hit entrance middle of body on the second last rib angled toward the opposite shoulder.
Buffalo immediatly stumbled but didn't fall distance was about 40 meters then it went about 80 meters into open area surrounded by other buff so I couldn't fire another. While standing there you could see proper blood coming out of its nose and even vommiting blood. It lay down and didn't even make a noise afterwards as it had too much blood in lungs.

So bullet went in on liver then traveled through both lungs above heart and never hit any main heart arteries and got stuck inside oppsite shoulder front almost under skin.

 

[Brian]

Thanks Frederik, Interesting to me. Looks like a good bullet, similar to a NorthFork expanding, one of my favourite bullets. Great buffalo too!

For my last few buffalo I have been using a 700 grain, .700 NE Peregrine Bushmaster bullet at about 1,850 fps. and a .410 grain CEB Raptor, .500 cal bullet at About 1,950 fps. Inspite of the moderate velocities they both kill buffalo very quickly.
It leads me to conclude that bullet diameter and design and construction are very important factors.

Thanks for your information. Brian