Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game .257 Weatherby culling results.

Out of curiosity, how big?

I would be lying if I gave a hard number from memory, but it was very ordinary for a middle-aged sow in this part of AK. The hide was/is about 8'3", very average for middle-age sows in salmon country. I want to say the skull was about 22???

That would make a real nice black bear. Our three family black bears taken on the farm this year scored out at 21 9/16, 20 10/16 and 19 even. I doubt that we could do that again. With the new bear trapping season coming up I suppose we'll get to try.

'Bout this big.

That's a hella farm you have there. You should guide a few hunters.

Backs against a national park.

Great report/info. My results with the 115 Ballistic Tip mirror the OP's.

Launched at a tad over 3400fps from my 257 Wby, the 115 Ballistic Tip holds up surprisingly well. It's an unbelievable killer. I've had more DRT's with this cartridge/bullet combo than any other. It just flat turns the lights out. Like the OP, I've also used the 110 AB with H1000 and experienced nearly the same result. Quick kills similar to the NBT, but with the occasional unexplained pressure excursions. Because of this, I've just stuck with the 115. It seems to hold up just as well at the 110 AB and it's consistently more accurate.

As for the Barnes, I shy away from them. The only thing I've ever shot with a Barnes was a hog using the 80 TTSX from my 25-06. It dropped him instantly, but it was a head shot, so any bullet would have most likely worked. I've just read too many stories of lost game using Barnes bullets. I prefer the animal not to run after being shot. Here in South Texas, that can be somewhat of a problem. Tracking a wounded animal through cactus and thick, rattlesnake infested scrub brush is not an ideal scenario for me.

Looks like a photo post fail. It looked good on the Preview, really.

Ok, so it didn't fail,,,

Talus, not the greatest picture but you'll get the idea. If it works, still learning the new picture procedure.


https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12216520/calebs-bear


https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12216520/calebs-bear

That is a good bear!

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/13023389/sons-bear#comments

Just as a follow up, the bear rug showed up a couple days ago. I'm 6' 1". The bear is still 8' between the front finger nails and 7' 9" nose to tail. He was 8' 4 " when green.

In my limited expierance when a mono sheds its petals they kill pretty poorly. In addition I have found several shed petals in the entrance wound that never made it to the chest cavity so I dont know if I buy the argument that shedding petals decreases the time it takes for an animal to expire.

I’m surprised about the TTSX, I’ve killed many pigs with them.

Here's the study you referenced. http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/deer/articlegad.html

DF

BWalker,

My experience with "petal" type bullets is that losing or retaining them doesn't make any noticeable difference in "killing power." Have been shooting them since the 1990's on BUNCH of game.

One thing that often happens is the front end of any "petal-free" bullet is usually well above bore diameter when recovered, and the front end is flat.

Of course, the percentage of bullets that shed various numbers of petals is only approximate, since the number recovered is pretty small. I'd guess the recovered percentage of Barnes X's (whether the first, the blue-coated version, or the TSX, TTSX, etc.), Fail Safes, Hornady GMX's, Nosler E-Tips or whatever is less than 20%. But I do have a substantial number in my collection, going back to around 1990.

Losing petals doesn't bother me, either.

Cutting Edge bullets are designed to do just that and they are very effective.

DF

TTSXs, like Porsche, there is no substitute and especially at 3500 plus

I've posted before about my experience with a low S,D. mono at 3,600 fps. It seems to me that you need a mono S.D. > .2 for optimal hyper vel. terminal performance on WT class game.

My 240 Wby shooting 80 gr. TTSX at 3,600 fps didn't do well on a WT doe. Way too much superficial destruction, not enough in the chest cavity.

I'm thinking one would expect better with larger caliber, higher S.D. monos at hyper velocity. Low S.D. bullets may be losing too much energy too quickly without enough follow thru mass for an efficient kill.

Would appreciate thoughts on that.

DF

As I said my expiereance was limited. Just grasping for a reason to explain the pretty inconsistent results I have gotten from monos at times.