Ballistic vs Expanding ammo- POLL

[User00033]

Slightly more than conjecture. The ridiculous legal situation that we had in the U.K. with regard to expanding bullets up until a few years ago raised questions as to whether A-Max were regarded as being designed to expand or not. The fact that they do and contrary to what the company said in their reloading data at the time is besides the point, it was a technical question about legality over here.
The National Rifle Association and the Home Office, as did many U.K. shooters, got Hornady to confirm that they had not been designed to expand, so problem solved. Thankfully a couple of years ago sanity returned and the whole nonsense is now of no real consequence and a thing of the past.

Crikey. The things you fellas have to put up.

 

[rem284]

Slightly more than conjecture. The ridiculous legal situation that we had in the U.K. with regard to expanding bullets up until a few years ago raised questions as to whether A-Max were regarded as being designed to expand or not. The fact that they do and contrary to what the company said in their reloading data at the time is besides the point, it was a technical question about legality over here.
The National Rifle Association and the Home Office, as did many U.K. shooters, got Hornady to confirm that they had not been designed to expand, so problem solved. Thankfully a couple of years ago sanity returned and the whole nonsense is now of no real consequence and a thing of the past.

Yep, could never understand that. What was it to achieve, prevent expanding bullets getting into the hands of criminals.

 

[User00033]

To pass a gale force Saturday afternoon, me and a couple of mates went through the table of expansion results that comes with all the photos posted in #37. We made a pivot table and took a long hard look at the results.

Now obviously no two shots are ever the same, and no two animals are either. So your mileage might vary, and all that. But what is very obvious from an objective analysis of all of the pertinent averages, is just how bloody well the Hornady SST & A-Max did, and the good old Hornady round nose!

For me, adequate penetration, reasonable fragmentation for fast killing and good expansion are the prerequisites, and these bullets do all three very well.

Yet for a bullet designed in 1947 or thereabouts, the Nosler Partition is a class act eh? Just a shame that it shoots worse than a Nerf gun in all the rifles I’ve ever tried it in, but I don’t suppose that matters too much at 100yds or less.

 

[8x57]

Yep, could never understand that. What was it to achieve, prevent expanding bullets getting into the hands of criminals.

I suppose so but really it was just the result of a total cock up in the Home Office. In simple terms they were required to draft legislation following a directive from the EU that would outlaw the civilian possession and use of expanding pistol projectiles and ammunition. Instead what they did at virtually the stroke of a pen was to introduce legislation that outlawed all expanding projectiles and ammunition. When their error was pointed out especially in relation to the requirements of the deer acts they then introduced an absolute cluster fudge of so called solutions.

We then had to live with those "solutions" despite our loudest protestations for a good many years simply because they weren't prepared to admit that they balls it up and to put right their mistake. Thankfully a few years ago it was eventually put right and we reverted back to almost the way it had been before (pistol bullets excepted). I wonder if this was because the mandarins who messed it up in the first place had now moved on or retired.
Or possibly it was because so many shooters had found alternative workable solutions and made a mockery of their silly legislation e.g. A-Max or mail order from abroad etc. ?

 

[rem284]

I suppose so but really it was just the result of a total cock up in the Home Office. In simple terms they were required to draft legislation following a directive from the EU that would outlaw the civilian possession and use of expanding pistol projectiles and ammunition. Instead what they did at virtually the stroke of a pen was to introduce legislation that outlawed all expanding projectiles and ammunition. When their error was pointed out especially in relation to the requirements of the deer acts they then introduced an absolute cluster fudge of so called solutions.

We then had to live with those "solutions" despite our loudest protestations for a good many years simply because they weren't prepared to admit that they balls it up and to put right their mistake. Thankfully a few years ago it was eventually put right and we reverted back to almost the way it had been before (pistol bullets excepted). I wonder if this was because the mandarins who messed it up in the first place had now moved on or retired.
Or possibly it was because so many shooters had found alternative workable solutions and made a mockery of their silly legislation e.g. A-Max or mail order from abroad etc. ?

Yes, all too often I see people with pens and a little knowledge of a topic, little experience on the ground and a lack of fore thought f@uck things up.

 

[8x57]

Yes, all too often I see people with pens and a little knowledge of a topic, little experience on the ground and a lack of fore thought f@uck things up.

Too bloody true!
But in this instance what is worse was that when they were made aware of their errors rather than put it right they tried to save face and bluff it out for so many years.

 

[jon2]

And it should be noted that Ballistic Tip is a trade mark of Nosler. I’ve noticed some folk using it as a generic term to describe any polymer tipped bullet which is incorrect and causes confusion as can be seen in the case of the OP.

 

[Ade8mm]

I don’t believe FMJ is Illegal if it stands for full metal jacket which I assume is a lead core copper cup style bullet. I think the law states you must used bullets with a controlled expansion. However non-expanding bullets are only used to shoot people according to Geneva convention.

Yes, correct though it is often mis-understood. The Geneva Convention ruling on fmj bullets only applies if a war has been declared.
Expanding bullets are in common use all across the world in the hands of police, swat teams, security forces and used in defensive ammunition etc