Muley Hunter

Have you seen this gel test.... just click on the picture



The test that FG is running is not an accurate test of a how a bullet might perform in animal, it is more of 'torture' test designed to see what extremes the bullet might handle. Normally if they can survice the wetsand bucket test, not nessarily for penetration, but if they stay together they should hold together when used in a hunting situation. Penetration in these torture tests are a secondary measurement. If they come out of the test as a viable project they are tough... Many bullets will not. most lead/copper bulllets will separate in this type medium.

Here is aactual penetration test in gel...



And this is the results on an animal

I don't know. Something is wrong somewhere. I really wanted to like the PT. As it turned out. They weren't that accurate in my gun, so Max's test was the last nail it the coffin for me. If they shot good in my gun. I might look at Max's test a little closer.

I'm happier with the Thors anyway, because I can use them in ML season if i want to hunt that season.

A product called Terasorb is a good substitute. Its dry crystals that absorb an insane amount of water and its used for horticulture. It helps keep soil damp over a long period of time.

It looks like clear cottage cheese when ready for use. The consistency is very similar to some internal organs but not muscle tissue.

sabot..........Good post. What Barnes bullet was that top picture?

Is that you in the B&W shirt?

It was a Barnes 308 TSX IIRC, The weight was either in the 150 or 180gr range.

I can not remember for sure, but I am pretty sure it was a centerfire 308 caliber.

I figured it was. That kind of shock takes some serious speed. Amazing the gel could expand that much with out coming apart.

If they weren't accurate for you, then you have no stake in the game. I have a stake...I like my hunting load and don't want to change. But I am with you...if the possibility exists for the bullet to break apart like that, then I want no part of it. This makes me want to find a suitable substance to shoot them into.

Seeing that pic of the broken up PT Gold has me wondering. I killed two deer but took shots at three deer. The last one I never recovered and hoped really hard that I missed. I was sitting on the ground against a tree when a buck silently appeared to my right side approx 15 yards away. Being right handed, I had NO shot at the deer. He noticed me and stared carefully in my direction, but decided to proceed. As soon as his head was behind a tree (a VERY brief moment), I flipped the gun to shoot left handed. At that point he was only 10 yards away. I mean 10 friggin' yards. The crosshairs were on his heart, and I pulled the trigger. Since I never practice shooting lefty, I suppose I could have jerked the trigger. But I "saw the shot." The last thing I saw before the gun recoiled was the buck's heart.

He spun around and darted back the way he came, white flag flying high. No blood. No hair. No buck. Grid searched that evening, nothing. Grid searched for a couple more hours the next morning and nothing. I want to believe that I missed, but I have never been able to convince myself fully of this, because I "saw the shot," as we always should. That broken up PT Gold has me revisiting this memory. Man, that was gut-wrenching and heart-breaking at the time. Couldn't get it out of my head...lots of sleepless nights wondering if my bullet didn't perform well enough and if there was a suffering and now dead deer somewhere out there because of it.

That was an awesome display of 'Hydrostatic Shock' which some people say doesn't happen, but I am a firm believer in. Other folks have actually said they have seen the animal swell up like that and then deflate.

That goes back to my definition of a "great" bullet...

sabot.......The Barnes may not be the best bullet out there, but it's in the top three, and gets the job done.

The only negative I read about Barnes is the price. Not a reason for me. Not because I have money, but because I want the bullet that works and will pay for it.

There are some Barnes CF bullets with small HP openings that have a problem of not expanding. That doesn't apply to the ML bullets.