Bullet construction vs weight

[Bill]

Bullet construction is definitely a big consideration when choosing a hunting load.

I love heavy SD proj in a 6.5x55 or 260, think 140 Naturlis and 155gr Mega's. They just work.

I've recently been playing with 100gr TTSX in a grendel but have run into 2 issues, accuracy is s**t till the barrel has 8 to 10 down it, unfortunately I like a clean barrel so that experiment is gunna end, also when the range extends past 250m expansion will decrease and over penetration enters the equation...

[jpsauer88]

While I agree 100% that the marketing can make rather exaggerated claims and of course the ability of the shooter and shot placement matters the most. I am not intending to imply that there is any magic involved or that a bullet design is going to make up for a bad shot.

I am a bit of a physics nerd and I do honestly believe that the monolithic bullets that are becoming more common / mature in their design, do somewhat change the game as far as typical bullet weight choice options for a particular sized animal.

When a traditionally constructed lighter weight bullet strikes a target at a higher velocity it often has near the same energy at impact due to its higher speed than a heavier projectile, and will shoot flatter and depending on the loading have less felt recoil as well. The big negative is that there is a much higher risk that the bullet explodes on impact or shortly after due to its lighter weight construction and high impact velocity which not only destroys a lot of meat it does not allow adequate penetration to put the animal down quickly.

Wouldn't something like a Barns TTSX or one of the other similar bullets greatly mitigate that big negative regarding the bullet breaking up / lack of penetration?

If so don't you gain a flatter shooting option without really losing out anywhere except maybe in the woods where sheer speed may lead to way too much meat loss.

I'm not stating any of this as fact, just looking to see what other people think

I have found this to be spot on.
Weight is requied in bullets to obtain adequate penetration. Cup and core bullets dump alot of their mass into the animal resulting in a tramsfer of energy that is coverted to heat etc (this is why you see a small explosion in gel tests).
A monolithic bullet changes the rules. Cartridges are designed for cup and core. Once we use monos heavy weights become of little value. Infact, you will find people who have moved away feom monos will have tried to use the same weight choices with monos and cup and core.

Velocity is key for monos. So a 3006, should be shooting 130s at 3200fps rathwr than 168s at 2900fps. 300fps is more important in a mono to expand well and transfer energy to the animal, than penetration, knowing theough countless ballistic tests that a 130 ttsx will penetrate the equivalent to a well constructed 180g bullet.

If planning on shooting monos cartridge choice is really impacted, i own a 3006 and shoot 130ttsx at 3200fps. Results ive seen and everyone ive spoke to including forums, show - the bullet always exits. Expansion on a barnes or any bullet isnt designed to cut theough like an arrow.... its designed to increase bullet resistance and transfer energy to the animal.

Also the comment about 30grains is better than 200fps, remember the formula for calculating energy, double the weight = double the energy, double the velocity = 4x the energy.

With the ossue of cup and core bullets falling apart at high speed solved with monos, light fast bullets should be bullets of choice when shooting monos.
130s fpr 3006 and under. No point in going heavier and loosing expansion when the bullets going to exit anyway!

[Blr243]

I choose calibre and pill weight cup and core appropriate for the game and I only shoot broadside because I want the bullet to perform and I want all of the energy used up inside the chest. I don’t want exits for two reason s 1 is more humane to deliver all the energy for a faster kill and then 2 I don’t want stray pills that may travel on to cause grief elsewhere eg stock laying down in long grass Also when pigs are huddled close I don’t want pass thru that will gut shoot and only wound another pig I don’t like hp with tiny openings They may fold at the tip and perform like a fmj. Hollow points like 308 by Speer and sierra are fine ( big opening on the tip). I use v max or conventional soft points. Roughly 90 grains is perfect for the pigs cats and foxes and dogs I target. If I was targeting just small game and I was carrying a 22250 , then I would have a few heavier barns in my pocket in case I encountered pigs . That’s the only time I would need Monos. If we consider a range of game that can be taken with a cartridge eg from rabbits to Sambar. And if all I had was a 2506 Then I would be useing monos or premium bullets on a sambar because I’m already at the upper range of what I can do with that set up. This is just an example. I don’t even own a 2506 and have never hunted sambar. And the 06 probably not legal anyway ., I prefer to have a cartridge of adequate power so I can just use cup and core ethically and economically

[straightshooter]

Long ago there was a columnist in the SSAA journal who had this motto as hi masthead.
"A little powder and much lead shoots far and kills dead"

[SCJ429]

Velocity is key for monos. So a 3006, should be shooting 130s at 3200fps rathwr than 168s at 2900fps. 300fps is more important in a mono to expand well and transfer energy to the animal, than penetration, knowing theough countless ballistic tests that a 130 ttsx will penetrate the equivalent to a well constructed 180g bullet.

If planning on shooting monos cartridge choice is really impacted, i own a 3006 and shoot 130ttsx at 3200fps. Results ive seen and everyone ive spoke to including forums, show - the bullet always exits. Expansion on a barnes or any bullet isnt designed to cut theough like an arrow.... its designed to increase bullet resistance and transfer energy to the animal.

Also the comment about 30grains is better than 200fps, remember the formula for calculating energy, double the weight = double the energy, double the velocity = 4x the energy.
!

It’s not that simple, if you trade 30 grains of weight, 20% for 200 fps of speed or around 7% the benefit it usually with the heavier bullet. Some of your extra speed will be lost by the lower BC bullet. Too low a speed can stop your bullet from performing properly but high speeds with highly frangable can cause bullet blow up. Personally if I wanted to send a 180 grain bullet at 3200 fps I would select a case that could deliver that speed rather than select a lighter bullet and hope that the Barnes magic bullet construction does the job for you.

[jpsauer88]

![/quote]
It’s not that simple, if you trade 30 grains of weight, 20% for 200 fps of speed or around 7% the benefit it usually with the heavier bullet. Some of your extra speed will be lost by the lower BC bullet. Too low a speed can stop your bullet from performing properly but high speeds with highly frangable can cause bullet blow up. Personally if I wanted to send a 180 grain bullet at 3200 fps I would select a case that could deliver that speed rather than select a lighter bullet and hope that the Barnes magic bullet construction does the job for you.[/quote]

There is only 100ft/lb energy difference between the two.
If the bullet is frangibke, but i never recommended a frangible bullet i was referring specifically to monolithics. that doesn't happen with barnes/cx/gmx/etip, there not magic just monolithic bullets dont explode the way cup core does, a better constructed cup core has a thicker copper jacket, these are all copper....

In terms or bc...
180g @ 200m = 2357fps
130g @ 200m = 2655fps

180g @ 300m = 2209fps
130g @ 300m = 2406fps

The 200fps is far more important in a mono than the weight as both will penetrate the animal. Plus you get the benefit of about 3.5" less drop @ 300.

At about 500m, yes they even out, but bc is irrelevant inside 300m where 99% of hunting is done in Australia. In which case someone should really be pushing a high bc bullet.

The OP asked about bullet weight in a 3006. Not about cartrdige selection.

[mickb]

I feel too much of the premium ammo culture started due to the yanks spending all year talking about hunting and only getting to shoot a couple things a year. Makes a good magazine article to role out ever harder and more expensive bullets. In the day generous expansion and 60-80% weight retention worked fine . These days if it cant penetrate the animal, 60" of gel, 10 phonebooks+ 6" of ply without retaining 100% weight on a youtube vid its apparently a 'failure'