Bullet Performance Database

[Alchemist]

May I suggest a bullet performance data base topic, where members can place pictures of recovered bullets. You need to add data to the post relating to the performance.
Type of bullet
Bullet speed
Distance of shot
Original weight
Recovered weight
Calibre
Species
Shot placement e.g. Frontal, headshot. etc.

This way we can all learn from each other when looking for a different type of bullet. One does not always recover your own bullets and I would like to see how a bullet performs when hunting.

 

[Shootist43]

Alchemist, I think that is a great idea, especially with hunting season coming up. Would it be of any benefit to add the distance traveled through the animal to your "Shot Placement"? The proof of the pudding is in the eating so they say. Are you contemplating some kind of look-up table by caliber providing you get enough feedback?

 

[Alchemist]

Calibre : .375H&H
Swift A-frame
Speed : 2480 f/s
Distance :180 meters
Original weight :300 gr
Retained weight : 195 gr
Species : Blue Wildebeest
Quatering frontal shot. Entering through left quater, breaking the ulna, and piercing both lungs. Bullet was found between opposite ribs and skin.
Ran 10 - 15 yards before expiring

 

[Alchemist]

Alchemist, I think that is a great idea, especially with hunting season coming up. Would it be of any benefit to add the distance traveled through the animal to your "Shot Placement"? The proof of the pudding is in the eating so they say. Are you contemplating some kind of look-up table by caliber providing you get enough feedback?

Hi Shootist43
I just think that we would be able to see how a bullet performs before going in the field hunting. Especially with the wide variety of bullets available. When hunting the only bullet that counts is the one being shot. It would be nice knowing it will do it's part when hitting the target.

 

[sandman0921]

Type of bullet: Barnes TTSX (0.338/225 grain)
Bullet speed: Appx. 2800 fps
Distance of shot: Appx 200 yds
Original weight: 225 grains
Recovered weight: 224.5 grains ( 99.8% wt retention)
Calibre: 338 Winchester Magnum (hand-loads)
Species: Alaska-Yukon Bull Moose (NWT / Sep 2016 / appx. 60 inch spread)
Shot placement e.g. Frontal, headshot. etc.: Broadside, slight quartering away / Shoulder, Chest impact / Recovered just under off side hide having passed through 1 and part of the other shoulder, ribs, etc. / 1 of 2 shots; dead on feet with first shot, and then quick finishing shot up the rear paunch into the chest. Didn't look for that bullet....

 

[ZG47]

Twist rate may also be useful for some comparisons, given that rotational velocity is easy to calculate (for Imperial measurements divide 12 by the rate of twist in inches) and that it remains pretty much the same for most of the projectile's flight.

 

[Ridgewalker]

These were 2 of my 300WM handloads out of my Tikka SS T3 Lite. They were both approximately 40-50 yards. Both found under the offside skin. Almost all the front lead gone and leaving the usual (my experience with Partitions) 60-65% weight from the partition back. Blue wildebeest ran 50-75 yards and the kudu maybe 30 yards.
Load: 180 gr Nosler Partition, 72.0 H4831, Fed 215, WW brass, 2,867fps
Accuracy: <3/4"@100m

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I've kind of lost track of which bullets these were, but I'm fairly certain these are of the .308 variety, but the picture could be of any of the North Fork bonded cores that have been recovered from the various animals the Clayton family have taken using these bullets.

Bullet Type: North Fork Bonded Cores
Calibers / Weights / MV : 7x57/140gr / 2800fps, .308Win / 165gr / 2600fps, .30-06 / 165gr / 2800fps, .300WM / 200gr / 2800fps, 250gr / .375H&H / 2900fps
Weight Retention : 95% or higher

Largest animal with 7x57 was a Zebra on a frontal quartering shot. Bullet entered towards the inside portion of animals left shoulder passed over the top of the heart and came to rest under the skin behind animals right shoulder.

Largest animal with .308W was an Eland. First shot was broadside and would've been enough. Ethics however demanded followup and a number of finishing shots were taken by my son.

Largest/toughest animal with .30-06 was a Black Wildebeest. Shot was a bit far back, not well placed (damn action screw had backed out but that's another story). What I have found with the NF's on the less than well placed shots is they put enough of a hurt on the animal that a followup is possible. We've not yet lost an animal due to poor shot placement.

Largest animal with .300WM was a old blue Eland. First shot was angled from behind. Bullet entered towards back of ribs and came to rest under offside shoulder. This bull was dead but still running. There was a follow up shot into the hindquarters.

Largest animal with .375H&H was a blue wildebeest. One shot. Animal did run maybe 100 yards, but that's a BWB for you.

Animal List taken with these bullets: Black WB (2), Blesbok (2), Impala, Springbok (3), Zebra, Gemsbok, Blue WB (2), Eland (2), Nyala, Common Reedbuck (2)

 

[Hogpatrol]

I use Berger hunting VLDs. They act more like a hand grenade after they penetrate the hide. Shot roughly 100 plains game with them and have yet to recover anything more than fragments. 99.9% drop in their tracks and if any tracking needed, it's less than 10 yds. If there are other options, I am not a fan of the sledgehammer type bullets. YMMV.

 

[BWH]

Won't disagree about Berger.
However, not sure they are the best practice for all game..... Berger's design is to react like shrapnel when it hits..... many times. That's just what Doc ordered. Drops them DRT. Some game, needs penetration, weight retention, wound channel, etc.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Yes, Wouldn't want to try them on a cape buffalo. I did use a muzzleloader on my first trip and shot Hornady .saboted .40 caliber, 200 grain SSTs. Here's one I recovered from a gemsbok shot around 200 yds. Shown is the entry wound. Bullet stopped just inside the opposite side under the hide.

 

[Mekaniks]

I have only recovered two bullets....

The first was a handloaded 185g Barnes TSX 338 win mag. Velocity 2950. I recovered it from a black bear I shot at broadside at about 35 yards. The bullet went in the left front shoulder, hit the inside of the right front shoulder and lost a petal. The broken petal exited just behind the right shoulder. The rest of the bullet was recovered under the hide behind the right rear leg.

The second bullet I recovered is a factory Federal loaded Nosler Accubond 150g 30-06. Not sure of the exact speed. Recovered it from a hog I shot in Hawaii at 150 yards. It was shot broadside and went in the left shoulder and we recovered it under the skin of the right shoulder

 

[ack]

I very much enjoyed this ..Let's keep it up.

 

[Alchemist]

I switched to Nosler Accubond about 4 seasons ago, and all animals were one shot kills. I have however not recovered a bullet yet, but the performance as per Mekaniks post shows that they perform as expected. I am also impressed with the performance of the Barnes TSX, and will surely keep them in mind when reloading.

 

[CAustin]

Caliber 416 Ruger
Hornady DGS 400 grains
Retained weight 99%
2400 feet per second
Fired at 35 yards and passed through an elephant skull and lodged just under the skin on the opposite side.

 

[Catahoula]

Caliber: 8mm Remington Magnum
Type of bullet: Nosler Partition
Bullet speed: 3000 fps
Distance of shot: ~160 yards
Original weight: 200 grains
Recovered weight: Lead fragment, 77 grains. I didn't weigh the jacket, which had completely separated
Species: Zebra
Shot placement: Broadside into the shoulder

Limited penetration with the first two shots. The jacket was recovered just under the skin, the lead only a couple of inches in. The zebra dropped at the shot, but was up quickly and running. A second shot to the chest had similar results. The animal was finished with follow up shots with a .416.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Caliber: 35 Whelen
Muzzle Velocity: 2550 fps
Bullet: Nosler Partition
Original Weight: 250gr
Recovered Weight: 160gr
Game: Impala
Distance: 200 yards
Shot Placement: Head On Frontal Chest

The bullet entered the in the middle of the chest and traveled the entire length of the Impala, the bullet tumbled and exited shank first from back of the rear leg, the pedals came to rest just under the hide with the shank protruding from the hide. The Impala took two steps backwards and collapsed.

 

[ZG47]

@Catahoula Does your rifle have the 1-10" twist used in the Remington factory rifles? This seems to be a common factor with excessive bullet expansion in this chambering, due to relatively high rotational velocity. If you look at the Hornady data for the 8x68 Schuler, you will see that their Mauser 66 test rifle has a 1-12" twist rate.

I have mentioned before that a fellow member of NZDA had his sporterised Brno 8x57 IS rifle rechambered to 8mm-06 and found that Speer 175gr bullets were expanding like varmint bullets when they hit deer.

 

[Catahoula]

@Catahoula Does your rifle have the 1-10" twist used in the Remington factory rifles? This seems to be a common factor with excessive bullet expansion in this chambering, due to relatively high rotational velocity. If you look at the Hornady data for the 8x68 Schuler, you will see that their Mauser 66 test rifle has a 1-12" twist rate.

I have mentioned before that a fellow member of NZDA had his sporterised Brno 8x57 IS rifle rechambered to 8mm-06 and found that Speer 175gr bullets were expanding like varmint bullets when they hit deer.

I'm not sure. It's a factory barrel, so
I would assume so, but never checked.

 

[Velo Dog]

I very much enjoyed this ..Let's keep it up.

+1.