Bullet Performance Database

[Newboomer]

If you do... definitely post them on here. The one thing the 6.5 is lacking that some of the other magnums have is performance at a distance. My 6.5x55 works great (as evidenced by the dead deer above) within about 250 yards. Thats the point at which the bullet slows down enough that even good hits might result in slow kills. Thats where I would bring my .300 win mag loaded with 168 TTSX handloads and use those. However, I personally think that a 350 yard shot at a living animal is my personal max. So.... The 6.5mm is perfect and it also requires you to get in close, which is like 90% the fun of hunting. Nothing gets your blood pumping like having the trophy of a lifetime 40 yards away.

That is my thought, too. I really don't like to shoot much over 200-250 yards. Too many variables and where we hunted in RSA it was open plain and rather windy. Several times I had to pass on a good shot because of wind. Got him later on a good stalk at closer range. That's the challenge--outsmart him on his own turf. I think with a heavier bullet at near max load and within reasonable range I should be good.

 

[Rick Cox]

Gotta love those A Frames, never seen a failed one yet.

Here is one from a Cape buffalo shot at about 30 yds. A branch must have diflected the bullet. I was aiming mid chest and hit in the side of the face. Penetration was about 2". Bullet was a .375 300 gr. recovered weight was 125 gr. I have written about this occurance else where.
#3 is the bullet that killed the buff.
#2 is from the neck of a giraffe.
#1 is the slug that broke up. Final weight: 125 gr.

 

[Paparock94]

Does anyone have any knowledge on the bullet performance of the Barnes .375 270gr. LRX bullet on African game?

 

[Firebird]

Have enjoyed this thread very much-I have only been to Africa one time and my brother and myself shared my Rem. 700 in .300 win mag shooting 200 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullets. I bought them as factory loads but ended up pulling them and working up my own faster, more accurate loads. If they have a flaw it is that they are impossible to find to handload although I see midwayusa is starting to carry them in heavier weights for handloaders. I have not tried the trophy bonded tip by federal but suspect it is very similar.
We shot 20 head of RSA plains game including some of the heavier bodied and tougher animals. Bullet performance was awe inspiring except when a couple animals caught bullets in the guts-where no bullet has any value!
Above all I want to say that I have no favorite bullet-each of my rifles favor something a bit different and I test many flavors for each rifle until I find that rifle's favorite. I will say the speer grand slam, nosler accubond and sierra gameking are the first ones I always try, simply based on a history of great performance.
Here is the blesbok that gave me fits-chased him all morning and finally shot him-in those guts I mentioned. As he raced away, I caught him at just over 200 yards-in the pic you can see the bullet wadded up just under his skin. Why its didn't exit I cannot say but was awful grateful he went down!

 

[Firebird]

We both took waterbuck and IMO they were the toughest animals we each took. This is my brothers at 200 yards, the tbbc hit behind the shoulder but penetrated across and broke the far shoulder. The buck ran a ways before dropping-the bullet was part of the shoulder by then and rather tormented--to the point that even the round shank had become oval in shape, but not come apart. You can actually see the entry about mid height and behind the shoulder.

 

[Firebird]

Of the animals we harvested, here are the only five bullets we recovered. I think the bullet I shot my sable with got lost in his stomach materials after taking one lung. He didn't go far and did not require a second shot, if I could have quit shaking I may have got another into him. . .
Bullet #1 my waterbuck, retained 190 grns, distance was 280 yards
Bullet #2 my brother's gemsbuck retained 192 and was the only one recovered of three hits at 200 yards.
Bullet #3 my brother's waterbuck-retained 178 grains also 200 yards
Bullet #4 my brother's zebra (i think) and I didn't see where it came out of or what it did inside. . .
Bullet #5 my blesbok and retained 192

 

[Timber69]

Go big or go home!!! Bull crap. I have been shooting 6.5x55 since I was 15yrs old. Now just about 50. There has been many layed down from 600yrs to 40 yrs. With my 140 grn. Bullet.
Best shot moose 530 yards heart.
610 yards lungs
450 yards front leg 2nd shot then heart
Elk. 450 yards lungs
375 yards lungs/heart
350 yards lungs/heart
Stopped shooting that distance. Just got smarter and could get closer to the animals. All shots passed through ribs and made a mess of everything inside. Some busted ribs on opposed side, but never passed through.

It's not the speed or the caliber you shoot. It is you and your rifle. Spend time with it, love it, use it and become one with it. This is not new news, it is old news. In fact thousands of years old. The hunters and warriors of our past lived and worked daily with their weapons to make them great hunters or warriors. If not, kill on the battle field or killed, ate by the game they hunted.

 

[686]

Does anyone have any knowledge on the bullet performance of the Barnes .375 270gr. LRX bullet on African game?

I posted upthread about using the Barnes LRX 270 gr. in my 375 Weatherby. I’m shooting about 2860fps with 86.5grains of Superformance powder. Results are fantastic. Multiple PHs, the landowner, and trackers all commented on the great performance. More energy that a 416 Rigby at 100 yards (if memory serves me), and very accurate. It gave me great confidence on my 2018 trip. I had multiple shots over 175yards (where we had been stalking for hours and just couldn’t realistically get closer), so it was good to know my rifle and bullet were completely up to the task if I did my part.

Obviously, this caliber is beyond what’s required for plains game, but I like short tracking jobs. I’m shooting a heavy barrel rifle setup for accuracy.

 

[Paparock94]

I posted upthread about using the Barnes LRX 270 gr. in my 375 Weatherby. I’m shooting about 2860fps with 86.5grains of Superformance powder. Results are fantastic. Multiple PHs, the landowner, and trackers all commented on the great performance. More energy that a 416 Rigby at 100 yards (if memory serves me), and very accurate. It gave me great confidence on my 2018 trip. I had multiple shots over 175yards (where we had been stalking for hours and just couldn’t realistically get closer), so it was good to know my rifle and bullet were completely up to the task if I did my part.

View attachment 261879

View attachment 261881

Obviously, this caliber is beyond what’s required for plains game, but I like short tracking jobs. I’m shooting a heavy barrel rifle setup for accuracy.

Thanks for your great reply! I loved the pic also!

 

[686]

Thanks for your great reply! I loved the pic also!

Sure! That slug was the only one recovered from my 2018 hunt, from a zebra that I shot that was severely quartering towards me at ~175yds. Bullet entered front shoulder and was recovered under the hide on the opposite rear hindquarter. The skinner told me “everything from front to back was destroyed”. I wish I had hung out at the skinning shack to check it out first person, but I had been out for about 10hours at that point and a comfortable chair and gin and tonic were just too tempting.

 

[Paparock94]

Hey, I ran across this video about lion hunting and it really made me think of why you may want as many rounds as you can carry in a rifle in such a situation! WOW!!!

 

[HWL]

Hey, I ran across this video about lion hunting and it really made me think of why you may want as many rounds as you can carry in a rifle in such a situation! WOW!!!

This is killing zoo animals, nothing else....

HWL

 

[Paparock94]

This is killing zoo animals, nothing else....

HWL

I'm sorry to hear that!!! There is no excuse for that type of thing!!! How is it legal?

 

[bruce moulds]

think of it as farming and they are livestock.
bruce.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Exit from 300 WM using 165 Barnes TTSX lasered at 185 yards. Obviously no bullet retrieved!

 

[steve white]

WOW! Those Trophy Bonded tipped are really impressive! Sort of like a combined A-Frame and TSX?

 

[bruce moulds]

did that thing have mange?
i once shot a dingo thad had only 2 hairs on its whole body, both on the end of its tail.
mange.
did it a big favour for sure.
bruce.

 

[ack]

We shot aa couple whitetails this yr with Trophy Bonded Tip..In shoulder ,took out heart..but only 10" penetration.. I'm done with 'em….They were small(110#s)….I like Scirroco's better but you need to hit some bone or they go right out the other side ..Kill's 'em but they might go 100yds....Perfect mushrooms and good retained weight..

 

[Ridgewalker]

did that thing have mange?
i once shot a dingo thad had only 2 hairs on its whole body, both on the end of its tail.
mange.
did it a big favour for sure.
bruce.

Yep, a serious case of mange. Couldn’t find a buyer for the pelt!

 

[flatwater bill]

This 200 grain Barnes bullet killed a black wildebeest at 130 yards. From an 8X57 mauser, muzzle vel average 2451 fps.................FWB