All copper bullets

[trperk1]

How do you shoot an animal as small as a duiker with s .30-06 and any bullet, and recover the bullet? I have noticed that people shooting all copper bullets seem to retrieve a disproportionate number of bullets. Maybe because copper is lighter than lead?

I've only.shot.one duiker. I was using a .30-06 with 180 grain Partitions. Of course the bullet passed through and he folded up on the spot. Some years back I started using AccuBonds for North America and PG. I've used them in 7-08, 7 mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag. So far, I have never recovered a single bullet. All have passed through leaving a large exit wound and a dead animal. I have killed a large variety of game from a smallish impala ewe (for camp.meat) up through a bull moose. No recovered bullets. I even offered $10 to any spinners or meat cutters that could find one of my bullets in Zim. No dice.I don't live in California, so I haven't gotten excited about all copper bullets. The one thing I can say for them though is that Hunter Habib swears by them, and if he says it, I believe it!

You don't have to recover the bullet to see the exact same size entry and exit hole.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

You don't have to recover the bullet to see the exact same size entry and exit hole.

Correct and agree…


.243 With Barnes TTSX -80 Grain on Roan and Lechwe. A couple bullets recovered. I believe one was against the skin that lost all its pedals. Each animal was shot twice and at significantly different distances and only one bullet recovered for each. Both showed signs of mortal wounds (blood in nose), but I refuse to let animals suffer if I can help it. Details in my last Africa report…

Regardless of the rifle, caliber, and/or bullet choice; I believe we are obligated to learn to be the best shot possible in order to predictably shoot and kill animals ethically.

There are plenty of stories and arguments out there about “more than enough gun” and misplaced shots… Practice, Practice, Practice.

- Suum cuique

 

[Safari Dave]

It looks like Hunter Habib's experience (which more than 100 times more than me) with newer Barnes TSX's and mine with old TSX's were pretty similar...


His -

Mine -

In slower rifles, I think they may be a great compromise between expanding bullets and solids.


Situations where penetration is needed, but some expansion helps with lethality.

 

[Scott4030]

Check out this Barnes 180gr TSX. I shot this sable at about 100 yards with a .300wby mag. My hand loads are traveling at about 3200fps at the muzzle. The sable took one step and dropped. The bullet spun around completely inside the animal and got stuck headed out the other side. All down range energy expended! That is a lot of shock.

 

[Hunt anything]

@Scott4030, that’s wild! Almost like a “Tumble on Impact” bullet.

 

[Scott4030]

@Scott4030, that’s wild! Almost like a “Tumble on Impact” bullet.

Absolutely crazy. Never had that happen before.

 

[K-man]

Check out this Barnes 180gr TSX. I shot this sable at about 100 yards with a .300wby mag. My hand loads are traveling at about 3200fps at the muzzle. The sable took one step and dropped. The bullet spun around completely inside the animal and got stuck headed out the other side. All down range energy expended! That is a lot of shock.

I've had 2 Barnes i recovered look exactly like that. On both I was able to post-mortem the wound channel, and on mine the bullet "stretched" the skin on the back side and the petals were the only thing holding it in. The bullet didn't tumble in the body, it turned at the skin. Wound channel looked normal, for a Barnes bullet.

 

[Scott4030]

I've had 2 Barnes i recovered look exactly like that. On both I was able to post-mortem the wound channel, and on mine the bullet "stretched" the skin on the back side and the petals were the only thing holding it in. The bullet didn't tumble in the body, it turned at the skin. Wound channel looked normal, for a Barnes bullet.

That’s probably what happened with that sable. I didn’t take the time to look at the wound channel or recover the bullet. Pretty neat when you walk up on the critter.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

I tried to hate on Barnes TSX or maybe it was TTYSX, I mean it was some kind of acronym of T’s and X’s and might have had a S or I in it. BUT…I’ve made a complete turn and am now a wholehearted fanboy, like 103%. Admit I wanted to like them before after seeing results a buddy achieved on bear and moose with his 300wm, but just couldn’t get a load with 250gr that my 338wm would shoot as accurately as I’d accept. But through heavy hide and bone, they performed swimmingly.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Fast forward to last year when I picked up a Rigby in .416 with intents of using for a trip this year, and ended up taking it on a last minute trip last June (like 3 weeks after I got the rifle). I could only find Federal loaded with bear claws, but the rifle shot them well so went with it. While stopping over in Denver I picked up two boxes of the Barnes Factory Vortex ammo with 400gr. Once in RSA I shot the rifle to ensure zero after remounting the scope and a couple of the Barnes to see where they hit POA in comparison to the bonded bear claws. They hit spot on same. Took and awesome and wide old bull with the Federal ammo but the front half of the slugs recovered were missing. The wound channels looked as the bullets properly expanded but they they ultimately sheared off leaving just the back 2/3’s. Chalked it up to the heavy bone and gristle of the Cape buffalo. Well, two days later I recovered another one, this time after traveling left shoulder to right rump on a big Roan, and same thing happened. Switched to the Barnes for remainder of the trip and on the Eland I had the same shot as my Roan, front shoulder to opposite rump. Recovered the slug and it had made a huge wound channel and was solidly intact, minus one petal had sheared off.

Expected I’d be a Barnes convert after that result.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Getting ready for the trip I just returned from this Monday I had picked up a couple more boxes of the Barnes Vortex loaded ammo in 400gr. Shot side by side with the Federal Bear Claw, and my Rigby shoots both well, but the Barnes is sub 1/2 moa whereas the Federal is closer to .75” and more importantly, the Barnes factory ammo is almost 100fps faster, with average speeds just over 2,450fps. So, Barnes is all I packed for this trip. Two Buffalo later, it’s all I’ll pack going forward. They performed flawlessly. Between both, 18yards is total post shot travel. First bull was a strait frontal shot, he literally jut tipped forward onto his chin. The first shot and finishing one upon walking up are the photo with two slugs. Fast forward a week, and second bull was also around 65 yards but broadside shot through the shoulder and he only went 18 yards before collapsing. Shot him twice more walking up to help hasten his departure. One of the slugs was pulled from his spine, only difference is it’s darker after spending 2 days in the carcass until they were breaking him down to fit into buggy with other animals to head back to the main camp. All the bullets performed flawlessly. Im sold, period. Was further tickled to hear from my local shop that he just got two cases of the ammo while I was in Africa. Told him I’ll take it all as I can’t make or shoot a load any more accurate than the factory.