Woodleighs over Max..

[Code4]

Anyone here pushed Woodleigh bullets over the max recommended velocity ?

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Anyone here pushed Woodleigh bullets over the max recommended velocity ?

Code4
I know this is an old post but doesn't look like any one pushes the envelope.
Mate I loaded the 35 cal Woodleigh PPSP 225grain in my Whelen for use in Namibia.
The recommended velocity range is 2,000 to 2,600 fps. I loaded them to a chronoed 2,950 fps over a stiff load of Hogdon CFE223. This load gives 4,300++fpe of muzzle energy.
I used this load to shoot a big Burchells zebra at close to 120 yards so impact velocity was still above the recommend max.
The bullet was recovered from under the hide on the off side after smashing both shoulders ad destroying the heart and lungs on the way thru.
Recovered weight was around 175grains

The recovered Woodleigh PPSP

My zebra note the entrance hole just above the last chevron on the foreleg
Hopefully this helps
Cheers mate
Bob Nelson

 

[Bullthrower338]

Nice shot Bob!

 

[Ray B]

On that topic, I'm wondering how the bullets that Woodleigh designates for the 10.75x68 perform if fired at 404 Jeffery velocities.

 

[Pheroze]

On that topic, I'm wondering how the bullets that Woodleigh designates for the 10.75x68 perform if fired at 404 Jeffery velocities.

I am wondering the same for the .411 at 400 H&H velocity. But, if we have to wonder perhaps the AFrame is the answer?

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I am wondering the same for the .411 at 400 H&H velocity. But, if we have to wonder perhaps the AFrame is the answer?

If you have to wonder try them you have nothing to lose.
Dr Ray may know

 

[Dr Ray]

Anyone here pushed Woodleigh bullets over the max recommended velocity ?

No but have loaded up to the maximum using AR powders and R17 when this coronavirus thing has settled down.
From what I gather the Woodleighs are designed specifically for certain velocities.
It may be a case of exceeding max velocities will result in the Bullets coming apart or blowing up within a shallow penetration.
Geoff MacDonald sent me 450 grain protected points in 416 caliber to try. Because if the corona lockdown I haven’t been able to.
Apparently there may be. Few problems with those 450 grain Bullets as Neale from “up the road” to me found.
Try a sandbag or water containers experiments using velocities over the recommended max.
I think a lot of shooters will be anxiously awaiting the results.

 

[GeoffB]

Anyone here pushed Woodleigh bullets over the max recommended velocity ?

Yes, I have tested the 410 gr Woodleigh RN SN bullets on Aussie buffalo out of a .416 Weatherby mag at 2710fps.
I shot 4 bulls that trip with the Woodleigh's at distances between 65 yards and 110 yards.
The Woodleigh's certainly held together and we did not see any core separation, petal loss or fragmentation.
But they peeled back past half way down the bullet and flattened the front of the bullet like a coin with expansion to nearly an inch in diameter. The bullets we found (its a messy job to find them in a big animal) did not penetrate very far and just made it to half way through the buffalo in the front side lung.
I suspect the large frontal area that was created from the extra 300+ fps of velocity (over what they were designed to run at) made them pull up a lot quicker.
That trip was the first time we also took some 400 gr Swift A-Frames in the same gun at the same velocity.
The Swift's seemed more reliable and killed quicker at the time.
Some of the A-Frames passed completely through on side on shoulder shots.
Some shots were text book shots with the bullets being recovered between the skin and shoulder muscle on the far side. They were easy to find and looked just like any other A-Frame ready for a magazine photo.
The next trip I loaded the big Weatherby down to .416 Rigby velocities and the Woodleigh's performed as advertised. None passed through but killed similar to the A-Frames on the previous trip.
This exercise taught me to run the Woodleigh's at the recommended velocities.