Best longrange hunting bullet for medium sized game.

[.264winmag]

https://imgur.com/gallery/5rffM1U
Dunno if this emulates the .30 cal pills but here’s some testing I did with reduced loads into Hematite as a medium. All rounds were fired out a 7-08 and 6.5cm through a crony first then into the medium a few inches from the medium. A couple of interesting things I noted during the test is the Ttsx seemed to outperform the LRX on all fronts including penetration. The LRX actually penetrated 4” less than the rest even though it expanded the least. The rest made it around 16” into the hematite. All the rest look to be imo decent projectiles out to 500yd and beyond in the case of the amax especially. Is this the same as a test on game, no. But it gives an idea on what it it takes to open up a pill and how it will likely hold together.

[.264winmag]

Years ago I did rock a 300h&h and ran a few 185 Berger’s through a Grizz, a bull elk and a few coyotes from 30yds to 540yds. I had no complaints...

[GROOTSKY]

I’m surprised the 140 VLD retained as much weight as it did while still having some of the widest expansion of your testing. It would be interesting to see what kind of weight it would shed at more realistic impact velocities.

[.264winmag]

I’m surprised the 140 VLD retained as much weight as it did while still having some of the widest expansion of your testing. It would be interesting to see what kind of weight it would shed at more realistic impact velocities.

I can tell you what they retain on critters at realistic ranges, FA with large wound channels and fast expiration. 10 to 800yds , 3300 to 2200 usually bang flop. The worst was a wt buck around 70yds with a 3300fps mv load, through a thicket headed up a bank sneaking away. Hit him in the back between both shoulders. Pretty gruesome but didn’t feel a thing. Outside a few hundred yds they are at best hung up in offside hide and weigh around 50-75%. Inside that less than 50% and often less inside 350yds.

[GROOTSKY]

That’s why I feel safe using the 153 hybrids, they will deliver great terminal performance up close but still expand well at ranges I’m comfortable at-sub 500 yards. They were not my first choice but with the 156 EOL seemingly unavailable for the foreseeable future I feel they will work well for those looking for a heavy for caliber bullet.

[.264winmag]

That’s why I feel safe using the 153 hybrids, they will deliver great terminal performance up close but still expand well at ranges I’m comfortable at-sub 500 yards. They were not my first choice but with the 156 EOL seemingly unavailable for the foreseeable future I feel they will work well for those looking for a heavy for caliber bullet.

One could just also just slow a 140HVLD down, or an amax, eldx etc. Say run em at 6.5*****-more velocities and get similar results on game while running them through fur in their performance window...

[.264winmag]

I personally like a projectile that shrapnels, after running dozens though critters I’ve come to the conclusion that’s what creates wick anchoring. Shutting down the cns opposed to just punching a clean hole through-throug waiting for a bleed-out. A hole through a critters lungs will ultimately make the animal expire, obviously, but think target arrow versus broad head. Call it whatever you like, hydrostatic shock, larger wound channel, velocity or energy. If there are multiple fragments the chance of the spine or multiple organs being affected resulting in quicker anchoring. This doesn’t necessarily mean the animal expires much quicker but he is less likely to travel far after impact. This is desirable when it might be dicey for a follow up shot or travel far into a thicket etc. resulting in a stressful tracking episode. I’m no rocket surgeon, but run a lot of lead through game and eat well.

[GROOTSKY]

I once read a post that I thought was interesting, the author said that all thinks being equal as in bullet weight and construction the common denominator was that the faster his bullet hit the animal the harder it hit the dirt-speed kills. I realize there are many variables in play like angle and shoot placement. I think slowing a bullet down to achieve a desired result is counterproductive, no need to give up the benefits of speed such as more downrange energy, less drop and wind drift.

[GROOTSKY]

I used to be a Barnes fan and there is no doubt that they penetrate from any angle but I have to say the kills were not spectacular, never lost an animal but never had one pile up either. A fragmenting bullet drops them fast but also comes with a responsibility of precise shot placement.

[.264winmag]

I once read a post that I thought was interesting, the author said that all thinks being equal as in bullet weight and construction the common denominator was that the faster his bullet hit the animal the harder it hit the dirt-speed kills. I realize there are many variables in play like angle and shoot placement. I think slowing a bullet down to achieve a desired result is counterproductive, no need to give up the benefits of speed such as more downrange energy, less drop and wind drift.

That argument has some merit, speed and energy does kill. Higher the speed the easier that hydro shock is created, but bullet fragmentation has to play a role in my experience. I’ve just dug to many prices of shrapnel out critters that pole axed instantly to believe otherwise. Slowing down frangible bullets definitely lowers chance of meat loss and bullet failure, the only two arguments I see valid in not utilizing said projectiles. Imo long range doesn’t start until 500 yds, and in that scenario there is no argument that a frangible high bc pill pushed fast doesn’t work well.