Brush Bustin'

todbartell

todbartell

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Often we hear about bigger calibers being able to plow their way through thick brush to the deer, and smaller lighter calibers will be deflected by blades of grass.

Today I set up a target on a tree 35 yards away, through a thick screen of pecker poles. Two test rifles were :
  1. 44 Remington Magnum w/ 240gr soft point @ 1730 fps
  2. 22-250 Remington w/ 55 gr hollowpoint @ 3600 fps
5 shots taken with each, aiming at this :

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44 Mag x 5

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next up..........22-250

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22-250 x 4 hits

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I wish I had a 270 or 30-06 or similar to test today, all I had was 260 with my good target ammo.
 
Nice.

It would be nice to see a similar test with a wooden target, say like 2 2x8's nailed together or something to see how much juice these things are pushing when they get on target.
 
I saw a deer shot through brush you could hardly see through. He fired twice, and I thought he was nuts for trying it, till we walked the 50yds to the deer and there were 2 double lung hits, 3" apart. That was a .308 with 180gr power-points...
 
I wouldn't knowingly shoot through any brush with any cartridge.

I recently read an article of a fellow who landed a bad shot on a Cape Buffalo with a 416 Taylor because it deflected on some small brush before impacting.


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I recall an article I read years ago that suggested the best brush bucker was when the bullet was a flat base round nose design fired at a moderate velocity, and that the caliber was unimportant. My own observations tend to support this, but I submit that the type of brush the bullet must pass through with respect to water content, hardness, and density has an effect. It could be that shooting through a thick stand of willows is more detrimental to accuracy than is shooting through a single tree trunk. I have been amazed at the number of trees a 300 gr TSX will pass through without any apparant change in tract. As soon as the bullet jacket of a lead core bullet is comproimised though, accuracy is diminhished, as is the terminal performance on game. When shooting in heavy cover the best advise is to take nothing forgranted and keep shooting while your target is in sight, regardless if your rifle is a .22-250 or a .458.
 
You might hit the animal alright but I'd be more afraid of a deflecting bullet inflicting a non lethal wound on an animal,something that would kill them later- like a broken leg, or gut shot.
 
i remember seyfried published an article with a similar test. i don't remember all the details but i *think* he came to the conclusion that more velocity is better and roundballs are best.
 
Ok your making a thread on Brush Bustin, well I can play that game hehe.

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Grizzly 12.5". Only fired THREE 3" handloaded slugs. 1oz hollowpoint slug with god only knows what powder charge.
I gotta ask my buddy on that, he uses these loads for hunting up in Yukon/NWT.
 
Grove said:
Ok your making a thread on Brush Bustin, well I can play that game hehe.

IMG_1339.jpg


Grizzly 12.5". Only fired THREE 3" handloaded slugs. 1oz hollowpoint slug with god only knows what powder charge.
I gotta ask my buddy on that, he uses these loads for hunting up in Yukon/NWT.
Click to expand...

Hope you paid your stumpage fees ;)
 
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