Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Stinkin' X Bullet Failure.....

..... Failure to exit that is!!!!
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<br>Got a little momento from my hunt this week. While the bullet didn't exit, it certainly did its job! This was recovered from my muley buck, shot Saturday evening. The shot was 350 yards. The buck was quartered towards me and above me, buried in a hillside full of thick oak brush. I was using my 338 Ultra with a "mild" load consisting of 210 grain XLC's with a MV of ~3110 fps. The shot took him in the front shoulder, smashing it, leaving a devastating wound channel through the vitals and was found under the hide, just in front of the hind quarter. The buck stood there and shook his head a couple times, then hobbled down hill about 5 yards before dropping. I hit him EXACTLY where I was holding (big grin)!
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<br>Post tramatic bullet weight was 208.2 grains!!! And, one of the prettiest mushrooms I've ever recovered!
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Just love it when a plan comes together. Got any postmortem pictures to share?
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<br>2nd

Muley Stalker,
<br>Nice shootin ! Don't you just love it when a plan comes together. I think the bullet "failure", was that it didn't retain over 99.5% of it weight (LOL). That ole buck was probably standing there shaking his head, saying: "What did I just swallow" ?
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<br>For a second, I thought that you had stolen one of the recovered .338 cal Barnes-X's off my desk here for your photo. But no, they are all still here. Comparing one of mine, 225grs taken fron the hillside behind an elk, they have expanded identically. Looking at the base of the previously hollowpoint section (center) the square tool mark from the forming process is visible. The four petals wrap back until they touch the shank. Just an awesome performing bullet ... X-em !
<br>...Silver (copper?) Bullet

Muley you really know how to make a guy feel good about himself. I am loving the heck out of those blue bullets too. Never have I shot tighter groups with a hunting rifle before using the Barnes "Blue Angle Of Death" I can't wait to try mine out this year up north of me. Looks like that box of Barnes bullets is a keeper in your house. LOL.

I can't seem to keep the petals on mine. It must be the extreme velocity of which the .25-284 obtains. I will see if I can get one to stay in a deer in Colorado in a couple of weeks. Flinch

Muley,
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<br>Very nice !!!
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<br>I've shot a bunch but never recovered an X bullet. The current day X's are the best thing out there IMHO...

Fine lookin' bullet. Might have to try 'em. You say they're solid with a hollow tip? I reckin' thet will cause the smaller calibers to loose the pedals, jus' less material to hold up.

Muleskinner, they are solid copper and designed such that there are four pedals that peel back, just as pictured. It's rare to recover one, even on a quartering shot on big animals. I'm pretty impressed with their performance, but I've only shot a few critters with them: this buck, a coyote, a runaway longhorn steer and my 2nd elk of this year. They REALLY break through bone and keep going. They don't open as well on a broadside shot through the ribs, though they certainly kill there too.
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<br>As to the smaller calibers, there is a collection of guys around here with a LOT more experience than I have who can chime in. While I love partitions, I'm really taking a shining to these blue beauties! As long as they keep performing as they have so far, I don't see any reason to go elsewhere.

Hmmf,
<br>the least you could do is clean your brass a little more............
<br>That is a classic example of great performance. I'm looking for a big boar shoulder shot to see if I can recover a 100 grn .277 X.
<br>badger

Nice work and good picture. What would you guess the impact velocity to be? Sure made a nice mushroom. Keep those good photos coming.
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<br>HogWild

Hogwild, Thanks! I plugged it in Quickload and came up with approx. 2437 fps impact velocity and 2769 ft.lbs at 350 yards.

Glad to hear of your success. When I read the title, I was all fired up to ask you if the animal expired and if so, then tell you the bullet did it's job and did not fail, but I guess that point is moot. I'm going for whitetails on Saturday for four days with my .35 Wailin' and the 200 gr X. IF I connect, I'll update you guys.

Muley,
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<br>Nothing is prettier than a Blue 'Shroom. Just WISH I could catch one. You dog!
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<br>Congrats on the Hunt....................

2nd, this is the only postmortem picture I took. It is the inside of the ribcage on the on-side. The bullet put the front leg on a door hinge, so to speak.
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<br>No pictures of the lungs. Picture a LARGE pile of dark red jello with one piece of lung about the size of a double fist intact. Heart intact too, other than a few small holes from bone fragments.
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I had sooo many Barnes failures that I can not in any way reccomend them with a straight face.

Partial boxes of opened X's gladly accepted..................