Post by hillbill on Dec 7, 2022 18:44:54 GMT -5
So
Seems there has been a good bit of discussion on bullets lately so at the suggestion of another member I'm starting this thread.
Hopefully as a result it will lay out some parameters on what to expect with a given bullet at a specified speed.
This is not to promote any particular maker or bullet weight, just for informational discussion.
First some rambling: These are just personal opinions.
What does one expect from a particular bullet?
Controlled expansion at all distances and speeds?
Does such a bullet exist?
If so what are the trade offs?
Price points low and high?
So as many of you know I have shot Pittman bullets exclusively since being introduced so I have extensive experience with his pills, this thread is not to promote Kyle's products but simply informational, many of you shoot other maker's bullets and that's fine.
What I would like to hear is your personal experience with a given bullet at a specific speed, both .45 and .40 caliber.
Please list what the brand, weight and caliber is when you reply to this post.
What influences bullet performance?
Many factors, design, weight, density,hardness, jacket thickness, twist rate,etc.
Is there a perfect bullet? YES AND NO
Perfect for a specific task? YES
Perfect for all tasks? NO
Can a light for caliber bullet provide good terminal performance on game animals? YES BUT WITH LIMITATIONS.
What do I mean?
so if I'm shooting a .45 cal 275 grain cup and core bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2500 fps and impacting animals at 75 yds plus it will most likely do what is expected of it, up the speed 300 fps and things get sketchy at best, at around 3000 and above and you will have a grenade on your hands.
same thing with really tight distances, even at lower speeds you will still likely have a grenade with no pass through.
bullets lighter than 275 grains have very low sectional density which means they will flatten and shatter very quickly so take that into consideration.
Heavier bullets typically have a better chance of making pass troughs BUT at high speed stand a good chance of not exiting the animal.
The heaviest for caliber bullets stand the best chance of poking holes on both sides BUT along the way comes recoil into the mix.
It's a balancing act, especially for the recoil shy or those who desire to carry a light build.
for guys that desire to shoot the light stuff at super man speed? expect a pass thru? expect no less than a grenade.
One must be realistic with bullet expectations.
a great target bullet Can be a good hunting bullet if you are realistic and make good choices.
MONO BULLETS:
The perfect answer? Hardly
The problem with mono bullets is obturation if you smooth form, impossible? no but difficult at best.
I shoot a 297 Hammer in one of my .40s, yes it works great BUT I doubt many of you want to full form them in a Redding Ultramag like I have to.
It requires a full form die with an insert made from your barrel drop.
Yes you can anneal and make them soft so you can use a standard press, another step to do.
.45 caliber Mono bullets are few, the ones out there have the BC of a brick and are hard to swell.
typically I have found the mono bullets across the board to be a little less accurate than their cup and core counterparts.
The bottom line is this, THERE IS NO PERFECT BULLET
JMO of course.
Below is a list of bullets I have used in my 17 years of shooting smokeless guns with comments on each, not promoting or throwing rocks, just telling my experience.
.50 cal
1. saboted 250 sst @ 2600--accuracy was spotty
terrible on game performance
2. saboted 250 Barnes TMZ @ 2500--hard to get to shoot
great terminal performance
3. saboted Barnes 290 TEZ (flat base)--decent accuracy
excallent on game performance
4. saboted Hornady 325 FTX @ 2300--decent accuracy
good terminal performance
5. saboted Barnes 300 original @ 2400--good accuracy
spotty performance on game (pencil through on some shots)
# 1&2 were a disaster in wind and have the bc of a brick, 3,4&5 not great in bc dept either.
.45 cal
1. saboted 200 sst from 2500 -3000 fps--good accuracy
worked well at slower speeds, not so well at high speed,bc of a rock, wind is not your friend
2. saboted 200 sst bonded
better all the way around on animals
3. saboted 195 Barnes from 2500- 2900---good accuracy
great terminal performance
bc of a bigger rock, wind wreaks havoc
4. parker 275 BE from 2600-3000-- very good accuracy
Very explosive on game, bc not great either
5. Parker 300 BE--from 2600-2900 great accuracy
better on animals but still very soft
6. Parker MH 275 @ 2700-3000 good accuracy
better at slower speeds on game
7. Parker MH 300 @ 2700-2900 good accuracy
decent on animal performance
8. Parker MH 325 @ 2700 good accuracy
good on game performance
9. Pittman 275 Accumax @ 2500 & 3000 great accuracy
good on game at slower speeds, frags at upper
10. Pittman Accumax 300 @ 2700-3000 great accuracy
same at slower speeds, not always a pass thru at upper
11. Pittman Aeromax 300 & 303 HC @2900 great accuracy
good on game in most instances (300) 303 Hc is my go to load in the .45 with great all around performance
12. Pittman Aeromax 325 & 328 HC @ 2700-3100 great accuracy
good on animals (325) 328 works great at upper speeds
Most of the bore riders above are good target bullets as well, some great groups have been shot with them
All of the bullet to bore loads are better in the bc dept with the heavier Aeromax having a great bc for a .45 caliber bullet
The wind is still not our friend even with the heavy stuff but it helps.
.40 cal .402
1. 275 Accumax @ 2900 --great accuracy
very good terminal performance, pass thru on most shots, good out 1000 yds as a target bullet
2. 300 Accumax @ 28-2900--great accuracy
great terminal performance, pass thru on most shots, great target bullet as well.
3. 312 Aeromax @ 2900 great accuracy
never tried them on an animal
4. 325 Aeromax @ 2900-3100-- great accuracy
never tried on animals but others report good stuff
5. 350 Aeromax @ 31-3300--great accuracy
worked very well on the Antelope @ 896
great bc @3260, .628 here at home @ 1850 elev, these heavy Aeromax .402 bullets are my choice for the really long stuff
All of the above are great bullets BUT they are VERY powder specific as are ALL .40 caliber loads
they have a distinct advantage in bc and wind drift vs the same weight bullets in the .45
.40 cal .4085 (Hammer)
1. 273 Pittman Hammer @ 2800--good accuracy
great terminal performance with a pass thru every time and lots of tissue damage
2. 297 Pittman Hammer @ 2800-3000--good accuracy
great terminal performance with devastating wound channels and complete pass thru every time
3. 322 Pittman Hammer @ 2800+-good accuracy
never tried them on game.
I have never really given these bullets an honest go on targets, accurate? Yes.
As accurate as the Aero line? Questionable but can't say for sure.
If you like to full form and tinker with load development they are great bullets.
This is not an exhaustive list of all the bullets I have tried just the ones I used the most of over the years.
I tried several .416s and .375s as well but they are rare birds so I won't bother with them.
Again
I'm not promoting any particular bullet, just giving my honest findings with what I have used the most of.
Expensive? Yep they are, the best stuff usually is be it a bullet or the gun that fires it
Can you get by with cheaper choices? Sure Can and many do, that's the purpose of this thread, to get a broad spectrum of what you gents use with HONEST findings in real world use.
PLEASE BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH YOUR INPUT, THIS COULD BE ONE OF THE MOST HELPFUL THREADS ON THE BOARD IN A WHILE.