.300 BLK load thread

[yorketransport]

I bet it would have retained more weight if it hadn’t hit a sand bag. Sand will tear up a bullet.

[Biggerhammer]

Maybe a couple milk jugs full of water behind the gel block to catch the bullet?

[Yondering]

yep, more water jugs or wet paper to catch it.

That 125 SST is known to come apart a little easier than the 125gr NBT though, so that weight retention isn't too surprising and probably a good reflection of what it would do on impact with bone. That's why I recommended the Ballistic Tip or Barnes 110 black tip earlier.

[CP]

I'll try a down loaded Barnes next with some water jugs as backup.

[Biggerhammer]

I'll try a down loaded Barnes next with some water jugs as backup.

I would like to see those results.

[Dan-o]

Cool testing series, CP.

Thanks much for sharing results as you go.

[CP]

Gel test #4 – 110g Barnes TAC-TX

Target velocity was 2014fps to simulate 150yards but again I came in a bit hot at 2080fps, so more like 125 yards.  1057 Ft-Lbs of energy.
Recovered weight = 107.5g.  Text book expansion.

I ended up using newspaper as the 1st backstop and the bullet penetrated the 13” of gel and was recovered about ½” inch into the paper. 

The permanent wound cavity was quite a bit smaller both in diameter and length than the SST’s wound cavity.  Expansion started less than 2” into the gel and the major damage only went about 5”.  Considerably less overall damage than the SST produced. 

I haven’t formed any hard conclusions yet but it appears this is near the edge if not already beyond the effective range of this bullet.

[h20hunter]

Very cool.

[Yondering]

I've tested that bullet down to 1600 fps with similar results to what you saw. It seems to give pretty consistent performance across a wide range, but like you saw it (and other mono bullets) aren't as explosive as a lead core. They do tend to penetrate pretty well despite the light weight. Barnes says it expands down to 1400 fps, and based on what I saw at 1600, I believe it.

[CP]

yep, more water jugs or wet paper to catch it.

That 125 SST is known to come apart a little easier than the 125gr NBT though, so that weight retention isn't too surprising and probably a good reflection of what it would do on impact with bone. That's why I recommended the Ballistic Tip or Barnes 110 black tip earlier.

Midway now has the 125 Nolser BT in stock.  I think I'll give them a try next.

[CP]

125g Speer TNT @2194 fps.  This one penetrated 4 or 5 inches then, boom,  blew pieces of gel everywhere.  Found the lead core and a hunk of jacket just outside the gel block and 3 other pieces of jacket in gel bits that I picked up.  Total weight of the bullet bits was 113g so I found most of them.  Messy clean up. 


Very thin jacket on this bullet - for varmints only.

[Biggerhammer]

Great Rockchuck load!!!!!

[b23]

I've gotta quit looking at this thread because I've been jonesing for a 300 BLK.  I just can't decide if I want to get a shorty upper for my Sig MCX or a CZ 527 300 BLK.

[Biggerhammer]

I've gotta quit looking at this thread because I've been jonesing for a 300 BLK.  I just can't decide if I want to get a shorty upper for my Sig MCX or a CZ 527 300 BLK.

The 527 is cool.

[b23]

I've gotta quit looking at this thread because I've been jonesing for a 300 BLK.  I just can't decide if I want to get a shorty upper for my Sig MCX or a CZ 527 300 BLK.

The 527 is cool.

I think they're both pretty cool but the 527 would definitely be a lot more useful, that's for sure.