Bullet trap results

[carpsniperg2]

Got to love those accubonds

York if you get a chance to zip those 143 eldx out at a impact velocity of around 2800-2900 I would love to see it. I have hunted exclusively with them this year. I took 9 animals with them. My muzzle velocity is 3200 and I have yet to recover a bullet in any animal from 100-500 yards. I just shot 3 animals in tx all under 200 yards and saw results more like a ballistic tip at those speeds. They still killed very well but wondering whats left of them as the internal damage is amazing at that velocity.

[BULLBLASTER]

I really like what the eld x are doing in this test. The bullet in the pic is of a 143 eld x that I recovered from a follow up shot on my buck last year. Impact velocity was 2600 plus and entered front of hip and recovered on the offside just behind ribs. Took out quite a bit of spine. It weighs 89 grains now.

Curios yorke are the 338 elites you tested the hunting bullets? Or targets? Both 250 and 300. Also have you done any testing with makeinf sure the hollow point is clear? On the 215 Berger target hybrids I sent you I made sure the hollow point was open with a 1/32 or 3/64 drill bit.

[BULLBLASTER]

Also. Any chance you can run a couple 215 bergers at a slower velocity?

[Magnum_Willys]

The 300 gr Elite Hunters I sent Yorke had the tips open - they seem to mfg nearly all of them that way now vs some closed like they used to.  They were not drilled though.

I can see from Yorkes tests why there is some discussion that all Berger Elite Hunters need the tip (meplat) trimmed and annealed.

[BULLBLASTER]

I am surprised by the results he is getting on the 338 elites. But they are lower velocity impacts.

[Magnum_Willys]

I am surprised by the results he is getting on the 338 elites. But they are lower velocity impacts.

Me too,  but those are the velocities (range) that bergers are made for.   I'm more excited about the SMK performance.

[Karl Blanchard]

Also. Any chance you can run a couple 215 bergers at a slower velocity?

I think stabilization is an issue for this test with the heavies going too slow

[Karl Blanchard]

And when I say I think that it's because he told me that yesterday

[BULLBLASTER]

Also. Any chance you can run a couple 215 bergers at a slower velocity?

I think stabilization is an issue for this test with the heavies going too slow

Makes sense.

[yorketransport]

Curios yorke are the 338 elites you tested the hunting bullets? Or targets? Both 250 and 300. Also have you done any testing with makeinf sure the hollow point is clear? On the 215 Berger target hybrids I sent you I made sure the hollow point was open with a 1/32 or 3/64 drill bit.

The Elites have all been the hunting versions and I'm pretty surprised by the results too. So far they've all struggled at low impact velocities but done better at higher velocities. The OTMs and SMKs both did great under the same conditions that the Elites failed in. It's possible that the heavier jackets of the Elites need more fluid to make them open. I can see where they start to expand but the HP gets plugged up with material and the jacket ruptures instead of opening up. I'll get some pictures of this to show what I'm talking about.

Got to love those accubonds

York if you get a chance to zip those 143 eldx out at a impact velocity of around 2800-2900 I would love to see it. I have hunted exclusively with them this year. I took 9 animals with them. My muzzle velocity is 3200 and I have yet to recover a bullet in any animal from 100-500 yards. I just shot 3 animals in tx all under 200 yards and saw results more like a ballistic tip at those speeds. They still killed very well but wondering whats left of them as the internal damage is amazing at that velocity.

I'll see if I can run a watered down load in the 6.5 Badger, to match the 26 Nosler. . I'm not sure I can get them going that fast from the little 6.5 Lapua without requiring a trip to the hospital afterwards! I swiped the scope from the Badger to mount on the 6.5 Lapua, so now I just need to play musical scopes to get one mounted on the Badger.

Also. Any chance you can run a couple 215 bergers at a slower velocity?

I think stabilization is an issue for this test with the heavies going too slow

And when I say I think that it's because he told me that yesterday

That does sound like something I'd say..... I think I'll have to shoot some of the heavy 30 calibers at longer range get the low velocity impacts or find somebody with a fast twist 30 caliber to use. Maybe it's time to build a 1:8" tist 300 Norma!

[Jolten]

I'm excited to see how the Sierra gameking HPBT i sent out compare to these more premium bullets.

[yorketransport]

I'm excited to see how the Sierra gameking HPBT i sent out compare to these more premium bullets.

I'm going to try and get those loaded up for next weeks test. They'll give me a break from shooting the heavy bullets in the magnums. Not that I don't love the heavy guns, but shooting the 300gr bullets out of the 338 pistol gets old pretty fast!

[Jolten]

Can't say I blame you there. Lol

[carpsniperg2]

Curios yorke are the 338 elites you tested the hunting bullets? Or targets? Both 250 and 300. Also have you done any testing with makeinf sure the hollow point is clear? On the 215 Berger target hybrids I sent you I made sure the hollow point was open with a 1/32 or 3/64 drill bit.

Got to love those accubonds

York if you get a chance to zip those 143 eldx out at a impact velocity of around 2800-2900 I would love to see it. I have hunted exclusively with them this year. I took 9 animals with them. My muzzle velocity is 3200 and I have yet to recover a bullet in any animal from 100-500 yards. I just shot 3 animals in tx all under 200 yards and saw results more like a ballistic tip at those speeds. They still killed very well but wondering whats left of them as the internal damage is amazing at that velocity.

I'll see if I can run a watered down load in the 6.5 Badger, to match the 26 Nosler. . I'm not sure I can get them going that fast from the little 6.5 Lapua without requiring a trip to the hospital afterwards! I swiped the scope from the Badger to mount on the 6.5 Lapua, so now I just need to play musical scopes to get one mounted on the Badger.

  to funny. I had them up to 3300 in that 6.5 STW but I was getting a little to much of a moon print on my brass so tamed her down to 3200. Yes indeed I think the lapua would go pop trying to get that out of her and we don't want a hospital fun raiser for you lol. I would chip in a few bucks though I'm done hunting now for the year so no rush but I would appreciate it for sure. I love my accubonds but the eldx shot so great and killed very well from small to large critters and 100-500 yards I am impressed. Hard on meat at under 200 if you get anything solid

[yorketransport]

Update time! I left the house at about 10 this morning and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, and it was for a while. I ended up getting hit with snow mixed with rain up at about 2600' elevation! I still got a decent amount done though before I called it a day. Today's test guns were mostly the same as used in past tests including the 6mm BR pistol, CZ 527 6.5 Grendel for the light weight 6.5 bullets, 6.5x47 Lapua for the heavy 6.5s, 300 Win Mag and for the .358s I brought out the 35 Whelen built on a sporterized Springfield. It's my classic elk rifle loaded with not so classic bullets. This isn't a picture from today, so don't freak out about the grouse; this is just one of the better pictures I have of the rifle.


6mm BR
- 85gr Sierra Game King HPBT
- Muzzle velocity 1970 fps

Impact velocity is approximately 1725 fps with retained weights of 84.7gr and 84.1gr. I'm impressed with how well these expanded at such a low velocity.


6.5 Grendel
- 130gr Berger AR Hybrid
- Muzzle velocity 1910 fps

Impact velocity is approximately 1790 fps with retained weights of 130.2gr and 130.4gr caused by the leather material filling the HP. As with almost every Berger Hybrid I've tested so far, these did not expand at the low velocity.


- 123gr A-Max
- Muzzle velocity 1905 fps

Impact velocity is approximately 1777 fps with retained weights of 114.0gr and 116.4gr. I incorrectly marked this as a 130gr bullet in the picture, that's why it's been edited.


- 123 SST
- Muzzle velocity 1886 fps

Impact velocity is approximately 1754 fps with retained weights of 114.8gr and 112.8gr. It was interesting that these bullets had a muzzle velocity 20 fps (with a single digit ES from both loads) slower than the 123 A-Max with the exact same load. performance between the SST and A-Max is almost indistinguishable.


6.5x47 Lapua
- 142 Nosler ABLR
- Muzzle velocity 1893 fps

Impact velocity is approximately 1775 fps with a retained weight of 132.9gr. Two bullets were fired but only one was recovered. It's likely that the bullet is still stuck in the leather and I just haven't found it yet.


300 Win Mag
- 165 Sierra Game King HPBT
- Muzzle velocity 2945 fps

Impact velocity is approximately 2745 fps with a retained weight of 102.1gr from the one bullet recovered and the second one completely fragmented after 1.5" of penetration. I'm going to test these at a lower velocity as well out of either a 30-06 or 308, curiosity just got the best of me and I wanted to see how it would do under a high velocity impact. Sorry Jolten I think they held up pretty well though considering the impact velocity.


- 150gr Sledge Hammer
- Muzzle velocity 1745fps

Impact Velocity is approximately 1680fps with retained weights of 150gr each. These were shot at relatively close range using Trail Boss powder and is well bellow the recommended 1800 fps minimum for expansion. All of the Hammers have performed exactly how I would expect them to when inside the recommended velocity window so I wanted to see what would happen at an extremely low velocity. I'm not at all surprised by the lack of expansion but it was interesting that the HP curled in instead of expanding outwards on impact.


- 225gr ELD-M
- Muzzle Velocity 2153 fps

Impact velocity is approximately 2051 fps with retained weights of 172.6gr and 129.7gr. One of these was struck by a 200gr TTSX bullet which caused the more significant weight loss of one bullet.


- 200gr ELD-X
- Muzzle velocity 2209 fps

Impact Velocity is approximately 2085 fps with retained weights of 183.1gr and 179.1gr. The core slipped out on one bullet but was recovered.


35 Whelen
- 200gr TTSX
- Muzzle velocity 2740 fps

Impact velocity is approximately 2449 fps with retained weights of 170.9gr and 198.5gr. One of these bullets struck a 200gr ELD-x and lost one petal. This is a load that was already loaded up for this rifle. I'll get a lower velocity load to test at a later date.


Once again, today's test showed that the Berger Hybrids don't expand well under these conditions, I'm not sure whether it's the test medium that I'm using or the low velocity. Since other styles of Berger VLDs have performed better in the same tests I have to assume that it has to do with the design of the hybrids. I've also been very impressed by all of the Hornady bullets I've tested so far whether it's the newer ELD series or the A-max and SSTs. It' hard to argue with the results they've given compared to some bullets that cost significantly more.

Andrew

I'm trying to fix the pictures, but Photobucket isn't cooperating tonight.