Terminal Ballistics Research guiding Hornady bullet developement?

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steve white

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Hornady bullet failures have been discussed at length on AfricaHunting. I stumbled onto a site which may be of interest in that debate. Terminal Ballistics Research site is devoted to serious study of what makes for efficient killing of game animals. The founder has participated in the taking of thousands of head of game, and taken copious notes on the effect of different projectiles at varying velocities and ranges. The TBR site quotes Hornady by name and seems to suggest that it guided and or approves the developement of such bullets as the SST. Some of the conclusions of the site make seem at variance with traditionally held views on how to stop an animal in its tracks. You may not, for example, agree with their views on "weight shedding" of bullets upon impact. I would invite AH members to visit the site and comment: are TBR and Hornady on the right track or not. Regardless, it would seem that TBR has Hornady's ear on guiding principles for cartridge developement. What say you?
 
Link?
 
There is a very good 5 book series that was released by the same guy. Exceptionally informative and covers all aspects of rifle craft.
 
steve white said:
Hornady bullet failures have been discussed at length on AfricaHunting. I stumbled onto a site which may be of interest in that debate. Terminal Ballistics Research site is devoted to serious study of what makes for efficient killing of game animals. The founder has participated in the taking of thousands of head of game, and taken copious notes on the effect of different projectiles at varying velocities and ranges. The TBR site quotes Hornady by name and seems to suggest that it guided and or approves the developement of such bullets as the SST. Some of the conclusions of the site make seem at variance with traditionally held views on how to stop an animal in its tracks. You may not, for example, agree with their views on "weight shedding" of bullets upon impact. I would invite AH members to visit the site and comment: are TBR and Hornady on the right track or not. Regardless, it would seem that TBR has Hornady's ear on guiding principles for cartridge developement. What say you?
Click to expand...

Is this the website you’re referring to:

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/

The vast majority of the criticism has centered on the old version of the DGX and to some extent also on the DGS. I went to the website and could find very little on the DGX. So not sure what to take away from that.

What I know is that Hornady has created a bonded version of the DGX. Some say that was simply to satisfy consumer demand. Personally I’m not buying that.

Maybe I missed it, but if there is more info on the old DGX there, please provide a link.
 
I have visited this site for years now. It is very informative. Nathan’s personal experience is mostly New Zealand based. The main point he tries to get across (IMHO) is the fact that there is a direct correlation between bullet velocity / it’s construction / speed of kill. Cup and core bullets can get you to a quicker kill (shorter blood trail) than a bonded bullet if has reached it’s intended target with the right (prescribed velocity). If it gets there too fast or too slow, a bonded bullet might be the ticket.

Check out for yourself if you have any interest in terminal ballistics.

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Kn...mctr=(not provided)&__utmv=-&__utmk=205755539
 
I have stayed away from Hornady Bullets for dangerous game on the advice of many here.
For whitetail out of my 30-06, they are money though. For the hunting I do in the states, speed is life. Get that 150 grain flatbased bullet up to 2960 FPS a smack that whitetail in the vitals. Magic sh!t happens when descently constructed (not varmit) bullets hit above 2600 FPS.

My dog hates it though, because the heart/lungs are soup.

I have hit several coyotes with 185 grain .308’s that I thought I had missed because they trotted off at the sound of a gunshot with no apparent ill effects. Dead as a door nail 150 yards into the woods with both lungs hit.

Hit them with a 125 grain bullets moving at speed, and DRT.
 
The guys at TBS really know their stuff. I honestly do check there before deciding to go with a new load or caliber so I know what to expect.
 
I don't know much, but this I know.

If one could pick his angle of entry and impact velocity, bullet choice would be fairly simple!
 
Welcome to the party!! I've been hawking Nathan Fosters writings for almost four years on this site.
His research covers just about every caliber made except those over 40 Cal. He discusses bullet construction pros and cons at various velocities. I think the OP may have missed the point of Nathan's writings to some extent. All five of his books are worth the read regardless of where you are at in your hunting and or shooting "career. Read the information posted in his "Knowledgebase" for your favorite caliber and go from there.
 
Nathan is aided in his research by an animal population of goats to wapiti sized animals that can be hunted 365 days a year so his kill count is extremely high and under such a variety of conditions that his writings are some of the very best available.
 
The TBR "Knowledgebase" has an entry for the DGX bullet, but most of what I read was in the section on what kills an animal. Definitely a place to bone up on shooting skills and ballistic planning. It seems I have been going with overkill and not knowing it. The kudos given to everyday bullets for everyday deer hunting were a surprise to me. Though I have killed deer with them, I was always of the opinion that a premium bonded bullet would have been even better--and was then surprised when game ran a considerable distance before expiring. The harder bullets were just zipping through. I do believe in the toughest of the tough for buffalo, though.
 
I have enjoyed his website and have also enjoyed his reloading book. I have learned quite a bit from both.

I cannot count how many times I have had "campfire" talks about guns, calibers, and bullets and have learned that everyone I have shared a fire with seems to be an expert on those subjects. After considerable discussion, I have learned many of these "experts" have taken very few head of game and base their opinions on blind loyalty to a rifle/cartridge combination and then try to back their choices based upon what some outdoor writer said. With that said, I had some skepticism when I started poking around on Foster's website. I have been very impressed with the documentation he has made over many, many years of shooting. It's hard to argue with a guy that has done post-mortem exams on thousands of heads of game.
 
The common thread in all of Nathan Foster's writings is "The Practical" approach he takes to identifying, building, maintaining, reloading and shooting of accurate rifles and ammunition. IMHO his website https://www.ballisticstudies.com/needs to be on every "Nimrods" Favorites List and his five books either on their bookshelves or electronic devices.
 
I have followed Nathan's work longer than I have been on AH and TBR is my first stop when researching a new caliber. His work is all about quick, clean kills, by following his advice on bullet selection, velocity, distance and animal weight you'll spend more time hunting and less time tracking. My fathers Eland hunt this year is a great example of putting Nathans advice into action. Many Eland have been taken with a 30-06 and a 300 WM but Nathan does not recommend using either of those rounds on a bovine sized animal. How many times have we read hunting reports on this site about tracking Eland thru the bush after being shot with a 30 caliber bullet? Following Nathans advice on TBR dad decided to use a 404 Jeffery with a 400 grain A-Frame to hunt Eland. He shot his Eland at 80 yards, it took one step backwards and collapsed, never to move again. I'm not aware of any affiliation Nathan has with any bullet manufacturer but they would be wise to pay attention to his real world, infield research.
 
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