What are fragmenting bullets to you?

[Grouse45]

: a part broken off, detached, or incomplete

I would hafto agree this is how we should look at fragmenting bullets. I'm not big on keeping bullets that are found but i have a few. I also got some help from some Barnes shooters.Bullets that weren't considered fragmenting bullets are now.

Example:

1- 275grn Parker BE, recovered bullet weight is 235grns
2- 195grn Knight Red Hot, 170grns recovered.
3- 175grn Knight red Hot, 167grns recovered
4- 300grn Barnes MZ Expander, 288grns

I'm going to get some more bullets this weekend. I do have a 300grn XTP that was recovered as well. It was 199grns out of a Boar. I think we all expected that. I will also say a Lehigh is a controlled fragmenting bullet.

[SWThomas]

I would definitely like to see pictures ofall those Barnes bullets that supposedly shed weight. You still have them right? And did you weigh each of them before you fired them? Or did you just go off what was on the package?

[Grouse45]

ORIGINAL: SWThomas
Or did you just go off what was on the package?

Very good point. Barnes bullets are very inconsistent in weights. The best thing to do with them is weigh before shooting. Those numbers are based on what the package say's. I agree, those numbers are probably not accurate.

[lemoyne]

It looks like we might be adding to our vocabulary, I like the "controlled fragmentation" it makes a lot of sense to say what you mean. Know we need to define one that blow totally like a varmint bullet or a PB that's pushed extremely hard, how about "total fragmentation" and what would you call a full metal jacket or a hard cast that showed no deformation? Lee

[Grouse45]

In my opinion you could have two categories. Controlled fragmentation or Fragmenting. A Barnes would be controlled, a SST would be fragmenting. This probably wont work either.Everybody finds way's to protect what they use. Let's just call them all fragmenting and go on to the next subject.

[Grouse45]

ORIGINAL: Grouse45

In my opinion you could have two categories. Controlled fragmentation or Fragmenting. A Barnes would be controlled, a SST would be fragmenting. This probably wont work either.Everybody finds way's to protect what they use. Let's just call them all fragmenting and go on to the next subject.

Total Fragmenting sounds better, now thati read your post again.

[SWThomas]

ORIGINAL: Grouse45

Very good point. Barnes bullets are very inconsistent in weights. The best thing to do with them is weigh before shooting. Those numbers are based on what the package say's. I agree, those numbers are probably not accurate.

So you can't say whether or not they actually did shed any of their weight. Not saying that it's a good thing if Barnes' bullets are actually inconsistent in weight. How do you know this is so? Have you weighed brand new Barnes bullets before and discovered this? Just wondering....

[Grouse45]

ORIGINAL: SWThomas

So you can't say whether or not they actually did shed any of their weight. Not saying that it's a good thing if Barnes' bullets are actually inconsistent in weight. How do you know this is so? Have you weighed brand new Barnes bullets before and discovered this? Just wondering....

I weighed many brand new Barnes bullets in the past. None in the last couple years. The last time was 300grn Barnes Originals. They varied by 3grns easily. So did Hornady as well.You obviously have found the same as i, or you wouldn't of made the comment about package weights. Inmost hunting situations it's in material.

The bullets were not weighed before hunting. So the recovered bullet weights are not accurate.

[spaniel]

ORIGINAL: Grouse45

In my opinion you could have two categories. Controlled fragmentation or Fragmenting. A Barnes would be controlled, a SST would be fragmenting. This probably wont work either.Everybody finds way's to protect what they use. Let's just call them all fragmenting and go on to the next subject.

A truly fragmenting bullet would be like a varmint bullet, coming apart in the animal. Other than a couple shed jackets, all my SWs have exited. So it's inaccurate to lump them with a varmint bullet.

Unless you've got a purpose-designed varmint bullet, virtually every ML bullet out there is controlled to variable extents in how much it fragments.

I would think it fair that a SST/SW, Barnes, etc may shed some weight but is not DESIGNED to fragment. Any bullet will fragment if you shoot it fast enough. Either by design or consequence of design, a Leigh is designed to shed a portion of its weight (and more or less stop at that) which is fairly unique, a Nosler Partition is the only other bullet I can think of with that degree of designed detention of the bullet base.

[Grouse45]

Spaniel,
I cant argue what you are saying. Any SST that i did recover was far from a mushrooming bullet. But, like you stated they were moving pretty fast in my opinion. Between 2350 and 2400fps with smokeless powders.