Bullet expansion

williaada

WKR
Joined
Sep 24, 2018
Messages
324
Location
MI
I am running a .280ai and I need some help understanding full bullet expansion. Trying the following bullets.
Nosler 140gr AB 3025fps
Barnes 150gr TTSX 2875 gps
Hammer hunter 143gr 3111fod

All the manufactures say full expansion at 1800 fps, but when I run my calcs I am just barely getting that at 300yrds per the calculators.
 

Taudisio

WKR
Joined
Jan 20, 2023
Messages
878
Location
Oregon
You are inputting something wrong. I just pulled up the fastest calculator I could. 150eldx and adjusted velocity to 2900 and it goes to 1800fps at 800 yards. IMG_3907.png
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

WKR
Rokslide Sponsor
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Messages
4,319
Location
Thornton, CO
I am running a .280ai and I need some help understanding full bullet expansion. Trying the following bullets.
Nosler 140gr AB 3025fps
Barnes 150gr TTSX 2875 gps
Hammer hunter 143gr 3111fod

All the manufactures say full expansion at 1800 fps, but when I run my calcs I am just barely getting that at 300yrds per the calculators.
You WILL NOT get FULL expansion from a barnes TTSX at 1800fps, that is the "minimum" expansion velocity which results in minimal expansion. Man I'm wary of how often this misconception comes up.

All that said you have something input wrong as other's have noted. In my 24" 280AI I shoot the 145lrx at 3130fps and it has 2200fps+ (a more realistic minimum velocity for good expansion) well past 300yds.
 

riversidejeep

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 15, 2021
Messages
278
Location
Far northwestern Komifornia
To pile on… none of those bullets are expanding much at all at 1800 fps.
I've shot quite a few Barnes tsx , ttsx, Nosler E-Tip, GMX and CX at point blank range out of .308 , 300 win mag , 7 mag into the ends of 24" dia. doug fir rounds, then split the rounds and recovered the bullets. What I have found is that the vast majority of non lead projectiles just expand maybe 50% of what a cup and core lead round will.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

WKR
Rokslide Sponsor
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Messages
4,319
Location
Thornton, CO
I've shot quite a few Barnes tsx , ttsx, Nosler E-Tip, GMX and CX at point blank range out of .308 , 300 win mag , 7 mag into the ends of 24" dia. doug fir rounds, then split the rounds and recovered the bullets. What I have found is that the vast majority of non lead projectiles just expand maybe 50% of what a cup and core lead round will.
There are two things here and mainly clarifying for others. You're comparing their FULL expansion to a lead core (for better or worse) which requires more velocity than their "minimum expansion velocity".
 

riversidejeep

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 15, 2021
Messages
278
Location
Far northwestern Komifornia
There are two things here and mainly clarifying for others. You're comparing their FULL expansion to a lead core (for better or worse) which requires more velocity than their "minimum expansion velocity".
Yes, even at Max velocity the expansion ratio is somewhat dismal compared to conventional, That said, if all the energy is disposed of in the animal and not pencil through, it probably doesn't make much difference that the mono bullet expands say to .50" vs a conventional at .65-.75"
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

WKR
Rokslide Sponsor
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Messages
4,319
Location
Thornton, CO
Yes, even at Max velocity the expansion ratio is somewhat dismal compared to conventional, That said, if all the energy is disposed of in the animal and not pencil through, it probably doesn't make much difference that the mono bullet expands say to .50" vs a conventional at .65-.75"
It depends how you use them, I hunt a lot with barnes and treat them like a high speed broadhead, I shoot for the heart/arterial bundle and at full expansion (alot faster than 1800fps! beating a dead horse haha) they do what I need from them to quickly kill an animal through blood loss. I am not a lung shooter with barnes.

Folks just need to be educated about what they're working with and how to use them IF they want to shoot non-lead. :)
 
Top