FAQ: Match and Target Bullets for Hunting (Open Tip and Hollow Point)

[leclairk]

OTM- "Open Tip Match" is the other critical consideration for performance of a target/match bullet.

The open tips of "target" bullet is critical to terminal performance. Though people refer to them as "hollow points, they are more technically/specifically called "open tip" bullets. Hollow point seems to be a more common term and use as a broader category from the past to mean "not FMJ and not soft point lead."

Berger uses the term OTM, to be more precise about it. But, it seems most shooters consider hollow points to be any bullets with the tip left "open". But, as I understand, the term hollow point is better referred to bullets with tips purposefully left "open" as a reason to initiate quick expansion, like handgun ammo that is easy to visualize.

Match/target bullets are not "hollow point" under that definition. All match bullets are "open tip" as an artifact/result of the best manufacturing process available to create the most consistent bullets. Just like you can see "crinkles" in the jacket, open tips are an unintentional part of the manufacturing process. Unlike handgun "hollow points" leaving the tip open is not for any specific purpose, it is just the condition that the bullet is left in at the end of the manufacturing process.

Besides the open tip, there is a small void or empty space inside the tip without lead in it. Like the open tip, that small void is a result of manufacturing, not intentional. So, a bullet that "pencils through" could be one that is just out of manufacturing spec with a little more lead/smaller void, little thicker jacket, and maybe a smaller opening in the tip. That combination would prevent the tip from initiating fragmentation in soft tissue at slower velocities/longer ranges. I think everyone agrees that higher velocity can make a significant difference in terminal performance and failures are more common at lower velocities.

Tipped bullets like ELDm and TMK are built with a larger "open tip" and void that accepts the plastic pointy tip. Of course, the plastic tip initiates expansion of the larger hole behind it just like a soft point hunting round initiates expansion. And, having the bigger open tip in the jacket plus the plastic tip is what makes the ELDm "more explosive" and earlier fragmentation upon less penetration than a Berger.

So, for terminal performance on game, having an open tip, thin jacket, and void behind the tip is necessary to initiate fragmentation of match bullets. Otherwise, they will act like a full metal jacket that has nothing to initiate expansion/fragmentation in soft tissue. In match bullets, it is the initial expansion/bending or whatever you want to call it to the tip that then causes the fragmentation of the bullet, that then causes all the carnage. Yaw and tumbling of an intact bullet without expansion/fragmentation destroys tissue as well, but that is because the bullet is traveling sideways, rather than "penciling."

Berger's testing shows that the "tipped" bullets don't necessarily make a bullet's BC more consistent. If I am not mistaken, I think Berger recently started their new "pointing" process in manufacturing to decrease BC variation as a result of the variation that exists in the "open tip." But, they only do that to their target bullets because the need for the tip to initiate fragmentation. Someone can correct me if I am wrong.

All that to now say that another cause of failure of a match bullet to fragment is that the tip doesn't collapse or open up enough to initiate the fragmentation. With the small fraction failures reported in "questionable brands" it could be manufacturing differences and consistency of the open tip combined with thicker jackets. Just a little variation in manufacturing could potentially be the cause of the failures: if a jacket is a little thicker, there is a little more lead behind the tip/smaller void, or the tip is a little more closed than typical.

To that end, I know that some hyper vigilant shooters will run a tiny wire drill bit into every tip, just to ensure that it is open. I won't be the one to test that practice, but I would imagine that if a guy wanted to buy and shoot these SMK on game, confirming all tips are open, or even opening them up just a little more could only help decrease the already seemingly slim possibility of bullet failure at terminal performance. You'd just want to confirm dope for those based upon whatever change there may be in BC by messing about with the tips.

I’m dealing with the dilemma of having a match bullet shoot great in my rifle but did not perform well on game. I shoot a .308 Tikka with a 20” barrel. It loves factory SMK’s but I was hesitant to use a match bullet on game. It shot them so well I decided to use them. I shot a cow elk at 450 yards through both lungs. Pencil size hole on one side, dime size on the other. She walked around for 2 minutes before going down. I was on a hunt with a guide and he didn’t want me to shoot her again otherwise I would have. About the time he wanted me to shoot again she went down. So what happened? I know that one sample size is not enough but it makes me nervous. Bullet was going roughly 1900fps, too slow? Bad round?

 

[Wildhorse]

168 Berger VLDH, 2900 at the muzzle, 120 yd impact behind the shoulder, mature whitetail buck weighing about 200lbs live weight......you guys ca have 'em,

View attachment 634133

That's about what I've seen from eldm on game recovered but usually with an extra round in it or a 100 yards or so give or take 25 of tracking when getting it

 

[Formidilosus]

So what happened? I know that one sample size is not enough but it makes me nervous. Bullet was going roughly 1900fps, too slow? Bad round?

Matchkings happened. Thick jacketed, OTM’s with small nose openings are extremely variable, and often do not upset consistently or aggressively.

“Match” bullet has no meaning whatsoever in regards to terminal ballistics. Of the exact same weight and caliber, there are “match” bullets that penetrate straight for 30+ inches with zero upset, and there “match” bullets that penetrate less than 10” and create a 15” wide wound. And everything between those extremes.

ELDM’s are identically constructed to any normal, tipped soft point hunting bullet. The “match” designation has no bearing on terminal performance.

 

[Formidilosus]

The meat of the shoulder was pretty bloodshot for about 4" around the entry wound which wasnt actually very large there was pieces of jacket that had spread if I had to guess about 7-9 inches into the meat the elk shuddered when hit and you could watch it ripple but it never dropped and started to walk but was shot basically right away after that.

The bullet penetrated through the scapula. A 160 plus grain 7mm bullet that fragments completely in sub 4 inches creates a 10-12 inch wide surface hole- you literally would have been looking at the entire shoulder blade exposed and the rib cage.

 

[Wildhorse]

Again may not have made sense but there was only one wound channel through the rest of that animal and the elk dropped as soon as the accubond hit it so that to me showed the other bullet did not penetrate especially with pieces of the jacket spread from the spot. Could this have been a bad round or an anomaly yes but again it was what was seen on that day. I'm not saying your wrong or anything else it was the only time I've seen something like that but seeing that and then like Ive said before massive tissue damage with lots of bloodshot animals still taking off or needing multiple shots all of that combine has just made me continue to steer clear of them. Now again like I've said the ELDx bullets I've seen good results from I've seen them maintain mass have good expansion and wonderful penetration. If I had ever seen that with the eldm I would sing a different tune about it as well.

 

[leclairk]

Matchkings happened. Thick jacketed, OTM’s with small nose openings are extremely variable, and often do not upset consistently or aggressively.

“Match” bullet has no meaning whatsoever in regards to terminal ballistics. Of the exact same weight and caliber, there are “match” bullets that penetrate straight for 30+ inches with zero upset, and there “match” bullets that penetrate less than 10” and create a 15” wide wound. And everything between those extremes.

ELDM’s are identically constructed to any normal, tipped soft point hunting bullet. The “match” designation has no bearing on terminal performance.

Have you guys considered publishing some type of bullet bible or is there a reference you recommend? “This bullet tends to produce this and that bullet does that? I listened to the podcast on bullets but my eyes started to go cross about halfway through. So much great information to digest.

 

[Formidilosus]

Have you guys considered publishing some type of bullet bible or is there a reference you recommend? “This bullet tends to produce this and that bullet does that? I listened to the podcast on bullets but my eyes started to go cross about halfway through. So much great information to digest.

Find the

“223 for deer, bear, elk, moose”

Match bullets for hunting

And 6mm and 6.5mm kill threads.

 

[hereinaz]

Matchkings happened. Thick jacketed, OTM’s with small nose openings are extremely variable, and often do not upset consistently or aggressively.

“Match” bullet has no meaning whatsoever in regards to terminal ballistics. Of the exact same weight and caliber, there are “match” bullets that penetrate straight for 30+ inches with zero upset, and there “match” bullets that penetrate less than 10” and create a 15” wide wound. And everything between those extremes.

ELDM’s are identically constructed to any normal, tipped soft point hunting bullet. The “match” designation has no bearing on terminal performance.

For thicker jacketed bullets and closed tips, how much experience are you guys getting with Tubbs nose ring to create fragmentation?

 

[hereinaz]

I’m dealing with the dilemma of having a match bullet shoot great in my rifle but did not perform well on game. I shoot a .308 Tikka with a 20” barrel. It loves factory SMK’s but I was hesitant to use a match bullet on game. It shot them so well I decided to use them. I shot a cow elk at 450 yards through both lungs. Pencil size hole on one side, dime size on the other. She walked around for 2 minutes before going down. I was on a hunt with a guide and he didn’t want me to shoot her again otherwise I would have. About the time he wanted me to shoot again she went down. So what happened? I know that one sample size is not enough but it makes me nervous. Bullet was going roughly 1900fps, too slow? Bad round?

It’s the construction like Form said.

Not every Match Bullet is constructed and made the same. Berger has its Target “match” bullets with thicker jackets.

I asked Form about the nose ring in this thread, which is something you might be able to do with the MK to cause them to fragment. See what he says.

ELDm and Tipped Match Kings have the plastic tip and larger radius hole in the copper jacket behind it that start expansion sooner than the Berger hunting with open tips.

Your MK jacket is thick and the hole too small, so the expansion never happens. Pencil…

 

[Formidilosus]

For thicker jacketed bullets and closed tips, how much experience are you guys getting with Tubbs nose ring to create fragmentation?

It helps. How much seems to be dependent on which specific bullet. For 308, the 168gr and 175gr SMK’s do well if the tips are opened with a small drill bit or the point of a knife.

 

[Wildhorse]

It helps. How much seems to be dependent on which specific bullet. For 308, the 168gr and 175gr SMK’s do well if the tips are opened with a small drill bit or the point of a knife.

Correct me if I'm wrong but cant the distance of the tubb cutters also be adjusted so you can cut the ring further down the jacket as you find needed so the jacket could say for example be cut .020 down the jacket or .025 depending on how much jacket you want to shed?

 

[Formidilosus]

Correct me if I'm wrong but cant the distance of the tubb cutters also be adjusted so you can cut the ring further down the jacket as you find needed so the jacket could say for example be cut .020 down the jacket or .025 depending on how much jacket you want to shed?

No. The way the cutter is, it comes from the front, but it’s not changing location of the start of the cut.

 

[Wildhorse]

No. The way the cutter is, it comes from the front, but it’s not changing location of the start of the cut.

I see I've never gotten to see one in person I thought someone told me or I had read somewhere that the cut was adjustable for that.

The creation of the NOSERING® tool was a direct result from hunting experiences of which many excellent impacts “Ran Off” as the result of a nonexpanding target bullet which has no catalyst (other than hitting bone) to initiate repeatable expansion. There are also other benefits from cutting a NOSERING® on a bullet. These include increased uniformity of the bullets ballistic drag coefficient as well as the adjustability of the NOSERING® tools’ cutting depth which allow the user to control a bullets’ expansive qualities while using your rifles muzzle velocity in conjunction with your target’s girth.



The unique option of adjusting the NOSERING® tool incrementally in .001” gives you the choice of determining your bullets terminal performance
So what he means by that is the actual depth of the cutter itself so you could theoretically cut half way or all the way through the jacket.

 

[Mountainrancher]

I’m dealing with the dilemma of having a match bullet shoot great in my rifle but did not perform well on game. I shoot a .308 Tikka with a 20” barrel. It loves factory SMK’s but I was hesitant to use a match bullet on game. It shot them so well I decided to use them. I shot a cow elk at 450 yards through both lungs. Pencil size hole on one side, dime size on the other. She walked around for 2 minutes before going down. I was on a hunt with a guide and he didn’t want me to shoot her again otherwise I would have. About the time he wanted me to shoot again she went down. So what happened? I know that one sample size is not enough but it makes me nervous. Bullet was going roughly 1900fps, too slow? Bad round?

What was your guides reasoning for not shooting again?

 

[Formidilosus]

I see I've never gotten to see one in person I thought someone told me or I had read somewhere that the cut was adjustable for that.

The creation of the NOSERING® tool was a direct result from hunting experiences of which many excellent impacts “Ran Off” as the result of a nonexpanding target bullet which has no catalyst (other than hitting bone) to initiate repeatable expansion. There are also other benefits from cutting a NOSERING® on a bullet. These include increased uniformity of the bullets ballistic drag coefficient as well as the adjustability of the NOSERING® tools’ cutting depth which allow the user to control a bullets’ expansive qualities while using your rifles muzzle velocity in conjunction with your target’s girth.



The unique option of adjusting the NOSERING® tool incrementally in .001” gives you the choice of determining your bullets terminal performance
So what he means by that is the actual depth of the cutter itself so you could theoretically cut half way or all the way through the jacket.

Yes, you can cut it deeper- sort of. However, the location of the cut doesn’t change.

 

[leclairk]

What was your guides reasoning for not shooting again?

I didn't specifically ask him but my assumption was he didn't want to pressure the heard too much since there was still a couple guys that needed animals. It worked out since the heard came back the next day.

 

[back_at_it]

I posted a thorough write-up of a procedure for trimming and drilling target bullets (Bergers and SMKs, in particular) to improve their terminal ballistics. The write-up includes gel-block test results. It takes time and care, but I've had great luck with the procedure.

You are being redirected...

(The write-up is on the first page; photos of recent finished product are on page four.)

Proceed at your own risk!

 

[BlackLabel1200]

Thanks for the tips. Gonna give it a try


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hunterjmj]

Been shooting the Berger Hybrid 215 for around 10 years now. 7or 8 elk, 5 mule deer, 4 antelope and a couple whitetail does. Never had much meat loss. All these shots were lung shot, shoulder area, and high shoulder. Some were bang flops and others were 20-50 yards. Never shot over 450 yards and the closest was 50 yards.
The amount of information available now days gives us the info to make good bullet choices. For example the 215 Berger hybrid is a proven killer as is the 77tmk, 73 eldm, etc. Make a bad shot with any bullet and you're bound to loose an animal.
To each his own but the amount of success from match bullets is hard to ignore. The guys who say they don't work or blow up or whatever else haven't actually killed anything with them or just reiterate hearsay. If you hunt with bonded hunting bullets then keep shooting them. I'll keep killing with match bullets.