Making a Bullet Trap to Test Terminal Performance

slimjim

stovepipe wrote:

Maybe run a box out to 200y and redo?

stovey, this is a good suggestion. I'll include the 150gr VLD when I do my long range tests with the 130gr GMX.

Aloysius

SJ, good advice to end the year: "1 nut can ask more questions than 10 wise men could answer" Smile

stovepipe

I resemble that remark!

Aloysius

Stovey, nothing personal Sir, it was just a stupid idiom that crossed my mind and I got the opinion that it was the right time and the right place to put such remark...

stovepipe

Aw shuks Aloy you know me and I know you its all good mate! I enjoy a good dig, even at my own expence!

And I still resemble that remark! Laughing

slimjim

Made it out to the range yesterday and was able to place a .270 Win 130gr Hornady GMX though a gallon milk jug of water to capture a bullet at 500 yards. I know have a hat trick at 100, 250, and 500 yards and have verified effective bullet expansion. Even at 500 yards the transfer of energy to the water jug was impressive. Now I'm ready for hunting season!

Elvis

hmmm maybe I will have to shell out some hard earned dollars and buy some of those to try out. how do the 110 grn coppers look???

Ominivision1

One thing I noticed with the Barnes tsx and Hornady gmx is at least with my bullets slamming into water jugs is the gmx bullet has 6 petals and the tsx bullet has 4.

The 2 bullets on the left are Barnes tsx recovered at 100 yards and 25 yards and the 2 bullets on the right are Hornady gmx also recovered at 100 yards and 25 yards respectively. Notice the Barnes tsx 2nd bullet from the left recovered at 25 yards has 4 petals and the Hornady gmx far right recovered at 25 yards has 6 petals. This pic is about 3 years old.

Both these bullets are very good performers on game.

slimjim

Elvis wrote:

how do the 110 grn coppers look???

Elvis, they were actually one of the first bullets I tested. Here is the picture from the first page of this topic. The 110gr TTSX is a scorcher. I'm getting 3400 fps. Its flat shooting and has more energy and penetrates deeper than the 130gr TSX or GMX at 100 yards. I switched to the GMX for increased performance beyond 200-300 yards.

slimjim

Ominivision1 wrote:

bullets ... recovered at 100 yards and 25 yards

OV1, what were you shooting? Your 100 yards bullets look like they opened up about as much as my 500 yards bullet.

I have had 100% reliable expansion from all my Barnes TSX/TTSX and Hornady GMX bullets. Yes the GMX has more pedals but I think it makes the bullet stay together more. I've never had any of the GMX pedals break-off or separate from the body of the bullet. I've had one of the pedals break off in my tests with Barnes and that was on a .223 bullet where the pedals aren't big to begin with. Because of the reliable expansion and 100% weight retension, these bullets give me confidence when I pull the trigger. Now with this test, I'm confident at the longer ranges.

Ominivision1

I was shooting my M700 308. That was also the first time I used a rain barrel instead of a fackler box as I got sick and tired of repairing the box. Very Happy

Here is 2 pics of a rain barrel bullet catcher, the one I have I keep out at my buddies farm and will hold up to 8 gallon jugs placed inside.

slimjim

OV1, that is a great set-up. Still, that isn't much expansion on those bullets in your pictures for 100 yards.

dhc4ever

Slim,
seems to me you've just proved why you dont use a target bullet for hunting.
The VLD was designed for low drag, flat trajectory and velocity conservation in long range target shooting, not terminal performance on game.
Impressive photos of the mushrooming of the hunting projectiles.
You haven't by any chance plans on putting a few Sierra Gamekings through your test method have you?

Cheers

slimjim · Last edited by slimjim on Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:55 pm; edited 2 times in total

dhc4ever wrote:

The VLD was designed for low drag, flat trajectory and velocity conservation in long range target shooting, not terminal performance on game.

Berger claims their VLDs are hunting bullets but they are design to disintegrate after a few inches of penetration - depositing all the energy of the bullet in the game. My bullet trap does not have this affect on them and I don't feel like buying a slab of meat to have a more realistic capture media. All my Berger VLD bullets have yawed upon impact at 100 yards. On one test the water jug didn't even move when it was hit, it just started leaking water. I know bullets yawing can cause significant internal damage but I'm also not a fan of fragmentation. I've watched the butcher cut off an entire shoulder on an elk because it was full of lead fragments. I plan on retesting the 150 VLD at 300 and 500 yards like stovey suggested but the rain came down this last time before I had a chance to shoot the VLDs. They should be more stable at that distance which may make a difference.

Pumpkinslinger

Good info guys! Keep it coming!