Bullet Performance Database

[Art Lambart II]

I just found one of the many failed Barnes X bullets I have seen over the years, this is a 300gr .375 H&H I think it was a Federal Premium Factory load.

From a Buffalo I had to back up on, normally the Barnes are Ok in .375 H&H on Buffalo but some times they fail, never have had a Swift A Frame or Trophy Bonded Bear Claw fail.

Saying this I had just bought some TSX in 9.3 286gr as I couldn't find anything better (had trouble even finding these) for my hunt that might include a Dwarf/Forest Buff so was trusting them enough for that.

Unfortunately I will now be using a open sighted 7x64mm.

At this years SCI convention in Nashville I bought every 9.3 286 grain bullet Swift had at the show, I ended up with 4 boxes of Swift A frames. I also got some 250 Grain TTSX from the Barnes booth.

 

[Sarg]

Well @Art Lambart II you are well heeled then.

I did manage to sweet talk a deer hunter out of his 300gr 9.3 A Frames but now I have SAF & TSX that I’m not going to use on my coming hunt next month.

I might just shoot a few smaller Red Stags to see if 9.3 TSX set up on them, as I said most of our hunters that use the 300gr in the .375 H&H on Buffalo have success with it, I’m not a fan of the TSX on smaller game it has proven a slow kill.

Again using old mind set, I suspect very light & fast may work but there are plenty of better bullets for that.

 

[Kevin375]

From the left to the right :

1) Degol Starkmantel .375" 350 gr out of the box

2) Degol Starkmantel 350 gr recovered in a giraffe bull shot at ~ 150 meters. The bullet hit the shoulder and was recovered underneath the skin on the other side.
Weight retention : 289.9 gr = 82.8 %

3) Degol Starkmantel 350 gr recovered in a eland shot at 20 meters with a quartering toward shot. The bullet hit the base of the neck and was recovered pretty deep according to farm workers.
Weight retention : 270.6 gr = 77.3 %

4) Degol Lion Load 350 gr out of the box.

5) Degol Lion Load 350 gr found in a eland shot with almost a frontal shot at 50 meters.
Weight retention : 244.4 gr = 69.82 %.

5) Barnes TTSX .264" 120 gr out of the box

6) Barnes TTSX 120 gr found in a kudu bull with a quartering toward shot at 40 meters. The entrance wound was in the left shoulder and the bullet was recovered underneath the skin, in the middle of the body.
It didn't lose any weight, except its tip.

Degol bullets were shot with my Blaser R93 in .375 Holland & Holland magnum. I reloaded them with Reload Swiss Powder 60 and the muzzle velocity was ~ 705 m/s (2312 f/s).

The Barnes TTSX was shot with my Blaser R8 in 6.5 Creedmoor. I reloaded them with Vihtavuori N555 and my muzzle velocity is 880 m/s (2887 m/s).

How do you keep your bullets recovered and their own historic ?
I use a little plastic bag and a paper where I write all infos possible : the bullet, its weight, the rifle, the powder, the animal and its weight retention.
My collection :

 

[Osama Mahdi]

From the left to the right :
View attachment 681376


1) Degol Starkmantel .375" 350 gr out of the box

2) Degol Starkmantel 350 gr recovered in a giraffe bull shot at ~ 150 meters. The bullet hit the shoulder and was recovered underneath the skin on the other side.
Weight retention : 289.9 gr = 82.8 %

3) Degol Starkmantel 350 gr recovered in a eland shot at 20 meters with a quartering toward shot. The bullet hit the base of the neck and was recovered pretty deep according to farm workers.
Weight retention : 270.6 gr = 77.3 %

4) Degol Lion Load 350 gr out of the box.

5) Degol Lion Load 350 gr found in a eland shot with almost a frontal shot at 50 meters.
Weight retention : 244.4 gr = 69.82 %.

5) Barnes TTSX .264" 120 gr out of the box

6) Barnes TTSX 120 gr found in a kudu bull with a quartering toward shot at 40 meters. The entrance wound was in the left shoulder and the bullet was recovered underneath the skin, in the middle of the body.
It didn't lose any weight, except its tip.

Degol bullets were shot with my Blaser R93 in .375 Holland & Holland magnum. I reloaded them with Reload Swiss Powder 60 and the muzzle velocity was ~ 705 m/s (2312 f/s).

The Barnes TTSX was shot with my Blaser R8 in 6.5 Creedmoor. I reloaded them with Vihtavuori N555 and my muzzle velocity is 880 m/s (2887 m/s).

How do you keep your bullets recovered and their own historic ?
I use a little plastic bag and a paper where I write all infos possible : the bullet, its weight, the rifle, the powder, the animal and its weight retention.
My collection :
View attachment 681377

Well, perhaps you tell us about your big collection. Many things to learn from it. Thank you for sharing

 

[Kevin375]

I have already shared some photos of my datas and I will continue later. Most of my collection are bullets found in game shot by myself : mainly in african big games, but also in some european games. A little number of bullet come from tests, and were shot in water jugs, or are from fellow hunters.

 

[Kevin375]

A little feedback about the (in)famous 6.5 Creedmoor with a bullet that is very often related to it, the Hornady ELD-X 143 gr in Africa.
The first time, I bought a box of them in Windhoek, as well as a can of Hodgdon 4350. The load developement was very easy and I had quickly a good accuracy, the half MOA at 100 meters with 5 shots.

The second time, I loaded them at home with the Vihtavuori N160 and I had the same accuracy. Before, I tried with the Vihtavuori N555, but the accuracy was not as good as the N160, the SD was awful, and the velocities were bad too.

From the left to the right :

1) Hornady ELD-X 143 gr out of the box.

2) Young Kudu bull shot at 377 meters (412 yards) with the Hodgdon recipe ! Unfortunately the animal moved when I shot, and I hit it in the guts. It stopped in the thick bush not far from the first shot. I approched it and I finished it off with a head shot. The bullet was recovered under the skin on the other side.
Weight retention : 110 gr = 76.9 %

3 and 4 ) Big eland cow shot with a frontal shot at ~ 180 meters ( 200 yards) with the N160. Unfortunately, the shot was not in the center of the chest, but it destroyed one shoulder. The humerus bone was destroyed, but the bullet stopped just behind it.
Weight retention of the rear part (n°4) : 33.1 gr = 23.1 %
I haven't weighted the fragment.

I finished off the eland with my good old .375 H&H magnum the next day.

5 and 6 ) Bullets recovered in a big spotted hyena shot at about 60 meters ( 65 yards).
The first bullet was the n°5. It touched a little tree before to hit the hyena. The animal dropped on the spot and stoud up. It started to turn and I put another shot with a texas heart shot.
My first bullet was recovered under the skin on the opposite side, while the second bullet was recovered in the chest and passed through the liver.
5) : 45.4 gr = 31.7 %
6) : 46.2 gr = 32.3 %

The bullet clearly tumbled.

I have killed several big games with that bullet (Kudus, waterbuck, wildebeests) but it is too soft for my liking. Here is why at the end, I used Barnes TTSX 120 gr.
However, for warthogs, impalas and springboks, the ELD-X works well.

 

[CaribouLu96]

Newbie here!

308 Win - federal trophy bonded tip 165gr 2700fps- 70 ish yards on a waterbuck - 93% weight retention - shot was just above the heart and was 3/4 of an inch away from a complete pass through.

 

[ftrovato]

Newbie here!

308 Win - federal trophy bonded tip 165gr 2700fps- 70 ish yards on a waterbuck - 93% weight retention - shot was just above the heart and was 3/4 of an inch away from a complete pass through.View attachment 685009

Hard to argue with those results! It really is amazing what bullet quality has turned into over the last 50 years! But in the end, nothing like a well placed shot!

 

[CaribouLu96]

6.5 Creedmoor Federal Terminal Ascent 130 Gr 2800 fps. Recovered from a blue wildebeest at 150 yards. 87% weight retention. This is what my brother brought to Africa and myself as well as the PHs were very impressed with the performance of the 6.5 on plains game including Eland.

 

[CaribouLu96]

6.5 Creedmoor Federal Terminal Ascent 130 Gr 2800 fps. Recovered from a blue wildebeest at 150 yards. 87% weight retention. This is what my brother brought to Africa and myself as well as the PHs were very impressed with the performance of the 6.5 on plains game including Eland.

 

[Esoteric Junkie]

Are Degol projectiles being imported to the USA and if so, who is the importer?

EJ

 

[Kevin375]

My friend from Belgium spoke with mister Degol last year, and it seems he exported quite often to the USA, but I don't know more about it.

Here is another feedback with the Degol Starkmantel 300 gr in .375 Holland & Holland magnum.
I helped a friend who went to Mozambique to reload his ammunitions. He had no knowledge about reloading and components.
Th recipe was simple : Federal cases, Federal 215 GM primers, Vihtavuori N150 powder and Degol Starkmantel bullets. Muzzle velocity : ~760 m/s (2493 f/s)
He also uses a Blaser R93 Professional but topped with a Swarovski.
First, I tried in 10 liters water jugs. The bullet was recovered in the 4 th

18.45 g ( 284.72 gr)

My friend went to Mozambique and he killed a buffalo and a hippo with these bullets

Both bullets were recovered :

1 and 4 : bullets out of the box

2 : Buffalo bull with a frontal chest shot at around 80 meters. The animal ran away and didn't go far before to expire. Weight retention : 17.825 g (275.07 gr) = 91.7 %


3 : Hippo bull shot at around 70 meters with a quartering away shot. We can see on the photo the entrance wound. Weight retention : 15.15 g ( 233.8 gr) = 77.9 %