.223, 6mm, and 6.5 failures on big game

[Tell]

Is that a bullet failure? I thought monos will sometimes yaw, which creates about as much damage as they can. I’m fairly ignorant about them, but I thought the point was to pretty much poke through the animal, and maybe make a wound slightly larger than the bullet’s diameter.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I suspect most of those that did yaw, folks made that observation with a dead animal on the ground. That's like saying I have heard and seen pictures of small calibers destroying sides of meat, and that doesn't get received because I've actually never observed it in a dead animal that I've shot. I would caution to take that with a grain of salt. I appreciate you saying you don't have much experience shooting monos.

I am not shooting small calibers (270 win smallest, 280 Rem, 30 cals and 35 Whelen) but I've never had one yaw (all Barnes of different vintage in the last 30 years). They punch a hole going in, tatter and chunk up the vitals and punch a hole going out. I can tell this by observing the dead animals on the ground.

 

[Tell]

To say "I thought monos will sometimes yaw", doesn't sound like first-hand experience. Yet I suspect most of those that did yaw, folks made that observation with a dead animal on the ground. That's like saying I have heard and seen pictures of small calibers destroying sides of meat, and that doesn't get received because I've actually never observed it in a dead animal that I've shot. I would caution to take that with a big grain of salt.

I am not shooting small calibers (270 win smallest, 280 Rem, 30 cals and 35 Whelen) but I've never had one yaw. They punch a hole going in, tatter and chunk up the vitals and punch a hole going out. I can tell this by observing the dead animals on the ground.

You are exactly correct. I have only read about monos, and that is why I stated that I am fairly ignorant of their intended wound channel. There was a post recently about the copper rose monos and a discussion about the terminal performance. The bullet yawed and that produced the best wounding you could get out of it if I understood the discussion correctly.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Yaw is an unintended consequence but can help with the desired results. I edited my post slightly after you quoted it, I said I appreciate you noting you haven't had much experience with monos. The rub is the conversation in many cases is around the long range game, thinking with stars in the eyes 400 plus yards and if they can't do that then they feel they are at a big disadvantage in the field. Monos are fantastic for putting meat in the freezer and been doing it for 30 plus years going into this hunting season.

 

[JohnDough]

Just curious why the 70GMX ? There’s much better monos out there. Even 10 years ago guys were getting rid of theirs in favour of the TTSX/TAC-X. Hornady eventually redesigned them into the CX line.

It's what black hills had loaded up. I was evaluating the latest (at the time) generation of 70gr round from Hornady. They made a bunch of quiet revisions to the bullet. As you note, I've since transitioned to the 70gr tsx.

 

[JohnDough]

You are exactly correct. I have only read about monos, and that is why I stated that I am fairly ignorant of their intended wound channel. There was a post recently about the copper rose monos and a discussion about the terminal performance. The bullet yawed and that produced the best wounding you could get out of it if I understood the discussion correctly.

My 70gr TSX rounds typically put an entrance side hole through the ribcage between quarter and 50 cent size, same going out, and in between the punch a bloodshot, shredded hole through lung tissue the size of a tennis ball.

This 70gr GMX punched literally an ice pick hole in, and a 1"x0.3" hole out, with vitals near the exit side showing "meh" trauma.

This is the lung(s) of a deer I shot with 70gr tsx at 75m with my 11.5" sbr, as well as the ribcage. Deer was shot at a slight angle. Bullet path in photo was L to R.




They also penetrate very well. Here is a buck I shot in the chest at 95m.