Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 30 cal bullet test, cow femurs and newspaper part 1

I went to the range today. -25C, sunshine, and nobody else there. Can't ask for a better day.

This is a follow up, if you will, to the other test I did a while ago.

Test:
I ordered 50lbs of cow leg bones from a butcher I know. All shots were through the joint (thickest part of the bone) portion. I also put a 2" thick piece of neck trim (muscle, silver skin and connective tissue) in front of the bone and behind it to simulate meat on the way in and on the way out. All measurements are of the depth of penetration into the newspaper ONLY. For total penetration add 4" of meat and another 5-6" for the bone to the numbers I will post for each bullet. Soaked newspaper over night and taped them together in stacks of ~5" with ductape.
These bones were all shot at 5m to simulate an absolute worst case scenario for a bullet. Max impact speed as well as the animal taking a step prior to the shot which turns a easy broadside shot into something else since there is a big elk/moose leg in the way now.

This is not scientific, valid, don't throw out the bullets you've been using for 30 years etc. I did this to satisfy my own curiosity and as much as it sucks to haul a bathtub full of wet heavy newspaper around, it's also fun.

I did not finish all the bullets in the lineup as I ran out of newspaper. I will finish the 30 cal test (165gmx, 180btip, 208amax) and I will also test a .375 270gr tsx and 260gr accubond, just to satisfy my own curiosity.

Bullets up for testing.
L to R
165gr hornady gmx, 168gr nosler btip, 180gr nosler btip, 180gr nosler etip, 180gr barnes tsx, 180gr swift scirocco 2, 180gr barnes original, 200gr lapua mega, 195gr Chinchaga, 200gr nosler accubond, 200gr nosler partition, 210 berger vld, 208 hornady amax


Cow bones for testing


Results

Bullet: .308 210gr Berger Hunting VLD
Penetration: 7" (7" is newspaper only. Total penetration was 16" (4" for meat at 5" of bone). All penetration measurements are only newspaper, please add 9" of bone/meat if you want total penetration.)
Weight retention: 57.6gr (27.5%)
Expansion diameter: .694"
Impact speed: ~2800fps

Bullet: .308 200gr Nosler Accubond
Penetration: 10"
Weight retention: 127.6gr (63.8%)
Expansion diameter: .697"
Impact speed: ~2825fps

Bullet: .308 200gr Lapua Mega
Penetration: 9"
Weight retention: 121.6gr (60.8%)
Expansion diameter: .657"
Impact speed: ~2825fps

Bullet: .308 200gr Nosler Partition
Penetration: 12"
Weight retention: 119.5gr (59.7%)
Expansion diameter: .535"
Impact speed: ~2825fps

Bullet: .308 195gr Chinchaga (They are made by Dale Janzen [Chinchaga Custom Bullets] In Peace River AB.)
Penetration: 6.5"
Weight retention: 144.1gr (73.9%)
Expansion diameter: I honestly have no idea how to measure this as I don't know where the front or back/shank/anything is on this bullet. Looks like a blob of lead. It is 1.031" "wide" fwiw.
Impact speed: ~2850fps

Bullet: .308 180gr Nosler E-Tip
Penetration: 14"
Weight retention: 178.8gr (99.3%)
Expansion diameter: .697"
Impact speed: ~2900fps

Bullet: .308 180gr Barnes TSX
Penetration: 17.5"
Weight retention: 179.8gr (99.9%)
Expansion diameter: .674"
Impact speed: ~2900fps

Bullet: .308 180gr Barnes original (these are considered a "good" cup and core which is why I picked it. .032" jacket thickness)
Penetration: 4.5"
Weight retention: 93.9gr (52.2%)
Expansion diameter: 1.032"
Impact speed: ~2900fps

Bullet: .308 180gr Swift Scirocco II
Penetration: 14"
Weight retention: 139.5gr (77.5%)
Expansion diameter: .651"
Impact speed: ~2900fps

Bullet: .308 168gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
Penetration: 9.5"
Weight retention: 98.6gr (58.7%)
Expansion diameter: .641"
Impact speed: 3100fps

Bullets L to R
210gr Berger VLD, 200gr nab, 200gr mega, 200gr pt, 195gr chinchaga
180gr etip, 180gr tsx, 180gr barnes orig, 180gr sc2, 168gr btip




Shanks of those that had any left
200gr nab, 200gr mega, 200gr pt


180gr etip, 180gr tsx, 180gr sc2, 168gr btip


200gr partition "bulged" at the top of the shank which can be seen clearly in the picture. The led in the bottom half was also pushed in. This of course means nothing, it is merely an observation.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/Kman338/20121223_144235_zpsa8f0bd5d.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/Kman338/20121223_144257_zps79f27051.jpg[/img]

Amount of destruction is rather humbling
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/Kman338/20121223_090030_zps0fca062a.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/Kman338/20121223_091848_zpsfa00a541.jpg[/img]

I also tested my wife's 243 win with 80gr ttsx at 3150fps as well as my 223 with 55gr hornady gmx at 3300fps into deer femurs. Wrapped with 2" of trim. 5m impact worst case scenario.

Bullet: .224 55gr Hornady GMX
Penetration: 11" (11" of newspaper. Add 6-7" for total penetration of meat/bone/meat/newspaper)
Weight retention: 51.2gr without the little piece I found (93.1%)
Expansion diameter: .673"
Impact speed: 3300fps

Bullet: .243 80gr Barnes TTSX
Penetration: 16" (blew all the petals off so not surprised it went this deep)
Weight retention: 54.8gr (68.5%)
Expansion diameter: .284"
Impact speed: 3150fps

L to R 55gr GMX, 80gr TTSX







Quick update
The 168gr Nosler ballistic tip I tested was of new construction and the "beefed" up version. The 180gr Nosler ballistic tip I have loaded and will test soon is of "old" construction (2003 manufacture). I posted a picture to show the difference between the 180gr "old" version (on the left) and the 168gr "new" version (on the right). I do not know what year they started beefing up the jackets but the "new" 180gr version has the same beefed up jacket in current production form.

I do hope this has not caused any confusion.

man, that's alot of work! Whew! Very nicely done test....thank you....will look forward to the .375 270gr tsx and 260 accubond test...

kman: Really good thanks for posting! Those mono's really do well against the hard stuff...

Which of these two seemed to have the more destructive wound cavity:

ETip or TSX?

Thanks for the test! I bet that took some time.

Love those Swift S2 and Barnes bullets....

Scirocco II was impressive. I like your test, about as good as anything.

Etip was slightly bigger.

Thank you, and the hard work.

That tsx is purdy.

I agree....the few I have recovered looked just like that....

Thanks for all your hard work. I really enjoyed the test. That BT held up much better than I thought it would.

Every TTSX I've shot into stuff looks like a commercial. The handful I've shot into critters (Hog, Deer, Elk) are still going as far as I can tell.

Good stuff man.

I think the 168 Ballistic Tip, for its construction, is the most impressive bullet of everything tested.

I absolutely agree with you.

Good stuff. The 168 BT performance is pretty impressive for what that bullet is! Just deer, but I haven't been able to catch a 150 yet...some where hard front angle shoulder shots from a .308 Win.

Great work- thanks!

I saw a new 168 b-tip and an old one cut in half. The new ones jacket was allot thicker than the old jacket. Seem to show that in this test too.

Do you know if the 180's seem thicker now too?

I'm pretty impressed with what the 168 NBT did.

Expat