Well the season ended yesterday and I was finally able to get out again for one last hunt. Took a white tailed doe at about 50-60 yards with my 270WSM loaded with a 130gr GMX. These had given me great accuracy results at 100yrds with moderate loads over a magnum primer.
I had stirred her up enough to start moving away from me but giving a grunt from my tube caused her to stop and turn broadside to me. There was a small entrance hole as to be expected and a very large exit hole on the other side. The back of the heart was destroyed and there was very little damage to the lungs.
The rest of the damage I'm not so sure about. The shoulder closest to the entrance point was severely blood shot. Not much damage, but it was like soup in there. There was damage to the stomach which left it's contents throughout the far front shoulder. Part of the bullet had somehow exited high on the shoulder, breaking bone and destroying at least half of the meat on that side.
I really can't figure out what happened except to think that the bullet fragmented somehow and did this. I did not recover any pieces while butchering it up, but then again I didn't really check through the extremely damaged parts at length.
Going to stick with them for a few more animals and see what happens. Possibly spring black bear and maybe a few coyotes and see how they hold up. So far I'm not impressed, but one animal does not mean they aren't doing what they are supposed to.
So the Good:
They are accurate.
Very very little copper fouling.
Lots of damage and a promptly dead animal.
The Bad:
Expensive.
Lots of meat damage that normally I've never seen.
Hopefully some other guys can chime in with their experience with these this season.
I had stirred her up enough to start moving away from me but giving a grunt from my tube caused her to stop and turn broadside to me. There was a small entrance hole as to be expected and a very large exit hole on the other side. The back of the heart was destroyed and there was very little damage to the lungs.
The rest of the damage I'm not so sure about. The shoulder closest to the entrance point was severely blood shot. Not much damage, but it was like soup in there. There was damage to the stomach which left it's contents throughout the far front shoulder. Part of the bullet had somehow exited high on the shoulder, breaking bone and destroying at least half of the meat on that side.
I really can't figure out what happened except to think that the bullet fragmented somehow and did this. I did not recover any pieces while butchering it up, but then again I didn't really check through the extremely damaged parts at length.
Going to stick with them for a few more animals and see what happens. Possibly spring black bear and maybe a few coyotes and see how they hold up. So far I'm not impressed, but one animal does not mean they aren't doing what they are supposed to.
So the Good:
They are accurate.
Very very little copper fouling.
Lots of damage and a promptly dead animal.
The Bad:
Expensive.
Lots of meat damage that normally I've never seen.
Hopefully some other guys can chime in with their experience with these this season.
