I recently got a box of these from Richard as I wanted to continue to use my 7mm08 hill rifle with copper but needed a bullet that would work at the relatively low velocity of the 7mm08 with copper. His fragmenting design sounded interesting so I bought a box of the 124gr to try. This is meant to be a very honest, unbiased report on what I found.
They hit the lands at 2.792" so I came off 62 thou at first to 2.730" COAL and worked up a load with GRT and OBT. It suggested a slightly compressed load with the RS60 I had to hand so I made up 6 to test. The group at 100m was about 1/4" which was a good start and MV measured with Magnetospeed was 3040 fps so i made up the remaining 44 to that recipe and headed for Scotland.
Our first day is a Sunday and always "range day". Velocity in the slightly colder conditions was 3035 fps. The group test at 100m repeated the 1/4" group and I verified drops at 200m, 300m and 400m. BC estimate was a slightly disappointing 0.275 - 0.300 G1 according to Strelok which meant I was down at 1500 ftlbs at around 200m and wind drift was almost double my usual 150gr ABLR lead bullets (which are exceptional).
We were a bit light on stags and had to work hard for all we shot. I only shot two in the week so not a statistically relevant sample, but one worth reporting anyway.
The first was a Stag that another guest had shot badly. I tracked it for 1500m from the shot sight and it finally couched up with it's back end to me. My only available shot (other than a Texan) was a head shot at 169m but with the accuracy I knew I had and little wind I was happy to take it. Point of impact was perfect. I did have a shot opportunity earlier at 360m which I would have taken with the ABLR's but didn't have the confidence with the Yew Tree's at that range.
The second was my stag. 186m, broadside, I took a Hillar shot and the 185Lb (lardered weight) stag collapsed on the spot. Again, point of impact exactly where I had planned and spectacular shot reaction. I don't believe the bullet exited. On internal inspection it went through both sides of the rib cage, didn't break any shoulder bones but we could not find an exit wound. Those wanting a big hole and a blood trail would have been disappointed but the bullet had done it's job well from my perspective.
Overall, with the limited experience I had, the bullets performed exceptionally well in the field, being very accurate. I will continue to use them on Roe and Fallow this winter and gather more experience with them. In a 7mm08 I would be happy to use them on Red Stags out to 250m, perhaps a little further if the wind isn't blowing too hard.
Interestingly two of the guests were using GMX bullets, 120gr 6.5 in a CM and 139gr in 7mm08. The 139gr in 7mm08 was the one I tracked above. It was a rear lung shot at 200m but I was amazed the beast went 1500m before stopping. On inspection the exit was the same size as the entry which suggests it pencilled through. The 120gr in CM was a shot just behind the heart at 230m. The beast stopped but stood for 30 seconds so we put a second into it at which point it went down. Neither was impressive performance. My conclusion was that they might be alright if placement was perfect but there was not the margin for error that you got with a typical lead bullet. I believe the Yew Tree to be much better for both accuracy and terminal performance. Another guest shot a stag with a 130gr Federal Premium Copper in 270win and needed 2 shots to put it down at 110m but I was not present for that shot so can't comment too much.
Well done Richard, a great British product by the looks of things so far. But if you could tweak the BC up a bit they could be even better.
They hit the lands at 2.792" so I came off 62 thou at first to 2.730" COAL and worked up a load with GRT and OBT. It suggested a slightly compressed load with the RS60 I had to hand so I made up 6 to test. The group at 100m was about 1/4" which was a good start and MV measured with Magnetospeed was 3040 fps so i made up the remaining 44 to that recipe and headed for Scotland.
Our first day is a Sunday and always "range day". Velocity in the slightly colder conditions was 3035 fps. The group test at 100m repeated the 1/4" group and I verified drops at 200m, 300m and 400m. BC estimate was a slightly disappointing 0.275 - 0.300 G1 according to Strelok which meant I was down at 1500 ftlbs at around 200m and wind drift was almost double my usual 150gr ABLR lead bullets (which are exceptional).
We were a bit light on stags and had to work hard for all we shot. I only shot two in the week so not a statistically relevant sample, but one worth reporting anyway.
The first was a Stag that another guest had shot badly. I tracked it for 1500m from the shot sight and it finally couched up with it's back end to me. My only available shot (other than a Texan) was a head shot at 169m but with the accuracy I knew I had and little wind I was happy to take it. Point of impact was perfect. I did have a shot opportunity earlier at 360m which I would have taken with the ABLR's but didn't have the confidence with the Yew Tree's at that range.
The second was my stag. 186m, broadside, I took a Hillar shot and the 185Lb (lardered weight) stag collapsed on the spot. Again, point of impact exactly where I had planned and spectacular shot reaction. I don't believe the bullet exited. On internal inspection it went through both sides of the rib cage, didn't break any shoulder bones but we could not find an exit wound. Those wanting a big hole and a blood trail would have been disappointed but the bullet had done it's job well from my perspective.
Overall, with the limited experience I had, the bullets performed exceptionally well in the field, being very accurate. I will continue to use them on Roe and Fallow this winter and gather more experience with them. In a 7mm08 I would be happy to use them on Red Stags out to 250m, perhaps a little further if the wind isn't blowing too hard.
Interestingly two of the guests were using GMX bullets, 120gr 6.5 in a CM and 139gr in 7mm08. The 139gr in 7mm08 was the one I tracked above. It was a rear lung shot at 200m but I was amazed the beast went 1500m before stopping. On inspection the exit was the same size as the entry which suggests it pencilled through. The 120gr in CM was a shot just behind the heart at 230m. The beast stopped but stood for 30 seconds so we put a second into it at which point it went down. Neither was impressive performance. My conclusion was that they might be alright if placement was perfect but there was not the margin for error that you got with a typical lead bullet. I believe the Yew Tree to be much better for both accuracy and terminal performance. Another guest shot a stag with a 130gr Federal Premium Copper in 270win and needed 2 shots to put it down at 110m but I was not present for that shot so can't comment too much.
Well done Richard, a great British product by the looks of things so far. But if you could tweak the BC up a bit they could be even better.
