Monolithic Ammunition

[Rutland lad]

I read the above with interest. I do not consider myself an expert in any way, but I’ve been on the nontoxic wagon for over 10 years so I’ve shot quite a few deer with Barnes 180 grain TSX/TTSX in my .300 Winmag and 124 grain Fox Classic in my 6.5x55.
They do leave less meat damage than lead in my opinion, and they do drop to the shot IF I DO MY BIT CORRECTLY.

The only runners I’ve had have been chest shot muntjac which can and have run 30/40m to the nearest heavy gorse/briar/bramble/hawthorn, then died in there. Then it’s out with the secateurs or machete and cut my way in to retrieve. Hence why I shoulder shot muntjac to drop them on the spot.

Chest shot roe, fallow, reds have all dropped quickly as the bullets have done their job well. I’ve had shots that have been not as good as I’d wish, and those animals have gone further than usual, but that’s been my fault, not the equipment.

I could show photos on here of great blood trails/exit worlds from nontoxic but those who don’t like copper won’t accept it works.

 

[Top Spanish Hunting]

I read the above with interest. I do not consider myself an expert in any way, but I’ve been on the nontoxic wagon for over 10 years so I’ve shot quite a few deer with Barnes 180 grain TSX/TTSX in my .300 Winmag and 124 grain Fox Classic in my 6.5x55.
They do leave less meat damage than lead in my opinion, and they do drop to the shot IF I DO MY BIT CORRECTLY.

The only runners I’ve had have been chest shot muntjac which can and have run 30/40m to the nearest heavy gorse/briar/bramble/hawthorn, then died in there. Then it’s out with the secateurs or machete and cut my way in to retrieve. Hence why I shoulder shot muntjac to drop them on the spot.

Chest shot roe, fallow, reds have all dropped quickly as the bullets have done their job well. I’ve had shots that have been not as good as I’d wish, and those animals have gone further than usual, but that’s been my fault, not the equipment.

I could show photos on here of great blood trails/exit worlds from nontoxic but those who don’t like copper won’t accept it works.

Here in Spain, for example, we use lead ammunition a lot because the modality that is most practiced is drive hunts, Spanish "monteria". You shoot animals in motion and normally the shot placement is usually poor. You need large calibers and, above all, bullets that kill instantly so as not to have problems with neighboring stands and arguments about who killed the animal.

 

[Heym SR20]

Here in Spain, for example, we use lead ammunition a lot because the modality that is most practiced is drive hunts, Spanish "monteria". You shoot animals in motion and normally the shot placement is usually poor. You need large calibers and, above all, bullets that kill instantly so as not to have problems with neighboring stands and arguments about who killed the animal.

Next time I go driven boar hunting I will use the Peregrine Bushmaster bullet. These are designed for short range thumping big game stopping type use. I have used the 100gn 243 version and impressed with results.

The are soft red copper construction, with a flat nose, a large hole and a bronze plunger to initiate expansion.

Designed specifically for bushveldt use on antelope and in bigger calibres dangerous game.

BushMaster Reloading Bullets | Peregrine Bullets

Peregrine BushMaster reloading bullets are hunting bullets for hunting in the thicket. Its offers the hunter the ability of the ethical first shot kill

peregrinemonolithics.com

In UK, @EdinburghRifles imports them. Not in every calibre and supply of all things through British customs can take time.

 

[Top Spanish Hunting]

Next time I go driven boar hunting I will use the Peregrine Bushmaster bullet. These are designed for short range thumping big game stopping type use. I have used the 100gn 243 version and impressed with results.

The are soft red copper construction, with a flat nose, a large hole and a bronze plunger to initiate expansion.

Designed specifically for bushveldt use on antelope and in bigger calibres dangerous game.

BushMaster Reloading Bullets | Peregrine Bullets

Peregrine BushMaster reloading bullets are hunting bullets for hunting in the thicket. Its offers the hunter the ability of the ethical first shot kill

peregrinemonolithics.com

In UK, @EdinburghRifles imports them. Not in every calibre and supply of all things through British customs can take time.

they look like the lapua Naturalis. similar expansion shape at least. Not a big fan of monolithics for drive hunts, in my experience (we do 25/30 drive hunts per year) they dont have good stoping power and its very dificult to know if you have hit the animal.

 

[Heym SR20]

they look like the lapua Naturalis. similar expansion shape at least. Not a big fan of monolithics for drive hunts, in my experience (we do 25/30 drive hunts per year) they dont have good stoping power and its very dificult to know if you have hit the animal.

Quite a different bullet.

 

[ofbiro]

I have been using Barnes bullets in my 7 mm Rem Mag since 2010. All bullets were my loads, not factory ammo. The total "tableau":
Home forest: 33 animals
12 chamois
1 fallow
20 roes
They all collapsed on the spot, but one chamois that ran 80 meters. I shot all of them from the high seat on bags, or laying on the ground, with the rifle on the backpack


Namibia 5 animals
2 Gemsbock
1 Hartebeest
1 Springbock
1 Wildebeest
They all ran 80-100 meters, but the hartebeest. I shot all of them standing, with the rifle on the sticks (unusual for me)

I concluded years ago that Barnes 140-145 grs, either TSX or TTSX or LRX are great, at least at the high speed of my 7 mm R.M.
The run after the shot may be explained with the vitality of African game, summed to my lack of training to shoot from the sticks.
As soon as the rifle range is free from snow I will test new reloads in .30-06, with Hasler bullets.
I will keep informed the colleagues.

 

[Top Spanish Hunting]

I have been using Barnes bullets in my 7 mm Rem Mag since 2010. All bullets were my loads, not factory ammo. The total "tableau":
Home forest: 33 animals
12 chamois
1 fallow
20 roes
They all collapsed on the spot, but one chamois that ran 80 meters. I shot all of them from the high seat on bags, or laying on the ground, with the rifle on the backpack


Namibia 5 animals
2 Gemsbock
1 Hartebeest
1 Springbock
1 Wildebeest
They all ran 80-100 meters, but the hartebeest. I shot all of them standing, with the rifle on the sticks (unusual for me)

I concluded years ago that Barnes 140-145 grs, either TSX or TTSX or LRX are great, at least at the high speed of my 7 mm R.M.
The run after the shot may be explained with the vitality of African game, summed to my lack of training to shoot from the sticks.
As soon as the rifle range is free from snow I will test new reloads in .30-06, with Hasler bullets.
I will keep informed the colleagues.

High speed in Barnes Bullets is a lethal combination. Only downside (there always one) you cant shot at long distance because bullet wont expand correctly. If you dont shot pass 300 meters this isnt an issue and for me a great ammo choice.

 

[ShootyBang]

In my short-barrelled .308 I am using Hornady ECX 125gr. I dropped two fallow at 200m with these on Saturday. But they are short-range bullets, and I wouldn't push them past that 200m point--they have a terrible ballistic coefficient. In this calibre I also use TTSX 130gr and concur with others here that they do the trick well.

For my 6.5x55 SE, I am using these Nosler eTips in120gr--they are shooting very precisely out to 375 (my longest hunting shot to date) and having excellent terminal effect, even on light-bodied roe.

 

[Top Spanish Hunting]

In my short-barrelled .308 I am using Hornady ECX 125gr. I dropped two fallow at 200m with these on Saturday. But they are short-range bullets, and I wouldn't push them past that 200m point--they have a terrible ballistic coefficient. In this calibre I also use TTSX 130gr and concur with others here that they do the trick well.

For my 6.5x55 SE, I am using these Nosler eTips in120gr--they are shooting very precisely out to 375 (my longest hunting shot to date) and having excellent terminal effect, even on light-bodied roe.

I saw some videos of Barnes 110 and 120 grains for the 308 and worked great on hogs (same problem with the BC) im sure those would work great for the roe and fallow fast as light... those Nosler havent tried them but look great! More expansion than the Barnes?

 

[jthyttin]

I saw some videos of Barnes 110 and 120 grains for the 308 and worked great on hogs (same problem with the BC)

Looking at those weights, I think you're referring to bullets designed for 300 Blackout. They have far better BC than Hornady 125 ECX, and are also designed to expand at very low velocities.

Barnes line-up is a bog, you need to research the very bullet you want to use (by the SKU). Even then, there are several generations of some bullet / SKU that behave differently. You just cannot make general assumption based on some other caliber / weight.

 

[ShootyBang]

I saw some videos of Barnes 110 and 120 grains for the 308 and worked great on hogs (same problem with the BC) im sure those would work great for the roe and fallow fast as light... those Nosler havent tried them but look great! More expansion than the Barnes?

Here's one I plucked out of a wee fallow doe--it was a neck shot that travelled 90 degrees from angle of shot, to track down the spine. It was petalled out really well. Double the diameter, or perhaps a bit more.

 

[Dave_45]

I read the above with interest. I do not consider myself an expert in any way, but I’ve been on the nontoxic wagon for over 10 years so I’ve shot quite a few deer with Barnes 180 grain TSX/TTSX in my .300 Winmag and 124 grain Fox Classic in my 6.5x55.
They do leave less meat damage than lead in my opinion, and they do drop to the shot IF I DO MY BIT CORRECTLY.

The only runners I’ve had have been chest shot muntjac which can and have run 30/40m to the nearest heavy gorse/briar/bramble/hawthorn, then died in there. Then it’s out with the secateurs or machete and cut my way in to retrieve. Hence why I shoulder shot muntjac to drop them on the spot.

Chest shot roe, fallow, reds have all dropped quickly as the bullets have done their job well. I’ve had shots that have been not as good as I’d wish, and those animals have gone further than usual, but that’s been my fault, not the equipment.

I could show photos on here of great blood trails/exit worlds from nontoxic but those who don’t like copper won’t accept it works.

Your last paragraph largely sums up the current problem with the non believers, i loaded up some copper yew tree in my 22-250 and hasler in my
284 and kept it under my hat , shot some deer with friends ,they remarked how well the deer dropped ….

Once it was revealed it was non toxic , the memories of how the deer expired at different rages started to creep in ,somewhat altered.

Copper is here and it works really well,some folk just blindly refuse to accept it.

 

[Dave_45]

It started -


‘The deer aren’t dying’

‘the deer are dying but they are hard on carcasses’

I wonder what’s next.

 

[Rutland lad]

My 6.5x55 shoots 130 grain LEAD Sako Gameheads so accurately. But my butcher and his customers don’t want lead in their venison. Anything that fragments destroys my butchers equipment, so I won’t use those either, albeit they may be nontoxic.
I am more than happy that I’ve got two different nontoxic bullets that are accurate enough to be used in an ethical way on live quarry, kill quickly, and/or leave a good blood trail and perhaps more importantly, are easily available on the market.
I can’t see me going back to lead even if the coming lead restrictions were lifted. I don’t see what advantage there’d be for me.

 

[Utectok]

High speed in Barnes Bullets is a lethal combination. Only downside (there always one) you cant shot at long distance because bullet wont expand correctly. If you dont shot pass 300 meters this isnt an issue and for me a great ammo choice.

I too found that Barnes had poor expansion at longer range and I now shoot yew tree tlr with one shot kills out to around 500m easily achieved (red and roe deer) in 6.5 tlr

 

[Top Spanish Hunting]

Looking at those weights, I think you're referring to bullets designed for 300 Blackout. They have far better BC than Hornady 125 ECX, and are also designed to expand at very low velocities.

Barnes line-up is a bog, you need to research the very bullet you want to use (by the SKU). Even then, there are several generations of some bullet / SKU that behave differently. You just cannot make general assumption based on some other caliber / weight.

They also do them for 308. BC is worst than 130 barnes but yes, they ok to shot up to 300 meters with accuracy I will say the problem is the wind with that little weight.

 

[Top Spanish Hunting]

Here's one I plucked out of a wee fallow doe--it was a neck shot that travelled 90 degrees from angle of shot, to track down the spine. It was petalled out really well. Double the diameter, or perhaps a bit more.

very nice expansion. The bullets look great but the truth is for a very fancy mountain hunt like chamois, marco polo, Ibex... I will go with accubond or similar lead bullets they give me more confidence than full lead. i dont know if it happens the same to you.

 

[Top Spanish Hunting]

My 6.5x55 shoots 130 grain LEAD Sako Gameheads so accurately. But my butcher and his customers don’t want lead in their venison. Anything that fragments destroys my butchers equipment, so I won’t use those either, albeit they may be nontoxic.
I am more than happy that I’ve got two different nontoxic bullets that are accurate enough to be used in an ethical way on live quarry, kill quickly, and/or leave a good blood trail and perhaps more importantly, are easily available on the market.
I can’t see me going back to lead even if the coming lead restrictions were lifted. I don’t see what advantage there’d be for me.

here in Spain 99% hunters used lead, and in drive hunts where a lot of animals are hunted butchers dont have any problem and its very frequent for an animal to get shoot at twice or three times before dying because the speed they pass the stands. And then funny enough all the meat goes exported to countrys lead free like germany!!!

 

[Top Spanish Hunting]

I too found that Barnes had poor expansion at longer range and I now shoot yew tree tlr with one shot kills out to around 500m easily achieved (red and roe deer) in 6.5 tlr

Great bullets always heard goood things

 

[jthyttin]

They also do them for 308. BC is worst than 130 barnes

There is only one 120gr 30cal Barnes, and that is the "black tip" designed for 300 Blackout. Of course you can use it in 308, but it's designed for BLK. The BC is actually marginally better than 130gr TTSX.

In 110gr there are blacktip and TTSX, both having similar BC but designed to expand at different velocities. Since you mentioned the 120gr I made the assumption that 110gr was also blacktip.