Hawk Bullets

[jbirdwell]

I’m starting to set up some loads for my next safari and I’ve been thinking about trying some of the 200 grain Spitzer, Hawk .035 jacket thickness bullets for my 300 H&H for plains game. I’m taking a 3 rifle battery of 400 H&H for Buffalo, 300 H&H for plains and 22 Hornet for night critters.

I know Barnes TSX are great bullets and I’ve taken plenty of game with them but for some reason I have a bias against them and if I was going to take an all copper bullet, I would probably stick with Hammers as I have 36 grain Claw Hammers for the hornet and 377 grain Stone Hammers for the 400.

I do like the ability to order different jacket thickness based on the game your pursuing and plan on ordering some 260 grain HP’s for my 45 Colt. I know there are other great options out there but I’m looking for any real world experience that others may have with the Hawk.

Thanks

 

[Ray B]

About 30 years ago I used some of the .035" jacket .308 bullets and found they were nearly identical to the Barnes bullets of the day- copper jacket .032" jacket. they expanded well but had a tendency for the core to separate from the jacket. Generally not a big deal since the bullet had done its job before the separation occurred.

 

[fourfive8]

I’ve shot quite a few in 2 or 3 hard to find calibers. I have never used them for hunting big game. They are a decent bullet but technologically far behind other available bullets in the calibers you are taking. Monolithic bullets, Swift A-Frames and well designed, bonded core bullets are far superior for hunting.

 

[Ryan]

For an exposed lead tipped semi-spitzer bullet the Swift A-Frame is a wiser choice. And Midway has 30 caliber 200 grain A-Frames bullets in stock as I write this.

 

[atrious]

I have used them in my .280 Rem (they killed, but cost was prohibitive), my .30-06 (they shoot, but accuracy was not spectacular), my .356 (the Kodiak 250 grain and the Speer 220 grain were far superior in terminal performance and in accuracy), and in a couple of other rifles. I would accept that FOTIS' advice is spot on in this instance. To be sure, I never lost a jacket and I never lost an animal, but the primary problem was accuracy and cost. They didn't impress me as presenting consistency. Hodgeman has a good point in mentioning the availability of obscure calibres in Hawk bullets. I considered buying some for my 280 Ross, but found what I believe are better bullets from other sources.

 

[318AE]

I ordered some bullets from Hawk, was charged/paid, and never received anything. I’ve never had that happen with Midway.

I wish I could give you some real world experience with their terminal performance, but I never got that far.

 

[Yukontom]

I have used Hawk bullets on thin skinned plains game in Africa and they worked well but....
It was in a 9mm Mannlicher Schoenauer using the round nose bullets at less than 2,300 FPS. I think the round nose Hawks match well with those lower velocities. I do not have any experience with their spitzer bullets and with other proven bullets available (see Ryan above) I would go that route.

 

[jbirdwell]

Guys, thanks for all the input. That's exactly what I was looking for.

 

[Gaj356]

Hawk bullets with the .035 jacket like your 200gr Spitzer in .30 cal get solid real world praise for plains game think controlled expansion 2-3x diameter, deep penetration, and 80-95% weight retention even at magnum velocities. Hunters report superlative performance on stuff like kudu, zebra, moose, and elk big wound channels, reliable mushrooms without fragmentation, and quick kills. The soft copper jacket flows nicely with the lead core for consistent results, and the customizable thickness lets you tune for PG without going full bonded premium.

Compared to Barnes TSX which you like but have a bias against, Hawks are more traditional cup and core lead core, soft jacket so they expand more aggressively at moderate speeds, while TSX Hammers are all copper monos that prioritize penetration over massive mushrooms. If you want that classic soft point, feel with tunable toughness and avoid all copper, Hawks are a great niche pick accurate, proven on African style game, and folks love am for versatility in classics like .300 H&H.

Load am conservatively first start low, chrono, test for your rifle, and they'll handle impala to eland no drama.