Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Old style Winchester failsafe bullets

I have a few boxes of 300 WSM 165 grain failsafes, the ones that were like a barnes x with a tungsten core. I have only punched paper with them so far. They are accurate grouping under an inch, but how do they perform on game? I generally use NP's. Any experince members have and would care share would be appreciated.

They perform very much like a Barnes X...

Which is to say very good, especially on heavy game...

Ingwe

I used the old 180 Failsafes in the 300 WSM to take one elk. She took two shots through the lungs, 6" apart at 325 yards, and gave absolutely no indication she'd been hit until she tipped over dead. Subsequent autopsy indicated neither bullet expanded much if any and essentially penciled through like a FMJ. I never used them after that.

I used the 165 Failsafes in my 30-06 and dropped a couple antelope with them. The lopes were both shot over 200 yards and both had massive internal damage indicating the 165 FS's had done their job.

Go figure.

I suppose I wouldn't hesitate to use the ammo you have, but neither would I go out of my way to find/buy more!

There were two different .30 caliber designs 06 velocity and magnum velocity. I have had good results with the 2800 fps design even in Magnum calibers. Have some of the others but haven't used them on heavy game.

Used the 165gr Failsafe 300 Win mag load on a few moose and deer.Wish they still made that bullet.Was a really good combo in my rifle.

I took a Bull Elk at 14 yards with one a few years back with a 160g from a 7mm Rem mag.

Quartering away at a strong angle. Entered behind his right rib cage, punched through and exited the center chest.

Minimal damage to organs and a very small exit hole, only went about 30 yards so obviously it did it's job. But at that distance and velocity I would have expected a larger exit hole.


A friend shot spike bull a few years ago at a couple hundred yards using the same bullet/caliber, dropped after the shot and got up and was over the hill leaving no blood trail. I was not there to witness it, but that's what I was told by the few that were there.

There were at least 2 or three different generations of fail safe bullets and the medium and high velocity types in 30 caliber. Don't recall a tungsten core variety.

It is impossible to know which bullet the reports are based on unless the bullets have been sectioned. I would do a little expansion testing and if they look good then use them with out hesitation.

My experience was they were excellent for medium or larger game.

Tejano,

I believe he was referring to the Barnes bullet with the tungsten core, the MRX.

Some of the Fail Safe bullets didn't open up. It especially seemed to be a problem toward the end of their production. That is one of the occasional problems with hollow-point bullets, and bullets like the Fail Safe depend very much on the proper hardness to open all the time. Plus the hollow-points can get battered in a typical bolt-action magazine.

The two different 180 .30's, for magnum and non-magnum cartridges, only lasted for a year or two, because they confused the average hunter.

The replacement for the FS, the XP3, has a plastic tip inside a large hollow-point.

I do not have the box of bullets with me as I am out of town at the moment. I may have been mistaken about the rear of the bullet being tungsten, but I am certain the rear of the bullet has some sort of core. They are not completely monolithic like the barnes x.

I have heard both good and bad about these bullets. I had picked up a few boxes pretty cheap a few years ago and the only place they have made it was to the range.

As far as expansion testing, that is a good idea which I have done in the past on other bullets. It was not a good indicator on some 165 gr barnes x bullets I used about 15 years ago. They looked good on the tests but showed very little expansion on 2 deer I shot with them. Caliber sized exit holes and very little damage along the bullet path.

That is why I am asking members of the fire what their experience has been on game with this particular failsafe bullet

By the way thanks for the replys so far!

I used the FailSafe in .308 Win and .375 H&H in Africa, and I liked the bullets. I used the 180 gr in .308 and the 270 gr in .375. When Winchester discontinued them I acquired a store of the .375/270 gr. I haven't used them in my .375 Ruger but that is the plan.

I used the .308/180 gr load in Sask on a big whitetail hunt, and my outfitter glommed onto the load for his moose hunting (he uses a .308 too).

If you have an already developed load I would use and keep them for hunting, otherwise sell them and buy whatever it is you are using. Some loonie will want them.

jim

The rear core is lead, with a steel insert to prevent bulging like the AFrames

Wish I hadn't heard of the problems with the latter batches as I stocked up on them when they were on close out.

Like the Barnes a sort of Goldilocks story: 1st too soft, then too hard, then just right, and then the supplier sends out a bad batch of copper tubing.

Barnes has pretty much resolved the earlier issues.

I will spot test each box of Fail safes before relying on them for an important hunt, or just use them on hogs.

They penetrate. Go, Go, Go, Gadget. I used 160 gr. in 7WSM on some pigs and 1 whitetail.

Do minimal meat damage in my experience. A good bullet for tough game. Shot Hogs with a few and for all I know, the bullets may still be going.

I like something that offers a little more expansion for deer size critters.

Best,

Jm

I have a batch that I bought on sale way back when. They have the shiny metal insert in the base, which I guess is the tungsten core you are referring to. They are 30 cal 180 gr, and the box is marked Winchester Supreme Fail Safe. It has a notation on it that says "for velocities not exceeding 2700 fps".
I use them in my 30-06 with 57.0 gr of IMR4350 and I guess I'm getting around 2500-2600 fps mv. This load is very accurate in my rifle and the two deer I have shot with it dropped in their tracks. The bullets expanded well judging by the internal damage and exit wound.

This may be the only one in existence for all I know, a recovered 180 grain, .308 Winchester Failsafe. This bullet was taken from a bull elk I shot at about 30 yards with a 300 WSM. It was handloaded and had a muzzle velocity of right about 2800 fps. The bullet passed through the rib cage and nicked the off side scapula. I found it under the hide, just like a Partitian. The bullet was smashed flat, so it must have turned sideways. It didn't open-up much and weighs 161 grains. I shot the elk a second time as he stood there looking at me like, WTF dude. That shot was through the elks neck with instant results. Upon autopsy, very minor internal damage was found, that is if you call a .30 caliber hole through your body minor. Of course it can be said "in what part of the animals death did the bullet not work" but I was a little disappointed with it's performnace. I hate to be biased after only one attempt but, I went back to my old favorite, Nosler Partitians.

my wifes '06 loves the failsafes. its only killed blackbears and caribou though. I'm down to 5 boxes left and they are hard to find especially up here.

I may need to find her a load with X's here shortly.

Back in the day when I was flush I had built a 330 Dakota, this is in 93 time frame, and I worked up a load with the 230 gr Fail Safes. I when out and shot some fifty head of game with them never recovered a single bullet. I shot elk Moose, a few deer and a bunch of game in Africa on what was to be my last safari. I still have a few boxes left over. I don't know about the new ones, my guess they are better. They were an interesting idea, expensive to make, but they sure looked good in a shinny case like the 330. In the end that rifle was a fools erand. Could have done the same with a 338 Winnie and 210 barnes X's that I been shooting after that. There are so many good 165 gr bullets around, I would not bother load development for something once you shoot up will not be able to get more of. I don't even know if the sell the new ones for reloading?

back a few years ago i used a 300 wsm for elk. for a couple three years i used factory win loads with 180gr failsafes. i have no idea as to the "version" of these bullets, but they killed elk fine. one coming to me at about 40 yards, a few broadside from 60-70 yards to 285 or so. elk always died and never found a bullet. like some, i have heard the newer xp3 is an even better bullet. i'm back to using partitions.

I only recovered one .308/180 gr FailSafe shot from my .308 Win, that was from a mountain reedbuck shot in RSA. The shot was almost a Texas heart shot, and the bullet went from the right rear ham to the left front shoulder and was under the hide. The recovered weight was 180.1 gr.

jim

right before they discontinued them, i bought 4 boxes of 300 grain .375 bullets to reload. hopefully one day i'll get to go to africa and hunt daggaboys with andrew dawson and chifuti safaris. at least that's the dream!