Hunting loads tested in wet news print.

[Ramjet-SS]

I like testing loads that I might use for hunting this fall. Thought I would share the results.

Guns tested;

Gun #1
327 Fed Mag Converted S&W model 16-4
Load; 130 grain Cast HP GC from a Mihec mould loaded over H110 Velocity of 1230 FPS shot from 25 Yards to the wet news print.
15" of penetration good disruption after 3" to 10" bullet shed its nose and retained 107.6 Grains.

Gun #2
30-30 Whinchester in a BFR 10" Revolver
170 FP GC cast from an Accurate mould. Lyman #2 equivalent. loaded over Leverrevolution.
Shot from 25 yards velocity 5' from the muzzle 1850 FPS
16" of penetration great disruption of wet news print. Good mushroom and weight retention of 162.3 grains.

Gun #3
Reeder converted Marlin Guide Gun re-chambered to 375 GNR#2 (45-70 necked down to .375)
245 grain GC FP loaded over IMR 3031 Lyman #2 equivilant hardness.
Shot from 25 yards velocity 5' from the muzzle 2130 FPS.
20" of penetration great disruption of wet news print. Good mushroom
and a weight retention of 173.9 grains.

Gun #4
TC Encore 10" 475 Linebaugh
355 Grain hard cast WFN GC Acccurate mould. Loaded over Unique.
Shot from 25 Yards velocity 5' from muzzle 1130 FPS
26" of penetration straight line good disruption of material the tapered of for the last 10".Great weight renention 323.1 grains it shed the gas check.

Gun #5
458 SOCOM AR RRA 16" upper my build
330 Grain GC LFP from an Accurate mould hard cast. Loaded over AA1680
Shot from 25 yards velocity 5' from the muzzle 1300 FPS.
28+ inches of penetration very similar to the 475 above just deeper.
Retained weight 313.8 grains

Gun #6
S&W Classic Nickel Model 29 Classic
310 Grain FP GC from a Lee 6 cavity mould hard cast. Loaded over 18.5 IMR4227
Shot from 25 yards velocity 5' from the muzzle 1030 FPS
24" of penetration good disruption but long deep straight line penetration.
Retained weight of 299.4 it shed the GC.

[quilbilly]

30/30 results were the same as mine at an mv of 1550 also with a 162 gr boolit but at a range of 40 yards. Also, my 32/20 from a 10" Contender and an MV of 1350 and a 115 gr boolit got the same results as your 327 from 40 yards. My medium is soaked compressed phone books.

[Ramjet-SS]

Yea I am really looking forward to using that BFR 30-30 this year on Whitetail.

[OnHoPr]

Good presentation. I did a little testing a few years ago, but not with wet news print, with magazine type catalogs, phone books, pine tree, and sand. I tested the 30-30 with WQWWs and a alloy of Pb/Sb/Sn 89/3/8. the WQWW didn't mushroom, but got deep penetration with the smallish tunnel effect. The alloy got shallow penetration, about almost three books, but was diameter speaking considerably wide damage with about 30 -40% loss weight. These speeds were in the 2100 fps class and the books or catalogs were @ 50yds. With a 6-7" pine the WQWW went through it like butter, but not the alloy. @ 270 yds though the alloy would mushroom over double with 11" of penetration and most of its weight in a 12 square bocks of moist sand. I would not use the WQWW for deer, a Lee 180 gr. The deer I did shoot with it had a cal hole going in and a 3/4" hole going out. But, both deers lungs only had similar size tunnel wound characteristics and both were the 100 yd runs. I shoot sabot muzzleloader boolits besides the EFFECTIVE PRB. All of the actual wounds of the lungs were somewhat similar in most cases. These are deflated lungs wounds. A few of the deer ran about the same distance or just a touch shorter, but one went almost 400 yds. The TC 200 gr shockwave with 150 gr powder or getting into the 2300+ fps gave considerable bruising to the opposite side inner ribs widespread and a bit more damage to the lungs. My close best ecksperiences is with the Lee 240 RNFB which tore up more lung, same cal going in and the same cal going out with the 30-30. I am starting to like to see how the bigger cal big metplat softer boolits would work on deers lungs personally.

I know back in the '80s & '90s 50 cal TC macksi ball was noted for being a whomper which has a wide flatish nose. At these lower speeds the big cal big metplat seems to initiate its energy sooner into the animal forgoing the time, whatever the BHN of the boolit is, of the RN or small cal flat point. Going from the similar Lyman #2 which is harder than the WW/Pb 50/50 with a touch of tin with the FN or RN .30 cal type boolits, how long does it take the eckspansion to mushroom on green ribs and lungs? The 50/50 alloy with HP or BruceB would help with the speed of the eckspansion.

Obviously, the big heavy boolits have more ft lbs of energy. Can we calculate what portion of the energy is dispensed in the green ribs and lungs of the animal with the 458 SOCOM with the hard cast and the 30-30 with a soft boolit or HP. Does the 458 only dispense 30% of its energy and the 30-30 dispense 70% of its energy so that they may equalize them somehow with different bullets, or enhance them somehow with different boolits???

[Ramjet-SS]

Good points and you hit this alloy has to match the application. i.e. velocity-caliber meplat diameter-animal size.

I have Lee hardness tester I may just try and check the BNH of the bullets I tested and add that to the test data.

I feel the 30-30 alloy was real good for deer size game. I know the 375 GNR alloy and bullet velocity is good as I shot this deer with that rifle it dropped with in 10 yards and internal damage was significant and the bullet exited the off side.