Longest deer with copper ammo??

[NigelM]

Interesting.

This is an identical account to factory GMX I used in 25-06 a few seasons ago. Just awful. Large stags stood frozen to the spot, neck shots jumping back up for a second shot etc etc.

But…..

I’m now on hand loaded 6.5/308 TTSX-100g and 130g and these seem better, largely owing to the much higher MV which we set out to get (3350 in 6.5, 3000 in 308). So far much happier-I’m a hundred or so beasts into the experiment, shot some very large reds, sika and nothing seems to go far. The 6.5 is a bugger for tiny exits and nae blood trail, but things seem to DRT anyway

The GMX and Federal copper were all mates I was shooting with. Wouldn't touch them personally. I was using the Yew Tree bullets. I've used TTSX and LRX for several years with success inside 250m, all driven between 3400 and 3150 fps. Spectacular as long as terminal velocity is kept over 2800 fps, do their job below that to about 2400 fps, pretty crap thereafter, but that's over 250m away if you can launch them fast enough. I was looking for a bullet that didn't need the very high velocity and reliably expanded/fragmented at slower speeds. The Yew Tree seems pretty good so far but more deer to shoot before I reach any sort of conclusion.

 

[Yew Tree Fieldsports]

403 yards

 

[Utectok]

403 yards

Calibre MV bullet weight ?

 

[Utectok]

Calibre MV bullet weight ?

Also well done

 

[Yew Tree Fieldsports]

6mm wild cat cartridge to my own design, my own 80.5 grain bullet MV 3180 fps. Estimated impact velocity 1,800fps. Bullet functioned well and fragmented as designed.
It was not a shot I would ordinarily take as was well outside what I consider a sensible range. In this case I had taken a mate out who had wounded this buck (brisket/leg) it was pretty mobile (not my bullets!). I had a shot across the corner of a big field and felt that I would be unable to close the gap to a more mundane distance, the likelihood of the buck remaining where he was and me still having decent light was pretty slim. I ‘pin’ shot it through both shoulders as hadn’t tested my bullets on deer to that range. Thankfully he went straight down.
Not a shot I would want to repeat and it was lucky there wasn’t much in the way of breeze, still had 1.5 MOA left on to account for that and a tad of spin drift.

 

[Utectok]

6mm wild cat cartridge to my own design, my own 80.5 grain bullet MV 3180 fps. Estimated impact velocity 1,800fps. Bullet functioned well and fragmented as designed.
It was not a shot I would ordinarily take as was well outside what I consider a sensible range. In this case I had taken a mate out who had wounded this buck (brisket/leg) it was pretty mobile (not my bullets!). I had a shot across the corner of a big field and felt that I would be unable to close the gap to a more mundane distance, the likelihood of the buck remaining where he was and me still having decent light was pretty slim. I ‘pin’ shot it through both shoulders as hadn’t tested my bullets on deer to that range. Thankfully he went straight down.
Not a shot I would want to repeat and it was lucky there wasn’t much in the way of breeze, still had 1.5 MOA left on to account for that and a tad of spin drift.

Perfect well done mate congratuwelldone on the good expansion

 

[Yew Tree Fieldsports]

Perfect well done mate congratuwelldone on the good expansion

I suppose all’s well that ends well but I wouldn’t want to have to do it again. That really is pushing the boundaries with any of my hunting bullets.

 

[njc110381]

Just changed to the LRX's and have shot them consistently beyond the ranges you have mentioned. The LRX according to Barnes is a softer material and has a superior BC, it bleeds velocity less and expands more reliably than lets say the GMX or the std TTSX. The 7mm with 139 LRX's @ 2950fps was perfectly capable of a 400yd shot but a 7mm rem mag with a bit more oomph with the same bullet would extend that range significantly, Been shooting the GMX out of the 30 cal at around 3400fps and it works well out to about 350-400, beyond that distance I don't know if they would expand reliably enough and haven't tried. Changed the point of impact to high shoulders so that there is resistance and they have all worked as they should. Biggest problem is getting them to sub moa to allow longer shots, probably spent close to £500 on ammo trying to find one that suits the gun..
I have a rule of thumb that when the energy drops below 1300 ftlbs that has been the limit of my shot, don't ask why but that is just my own personal limit..

That's good to hear. I've just started loading 175gr LRX in my 300WSM - I was worried they'd be a bit heavy so the fact that they're a bit softer will be helpful. I'll be shooting reds with it so there's a bit of meat there to get them started at least.

 

[Heym SR20]

So my take on this discussion

1) not all copper is created equal

2) Hornady GMX are hard and tough bullets that don’t expand well unless you put them through shoulders / tough animals. They are no longer featured on Hornady’s website so can only assume they have been dropped

3) most non toxic bullets if put in the correct place kill well out to well over 300m if launched at appropriate velocities. Indeed will work at 400m. But it, as always, comes down to shot placement.

4) most deer when hit by a bullet do not drop dead as if polaxed. Most stagger, run a short way and then fall over. And the same is true whatever the bullet is made of or it’s construction

And deer if hit in the wrong place can go a very long way.

 

[Corvid8x57]

A red calf today at 330m under a bit of pressure having shot the hind much closer - 130gn 308 Fox factory worked perfectly thankfully

 

[griff]

So my take on this discussion

1) not all copper is created equal

2) Hornady GMX are hard and tough bullets that don’t expand well unless you put them through shoulders / tough animals. They are no longer featured on Hornady’s website so can only assume they have been dropped

3) most non toxic bullets if put in the correct place kill well out to well over 300m if launched at appropriate velocities. Indeed will work at 400m. But it, as always, comes down to shot placement.

4) most deer when hit by a bullet do not drop dead as if polaxed. Most stagger, run a short way and then fall over. And the same is true whatever the bullet is made of or it’s construction

And deer if hit in the wrong place can go a very long way.

yep just about sums it up..

 

[Alantoo]

2) Hornady GMX are hard and tough bullets that don’t expand well unless you put them through shoulders / tough animals. They are no longer featured on Hornady’s website so can only assume they have been dropped

They seem to have renamed them CX.

Or at least replaced them with CX. They only do 110gr, 165gr, 180gr and 190gr in 308. No 125gr or 150gr listed

Alan

 

[Automan]

Looked on the box said dangerous up to 5 miles I thought that will do for me.