fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
I observed an impromptu bullet test done by a buddy with his guide gun yesterday and thought it may interest some.
The first two were factory loads but the bullets are available to hand loaders so are appropriate here. Both factory rounds were from the leverevolution line. All test medium shot into was solid green poplar stumps.
The first bullet was a 250 gr monolithic. it traveled 7 inches into the stump before stopping. The mushroom pattern was absolutely perfect star with maximum fold back of every petal. One thing I found odd was that the red plastic tip was almost intact and had followed the bullet the full distance in the wood.
The second bullet was a 325 gr FTX. It traveled a bit over 9 inches into the stump and same as the mono bullet, the mushroom was perfect. A smooth lead dome with copper petals folded back tight to the bullet shank. Probably around a 75 caliber mushroom head when it stopped, didn't have a scale handy to weight the slug but it appeared that weight loss would be minimal. The red tip on this one was smeared into the wood channel for the first 3 inches.
The third bullet used was a 405 gr hard cast handload. He didn't say what the load was but I'm guessing around 14-1500 fps by the looks of the recoil of the gun, it wasn't excessive but appeared to be more jump than the lighter factory bullets. The cast slug traveled almost the same distance into the stump as the 325 gr FTX. Bullet performance was considerably different than the factory jacketed ones. No mushrooming at all, just a slight flattening of the nose. The most noticeable effect on impact of the cast bullet was that the shank of the bullet bent at about a 20 deg angle about where the first driving ring would be. The bent bullet caused a considerable more wound channel damage than the other two and still traveled as far as the heaviest factory one.
After watching that test I would have complete confidence in using any of those bullets on game.
The first two were factory loads but the bullets are available to hand loaders so are appropriate here. Both factory rounds were from the leverevolution line. All test medium shot into was solid green poplar stumps.
The first bullet was a 250 gr monolithic. it traveled 7 inches into the stump before stopping. The mushroom pattern was absolutely perfect star with maximum fold back of every petal. One thing I found odd was that the red plastic tip was almost intact and had followed the bullet the full distance in the wood.
The second bullet was a 325 gr FTX. It traveled a bit over 9 inches into the stump and same as the mono bullet, the mushroom was perfect. A smooth lead dome with copper petals folded back tight to the bullet shank. Probably around a 75 caliber mushroom head when it stopped, didn't have a scale handy to weight the slug but it appeared that weight loss would be minimal. The red tip on this one was smeared into the wood channel for the first 3 inches.
The third bullet used was a 405 gr hard cast handload. He didn't say what the load was but I'm guessing around 14-1500 fps by the looks of the recoil of the gun, it wasn't excessive but appeared to be more jump than the lighter factory bullets. The cast slug traveled almost the same distance into the stump as the 325 gr FTX. Bullet performance was considerably different than the factory jacketed ones. No mushrooming at all, just a slight flattening of the nose. The most noticeable effect on impact of the cast bullet was that the shank of the bullet bent at about a 20 deg angle about where the first driving ring would be. The bent bullet caused a considerable more wound channel damage than the other two and still traveled as far as the heaviest factory one.
After watching that test I would have complete confidence in using any of those bullets on game.
