Hunting bullet performance - prefer through or a grenade inside?

[KenLee]

I like a pass through but also want as much internal damage as possible. Case in point, my only hunting rifle I do not reload for is my .270 BAR. I tried every load imaginable and they all had feeding problems. Plus it is in my buddy's safe 2000 miles from here so load development came to an end about 30 years ago when we moved to WA. I found that it it really likes the tried and true Remington Core-Lokt 150 gr SPs. Had a complete pass through and hit the top of the heart and something happened I have never seen. The heart was completely separated from his body and was just floating around in the goo when I gutted him. He didn't didn't make it far.

Must be the first series hunting BAR. I've never seen feeding problems out of the MKII series.

 

[jeetS]

The quartering shot taken with the 7 PRC and the poor performance of the factory load that was written up just a few weeks ago is a prime example - the mile the bull went after the shot would have been a monumental task to follow if it wasn’t for the snow. That would have been an easy killing shot with a bullet capable of better penetration and resulted in minimal tracking, but the bull made it a mile.

I searched but couldnt find that thread... can you share the link?

 

[bpitcher]

I've killed animals with most of the bullet designs out there.

I have recently made the switch to heavy for caliber fragmenting type bullets and have observed more bang-flops than with monos or tougher bullets. My sample size is still relatively small and I'll continue to analyze performance from my hunts.

 

[hereinaz]

I prefer extra dead. Tissue damage causes death. Ergo, I prefer extra damage by grenading.

 

[hereinaz]

A 180 eldm will do both the majority of the time. Pass through with a 3-4” exit hole. Same results over and over and over.

Yes. For me, bits of the 180 VLD has often passed through elk beyond 500 yards. I think it is because the larger pieces are sharp and so are cutting their way through, rather than bulldozing like the perfect mushroomed bullet. But, I have caught shrapnel on the hide.

Look at the devastation on this Coues buck at 730, and look at the pieces that passed through the cavity quartering and then blew up a ham.

It’s the first time I had half an idea of what was actually exiting.

It was so devastating that I immediately began thinking of my next build that would be adequate for deer and less recoil.

Post in thread 'Why Match/Target Bullets For Hunting'
https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/why-match-target-bullets-for-hunting.203770/post-1982435

 

[TaperPin]

I searched but couldnt find that thread... can you share the link?

It was something with “First bull elk” in the title. . . I’ll look again for something more specific. Low count threads get buried pretty quickly.

 

[huntnful]

I’m never one to complain about a pass through. But I will never forego an internal grenade in the name of an exit. FMJ’s will largely exit, but zero grenade/damage (relative to an ELDM/X or SST or TMK or Berger). I want chunky, soupy insides, and if a projectile happens to exit, so be it. But I won’t trade some terminal damage to get an exit (IE I’ll never trade to a Barnes TTSX to get an exit in lieu of getting the tissue damage from a Hornady ELDX).

EDIT: Clarifying, I don’t need an exit. I don’t care. But if it happens, whoop-de-doo. I’m more concerned with tissue damage. It’s why I use ELDM’s/X’s and not bonded projectiles or monos.

I ditto this thinking 100% as well. So I voted grenade. If it exits cool, but doesn’t matter much to me cause the animals don’t go far.

 

[TaperPin]

I searched but couldnt find that thread... can you share the link?

Finally, first bull elk down.

This fella made me work for it. I’ve been seeing red when it comes to a truly DIY general unit public land hunt. I’m a native Montanan, and have struck out time and time again trying to get a bull down. I never really had any interest in playing the private/public boundary game. Not saying...

rokslide.com

 

[Crowmangler]

The ELDX grenade has been a very accurate & lethal bullet for me. 100% lethality so far with around a dozen or so elk, deer & bear but it makes me a little nervous sometimes thinking about it. Couple years ago I didn't punch a tag because I passed on a questionable shot angle. (It would've been iffy with any other bullet too but I definitely wasn't gonna try it with the ELDX.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Short answer for me is I don’t care how it happens if the death is quick. I’ve shot both and wasn’t impressed with Accubond performance for the most part. If I had to pick one it would be internal grenade.

 

[jeetS]

Finally, first bull elk down.

This fella made me work for it. I’ve been seeing red when it comes to a truly DIY general unit public land hunt. I’m a native Montanan, and have struck out time and time again trying to get a bull down. I never really had any interest in playing the private/public boundary game. Not saying...

rokslide.com

Thanks!

 

[spaniel]

Perfect is a pass-thru leaving 2 holes to leak, but barely, opening well and causing a lot of internal damage. A perfect example of this is if the bullet opens so much that the off side skin catches the jacket and the core exits.

A big consideration is consistency. Even though bonded bullets tend not to drop game as fast due to lack of explosiveness, I'll prefer them on heavier game like elk because if I hit bone I'll still get good penetration. On deer an ELDX is sufficient because 6.5mm and above it'll still get good penetration and expansion in any shot scenario.

I will not shoot Bergers because, while I've never hunted with them, I've witnessed too many cases of inconsistent performance. Both penciling through without expansion or explosive shallow penetration not sufficient to put the animal down. YMMV. I had to finish off two Berger shot deer last year. Placement was fine.

 

[cocky84]

Big, wide-open, west? I want the grenade so I can watch it drop in the sage flats.

Thick, brushy, country in the midwest? I prefer the pass through.

I've been called in on a couple of tracking jobs made MUCH harder than they needed to be due to lack of an exit wound. I allowed a neighbor kid to hunt my land for the youth season this year. She shot her second deer ever but couldn't find it due to lack of blood and the kid was pretty disheartened. When I finally found her deer, we learned her shot was nearly perfect. Double lunged from an elevated stand. The chest cavity was soup that would have leaked out nicely with a pass through shot.

100% !!
It depends on where you’re hunting and what you’re hunting.
My daughter shot a deer this year that was little far back.
After the shot he ran about 50 yards and stood right at the edge of 6ft tall crp for about 2 minutes before going down in sight. Shooting 6creed 103eldx suppressed.
I think if not shooting suppressed he probably would of been running through that crp for those two minutes with zero blood. That would of been very difficult to find.

 

[hereinaz]

Perfect is a pass-thru leaving 2 holes to leak, but barely, opening well and causing a lot of internal damage. A perfect example of this is if the bullet opens so much that the off side skin catches the jacket and the core exits.

A big consideration is consistency. Even though bonded bullets tend not to drop game as fast due to lack of explosiveness, I'll prefer them on heavier game like elk because if I hit bone I'll still get good penetration. On deer an ELDX is sufficient because 6.5mm and above it'll still get good penetration and expansion in any shot scenario.

I will not shoot Bergers because, while I've never hunted with them, I've witnessed too many cases of inconsistent performance. Both penciling through without expansion or explosive shallow penetration not sufficient to put the animal down. YMMV. I had to finish off two Berger shot deer last year. Placement was fine.

What were the Berger bullets and terminal velocity?

What you describe are the opposite ends of the spectrum, one that failed to open and one that opened too explosively.

 

[Scoutfan]

I was about to start a similar thread about excessive meat damage and having to pass some shots with the match type bullets. I voted both. Accubonds are my go to for all out of state hunts. Deer and pigs around the house is 50-50. I prefer exit holes for blood trails and deep penetration the majority of the time. Head shots with 223 and v max for filling the freezer. Can't wait to get the 22-250 going with 77tmk or 88 eld. Will have the option of head or body!

 

[ColeyG]

ELD-X and TTSX for me. I started using the TTSX in a lighter .308 I use for deer hunting in big bear country. I wanted a bullet that would offer better penetration than the ELD-X.

Based on what I’ve seen the ELD-X do pretty regularly, grenade, I don’t have the confidence that it would punch deep enough into a big bear to accomplish my desired outcome.

The ELD-X has made everything I’ve shot with it dead real quick.

A hunting parter has been using SSTs out of his .300wm for a few years with now 3 examples of terrible terminal performance. A moose and a goat that died horribly prolonged deaths and one unrecovered moose that he center punched at a reasonable range. Not sure what the problem is with those bullets but after witnessing 2 of the 3 events, I’m convinced the SST is not a good choice for large game.

 

[butcherboy]

Two holes. Accubonds have never let me down.

 

[BLJ]

Big, wide-open, west? I want the grenade so I can watch it drop in the sage flats.

Thick, brushy, country in the midwest? I prefer the pass through.

I've been called in on a couple of tracking jobs made MUCH harder than they needed to be due to lack of an exit wound. I allowed a neighbor kid to hunt my land for the youth season this year. She shot her second deer ever but couldn't find it due to lack of blood and the kid was pretty disheartened. When I finally found her deer, we learned her shot was nearly perfect. Double lunged from an elevated stand. The chest cavity was soup that would have leaked out nicely with a pass through shot.

With nothing but soup in the chest cavity, how far did it go?

 

[MNGrouser]

With nothing but soup in the chest cavity, how far did it go?

As the crow flies? Maybe 120 yards. But it didn't go as the crow flies. Bolted south/southeast leaving a little blood. But at some point turned straight north leaving no blood in thick brush. Grid search saved our bacon. No snow. No blood. Plenty of competing deer tracks.

 

[BLJ]

You’re thinking about 120 from POI to where it was found? Thanks.