Thor Bullet Experience...

[Darryl Dunsloppy]

Interesting experience this year with Thor 300gr bullets...shot a bull at 50yds broadside, slightly back but still in lungs. Full pass through and never recovered the bullet. Exit wound was small enough to make me believe that bullet did not expand at all.

Used same set up last year...100gr by volume of Triple 7 and 300gr Thor...Shot a bull last year at 34 yds and recovered bullet in offside shoulder (was slightly qtr away shot) Full retention of weight on expanded bullet that time.

Did I not hit anything hard enough to make bullet expand this year? Not enough velocity at range? Seemed very odd to me to get no expansion. Wondering if anyone has similar experience with any ML bullet not expanding.

 

[Marbles]

I'm no help, but will give the thread a bump to say if the bullet was called Mjölnir it might have worked better.... If you could lift it.

 

[BigK421]

If those are the 300gr, they have the polymer tip. I had a similar experience with Hornady SST bullets. They are not solid copper like the Thor, they are conventional jacket/lead design with the polymer tip. Definitely did not expand, the exit hole was the same size as the entrance. I've heard from some that the polymer tip can cause problems depending on your muzzle velocity. Once it happened to me, I went back to using standard hollow point bullets. Polymer tipped bullets really aren't necessary in a muzzleloader at standard velocities. I'm sure a lot of people have had great success with them and maybe I'm not pushing them at the right speed. I've never used a chronograph to measure my muzzle velocity.

 

[KnightExtreme]

I have heard similar things about the Polymer Tipped Projectiles. I asked in another thread about using the Hornady XTP 250 Grain Hollow Point ( there are other sizes). That some say work well and have good expansion. I think some like myself buy into the polymer tip will help with expansion. Maybe it does not impact something to make it expand. But we never get 2 shots exactly the same so it is difficult to know.
I will be trying out the XTP in 2026 don't have the time to test shoot them this year going to use Parker Ballistic Extremes 275 grain. Which are polymer tip. Hope they do the job if I have the opportunity to get a shot on a Whitetail.
KnightExtreme

 

[Marbles]

I have heard similar things about the Polymer Tipped Projectiles. I asked in another thread about using the Hornady XTP 250 Grain Hollow Point ( there are other sizes). That some say work well and have good expansion. I think some like myself buy into the polymer tip will help with expansion. Maybe it does not impact something to make it expand. But we never get 2 shots exactly the same so it is difficult to know.
I will be trying out the XTP in 2026 don't have the time to test shoot them this year going to use Parker Ballistic Extremes 275 grain. Which are polymer tip. Hope they do the job if I have the opportunity to get a shot on a Whitetail.
KnightExtreme

I highly doubt a polymer tip helps expansion, the polymer is way too hard. It would have to behave like a liquid to aid expansion.

It could certainly hurt it if impact velocity is too low to force it out of the way as you basically have a plugged hollow point.

The tips help with BC.

 

[ElDiablito]

I highly doubt a polymer tip helps expansion, the polymer is way too hard. It would have to behave like a liquid to aid expansion.

It could certainly hurt it if impact velocity is too low to force it out of the way as you basically have a plugged hollow point.

The tips help with BC.

They can/do aid in expansion. This is well known. The plastic tip drives into the hollow point upon impact, causing the bullet to expand.

 

[Darryl Dunsloppy]

If those are the 300gr, they have the polymer tip. I had a similar experience with Hornady SST bullets. They are not solid copper like the Thor, they are conventional jacket/lead design with the polymer tip. Definitely did not expand, the exit hole was the same size as the entrance. I've heard from some that the polymer tip can cause problems depending on your muzzle velocity. Once it happened to me, I went back to using standard hollow point bullets. Polymer tipped bullets really aren't necessary in a muzzleloader at standard velocities. I'm sure a lot of people have had great success with them and maybe I'm not pushing them at the right speed. I've never used a chronograph to measure my muzzle velocity.

Yeh, polymer tipped...what's funny is the blue polymer tip was the only thing recovered in the carcass...but also difficult to say as I took a second point blank shot as the bull was dying, so could have been from second shot...wondering if I should actually chrono and see what happens at higher velocities

 

[OXN939]

Yeh, polymer tipped...what's funny is the blue polymer tip was the only thing recovered in the carcass...but also difficult to say as I took a second point blank shot as the bull was dying, so could have been from second shot...wondering if I should actually chrono and see what happens at higher velocities

A small exit wound doesn't necessarily mean poor expansion, especially with something the size of a bull. If it died quickly, which it sound like was the case, the bullet likely entered, expanded, dumped its energy and exited with only a small amount of energy left, which would give a relatively small hole but a dead elk. That's what has happened with everything I've killed with Thors

 

[Darryl Dunsloppy]

A small exit wound doesn't necessarily mean poor expansion, especially with something the size of a bull. If it died quickly, which it sound like was the case, the bullet likely entered, expanded, dumped its energy and exited with only a small amount of energy left, which would give a relatively small hole but a dead elk. That's what has happened with everything I've killed with Thors

Great, thanks for response...I guess that makes sense. Was just surprised after experience last year at closer range and finding bullet fully expanded in wound channel...but hit a lot more stuff on last years shot. Thanks for sharing

 

[BigK421]

Something else I wanted to mention, regarding my experience with the Hornady SST. I was hunting a wide open cut corn field so this didn't matter because the deer fell within sight, but there was zero blood trail. If that would have happened where I hunt now, which is timber and heavy brush, I may have had a difficult time tracking it. The last deer I shot with a XTP hollow point ran 20 yards and fell over, blood everywhere. Just my experience, hope that info helps.

 

[Darryl Dunsloppy]

Something else I wanted to mention, regarding my experience with the Hornady SST. I was hunting a wide open cut corn field so this didn't matter because the deer fell within sight, but there was zero blood trail. If that would have happened where I hunt now, which is timber and heavy brush, I may have had a difficult time tracking it. The last deer I shot with a XTP hollow point ran 20 yards and fell over, blood everywhere. Just my experience, hope that info helps.

Ive had two totally different experiences last two years...Last year, bull shot at 35 yds, ran 30 yds and died, blood everywhere...this year bull shot at 50yds, walked calmly for 40 yds and died (not quickly until second shot) no blood at all...I was walking out likely path he took looking for blood, when i heard him thrashing 10yds above me and ran up to put second shot in him, didnt need to, but like it to be over quickly...honestly, if i hadnt heard him thrashing it would have been tough to find him, fell over in thick brush and completely hidden...live and learn