**.375 Bullet Test Results**(lots of pics!)

[bcsteve]

Here's the moment you have all been waiting for!

- The impact velocity was made to duplicate .375 Ruger and .375 H&H loads at 100 yds.
- Expansion was measured at the widest part of the bullet. Take a look at the pictures when comparing the expansion of different bullets, sometime a sliver of lead or copper at an odd angle can give deceptive results.
- Test rifle: Ruger Alaskan .375 Ruger
- Test media: Wet newspaper....lots of wet newspaper!!
- Disclaimer: I know wet newspaper does not give identical result to flesh and bones, blah, blah, blah....

Speer 235gr HC
Average Penetration (inches): 15
Average Weight Retained (grain): 200.5
Average Weight Retained (%): 85.3
Average Expansion (inches): 0.764
Note: Impressed with this little cup and core bullet. Great penetration and retained weight. No sign of the core slipping.

CEB 235gr Raptor
Average Penetration (inches): 23.8
Average Weight Retained (grain): 182.4
Average Weight Retained (%): 77.6
Average Expansion (inches): 0.409
Note: Crazy penetration for a 235gr bullet. The petals did shear off in a "star" pattern and really shredded the paper for the first few inches then the shank continued for super deep straight penetration.

Barnes 250gr TTSX
Average Penetration (inches): 18.3
Average Weight Retained (grain): 246.1
Average Weight Retained (%): 98.4
Average Expansion (inches): 0.738
Note: Typical TTSX performance.

Bonus Pic! Recovered 250gr TTSX from a bull moose shot at 355 yds.

Hornady 250gr GMX
Average Penetration (inches): 19.5
Average Weight Retained (grain): 247.4
Average Weight Retained (%): 98.9
Average Expansion (inches): 0.753
Note: If this was a beauty contest, the GMX would win for sure. Very impressed with this bullet. I was surprised that it expanded deeper in its hollow point than the TTSX since the TTSX is supposed to expand to lower velocity. I haven't shot any game animal with anything but Barnes bullets in over 10 years but I might have to try the GMX next year!

Nosler 260gr Partition
Average Penetration (inches): 17.83
Average Weight Retained (grain): 207.3
Average Weight Retained (%): 79.7
Average Expansion (inches): 0.690
Note: Typical Partition performance. The top lead portions are just sitting on top of those bullets, they are no longer attached.

Nosler 260gr Accubond
Average Penetration (inches): 16.7
Average Weight Retained (grain): 204
Average Weight Retained (%): 78.5
Average Expansion (inches): 0.742
Note: Pretty much mirrors the performance of the Partition in a sleeker package.

Hornady 270gr Interlock
Average Penetration (inches): 18
Average Weight Retained (grain): 228.7
Average Weight Retained (%): 84.7
Average Expansion (inches): 0.90
Note: Very impressed with this plain vanilla cup and core. If you compare it to the Partition, it penetrated deeper, retained more weight and expanded wider! No sign of the core slipping.

Swift 270gr A-Frame
Average Penetration (inches): 18
Average Weight Retained (grain): 266.2
Average Weight Retained (%): 98.6
Average Expansion (inches): 0.71
Note: Probably the most consistent performer of all. Each bullet look identical, weigh the same, etc... One slipped out of the stack.

Matrix 270gr Bonded
Average Penetration (inches): 16
Average Weight Retained (grain): 189.6
Average Weight Retained (%): 70.2
Average Expansion (inches): 0.8
Note: One of the bullets lost its jacket.

Barnes 270gr TSX
Average Penetration (inches): 19
Average Weight Retained (grain): 269.15
Average Weight Retained (%): 99.7
Average Expansion (inches): 0.71
Note: 100% weight retention. One slipped out of the stack.

CEB 270gr Safari
Average Penetration (inches): 23.2
Average Weight Retained (grain): 197
Average Weight Retained (%): 73
Average Expansion (inches): 0.418
Note: Similar in performance to the 235gr Raptor despite weighing 35gr more and a very different profile.

Hornady 300gr Interlock RN
Average Penetration (inches): 17
Average Weight Retained (grain): 167
Average Weight Retained (%): 55.7
Average Expansion (inches): 0.581
Note: Factory ammo, not loaded down. Was running out of fresh newspaper and this is the only one I was able to recover. Disappointing performance for a 300gr bullet compared to the other lighter cup and core tested.

 

[Superbrad]

Wow, very impressed with the Gmax...... Would almost be worth getting a larger sample size and seeing how consistent this performance is......

Thanks for the work Steve and thanks for posting..... And thanks to all who donated test bullets as well......

 

[BigUglyMan]

Very interesting test. I'd be interested to see the actual velocities though that's not really critical. Did you lose the other 300gr RNs? I was surprised at how much weight it lost. I was also surprised to see what looks like a core separation on the 270 Matrix. Not surprised that stalwarts like the TSX, A-Frame and Partition performed as they did but some of the less well regarded cup-and-core specimens like the Hot Cor and Interlock gave surprisingly good results. I don't think that I particularly want to hunt those CEBs personally. Tiny lightweight fragments going madly off in unpredictable directions doesn't inspire much confidence, in my opinion. Maybe I'm an old Fudd, but I like my bullets to hang together and go in a straight line when they hit something.

 

[jbmauser]

Great post as usual! Thanks for going through all the work to test these and post up the results. Very interesting.

 

[rral22]

Having shot a lot of wet newsprint myself, I appreciate the effort required to do such a test.

Very interesting, and thank you for that effort.

 

[Gatehouse]

I think the Speer 235gr is a real standout. Highest velocity, it's a standard bullet and it held together very well.

Almost all the bullets looked like great performance, although the 300gr Hornafy and the Matrix bullets squashed up
A bit more than I think they should, and those CEBs? I would rather use a good solid.

 

[65cutlass]

Great test. Thank you.

 

[bcsteve]

I have some family obligations right now but I'll add some notes and observations later. Some of you have already touched on those observations.

 

[Gatehouse]

It's also easy to see why Partitipn sales have slumped in favorite of the Accubomds. Virtually identical performance in a more streamlined package.

 

[dutchhunter]

Wow that barnes tsx with almost 100 percent weight ...great bullet. That's what I like to see a bullet that stays in one piece. Over 99 percent weight retention. Dutch

 

[regulate34]

Impressed with the 235g Speer. Thought it would have broke up.

The hornady gmx looks promising

 

[Ardent]

Nice work Steve, impressive.

 

[medvedqc]

great test and results. thanks for the work done.

Phil

 

[scairns]

Thanks for all of your hard work!

 

[emerson]

Thanks to the OP. Very topical for me with a 375 in the near future. The TTSX/TSX/GMX have very similar and sound performances. I like the 235 Speer like others; cheap and effective.

 

[chappy]

I have always wondered about the cup and core 375 bullets. I wouldn't hesitate to use the hornady 270. good thing as I have quite a few on the bench.

 

[nowarningshot]

One of the interesting things for me, is to see the great performance of some of the so called non premium bullets. Much cheaper, and often available in the LGS. Bullets like partitions in .375 are often something like $70/50, and they can charge anything they want since they are unobtainium.

I dont know if you used a chrony, but i would be interested in knowing the velocity of the individual loads. One would think the 235gr loads would be say 200f/sec faster than the 270/300's, which to me makes the 235 Speer even more impressive. Since i also shoot the 375 Rum, it might help to guess as to what some of the more smashed bullets would do at the higher velocity of Rum or Wea.

 

[elker]

Two winners: A-Frame and GMX

 

[bcsteve]

Added some notes to the original post.

 

[LittleBoyLefty]

Thnx for doing this Sir. Loved your notes on the TTSX. Boring... and beautiful. GMX looks great too...

Planning on loading for my 375 Ruger this winter. Your test was very timely and reinforced the direction headed.

Thanks again.