I like shooting heavies in my swedes, and have " hammer of thored" most deer I've shot in this caliber. I've never recovered a bullet, save for a jacket remnant from a 140 grain sst. I vowed never again to use that bullet in any 6.5 as the entire off side shoulder of a 200 lb. Buck was jellied. So it's been cup and core heavies since, and I couldn't be happier. Today I decided to test the penetration of the bullets I had on hand. I packed 14" of newsprint in a box yesterday and soaked it in a tote of water overnight. I placed a one inch thick pink foam board insulation behind it, and a 3/4" piece of treated plywood behind that.
All bullets were going a very modest 2300 fps
First bullet - Hornady 160 gr. Round nose. Blew through everything, no recovery. I found a few small jacket fragments in the "wound channel" and the hole on the off side of the newsprint was about an inch.
Second bullet - Lapua mega 155 gr. Blew through everything, no recovery. Only difference was a slightly larger wound channel start to finish. About 1&3/4".
Third bullet - ppu 156 gr. Which looks like a pitzer and a round nose bullet had a child in my estimation. My shot was a bit to the right. Blew out the side I recovered the jacket, separated completely. It was in the foam, the lead came out the side and missed the plywood. The wound channel was 4" approximately 5" into the newspaper, but that was also where the side of the box was blown open. I'd say the ppu was totally inconclusive apart from maybe knowing the jacket separated more easily than the other 2, which one would expect.
Wet packed newsprint is a pretty tough target for bullets. I knew the .264 heavies have outstanding sectional density, but seeing it gives so much confidence. It no wonder this has been a standard moose cartridge in the old country until
The "experts" insisted bigger was better.
All bullets were going a very modest 2300 fps
First bullet - Hornady 160 gr. Round nose. Blew through everything, no recovery. I found a few small jacket fragments in the "wound channel" and the hole on the off side of the newsprint was about an inch.
Second bullet - Lapua mega 155 gr. Blew through everything, no recovery. Only difference was a slightly larger wound channel start to finish. About 1&3/4".
Third bullet - ppu 156 gr. Which looks like a pitzer and a round nose bullet had a child in my estimation. My shot was a bit to the right. Blew out the side I recovered the jacket, separated completely. It was in the foam, the lead came out the side and missed the plywood. The wound channel was 4" approximately 5" into the newspaper, but that was also where the side of the box was blown open. I'd say the ppu was totally inconclusive apart from maybe knowing the jacket separated more easily than the other 2, which one would expect.
Wet packed newsprint is a pretty tough target for bullets. I knew the .264 heavies have outstanding sectional density, but seeing it gives so much confidence. It no wonder this has been a standard moose cartridge in the old country until
The "experts" insisted bigger was better.
