Bullet Failure
12-16-2015, 10:32 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Virginia / West Virginia
Posts: 4,906
Its because we are conditioned to believing the best bullets are ones that mushroom and hold together. And that is normally true with all the other types of bullets.
I believed the same thing when I first shot the Bloodlines. Now, I know different and can't wait to use them ... they are bad a$$.
Grouse, my goal is to hopefully take a doe this season with one of the 250's you gave me
This may be true too
12-16-2015, 10:46 AM
#12
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 861
Ron,
Your spot on. Hydraulic pressure is the problem im having with the new bullets. I don't remember if I sent you any of the new Lehigh bullets. But the slits in the new bullets are not allowing the hydraulic pressure to build like the bloodlines do. So when those petals shear they don't have the explosion effect like the Bloodlines. Dave figured this out and is working on making them better when he gets a chance for me. These bullets still kill game, but I put them into a category of a mushrooming bullet. I thought at first the petals weren't shearing, but after some tests similar to yours they are shearing with no problem.
Your spot on. Hydraulic pressure is the problem im having with the new bullets. I don't remember if I sent you any of the new Lehigh bullets. But the slits in the new bullets are not allowing the hydraulic pressure to build like the bloodlines do. So when those petals shear they don't have the explosion effect like the Bloodlines. Dave figured this out and is working on making them better when he gets a chance for me. These bullets still kill game, but I put them into a category of a mushrooming bullet. I thought at first the petals weren't shearing, but after some tests similar to yours they are shearing with no problem.
12-16-2015, 11:13 AM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Saxonburg Pa
Posts: 3,925
12-17-2015, 03:21 PM
#16
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 83
Plotting Bullet Performance
The attached first chart may be a way of blending test performance and field results into something useful. Ron shared some field experience, along with test data for the .44/270 Speer Deep Curl. I've had a mix of experiences with this bullet as well. So, I tried to put it in a visual. It shows the 50 grain BH load as "poor" with 80 as "good", then shows various field experience points as good or poor.
This suggests a "max range" for these intermediate power loads of something over 125 yards, but less than 150. It may suggest that harder targets (larger bucks) are better for the longest ranges than softer targets like small does.
My "poor" field experience was at the closest range (105 yards), but on a small doe that may have field dressed 100 lb. Was hunting a doe tag and this small doe with 2 fawns seemed like she may have been wounded by nearby gunfire. What looked like a wound turned out to be a wet mud patch behind her shoulder. The bullet made a long path through the rib cage on a quartering away downhill shot. The deer went over 200 yards, then had to be put down with a finish shot over an hour later. The bullet had penciled through.
"How much powder?", is asked in this thread. The first chart may start answering "how far" for intermediate 80 - 90 grain BH209 loads. The 2nd chart shows load equivalents for some other powders, with this 270 grain bullet. The 50 grain equivalents look suspicious and may represent extrapolating data too far. The 80 grain equivalents should be better and of more interest for hunting loads.
This suggests a "max range" for these intermediate power loads of something over 125 yards, but less than 150. It may suggest that harder targets (larger bucks) are better for the longest ranges than softer targets like small does.
My "poor" field experience was at the closest range (105 yards), but on a small doe that may have field dressed 100 lb. Was hunting a doe tag and this small doe with 2 fawns seemed like she may have been wounded by nearby gunfire. What looked like a wound turned out to be a wet mud patch behind her shoulder. The bullet made a long path through the rib cage on a quartering away downhill shot. The deer went over 200 yards, then had to be put down with a finish shot over an hour later. The bullet had penciled through.
"How much powder?", is asked in this thread. The first chart may start answering "how far" for intermediate 80 - 90 grain BH209 loads. The 2nd chart shows load equivalents for some other powders, with this 270 grain bullet. The 50 grain equivalents look suspicious and may represent extrapolating data too far. The 80 grain equivalents should be better and of more interest for hunting loads.
12-17-2015, 04:17 PM
#17
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
If memory serves, he was shooting 50gr at 25 yards to represent speeds at 120+ yards with NORMAL loads. Basically he was showing the longer range shooters how performance levels of various bullets were lower than most expected with a LOT of bullets out there. Most of my problems with bullets have been poor performance at close range (bullet breaking up without good penetration) since the vast majority of my shots are within 75 yards. BUT I do get the occasional shot out to 150 yards so I load for that. So my requirement for a bullet is performance at BOTH short and longer range.
12-17-2015, 05:28 PM
#19
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Saxonburg Pa
Posts: 3,925
12-17-2015, 05:40 PM
#20
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
