I really like that 150 grain TTSX. I have been thinking that I could just load that bullet in my 30-06, 300 WSM, 300 win, and 300 ultra and be done playing with bullets.
How simple it would be to load 150 grain BT for practice and 150 grain TTSX for hunting in all my .30 caliber guns...
The Eastmans crew did an elk bullet test/story a year or two ago. You know,the Core Lokt cut the biggest wound channel. Pretty nice looking mushroom too. It didn't have the most penetration,but didn't do bad for a cheap bullet.The Federal Premium Partition went the deepest. If memory serves me. At any rate.If all a fella could afford was Core Lokt ammo/bullets,he wouldn't have to make many excuses.
"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
this is an amazing thread with lots of great info,pointing out the results of a good selection of hunting bullets many of us use, yet I can,t help looking back and pointing out that that 265 grain hard cast bullet, you might have listed partly, as a bit of humor, seems to produce a good deal better results than the vast majority of the far more expensive and faster production projectiles listed, I hunt with a lee 310 grain hard cast bullet over 21 grains of H110 powder,in both my 44 mag marlin carbine and my 10" S&W revolver,and Ive tried the ranch dog 44 bullet referred too, and the LEE design in the 310 grain , cast from 95% WW alloy and 5% pure tin generally out performs that slightly lighter projectile. yeah admittedly comparing a hard cast 310 grain launched at maybe 1500fps from a carbine vs a jacketed projectile that launched at 2700fps-3300fps is comparing apples to oranges. but it also points out that higher projectile speed and lower projectile weight, used to flatten trajectory's may not be overly helpful when trying to maximize penetration. yes, I.m sure theres a huge percentage of the guys reading this that are absolutely convinced their super fast caliber choice is ideal,and NO! I'm not suggesting your current choice or mine in elk rifles needs to be changed. and theres little doubt that a 270 win or 7mm mag or 300 mag can make hitting game out past 300 yards far easier.but like Ive stated before , Ive shot almost all my deer and elk over the last 45 years at well under 300 yards and the vast majority at probably 120 yards or LESS. now Im not giving up my 30/06,375 H&H or 340 WBY, for my 44 mag carbine ,on any elk hunts, but the testing does make me think , that its hardly the handicap that most guys would have you believe, or that a 450 marlin pushing a 405 grain bullet at 1900 fps would be a bad choice either.
This is a great thread. Thanks for all the effort kman! (I've done a bit of testing as well myself so I know how much trouble - and fun- it can be!)
I would add a few comments of my own regarding some of the comments made earlier in the thread. One is that bullets which "shed" when contacting heavy bone need not be dismissed outright since heavy joint bone really is about the worst case scenario. On the flip side, knowing what a bullet also does way out yonder- or conditions which simulate same, are also a very good idea. Granted, there are people who hunt in some rather controlled conditions perhaps, but I don't happen to know any of them.
I happen to like them which work in all-purpose modes the best.
Sometimes, the air you 'let in'matters less than the air you 'let out'.
Keep coming back to this every time I'm looking for new bullets to try. Since I need some .308 to try, I was looking at those. No one remarked on how well the 140gr Hornady BTHP did, penetrating a bit more than a 168 BT and expanding almost as much. If they give the accuracy I expect from them, they'd be a great economical choice. I think those and the 165 GMX are the ones to try from this batch. Maybe the 130 TTSX too, although I won't be able to approach the speed they were tested at. Great thread though, hopefully one day we'll be treated to a part 3!
Part 3 is on page 7, part 4 is on page 9, and part 5 is on page 14. I really wish I could put them all in post number 1 but it won't let me do that. Not very easy to keep track of what page stuff is on when you have several pages worth in a thread.
Thanks for all the kind words from all of you.
Originally Posted by xxclaro
Keep coming back to this every time I'm looking for new bullets to try. Since I need some .308 to try, I was looking at those. No one remarked on how well the 140gr Hornady BTHP did, penetrating a bit more than a 168 BT and expanding almost as much. If they give the accuracy I expect from them, they'd be a great economical choice. I think those and the 165 GMX are the ones to try from this batch. Maybe the 130 TTSX too, although I won't be able to approach the speed they were tested at. Great thread though, hopefully one day we'll be treated to a part 3!
Keep coming back to this every time I'm looking for new bullets to try.
I do the same. This is some of the most objective testing I have seen on projectiles, and have used it several times to make a final decision on what to shoot in my hunting rifles.
Hell...Reloading/Shooting are still my favorite things to do,besides play in the box the kids came in.................
