Recovered Nosler AB 308 doesn’t look right...

[memtb]

Many years ago, I was experiencing flatted points, such as you described! Never actually started to “rupture” ( open-up) the jacket. But, from the amount of flattening....it looked to be the next degree of “flattening”! Mono’s solved that problem....along with several other problems! memtb

 

[matt0550]

Many years ago, I was experiencing flatted points, such as you described! Never actually started to “rupture” ( open-up) the jacket. But, from the amount of flattening....it looked to be the next degree of “flattening”! Mono’s solved that problem....along with several other problems! memtb

Indeed! In heavy recoil I'll never chamber another ABLR...but the lighter calibers I'm a big fan

 

[cahunter805]

I love bullet discussion. Many people think things like weight retention, exit wound size, how a bullet looks after it’s killed actually has any effect on how well the said bullet actually killed an animal.
A jacket separation is almost always at the end of the wound channel. As the bullet slows down the lighter and wider jacket stops before the small heavier core hence the reason the core is usually found on the hide.

 

[memtb]

I know what some look like, after they “failed” to kill an animal! I wasn’t impressed! In over 55+ years of hunting, I have found remnants of several bullets that failed to kill the animal. There were no apparent fresh injuries, and the animal appeared quite healthy.....until I shot it! Some bullets were merely too small (they were small caliber) for the animal being shot, or an empty jacket was found. The empty jacket scenario, suggests that the bullet “failed” in it’s assigned task! memtb

 

[shootbrownelk]

The last time I saw empty jackets fall out of an elk was one that was shot with Remington "Core-Lokts". The guy shot it 5 times before it died and when we skinned it, it rained bullet jackets and the meat was peppered with lead fragments. No thanks, no Nosler BT's or Core-Lokts for me. I use mainly Barnes TTSX or Accubonds.

 

[cahunter805]

A bullet being to “small” isn’t the bullets fault. It’s the shooter and choosing the wrong caliber or bullet choice/construction for the given target. A properly chooses and well placed shot from even a “small” caliber can be very effective.
Just because an empty jacket was found doesn’t mean it was the proper bullet choice especially if fired at ultra high velocity. Many hunters used to and still do want an ultra fast bullet because it’s “flatter”. I for one choose heavy for caliber bullets always. The jacket could’ve even have been a deflection or hit an obstruction.

 

[mtmuley]

I love bullet discussion.

Me too. Great entertainment. mtmuley

 

[memtb]

The empty jacket scenario, suggests that the bullet “failed” in it’s assigned task! memtb


cahunter805, I recounted the small bullet, only as many people use (IMO) cartridges/calibers too small for the game they’re shooting. It was the “empty jacket” scenario I was mostly speaking of.

I had 3 personal experiences with jacket separation/ bullet disintegration, one of which ended with the animal getting away.....likely to die! It was a large caliber, “heavy for caliber” bullet @ around 2600 fps mv, designed for big and or potentially dangerous game. On the game recovered, and yes they were killed, the game was rather small big game (spike mule deer and a decent sized black bear).....both shot behind the shoulder (no heavy bone encountered), giving no exit wound. On one an empty jacket was found. The lost animal was shot at extreme angle.....a decent cup and core should have had enough integrity to remain intact, and penetrate to the vitals.

These all were in my first year of hunting in Wyoming. These results have made me “very” sensitive to bullet performance in large game. With equal placement, the animal that got away.....would not have done so with the bullet I’m using now!

There is no doubt that many animals are taken annually with the thin jacket type cup and core bullets! But, how many were unnecessarily lost due to inadequate penetration and bone/tissue destruction? memtb

 

[mtmuley]

With equal placement, the animal that got away.....would not have done so with the bullet I’m using now!

The entertainment part. There is no way in Hell you can be sure of that. mtmuley

 

[memtb]

The entertainment part. There is no way in Hell you can be sure of that. mtmuley

OK.....”Highly unlikely”! Satisfied! memtb

 

[mtmuley]

OK.....”Highly unlikely”! Satisfied! memtb

You also posted that shooting monos resulted in no flattened tips. How so? mtmuley

 

[BuzzH]

These threads are pure gold...always friends and hunting buddies that have bullets fail. I know I’ve shot over 300 big game animals with all kinds of calibers and bullets from .22 magnum to .338 win mag. Not once have I seen a bullet fail.

 

[mtmuley]

These threads are pure gold...always friends and hunting buddies that have bullets fail. I know I’ve shot over 300 big game animals with all kinds of calibers and bullets from .22 magnum to .338 win mag. Not once have I seen a bullet fail.

No kidding. Either the critter is dead and the bullet doesn't look perfect, or the critter ran off. Hence, bullet failure. mtmuley

 

[BuzzH]

I would bet 99.9% of “ bullet failures” are due to people shooting animals in the legs, ass, and guts. Operator error...

 

[memtb]

You also posted that shooting monos resulted in no flattened tips. How so? mtmuley

They did not flatten in the magazine, due to recoil from previously fired rounds......pretty simple to comprehend! memtb

 

[cahunter805]

Memtb

What bullet?Weight?What cartridge?

What bullet did you switch to?

Sonetimes an extreme angle can cause bullets to do weird things. Also natural POA is hard to determine sometimes.

So you recovered the 2 animals and a jacket in one of them but since there wasn’t an exit wound the bullet didn’t work?
I hear this quite often from hunters.
Does an exit wound have anything to do with the kill of the animal? I personally don’t care if a bullet exits. A bullets job is to disrupt and cause massive tissue damage and trauma especially to vital organs.

 

[mtmuley]

They did not flatten in the magazine, due to recoil from previously fired rounds......pretty simple to comprehend! memtb

I know you shoot TTSX's. Those tips flatten. mtmuley

 

[memtb]

These threads are pure gold...always friends and hunting buddies that have bullets fail. I know I’ve shot over 300 big game animals with all kinds of calibers and bullets from .22 magnum to .338 win mag. Not once have I seen a bullet fail.

You’ve lead a truly remarkable hunting career, with over 300 big game animals taken....and no failures! Also, if you read my previous post pertaining to bullet failure, it was not a friend or a hunting buddy....it was me! memtb

 

[memtb]

Memtb

What bullet?Weight?What cartridge?

What bullet did you switch to?

Sonetimes an extreme angle can cause bullets to do weird things. Also natural POA is hard to determine sometimes.

So you recovered the 2 animals and a jacket in one of them but since there wasn’t an exit wound the bullet didn’t work?
I hear this quite often from hunters.
Does an exit wound have anything to do with the kill of the animal? I personally don’t care if a bullet exits. A bullets job is to disrupt and cause massive tissue damage and trauma especially to vital organs.

caliber: .375 H&H
bullet: Sierra 300 grain BTSP

Changed to a Hornady 270 grain SP, and a few years later to a Barnes 270 X, then to a Barnes 270 TSX, then a Barnes 250 TTSX ( have not gone to the Barnes 270 LRX yet)

My opinion: when a 300 grain bullet from a .375 H&H does not exit a relatively small big game animal, shot at under 100 yards, broadside, with no major bones impacted.....this is bullet failure! I never said it didn’t work....I said it was a bullet failure! If this was your cartridge/ bullet combo.....Would you be satisfied with these results. While this may be satisfactory to some hunters.....it is not to me! memtb

 

[memtb]

I know you shoot TTSX's. Those tips flatten. mtmuley

They haven’t yet! memtb