Bullet performance field tests

www.yorkshireroestalking.

Distinguished Member
Right theres no secret to my dislike of plastic points(on roe) though I have shot alot of deer with them.
It may be of interest to members and guests to let all have there say.
I will only speak from experience from bullets I have fired at deer.
Not talking of accuracy because they might be good or bad in your rifle.
On game performance only please, on a scale of 1-5 for killing power(expansion) / meat damage(including bruising) / penetration....1 poor 5 excellent.
For the majority of us boiler room shots only please as neck and head shots meat damage ect is irrelevent.
I think at least x3 deer should have been taken with any bullet for the purpose of this excercise.
Right I'll start,
7mm rem mag,
160gr speer grand slam KP=4,MD=2,P=4
140gr nosler partition KP=5,MD=2,P=5
120gr Bal tip KP=5,MD=5,P=3
150gr Bal tip KP=5,MD=5,P=4
100gr sierra HP KP=4,MD=4,P=2
110gr speer tnt HP KP=5,MD=5,P=1
factory RWS 162gr cone point KP=4,MD=3,P=4


.308,
110gr speer hotcore KP=4,MD=2,P=3
125gr nosler Bal tip KP=5,MD=3,P=3
130gr barnes X KP=2,MD=1,P=5

.243,
87gr gameking KP=4,MD=4,P=3
factory 90/100 sako sp's KP=4,MD=3,P=4
factory 100gr federal sp KP=3,MD=3,P=3
factory 100gr winchester PP KP=4,MD=4,P=3

.22250
55gr sierra gameking KP=4,MD=2,P=3
50gr Vmax KP=5,MD=5,P=1
52gr BarnesX KP=0,MD=0,P=5


6.5x55
125gr partition KP=4,MD=2,P=4
factory 139/156 privvi sp KP=3,MD=1,P=4
factory 156 lapau mega KP=3,MD=2,P=5
factory 140 federal KP=4,MD=4,P=4

I have of course seen many others shot by clients and have seen good and bad.
I will also say ALL bullets are caperble of failing at some time.
 
.243,
factory federal 85gr gameking KP=3,MD=2,P=3
factory 100 Norma sp's KP=4,MD=5,P=5
factory 100gr federal sp KP=2,MD=2,P=4
Hornady 87g BTHP KP=5,MD=3.5,P=4.5

6.5x55
factory 150g norma vulkan KP=5, MD=4.5, P=5

sorry, don't have time for much more, but that's my basic staples for the last few years
 
Way back a bit, before Alex was taken into dock, a little discussion was had on a short / keep it simple type of terminal effects list / gallery thing, at the time it was suggested, Alex was not able to accommodate the layout due to some techywizard type thing on site, but when he is fully recovered , I'm sure he will re-visit this idea, specially as Muir, (Andy) had quite a few ideas & suggestions as to how to keep it simple but fully informative.
 
John

Can you just confirm something regarding the scale 1-5, 1 being poor 5 being good. Some of your scores appear to show a low number for bullets regarding meat damage when the bullet by construction would have been deemed a fairly tough one and likely to cause less damage to meat. I am looking for example at the 7mm 160gr grand slam, a tough bullet designed for deep penetration but only scoring 2 in MD. The 120grn BT in the same calibre scores 5 for meat damage suggesting it is better in this discipline therefore causing less damage thereby attracting in theory a high score as I assume we want little meat damage?? I would have thought that the BT being lighter and faster plus also thinner in jacket would have caused far more meat damage than the slower, tougher and heavier Grand Slam. This appears to also be borne out in other examples you give for the other calibres as well. If I am reading it correctly, it just goes to show that what is written on the box may not be the case in practice.

Regardless, interesting findings.
 
6.5x55
120grn BT - KP=3, MD=2, P=5
129grn SST - KP=5, MD=1, P=5
129grn Interlock - KP=5, MD=4, P=5
140grn Partition - KP=4, MD=3, P=5
140grn SGK - KP=5, MD=5, P=5

All Roe
 
John

Can you just confirm something regarding the scale 1-5, 1 being poor 5 being good. Some of your scores appear to show a low number for bullets regarding meat damage when the bullet by construction would have been deemed a fairly tough one and likely to cause less damage to meat. I am looking for example at the 7mm 160gr grand slam, a tough bullet designed for deep penetration but only scoring 2 in MD. The 120grn BT in the same calibre scores 5 for meat damage suggesting it is better in this discipline therefore causing less damage thereby attracting in theory a high score as I assume we want little meat damage?? I would have thought that the BT being lighter and faster plus also thinner in jacket would have caused far more meat damage than the slower, tougher and heavier Grand Slam. This appears to also be borne out in other examples you give for the other calibres as well. If I am reading it correctly, it just goes to show that what is written on the box may not be the case in practice.

Regardless, interesting findings.

KP if 5 means expands quickly but in some cases a bonded bullet doesn't shatter.
MD if 5 is unacceptable it may be damage on the way in as brusing; 2-3 is about right and 1 is a clean pass through.
Penetration often is good even with a bullet what has expanded well if it is heavy or bonded core.
hope this helps.
 
KP if 5 means expands quickly but in some cases a bonded bullet doesn't shatter.
MD if 5 is unacceptable it may be damage on the way in as brusing; 2-3 is about right and 1 is a clean pass through.
Penetration often is good even with a bullet what has expanded well if it is heavy or bonded core.
hope this helps.
:thumb:
 
...a scale of 1-5 for killing power(expansion) / meat damage(including bruising) / penetration....1 poor 5 excellent...

MD if 5 is unacceptable it may be damage on the way in as brusing; 2-3 is about right and 1 is a clean pass through..

This is a bit confusing now John you seem to have contradicted yourself a bit here, initially 1 is poor and now 5 is unacceptable :doh:

For my post I took it as 1 being poor performance and to me this will mean the lower the number the worse the meat damage.
 
Well I feel alot of damage is unexceptable others don't care. Simples.
you can soon edit.
1 is poor/or nil; 5 is maximum or alot it should have perhaps read.
meat damage is a relitive thing and dependant on what you will except and what deer you shoot.
Its not an easy thing to catagorise but if you see 1 as low and 5 as high(parhaps not good) you can surely get your head around it. As said damage may not be a large exit but perhaps massive bruising on the way in. I would say a high number on the MD is alot/maximum so (5) but personally not a good thing.
.
 
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Performance

Oh my this one is a bit deep for me.

Seen shed loads of stalkers shooting lots of deer with various "expanding bullets" from different manufacturers, rarely has a well placed shot with a hunting round not done the business on the relatively thin skinned quarry we seek in the UK.

Calibre discussions go on and on and yet historically big deer have been shot with rounds that many today deem as "not enough gun"

I think its the same with the bullet discussion. All firearms companies surely spend a lot of time in research to ensure that the product does what it says on the tin.
The same bullet can surely cause different effect according to the individual shot, if it caught a rib, pass right through etc etc.

Wiil i get my coat?

Cheers
Redneck
 
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