You made some great points. I want to add a few more things: 1) Matching the bullet weight with a given cartridge to achieve a velocity range of 2900 fps plus for copper bullets. A 308 matches with 130 to 150 grain. A 30-06 is ideal with 150 to 168 gr. A 300 wsm is good with 150 to 180s depending on the action length and throat. A 300 win with the 165 to 180 range but can do 190 if loaded hot. 300 weatherby and 300 RUM are ideal with 165 to 180 grain because they are long cases, and powder capacity is taken up by long coppers over 180. Keep in mind that a 180 copper is similar in length to a 210 lead core. The 300 prc and 300 norma are the best non wildcat 30 calibers, which fit well with 180 to 200 grain copper bullets. 2) The twist rate is more critical with copper bullets than lead core. For example, a 1:9 twist 7mm rem will stabilize a 180 lead core but won't stabilize a 168 lrx. The older 257 weatherby rifles are another great caliber that shoots the 100 barnes better than 115 gr barnes. Hunters with older rifles that utilize slower twist barrels need to shoot coppers that are 1 to 2 weight classes lower than lead core in order to get proper stabilization. Fast twist barrels are ideal with copper bullets or heavy for caliber lead core bullets. 3) Copper bullets have a wider operating range than lead core target bullets. You can impact animals from 2000 to 3400 fps and not have catastrophic failure and target style lead core bullets (eldm, eldx, berger, etc) are more ideal from like 1800 to 2600 impact velocity. That's why most loads shoot these target bullets under 2900 fps, and most copper bullets are over 2900 fps. 4) copper bullets retain more weight than target lead core, so a 168 barnes would be 150 grains plus of weight retention, while a 210 berger might only retain 100 to 120 grains after 2 inch of penetration so the net weight is larger with copper, giving a longer wound channel. 5) Bullets don't kill big animals on energy dump. They kill based on tissue damage, blood loss, and penetration. A FMJ gives penetration but very little tissue damage. The hollow point under the plastic tips on a copper cause the bullet to open and tear tissue while maintaining the shank and weight for penetration. 6) premium bullets like ablr, terminal accent, scirroco, etc. have a good bc while retaining more weight than target style lead cores and are a better choice for most hunters who don't shoot over 600 yards. 7) copper bullets like the badlands bulldozer, Mcguire ballistics and cutting edge lasers have a higher bc than the more common lrx and hornady cx and some can open down to 1700 or 1800 fps so they can be a 1000 yd bullet when shot at over 3000 fps and especially at elevations over 5000 feet. Keep in mind that most extreme long-range hunting is done in the mountains at elevations of 5000 to 12000 feet, which drastically increase the retained velocity. 8) very very few shooters can make 1st round hits over 600 yards in typical hunting conditions with wind, angle shooting and excitement so most copper or premium bonded lead core bullets will work fine for 99 percent of hunters. Thanks for reading the long rant. Keep up the great work.
This is a conversation I love having. I got in to this discussion on day one of a South Africa hunt last year. The PH asked what type of bullet I'd chosen for my trip. His response when I said "162gr. ELD-X" was..... "my tracker is going to be busy this week". Those PH's want their clients to bring solids and put every shot in the shoulder. They want blood trails and broken bones and that's fine but the way I rifle hunt is the way I bow hunt. I'm looking to destroy the vitals and kill quickly and ethically. 1st shot was a Blue Wildebeest at 230yds quartering to. It piled up 20yds from the shot. A bullet is as much a part of your hunting gear as your rifle or anything else. And you need to know what it is designed to do to optimize its performance. Ballistic tips do help with BC efficiency which helps retain velocity and, in turn, deflect wind more efficiently, but they also improve reliable expansion down to certain velocities. They will "pencil" through tissue for a certain distance before initiating expansion and cavitation. It's not energy that kills an animal, it's exsanguination. My bow has about 94lbs of kinetic energy at it's highest velocity and falls off as velocity drops. But pass throughs are common when shot placement is correct. I once shot a cow elk at 300yds with a 180gr. Berger VLD and it penciled straight through. Exit hole same diameter as entrance. I didn't want a shoulder shot because I was trying to fill the freezer. Bottom line is hunt with what you shoot most accurately, know your gear down to the bullet and place it where it can perform properly.
I usually hunt with slightly heavier bullets. Switching to mono type bullets I have went down in bullet grain weight for the most part by 10 to 15 or so grains. Seems to work great.
This is the main motivation for the ban in California, in particular to protect the critically endangered California Condor, which are highly sensitive to lead and feed on carrion. Since being released back into the wild in 1992, lead poisoning has been responsible for ~50% of condor deaths.
I know for a fact heavy mono bullets per caliber are not needed for hunting moose, elk, bear, deer, pronghorn, hogs. I prefer lighter and faster. The frontal diameter will be near identical per caliber regardless of weight and it would be very rare to not get a pass through out to several hundred yards. 270 Win - 110 TTSX, 129 LRX, 130 TTSX 280, 280AI - 139 Barnes LRX 7RemMag - 139, 145 LRX, 140 TSX, 150 TTSX 308 - 130 TTSX 708 - 120 TTSX 30-06 - 130 TTSX coming soon to a range near me 300WSM - 150 TSX, 168 TTSX (I did buy some 175 LRX to try) I've never recovered a Barnes bullet after it killed an animal
270 WIN is really well served by Barnes, for what ever reason. Just comparing factory loaded 129 LRX for 270 WIN to their 127 LRX for 6.5 PRC: the 270 is 130 fps faster, the exact same BC, and 9% larger in frontal area, with a suggested retail price that is $7 less.
I recovered a perfect little mushroom from a federal trophy copper 140gr out of my 7mm rem mag on a bull elk. Going to try something similar with my 280ai this year
Most everything I use for hunting with everything from 25 cal - 338 cal are e-tip, tsx and ttsx. Moose, elk , deer and bear drop every time from ranges of 100 to 500 yards.
I always use Bonded hunting bullets. BUT... last year I got such good results with Barnes 120grn TTSX's in my 7mm-08 that I'm using them for my hunt this year.
Good points. My son took a cow elk with a .300 Win Mag at 200 yards with a Hornady Superformance load of a 165 grain GMX at almost 3,300 fps. He hit it squarely in the shoulder and the hit was dramatic, with the cow going downhill only a few yards before dropping. I can’t imagine that a 190 or 200 grain bullet would have done any more. Edit: also, the majority of hunters must agree with you because Hornady used to offer a Superformance load with the 180 grain GMX that was discontinued several years ago… :-)
Swift aframe scirroco 2 nosler partition or accubond and u don't have any of the problems of mono's except the states that only let u use mono's great video as always.
High BC is something most of us should have zero concern about. keeping it under 400 meters just makes it a non issue. I want an accurate bullet that is properly constructed relative to the velocity. BC plays zero role in bullet choice.
@@bneaclab1That really depends on what 2 bullets you’re talking about. The classic 180 grain partition with a Bc of .361 has 2.5 inches more of wind drift than a 172 Speer Impact with a Bc of .522 when both are fired with a muzzle velocity of 2750 with a 10mph crosswind at 300 yards. There’s nothing that 180 partition is going to kill the 172 Impact won’t kill as well. Whether or not your rifle likes it is another story.
@echofoxtrotwhiskey1595 personally if I'm noticing a stiff wind I'll adjust a touch in terms of where I place the crosshairs if it is out past 300. I have never factored in the difference in wind drift according to bullet. Like I said, at normal ranges the difference is just not a factor to me. I shoot accubonds, partitions, bear claws, and A Frames. Never thought about bc in the fifty years I hunted. Only lost one animal and that happened to be a 40 yard neck shot.
for each of the bullets I use, I've calculated the max range for reliable expansion for given muzzle velocity. so long as you know that number and act accordingly, then you're good to go (re expansion) for any bullet
It was so funny. On a gun channel talking about the LRX bullet. It showed the RUclips guy shoot a bear, and act like it didn’t even get hit. He even mentioned he had to track it, although came back to say it was so great. In the comments one guy said he wanted to use this LRX bullet for long distance probably way past what he can even shoot. I mentioned he would be better off keeping the grain weight down, and velocity up to ensure proper expansion. Everyone bashed my comment. They said the velocity statement was bogus. I’ve seen it first hand that velocity matters, so whatever. Then, about a month later, the same RUclips guy did a Berger bullet video. He said that was going to be his new bullet, and how great it was. I scroll through the comments. Everyone talking about how you need velocity with copper bullets, and keep the bullet weight down. There were also a lot of comments bashing mono bullets in general. A lot of these online people crack me up man.
When you believe that copper expanding bullets don't expand or must be drive at extreme High speed explain why the 165 grain Barns TTSX or TSX bullets I load in the 7,62x39 using just 25 grains of W 748 and shooting Black tail deer the bullets I have recovered are expanded and that load and a 16 inch barrel that is a very show bullet. Barns have a video shooting a 30 cal 180 grain bullet at 800 FPS into gel and recover the bullet expanded. Or Barns video of a TSX bullet passed through a cherry tomato and it was expanded
Cavity Back and Maker have some very interesting monoliths with extreme expansion, relatively lightweight for caliber. Lots of .60-70 caliber expansion. High DRT results. Hammer has some interesting bullets as well.
Excellent points, certain cartridges are definitely not meant to use those heavy for caliber bullets. The 212 Barnes LRX was practically designed for the 300 PRC. But the 190 CX is another great example. I have been thinking about getting some to try in my 300 WSM but not sure if in a Savage standard magazine. However I do have 150 grain Barnes TTSX that was recommended to me years ago by someone on Randy Newberg’s HuntTalk forum and they even showed me the Eland that they got with it using their 300 WSM.
Thanks, that really helped me make a decision. 190 cx has no benefit to me at my ranges that I hunt, 450 and in. The other concern I had, which is mute now, is how they would eat powder capacity when loaded to length.
@@ReloadingWeatherby saw your latest video. Answered the question perfectly. I was going to play with loading for my 06 i usually squeak faster velocity out of mine. I don't shoot animals past 450 when hunting so there is no benefit.
The funny thing is I spent money building it for long distance playing on the range. But I can never pull the trigger on an animal at long range. Darn animals always want to shift or step at the worst times.
Hunting, is not longrange shooting, it's about your skills at hunting and stalking to get as close as possible to take a sure shot. These bullets are perfect for hunting in the old proven traditional calibers (6.5 x 55, 270, 7x57, 8x57,.308, .30-06 )with a 4x, 6x, or 3-9 x .. scope from a stone throw away to 300 meters. (This is to put the less experienced hunter at peace). Happy hunting.
If you talk to barnes you will see there are calibers with the tsx that will open to 1.7x diameter at 1600 fps, wanting 2x diameter expansion 1800 fps is required. Some of their bullets are designed specifically for a certain caliber under certain velocities.
It reminds me of handgun development, before expanding bullets the only way to get more power and energy was just a larger heavier bullet. particularly with black powder where you are capped on velocity. So it's not wrong in that comparing apples to apples a larger heavier bullet of the same type does do more damage. Where people get confused is when they think they are doing an apples to apples comparison when oranges pears and dragon fruit exist. Great video as always
I believe today’s market you can do just about whatever you want. There will be a cartridge and bullet combo. Wether it’s light like a 6 arc for deer, or a tough high bc magnum like the 190 cx and the 300 prc. Or th traditional 270 with a 130. The market has just about any scenario covered. Heck some of the most successful elk hunters use 7mm-08.
You are right there. Light for caliber monolithic bullet is the way to go within 500 meters range. And you really should not be shooting at animals any farther then that.
I like having lots of energy and lots of velocity. The two go hand in hand for fast kills! A big bullet at a fast speed is deadly. A big bullet at a slower speed as in a long range hit will still put the hurt on the animal, but we all need to remember that a big magnum is the same as a smaller same diameter cartridge at lesser distance, IE a 300 WBY at 400 yards hits as hard as a 3006 at 200 yards, but the WBY at 200 yards is a monster crushing machine. I go back and forth a lot on bullet selection. I have had some of my most impressive DRT kills with 300 gr Berger OTM from my 338 rum leaving the muzzle at 2850. I have kills on elk past 850 yards, all deadly. One year I decided to try 300 gr Nosler Accubonds and hit a cow elk at around 550 yards and I couldn't read that the wind was blowing hard at the top of the ridge where she was. My bullet hit far back in the high gut below the spine and paralyzed her back end. She crawled into the timber and I thought I broke here back. I went up to recover her with only my 454 casull handgun. When I got to where she was laying she suddenly jumped up and I missed my one chance at hitting her due to thick trees. When I finally got caught up to her again I had my rifle in hand and took a 50 yard shot with her running away, the shot went the entire length of the right backstrap and came out the shoulder and then lodged in her jaw. She didn't go much further, but was still on her feet and I put another round behind the shoulder and it blasted clean through and she went down. When I butchered the elk there was a perfect hole through each chop on the right back strap with a little bit of bloodshot, at first I thought I would be able to salvage that backstrap, but later decided against it. Bottom line is not very much damage, but major penetration! If I had the chance to take the same animal again I would choose the Berger bullet! The accubond in this case was just too tough! I have had good luck with 225 gr accubonds and also 210 gr Barnes and 225 gr Barnes that are running very fast. But I have also had poor performance with Barnes bullets that hit big mule deer when the impact velocity was below 2000 ft per second, the resulting would channel looked like a full metal jacket hit. I also tried some Hornady ELDM 285's running them at 2950 and had mixed results on elk with 3 kills one season. Two were DRT's and the 3rd was hit in the same place behind the shoulder at 500 yards and the Bull elk acted like he wasn't touched and ran 50 yards and fell over dead. The bullet came apart and went in different directions at the impact.
I totally agree !!, I stopped using ttsx because they kept deflecting, hit deer in the shoulder and bullet came out by stomach or some times hip on 100 % broadside shots ( 270 wby,270 win, 257 wby ) I like to try the hammer but this is still in my head , no trouble with the old tsx , as far as BC goes as you mentioned it really doesn't matter much till 500 yards my opinion that should be a max on game !!! I much rather accubond or interbond or partitions yet to have any problems on game !!
A hog-hunting guide in California told me he started losing more hogs once CA mandated copper bullets. According to him, on good hits (10, 9, or 8-ring) all-copper slugs were just as good as lead slugs, but on marginal hits (7-ring or lower), his hunters using copper slugs lost more hogs (because the coppers passed through without dumping as much energy into the animal).
I believe that's what happens when mono bullets are impacting at less than the minimum impact velocity they were designed to open at. That's why you would choose a mono that's lighter than a cup and core or bonded bullet. Speed is critical for mono bullet performance. I think the issues folks reported when monos came out was because of that.
Out to 300 yards, which is as far, probably farther, as 99% of hunters need to even consider shooting at game, the lighter copper bullets always win. I really like the 6.8 western, but the 270wsm I have already is better in every way than the 6.8 at all reasonable hunting ranges. Gimme that LRX in the WSM all day everyday and twice on Sunday!
Velocity is your friend with monos. Example, a 150gr TTSX will retain more weight than a 180gr bonded. So, shoot the lighter mono for greater velocity and the bullet will expand more reliably.
I’ve heard going too high velocity breaks the “petals” off the bullet. Then you lose diameter and bullet mass. Maybe I’ve seen tests with the wrong bullets? Not sure there is one good extreme. Land somewhere in the middle.
@@TeensierPythonI don’t shoot any of the really fast cartridges, but I think you could be right if impact velocities are really high. But, I’ve found that starting velocities up to 3300 fps haven’t caused me any problems. None of my shots have been less than 75 yards though.
With my 308 win, i really like the barnes 130ttsx. With 48.2 grains of ramshot tac i get 3200 fps and it shoots pretty darn flat. 2 bang flops on whitetails so far, more to come soon.
seems like energy for "instant knock-down" has been sufficiently disproven, but energy is important re doing the hemorrhage-causing damage with adequate penetration
I’ve also never had acceptable groups with Barnes bullets in four rifles I’ve tried them in. I’ve tried the XLC coated, TSX, and TSSX tipped. I have since figured out why they shoot such wide groups. All the Barnes bullets I have tried are undersized vs what they state on the box. My current .358’s are .357”. My barrel slugs at .358”. My .308 TSX are .3065”. It’s like throwing a hotdog down a hallway. If I had a custom barrel that the rifling cut undersized I’m sure they would be accurate.
🕵♂️ Unlike The Mono Metal Bullets, I Have Had Real Good Luck With Getting The Swift A-Frame's To Shoot Accurately Out of My Rifles and They Don't Have Any Petals To Break Off and Cause The Bullet To Vear Off Course or Not Open and Tumble (Things I Have Seen Happen With The All Copper Bullets)! 🤔
My 300 weatherby shooting the Berger 200.20X Hybrid chrono at 3050 has 4145 muzzle energy, at 300 yards it has 2069 FPS, 3023 ftlbs, at 600 2205 FPS and 2158 Ftlbs with 2.94 wind Adjustment in a 10 mph. I haven’t lost an animal yet! My bull this year was 435 yards. I love high BC bullets for wind drift. As I am not a perfect wind caller. The higher the BC the more forgiveness in my wind.
You might have wanted to mention the monolithic bullets are much longer. So if you go for a heavy for caliber bullet it will intrude a lot more in the powder chamber and could limit the velocity you can attain a lot. Not to mention you'll need a faster twist since it's going slower and it is longer. I think the typical practice of going one level lower in weight than with a cup and core or bonded bullet is still very applicable for hunting specially for your mid range calibers like 308, 7mm-08 or 6.5 Creed.
@@bobborlog1677 i would like to try that on balisitic gel! shooting a 280 with gmx think it was 140s at 60 yards shot threw a 8 inch spruce hit the buck running recovered bullet other side of hide & bullet was in perfect mushroom condition can’t remember the retention weight but it was good
Every time I've used a mono bullet its worked great. If it doesn't drop them fast I have a blood highway to follow. Every time I've used a jacketed bullet I get free hamburger around the entry and sometimes a lot of free hamburger around the exit. Personally I prefer steaks so I like the mono. Edit: Also I have gone out with two different guys that use the ELD-X and they are awful. Every guy I've met thats tried them has also hated them with the exception of one fella who swears he used one on a moose to great effect. But given the performance I've seen on Elk and even Deer.... I'm not so sure.
I called to Burns about the tips and they said that accuracy is actually on the OGive/base of the bullet not the tip. they fixed this on later bullets.
based on your perfect experience. if you had to choose a 280 ackley would you rather the savage ultralight with a carbon stock from stockys or the weatherby 307 alpine CT
People are staying away from energy numbers because they are realizing it doesn’t matter. Energy alone doesn’t kill stuff; permanent tissue damage to the important parts does. Every bullet has a velocity operating range and minimum impact velocity required for expansion/upset. Mono’s kill stuff fine if they are going fast enough on impact, but it’s a narrow permanent wound channel and a long wound “neck” before you get any significant expansion. Even more so with the heavy for caliber mono’s, I’d imagine. ELDM/ELDX for me for now since I want immediate expansion(short wound necks) and a large wound channel. I could change my tune in the future, idk. Old Amax killed deer really fast too even at short range and quartering angles. Idk. lol.
@@jonarnett3018 sorry for the delay, man. I was busy causing tissue damage to a couple more Caribou that are now in our freezers. Yeah; impact energy alone is not a super helpful way to quantify terminal performance. The internet is a tough place if you just want to hear your ideas in someone else’s words, but if you are interested in understanding the concepts, I’m not the only one that thinks this way. Shoot2Hunt Podcast episodes 35 and FF-3 are good articulation of the idea and general insight on bullet performance. Or we could argue in the comments section and that would be cool too I’m sure. Good for the OP’s post engagement stats either way. Cheers.
@@rubenrodriguez7266 mass x velocity = energy simple math without energy you have nothing for you to say energy doesn’t matter just sounds uneducated. I guess those caribou you shoot without magic bullets that have no energy.
Just because people have lowered energy on the priority list doesn't mean it isn't just as important. Good shot placement is important no matter what you're using, but sufficient energy transfer is paramount. Physics are physics and don't change with time or trends. The Internet is rife with bad advice and misconceptions.
Monolithic bullets are not a monolith. When you lump them all as one thing you lose a lot of the nuance. There’s enough difference in designs that it can sometimes make sense to go a little heavier in non-magnums. Ex: for 308, the 168 ttsx is better than the 150 ttsx version they sell as a component bullet because the 168 is designed to expand at 1500 fps vs 1800 fps. This is generally good advice, but when you strip away all the nuance it’s just rehashing the same thing everyone has been saying since monos have been out.Shoot lighter so you hit at a higher impact velocity.
Properly annealed (Heat treated) copper projectiles will expand similar to lead core soft tips although agreed the velocity needs to be on the upper range to perform, and construction of the bullet makes a big difference as well. I would not use them past 400 yards personally, and most of my experience has been sub 200 yards with a muzzle loader and Barnes bullets
All projectiles have a velocity window in which they work optimally. Outside this velocity window, they are either overstrained and fragment or they do not open and therefore do not release their energy. And this also applies to bullets with a lead core. I wouldn't want to eat game shot at 100 yards if it was shot with a lead bullet that still works well at over 600 yards. Then I would rather limit myself to 600 yards and choose a monolithic copper bullet.
I tested 225 ttsx out my 338 rum going 3180fps against 250 grain game kings going 3050 on a steel plate at 400 yds and only the gamekings where making holes where the barnes was exlploding I test every bullet I hunt wit at distance and on targets to see how they perform
My West German Mk V .300 Wby has a 22" barrel. I generally run 200s. Or,that is to say, I loaded up 50 200s years ago and haven't needed any since. Min vs Max loads isn't much of a spread with Weatherby loads anyway.
I don"t Shoot heavy for caliber i shoot light for caliber, out to 700 yards and that is still over 2100 fps and is under 3 in group at distance and full penetration on elk. But perfect conditions!
@ReloadingWeatherby i also uses 190lrx in 300win and 300wby the win is doing 3200fps and Weatherby is 3300fps magpro for win and ramshot mag power for the Weatherby
😁 You Are Right On The Money About Bullet Design and Energy! However, All That Being Said, Do You Think I Would Be More Comfortable Going Into Bear Country (While Hunting Elk) With My 270 Win. Loaded With a 127 grain LRX Bullet or My 30-06 Loaded With a 200 grain Swift A-Frame or 220 grain Nosler Partition? 🍽🐻
Any lead contamination would be in the blood shot meat, I’ve never met anyone that eats blood shot meat. I like the idea about the 2 holes equals more blood trail, only problem is if the pedals from a all copper bullet break off, your exit hole is the same size as the entry hole and if you don’t break a leg, those small holes have been known to plug up with hair. I would rather have more energy transferred inside the animal then into a tree or the ground behind the animal. These problems or disagreements is what keeps shooting conversations interesting.
Those CX bullets expand faster than ttsx and at high velocity shed petals. Saw a test on Mason Leather that a 308 150 was recovered at about 130 gr in gel. Leaves a big wound channel though. I think the CX you want to use a size heavier than TTSX but still nowhere near as heavy as a soft point or ELDX.
Last year I took a 5x5 Rosie @20yds with my Tikka 30.06 using the Barnes TTSX 180. It was DRT! The most humane kill I’ve seen to date. I think he was with Jesus before I heard the shot.
Have/are you going to verify drop at longer ranges (400 yards or whatever your max shot on animals) before hunting with them? I see a lot of comments on how the BC isnt close to the printed number.
My Elk guide told me a 270 shooting a 130 grain Hornady SST was too light for A big Bull Funny🤔….i seem to remember. That monster Bull hitting the ground on the first shot 😂
I do not like scopes and therefore I use iron sights. Hence I only shoot out to 150 yards or less when hunting. I also do not like bolt actions, lever action, pumps, nor semi-autos, which basically leaves only revolvers. To which I like using a 460 S&W Magnum XVR with a 14" barrel, which can spit a 220 grain copper monolithic bullet 2,460 fps at the muzzle. Lehigh Defense makes such a Copper monolithic 220 grain Xtreme Defense bullet which does not need to expand either. And this set up has a point blank range [2" spread on target] out to 150 yards easily. And at that distance the bullet is still flying at 2,200 fps, maintaining 2,364 ft lbs of energy, from a 220 grain .452 caliber bullet, to take down anything that walks this earth.
Some of it depends on caliber. A lot of 6.5 mm bullets don't hold together well even bonded core bullets. I want a pass through shot with expansion. I don't want a bullet that comes apart because you were off a bit on your wind and hit the leg bone and the bullet explded destroying both front shoulders. And you have bits of lead all over the place. Or oops you hit an elk shoulder and bullet exploded and you didn't get enough penetration and lost the animal. That is what a 140 grain eldx bullet can do. Some of the monolithic bullets can expand down to 1600 fps. I also take ft lbs of energy into consideration. If it can't deliver at least reasonably close to 1500 hundred ft lbs at a distance I'm not going to take the shot. One example he gave had a bit over 1300 ft lbs of energy I would just limit my shots to 500 yards which should be enough energy. Need to shoot further then you need to rethink your caliber.
Interesting perspective. So, as I’m understanding you, the decades of concern related to energy is wrong? Energy is every bit as valuable as shot placement and bullet design. For me, I’ll stick to an “energy” related profile when determining ethical shooting distances and game size per caliber. Still, a great video and and interesting perspective.
🫣 Yes, The "Horneday Hits Formula" and Taylor "Knock Down" Theorem Don't Accurately Indicate "Knock Down Power" - Because They Can't Accurately Take Into Account Good Bullet Design (Which Keeps The Integrity of Your Sectional Density and Allows For Deeper Bullet Penetration)! 👨🏫 Those Old/Archaic Ideas Are Totally Incorrect In Today's World of Better Bullet Design! 👨🔬
You have my attention. I like to needle you on your videos but I would like to have a serious conversation. Go the opposite way with this arguement. Lightest copper bullet in .30 cal. For 300 prc. Or any caliber. Energy means nothing if all you do is pinhole at longer distances. Copper holds together, so drive it as fast as accurately possible. This has been on my mind for over a year now. Glad you picked up on it, sort of. Run with this idea. Edgy, new ideas that ruffe feathers. Its right in your wheelhouse. I believe copper bullets are under utilized as it pertains to light bullets and higher velocities. Try doing a light copper bullet in a 22-250..... max load for velocity. You may just turn the industry in a different direction. Smasshed the like button.... cheers!
Wow. A common sense evaluation of the “newer better high bc heavy bullet”. Seems that the old no count vintage deer killers aren’t the pos they’ve been made out to be. 😮
Mono's suck unless you shoot 25 yards with a magnum or lead is outlawed where you live. Otherwise it's a fad and bonded bullets outperform mono's in almost every other way.
3-400 yds. Which is ethically the farthest one should be from a game animal, the mono bullets perform beautifully. Why not eliminate the lead in your burger??
I'm not taking recommendations from a you tube expert. This video is entertaining bc I am laughing at why a person would say you shouldn't use a bullet that penetrates well and offers a good blood trail. The Hornady CX is one of the best hunting bullets ever made.
Well Jon... you know what they say about opinions. Opinions are like Butt's... everyone has them and they all stink. The point I was making is you don't need to shoot a heavy mono bullet to get great penetration... and for slower cartridges, I wouldn't recommend the real heavy mono bullets
@@ReloadingWeatherby you actually say why you shouldn't use them at the beginning of the video. I am still waiting to hear why you shouldn't use them except for you are worried about expansion. most modern cartridges are sending it fast enough out to 700 yards to get that expansion. If a person limits themselves because they don't have the confidence or shooting ability to shoot past 200 yards then they start making excuses to not use something past those ranges which I find funny. energy is energy is energy you have to have it for it all to work yet you say the other two are more important. Shot placement and penetration are really what's more important than any of it.
Both the 6.8 and 300 examples shown basically give nod to heavier bullets…which is opposite of this video title lol for hunting you want better wind drift numbers, not so much energy or drop, especially if 500-600+ yrds are considered. BC wins there. Most are forced to use lighter monos since factory twist rates likely wont stabilize the heavier monos of equal weight to common cup cores. Or if they will, saami length and chambers kills powder capacity when seated. That said, 300-400 yrds or in, the light fast monos can be phenomenal
I think you stated the problem with the heavies perfectly. They are losers compared to lighter bullets at ranges game should be shot at. If you have to get to 600 yards before there’s any advantage to heavies, then there’s absolutely no reason to use them hunting.
@@phild9813basically but even the 300 prc with the 190 was much better in wind at 300. I guess you can go too light in some bullets. Gotta look at your options in your cartridge and make a decision
Heavy, High BC Monolithic ELR bullets are actually perfect for snipers but absolutely lousy for hunting unless the power ratio is more than you need for that particular animal...
They are designed to expand through liquid, not solids. Watch Barnes interview on Vortex Nation, very informative. They will pass through a wall- no expansion. But not a cherry tomato without expanding.
@@js7127 I don't doubt it but I wish I could remember the channel where they actually put a shoulder blade at the front of the gel and to everyone's surprise they performed better. If I come across it again, I'll let you know but it's just not coming to me now. Sorry.
Partly but you also have better weight retention so you'll get better penetration for weight, thus going faster is a greater help inside of hunting ranges
2k seems to be a bare minimum, 2200 a better bottom limit. There are some specialized options that allow for lower speeds like the barnes lrx I think is closer to 1800fps
@ReloadingWeatherby great video love your stuff. And definitely don't need the heavy mono's. The 145lrx has been great in our 7mm rifles and the 175LRX and 180ttsx are great in the big 30s
Here everything under 180 grains (Fmj for training in 308) is sold out. Every shop has 180 grain bullets (but serious who wants them???) 180 grain is waaay to heavy for 308. I´,m allready waiting since 2 month for 150 FMJ bullets getting sold again. IT SUCKS. Yeah they have hunting ammo in all weights but again i don´t want to train with 4$ bullets per shot.
You made some great points. I want to add a few more things:
1) Matching the bullet weight with a given cartridge to achieve a velocity range of 2900 fps plus for copper bullets. A 308 matches with 130 to 150 grain. A 30-06 is ideal with 150 to 168 gr. A 300 wsm is good with 150 to 180s depending on the action length and throat. A 300 win with the 165 to 180 range but can do 190 if loaded hot. 300 weatherby and 300 RUM are ideal with 165 to 180 grain because they are long cases, and powder capacity is taken up by long coppers over 180. Keep in mind that a 180 copper is similar in length to a 210 lead core. The 300 prc and 300 norma are the best non wildcat 30 calibers, which fit well with 180 to 200 grain copper bullets.
2) The twist rate is more critical with copper bullets than lead core. For example, a 1:9 twist 7mm rem will stabilize a 180 lead core but won't stabilize a 168 lrx. The older 257 weatherby rifles are another great caliber that shoots the 100 barnes better than 115 gr barnes. Hunters with older rifles that utilize slower twist barrels need to shoot coppers that are 1 to 2 weight classes lower than lead core in order to get proper stabilization. Fast twist barrels are ideal with copper bullets or heavy for caliber lead core bullets.
3) Copper bullets have a wider operating range than lead core target bullets. You can impact animals from 2000 to 3400 fps and not have catastrophic failure and target style lead core bullets (eldm, eldx, berger, etc) are more ideal from like 1800 to 2600 impact velocity. That's why most loads shoot these target bullets under 2900 fps, and most copper bullets are over 2900 fps.
4) copper bullets retain more weight than target lead core, so a 168 barnes would be 150 grains plus of weight retention, while a 210 berger might only retain 100 to 120 grains after 2 inch of penetration so the net weight is larger with copper, giving a longer wound channel.
5) Bullets don't kill big animals on energy dump. They kill based on tissue damage, blood loss, and penetration. A FMJ gives penetration but very little tissue damage. The hollow point under the plastic tips on a copper cause the bullet to open and tear tissue while maintaining the shank and weight for penetration.
6) premium bullets like ablr, terminal accent, scirroco, etc. have a good bc while retaining more weight than target style lead cores and are a better choice for most hunters who don't shoot over 600 yards.
7) copper bullets like the badlands bulldozer, Mcguire ballistics and cutting edge lasers have a higher bc than the more common lrx and hornady cx and some can open down to 1700 or 1800 fps so they can be a 1000 yd bullet when shot at over 3000 fps and especially at elevations over 5000 feet. Keep in mind that most extreme long-range hunting is done in the mountains at elevations of 5000 to 12000 feet, which drastically increase the retained velocity.
8) very very few shooters can make 1st round hits over 600 yards in typical hunting conditions with wind, angle shooting and excitement so most copper or premium bonded lead core bullets will work fine for 99 percent of hunters.
Thanks for reading the long rant. Keep up the great work.
All great points
Copper bullets like barnes expand the same amount at 1400fps as they do 2000fps
This is a conversation I love having. I got in to this discussion on day one of a South Africa hunt last year. The PH asked what type of bullet I'd chosen for my trip. His response when I said "162gr. ELD-X" was..... "my tracker is going to be busy this week". Those PH's want their clients to bring solids and put every shot in the shoulder. They want blood trails and broken bones and that's fine but the way I rifle hunt is the way I bow hunt. I'm looking to destroy the vitals and kill quickly and ethically. 1st shot was a Blue Wildebeest at 230yds quartering to. It piled up 20yds from the shot. A bullet is as much a part of your hunting gear as your rifle or anything else. And you need to know what it is designed to do to optimize its performance. Ballistic tips do help with BC efficiency which helps retain velocity and, in turn, deflect wind more efficiently, but they also improve reliable expansion down to certain velocities. They will "pencil" through tissue for a certain distance before initiating expansion and cavitation. It's not energy that kills an animal, it's exsanguination. My bow has about 94lbs of kinetic energy at it's highest velocity and falls off as velocity drops. But pass throughs are common when shot placement is correct. I once shot a cow elk at 300yds with a 180gr. Berger VLD and it penciled straight through. Exit hole same diameter as entrance. I didn't want a shoulder shot because I was trying to fill the freezer. Bottom line is hunt with what you shoot most accurately, know your gear down to the bullet and place it where it can perform properly.
I usually hunt with slightly heavier bullets. Switching to mono type bullets I have went down in bullet grain weight for the most part by 10 to 15 or so grains. Seems to work great.
For monoliths I would also add (as a pro) is not leaving behind lead in gut piles/damaged meat. The animals that consume this can also be impacted.
This is the main motivation for the ban in California, in particular to protect the critically endangered California Condor, which are highly sensitive to lead and feed on carrion. Since being released back into the wild in 1992, lead poisoning has been responsible for ~50% of condor deaths.
We have been using lead for hunting animals for 1000’s of years. The animals have not gone extinct yet
I know for a fact heavy mono bullets per caliber are not needed for hunting moose, elk, bear, deer, pronghorn, hogs. I prefer lighter and faster. The frontal diameter will be near identical per caliber regardless of weight and it would be very rare to not get a pass through out to several hundred yards.
270 Win - 110 TTSX, 129 LRX, 130 TTSX
280, 280AI - 139 Barnes LRX
7RemMag - 139, 145 LRX, 140 TSX, 150 TTSX
308 - 130 TTSX
708 - 120 TTSX
30-06 - 130 TTSX coming soon to a range near me
300WSM - 150 TSX, 168 TTSX (I did buy some 175 LRX to try)
I've never recovered a Barnes bullet after it killed an animal
Post velocity you get with the dirty 30.
270 WIN is really well served by Barnes, for what ever reason. Just comparing factory loaded 129 LRX for 270 WIN to their 127 LRX for 6.5 PRC: the 270 is 130 fps faster, the exact same BC, and 9% larger in frontal area, with a suggested retail price that is $7 less.
I recovered a perfect little mushroom from a federal trophy copper 140gr out of my 7mm rem mag on a bull elk. Going to try something similar with my 280ai this year
We're going full circle. The new Dinky Cartridge guys are reaching for 30+ caliber magnums, belts, and all! Like they just discovered something😅
Most everything I use for hunting with everything from 25 cal - 338 cal are e-tip, tsx and ttsx. Moose, elk , deer and bear drop every time from ranges of 100 to 500 yards.
I always use Bonded hunting bullets. BUT... last year I got such good results with Barnes 120grn TTSX's in my 7mm-08 that I'm using them for my hunt this year.
Good points. My son took a cow elk with a .300 Win Mag at 200 yards with a Hornady Superformance load of a 165 grain GMX at almost 3,300 fps. He hit it squarely in the shoulder and the hit was dramatic, with the cow going downhill only a few yards before dropping. I can’t imagine that a 190 or 200 grain bullet would have done any more.
Edit: also, the majority of hunters must agree with you because Hornady used to offer a Superformance load with the 180 grain GMX that was discontinued several years ago… :-)
HEY!!!! 🤔
Swift aframe scirroco 2 nosler partition or accubond and u don't have any of the problems of mono's except the states that only let u use mono's great video as always.
High BC is something most of us should have zero concern about. keeping it under 400 meters just makes it a non issue. I want an accurate bullet that is properly constructed relative to the velocity. BC plays zero role in bullet choice.
Wind?
High bc caries energy farther but soft points do the job
@zoomermillenial9557 the difference a high bc bullet makes verses a lower bc bullet in wind at 300 yards is negligible IMHO.
@@bneaclab1That really depends on what 2 bullets you’re talking about. The classic 180 grain partition with a Bc of .361 has 2.5 inches more of wind drift than a 172 Speer Impact with a Bc of .522 when both are fired with a muzzle velocity of 2750 with a 10mph crosswind at 300 yards. There’s nothing that 180 partition is going to kill the 172 Impact won’t kill as well. Whether or not your rifle likes it is another story.
@echofoxtrotwhiskey1595 personally if I'm noticing a stiff wind I'll adjust a touch in terms of where I place the crosshairs if it is out past 300. I have never factored in the difference in wind drift according to bullet. Like I said, at normal ranges the difference is just not a factor to me. I shoot accubonds, partitions, bear claws, and A Frames. Never thought about bc in the fifty years I hunted. Only lost one animal and that happened to be a 40 yard neck shot.
for each of the bullets I use, I've calculated the max range for reliable expansion for given muzzle velocity.
so long as you know that number and act accordingly, then you're good to go (re expansion) for any bullet
I'm old school heavy for caliber cup and core or Nosler partitions.
I use 200 grain ttsx and tsx in my 325 and my whelen but I don’t shoot outside of 300 yards . My 325 is shooting at 2948 and the whelen about 2800 .
It was so funny. On a gun channel talking about the LRX bullet. It showed the RUclips guy shoot a bear, and act like it didn’t even get hit. He even mentioned he had to track it, although came back to say it was so great. In the comments one guy said he wanted to use this LRX bullet for long distance probably way past what he can even shoot. I mentioned he would be better off keeping the grain weight down, and velocity up to ensure proper expansion. Everyone bashed my comment. They said the velocity statement was bogus. I’ve seen it first hand that velocity matters, so whatever. Then, about a month later, the same RUclips guy did a Berger bullet video. He said that was going to be his new bullet, and how great it was. I scroll through the comments. Everyone talking about how you need velocity with copper bullets, and keep the bullet weight down. There were also a lot of comments bashing mono bullets in general. A lot of these online people crack me up man.
When you believe that copper expanding bullets don't expand or must be drive at extreme High speed explain why the 165 grain Barns TTSX or TSX bullets I load in the 7,62x39 using just 25 grains of W 748 and shooting Black tail deer the bullets I have recovered are expanded and that load and a 16 inch barrel that is a very show bullet.
Barns have a video shooting a 30 cal 180 grain bullet at 800 FPS into gel and recover the bullet expanded.
Or Barns video of a TSX bullet passed through a cherry tomato and it was expanded
@@Lure-Benson imo, it depends on what kind of copper alloy they are made of
@@лопух-ф5я Let me take a 100% guess where you're all of your gun info came from ? from playing video war games and this bad info gun comments
@@Lure-Benson no its a fact about monolithic bullets,cant tell anything about barns however
I have to agree, when velocity is over 2600 @ P.O.I. it is going so fast it has no time to exchange energy.
Cavity Back and Maker have some very interesting monoliths with extreme expansion, relatively lightweight for caliber. Lots of .60-70 caliber expansion. High DRT results. Hammer has some interesting bullets as well.
Big difference in expansion when comparing Hammer and Barnes bullets. The Hammers expand much better! Great video bro!
Thanks
In CA you have to use solids . Exit holes around 2 inches no problem with expansion.
Excellent points, certain cartridges are definitely not meant to use those heavy for caliber bullets.
The 212 Barnes LRX was practically designed for the 300 PRC. But the 190 CX is another great example. I have been thinking about getting some to try in my 300 WSM but not sure if in a Savage standard magazine.
However I do have 150 grain Barnes TTSX that was recommended to me years ago by someone on Randy Newberg’s HuntTalk forum and they even showed me the Eland that they got with it using their 300 WSM.
175 gr lrx would be a spicey meatball coming out of a wsm
@@AussieInCA11 I would have to agree. That was the other copper bullet that I was looking at actually 😎
Thanks, that really helped me make a decision. 190 cx has no benefit to me at my ranges that I hunt, 450 and in.
The other concern I had, which is mute now, is how they would eat powder capacity when loaded to length.
What cartridge are you shooting?
@@ReloadingWeatherby saw your latest video. Answered the question perfectly. I was going to play with loading for my 06 i usually squeak faster velocity out of mine. I don't shoot animals past 450 when hunting so there is no benefit.
The funny thing is I spent money building it for long distance playing on the range. But I can never pull the trigger on an animal at long range. Darn animals always want to shift or step at the worst times.
Hunting, is not longrange shooting, it's about your skills at hunting and stalking to get as close as possible to take a sure shot. These bullets are perfect for hunting in the old proven traditional calibers (6.5 x 55, 270, 7x57, 8x57,.308, .30-06 )with a 4x, 6x, or 3-9 x .. scope from a stone throw away to 300 meters. (This is to put the less experienced hunter at peace). Happy hunting.
If you talk to barnes you will see there are calibers with the tsx that will open to 1.7x diameter at 1600 fps, wanting 2x diameter expansion 1800 fps is required. Some of their bullets are designed specifically for a certain caliber under certain velocities.
It reminds me of handgun development, before expanding bullets the only way to get more power and energy was just a larger heavier bullet. particularly with black powder where you are capped on velocity. So it's not wrong in that comparing apples to apples a larger heavier bullet of the same type does do more damage. Where people get confused is when they think they are doing an apples to apples comparison when oranges pears and dragon fruit exist. Great video as always
"Black power"✊🏿😂
@@tenthplace ...crap ...lol
I believe today’s market you can do just about whatever you want. There will be a cartridge and bullet combo. Wether it’s light like a 6 arc for deer, or a tough high bc magnum like the 190 cx and the 300 prc. Or th traditional 270 with a 130. The market has just about any scenario covered. Heck some of the most successful elk hunters use 7mm-08.
Whatever distance you can shoot ethically, use the bullet weight that has the most velocity left there.
You are right there. Light for caliber monolithic bullet is the way to go within 500 meters range. And you really should not be shooting at animals any farther then that.
No, YOU shouldn't be shooting at animals further away than that.
@@HazardousRobit is amazing how people know how good I can shoot and how good my rifle system is. They should be going hunting w Kamala.
I agree, you shouldn't be shooting at animals past 500yds with light monos
@@NorthRiverGuide I agree w light monos
I like having lots of energy and lots of velocity. The two go hand in hand for fast kills! A big bullet at a fast speed is deadly. A big bullet at a slower speed as in a long range hit will still put the hurt on the animal, but we all need to remember that a big magnum is the same as a smaller same diameter cartridge at lesser distance, IE a 300 WBY at 400 yards hits as hard as a 3006 at 200 yards, but the WBY at 200 yards is a monster crushing machine. I go back and forth a lot on bullet selection. I have had some of my most impressive DRT kills with 300 gr Berger OTM from my 338 rum leaving the muzzle at 2850. I have kills on elk past 850 yards, all deadly. One year I decided to try 300 gr Nosler Accubonds and hit a cow elk at around 550 yards and I couldn't read that the wind was blowing hard at the top of the ridge where she was. My bullet hit far back in the high gut below the spine and paralyzed her back end. She crawled into the timber and I thought I broke here back. I went up to recover her with only my 454 casull handgun. When I got to where she was laying she suddenly jumped up and I missed my one chance at hitting her due to thick trees. When I finally got caught up to her again I had my rifle in hand and took a 50 yard shot with her running away, the shot went the entire length of the right backstrap and came out the shoulder and then lodged in her jaw. She didn't go much further, but was still on her feet and I put another round behind the shoulder and it blasted clean through and she went down. When I butchered the elk there was a perfect hole through each chop on the right back strap with a little bit of bloodshot, at first I thought I would be able to salvage that backstrap, but later decided against it. Bottom line is not very much damage, but major penetration! If I had the chance to take the same animal again I would choose the Berger bullet! The accubond in this case was just too tough! I have had good luck with 225 gr accubonds and also 210 gr Barnes and 225 gr Barnes that are running very fast. But I have also had poor performance with Barnes bullets that hit big mule deer when the impact velocity was below 2000 ft per second, the resulting would channel looked like a full metal jacket hit. I also tried some Hornady ELDM 285's running them at 2950 and had mixed results on elk with 3 kills one season. Two were DRT's and the 3rd was hit in the same place behind the shoulder at 500 yards and the Bull elk acted like he wasn't touched and ran 50 yards and fell over dead. The bullet came apart and went in different directions at the impact.
I totally agree !!, I stopped using ttsx because they kept deflecting, hit deer in the shoulder and bullet came out by stomach or some times hip on 100 % broadside shots ( 270 wby,270 win, 257 wby ) I like to try the hammer but this is still in my head , no trouble with the old tsx , as far as BC goes as you mentioned it really doesn't matter much till 500 yards my opinion that should be a max on game !!! I much rather accubond or interbond or partitions yet to have any problems on game !!
A hog-hunting guide in California told me he started losing more hogs once CA mandated copper bullets. According to him, on good hits (10, 9, or 8-ring) all-copper slugs were just as good as lead slugs, but on marginal hits (7-ring or lower), his hunters using copper slugs lost more hogs (because the coppers passed through without dumping as much energy into the animal).
I believe that's what happens when mono bullets are impacting at less than the minimum impact velocity they were designed to open at. That's why you would choose a mono that's lighter than a cup and core or bonded bullet. Speed is critical for mono bullet performance. I think the issues folks reported when monos came out was because of that.
Very reasonable, well thought out presentation.
Thank you!
Out to 300 yards, which is as far, probably farther, as 99% of hunters need to even consider shooting at game, the lighter copper bullets always win. I really like the 6.8 western, but the 270wsm I have already is better in every way than the 6.8 at all reasonable hunting ranges. Gimme that LRX in the WSM all day everyday and twice on Sunday!
Velocity is your friend with monos. Example, a 150gr TTSX will retain more weight than a 180gr bonded. So, shoot the lighter mono for greater velocity and the bullet will expand more reliably.
I’ve heard going too high velocity breaks the “petals” off the bullet. Then you lose diameter and bullet mass. Maybe I’ve seen tests with the wrong bullets?
Not sure there is one good extreme. Land somewhere in the middle.
@@TeensierPythonI don’t shoot any of the really fast cartridges, but I think you could be right if impact velocities are really high. But, I’ve found that starting velocities up to 3300 fps haven’t caused me any problems. None of my shots have been less than 75 yards though.
"A 150gr TTSX will retain more weight than a 180gr bonded" That's an interesting statement. It's also not accurate in plenty of cases.
With my 308 win, i really like the barnes 130ttsx. With 48.2 grains of ramshot tac i get 3200 fps and it shoots pretty darn flat. 2 bang flops on whitetails so far, more to come soon.
seems like energy for "instant knock-down" has been sufficiently disproven, but energy is important re doing the hemorrhage-causing damage with adequate penetration
I’ve also never had acceptable groups with Barnes bullets in four rifles I’ve tried them in. I’ve tried the XLC coated, TSX, and TSSX tipped. I have since figured out why they shoot such wide groups. All the Barnes bullets I have tried are undersized vs what they state on the box. My current .358’s are .357”. My barrel slugs at .358”. My .308 TSX are .3065”. It’s like throwing a hotdog down a hallway. If I had a custom barrel that the rifling cut undersized I’m sure they would be accurate.
🕵♂️ Unlike The Mono Metal Bullets, I Have Had Real Good Luck With Getting The Swift A-Frame's To Shoot Accurately Out of My Rifles and They Don't Have Any Petals To Break Off and Cause The Bullet To Vear Off Course or Not Open and Tumble (Things I Have Seen Happen With The All Copper Bullets)! 🤔
My 300 weatherby shooting the Berger 200.20X Hybrid chrono at 3050 has 4145 muzzle energy, at 300 yards it has 2069 FPS, 3023 ftlbs, at 600 2205 FPS and 2158 Ftlbs with 2.94 wind Adjustment in a 10 mph. I haven’t lost an animal yet! My bull this year was 435 yards. I love high BC bullets for wind drift. As I am not a perfect wind caller. The higher the BC the more forgiveness in my wind.
This is a good video that I hope hunters watch.
Depends on what I’m hunting 🎉
You might have wanted to mention the monolithic bullets are much longer. So if you go for a heavy for caliber bullet it will intrude a lot more in the powder chamber and could limit the velocity you can attain a lot. Not to mention you'll need a faster twist since it's going slower and it is longer. I think the typical practice of going one level lower in weight than with a cup and core or bonded bullet is still very applicable for hunting specially for your mid range calibers like 308, 7mm-08 or 6.5 Creed.
180 Gmx or cx in the 300 Rum 97% retention 150s in 7mag same scenario they work!
What velocity would the 120 tac tx or 130 ttsx do from that huge cartridge
@@bobborlog1677 i would like to try that on balisitic gel! shooting a 280 with gmx think it was 140s at 60 yards shot threw a 8 inch spruce hit the buck running recovered bullet other side of hide & bullet was in perfect mushroom condition can’t remember the retention weight but it was good
Very good 👍 video! You need to know what the velocity is at your intended range.
Every time I've used a mono bullet its worked great. If it doesn't drop them fast I have a blood highway to follow.
Every time I've used a jacketed bullet I get free hamburger around the entry and sometimes a lot of free hamburger around the exit. Personally I prefer steaks so I like the mono.
Edit: Also I have gone out with two different guys that use the ELD-X and they are awful. Every guy I've met thats tried them has also hated them with the exception of one fella who swears he used one on a moose to great effect. But given the performance I've seen on Elk and even Deer.... I'm not so sure.
I called to Burns about the tips and they said that accuracy is actually on the OGive/base of the bullet not the tip. they fixed this on later bullets.
Medium to lighter weight for caliber bonded bullets and medium to heavy for caliber cup and core seem to work best in my opinion
based on your perfect experience. if you had to choose a 280 ackley would you rather the savage ultralight with a carbon stock from stockys or the weatherby 307 alpine CT
Savage is $500 cheaper... but you are getting a much better stock in the Weatherby.
People are staying away from energy numbers because they are realizing it doesn’t matter. Energy alone doesn’t kill stuff; permanent tissue damage to the important parts does.
Every bullet has a velocity operating range and minimum impact velocity required for expansion/upset.
Mono’s kill stuff fine if they are going fast enough on impact, but it’s a narrow permanent wound channel and a long wound “neck” before you get any significant expansion. Even more so with the heavy for caliber mono’s, I’d imagine.
ELDM/ELDX for me for now since I want immediate expansion(short wound necks) and a large wound channel. I could change my tune in the future, idk. Old Amax killed deer really fast too even at short range and quartering angles. Idk. lol.
Energy doesn't matter ? WTF I swear cant with these videos and comments.
@@jonarnett3018 sorry for the delay, man. I was busy causing tissue damage to a couple more Caribou that are now in our freezers.
Yeah; impact energy alone is not a super helpful way to quantify terminal performance. The internet is a tough place if you just want to hear your ideas in someone else’s words, but if you are interested in understanding the concepts, I’m not the only one that thinks this way. Shoot2Hunt Podcast episodes 35 and FF-3 are good articulation of the idea and general insight on bullet performance.
Or we could argue in the comments section and that would be cool too I’m sure. Good for the OP’s post engagement stats either way.
Cheers.
@@rubenrodriguez7266 lol great presentation with zero facts !
@@rubenrodriguez7266 mass x velocity = energy simple math without energy you have nothing for you to say energy doesn’t matter just sounds uneducated. I guess those caribou you shoot without magic bullets that have no energy.
@@jonarnett3018 sounds like you’ve got it all figured out, boss! Good luck and hope you have a great season.
Well said. Hornady Interlok, Nosler Accubond, Federal Fusion can’t go wrong. However the whole “lead in meat” idea is being overhyped.
Just because people have lowered energy on the priority list doesn't mean it isn't just as important. Good shot placement is important no matter what you're using, but sufficient energy transfer is paramount. Physics are physics and don't change with time or trends. The Internet is rife with bad advice and misconceptions.
i tried solid copper 140 gr with 6.5 swede,mule deer buck, never again.
Monolithic bullets are not a monolith. When you lump them all as one thing you lose a lot of the nuance. There’s enough difference in designs that it can sometimes make sense to go a little heavier in non-magnums. Ex: for 308, the 168 ttsx is better than the 150 ttsx version they sell as a component bullet because the 168 is designed to expand at 1500 fps vs 1800 fps. This is generally good advice, but when you strip away all the nuance it’s just rehashing the same thing everyone has been saying since monos have been out.Shoot lighter so you hit at a higher impact velocity.
That’s a great point!
Properly annealed (Heat treated) copper projectiles will expand similar to lead core soft tips although agreed the velocity needs to be on the upper range to perform, and construction of the bullet makes a big difference as well. I would not use them past 400 yards personally, and most of my experience has been sub 200 yards with a muzzle loader and Barnes bullets
All projectiles have a velocity window in which they work optimally. Outside this velocity window, they are either overstrained and fragment or they do not open and therefore do not release their energy. And this also applies to bullets with a lead core. I wouldn't want to eat game shot at 100 yards if it was shot with a lead bullet that still works well at over 600 yards.
Then I would rather limit myself to 600 yards and choose a monolithic copper bullet.
Great video!
I tested 225 ttsx out my 338 rum going 3180fps against 250 grain game kings going 3050 on a steel plate at 400 yds and only the gamekings where making holes where the barnes was exlploding I test every bullet I hunt wit at distance and on targets to see how they perform
good video full of solid points
My West German Mk V .300 Wby has a 22" barrel. I generally run 200s. Or,that is to say, I loaded up 50 200s years ago and haven't needed any since. Min vs Max loads isn't much of a spread with Weatherby loads anyway.
Agreed! Enjoyed the video
You might want to look into the LRX version
I don"t Shoot heavy for caliber i shoot light for caliber, out to 700 yards and that is still over 2100 fps and is under 3 in group at distance and full penetration on elk. But perfect conditions!
Barnes mono bullets reliably expanding and mushroom properly at 1400 fps.
Excellent video - spot on. However, a missed heart/lung shot - a mono bullet will break/shatter bone!!
Im shooting 190cx out of 30-378 Weatherby and it's doing 3400fps at the barrel
That makes sense for you haha
@ReloadingWeatherby i also uses 190lrx in 300win and 300wby the win is doing 3200fps and Weatherby is 3300fps magpro for win and ramshot mag power for the Weatherby
What is your coal in the 300wby
@@martinjolicoeur1571 3.560"
😁 You Are Right On The Money About Bullet Design and Energy! However, All That Being Said, Do You Think I Would Be More Comfortable Going Into Bear Country (While Hunting Elk) With My 270 Win. Loaded With a 127 grain LRX Bullet or My 30-06 Loaded With a 200 grain Swift A-Frame or 220 grain Nosler Partition? 🍽🐻
Any lead contamination would be in the blood shot meat, I’ve never met anyone that eats blood shot meat.
I like the idea about the 2 holes equals more blood trail, only problem is if the pedals from a all copper bullet break off, your exit hole is the same size as the entry hole and if you don’t break a leg, those small holes have been known to plug up with hair.
I would rather have more energy transferred inside the animal then into a tree or the ground behind the animal.
These problems or disagreements is what keeps shooting conversations interesting.
Thanks for commenting
Those CX bullets expand faster than ttsx and at high velocity shed petals. Saw a test on Mason Leather that a 308 150 was recovered at about 130 gr in gel. Leaves a big wound channel though. I think the CX you want to use a size heavier than TTSX but still nowhere near as heavy as a soft point or ELDX.
I subscribe to a large diameter opening and a long shank behind it able to drive tip to stearn on whatever I hunt
Thanks for watching
Last year I took a 5x5 Rosie @20yds with my Tikka 30.06 using the Barnes TTSX 180. It was DRT! The most humane kill I’ve seen to date. I think he was with Jesus before I heard the shot.
Maker bullets have subsonic expansion
The partition still rules far as I’m concerned.
Partition was great for it it’s time, but there’s better bullets out there now.
Have/are you going to verify drop at longer ranges (400 yards or whatever your max shot on animals) before hunting with them? I see a lot of comments on how the BC isnt close to the printed number.
I agree with this.
My Elk guide told me a 270 shooting a 130 grain Hornady SST was too light for A big Bull
Funny🤔….i seem to remember. That monster Bull hitting the ground on the first shot 😂
I do not like scopes and therefore I use iron sights. Hence I only shoot out to 150 yards or less when hunting. I also do not like bolt actions, lever action, pumps, nor semi-autos, which basically leaves only revolvers. To which I like using a 460 S&W Magnum XVR with a 14" barrel, which can spit a 220 grain copper monolithic bullet 2,460 fps at the muzzle. Lehigh Defense makes such a Copper monolithic 220 grain Xtreme Defense bullet which does not need to expand either. And this set up has a point blank range [2" spread on target] out to 150 yards easily. And at that distance the bullet is still flying at 2,200 fps, maintaining 2,364 ft lbs of energy, from a 220 grain .452 caliber bullet, to take down anything that walks this earth.
Thanks for watching
For me 308win 130gr ttsx and 300wm 180gr ttsx
Some of it depends on caliber. A lot of 6.5 mm bullets don't hold together well even bonded core bullets. I want a pass through shot with expansion. I don't want a bullet that comes apart because you were off a bit on your wind and hit the leg bone and the bullet explded destroying both front shoulders. And you have bits of lead all over the place. Or oops you hit an elk shoulder and bullet exploded and you didn't get enough penetration and lost the animal. That is what a 140 grain eldx bullet can do. Some of the monolithic bullets can expand down to 1600 fps. I also take ft lbs of energy into consideration. If it can't deliver at least reasonably close to 1500 hundred ft lbs at a distance I'm not going to take the shot. One example he gave had a bit over 1300 ft lbs of energy I would just limit my shots to 500 yards which should be enough energy. Need to shoot further then you need to rethink your caliber.
Not true! Federal TSX expands nicely at 100 yards for 308, leaving the barrel at under 2700 fps.
Interesting perspective.
So, as I’m understanding you, the decades of concern related to energy is wrong?
Energy is every bit as valuable as shot placement and bullet design.
For me, I’ll stick to an “energy” related profile when determining ethical shooting distances and game size per caliber.
Still, a great video and and interesting perspective.
I shoot Weatherby cartridges... so obviously I lean towards favoring energy. Sorry... was playing a little bit of devils advocate.
@@ReloadingWeatherby…no reason to be sorry…just an interesting perspective.
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Watch the podcast where barns talks about the 212 bore rider LRX. Incredible impressive at low velocity.
I have
My understanding is you need about 2200fps @impact for expansion
Good idea
I like HORNADY and Berger bullets for hunting.
Nice
You have my attention. I like to needle you on your videos but I would like to have a serious conversation. Go the opposite way with this arguement. Lightest copper bullet in .30 cal. For 300 prc. Or any caliber. Energy means nothing if all you do is pinhole at longer distances. Copper holds together, so drive it as fast as accurately possible. This has been on my mind for over a year now. Glad you picked up on it, sort of. Run with this idea. Edgy, new ideas that ruffe feathers. Its right in your wheelhouse. I believe copper bullets are under utilized as it pertains to light bullets and higher velocities. Try doing a light copper bullet in a 22-250..... max load for velocity. You may just turn the industry in a different direction. Smasshed the like button.... cheers!
I've always felt you should go lighter with mono bullets. Thanks for commenting!
I'm good, 6.5x300 wby and 300 RUM have me covered¡ Speed kills
Swift a-frame all the way
2600fps+ impact velocity is where its at.
I;ll stick with the nosler partion i never shot over 350 yards.
Wow. A common sense evaluation of the “newer better high bc heavy bullet”. Seems that the old no count vintage deer killers aren’t the pos they’ve been made out to be. 😮
And a few guns really don't like them. We are forced to use them in Calif. even in 22 long rifles or shorts for hunting. Hate them
Try Hammer bullets, I've yet to see a gun that doesn't love a Hammer bullet.
@@ReloadingWeatherby never heard of them, where acn you find them?
@@mikecampell online.
Mono's suck unless you shoot 25 yards with a magnum or lead is outlawed where you live. Otherwise it's a fad and bonded bullets outperform mono's in almost every other way.
3-400 yds. Which is ethically the farthest one should be from a game animal, the mono bullets perform beautifully. Why not eliminate the lead in your burger??
I'm not taking recommendations from a you tube expert. This video is entertaining bc I am laughing at why a person would say you shouldn't use a bullet that penetrates well and offers a good blood trail. The Hornady CX is one of the best hunting bullets ever made.
Well Jon... you know what they say about opinions. Opinions are like Butt's... everyone has them and they all stink. The point I was making is you don't need to shoot a heavy mono bullet to get great penetration... and for slower cartridges, I wouldn't recommend the real heavy mono bullets
@@ReloadingWeatherby you actually say why you shouldn't use them at the beginning of the video. I am still waiting to hear why you shouldn't use them except for you are worried about expansion. most modern cartridges are sending it fast enough out to 700 yards to get that expansion. If a person limits themselves because they don't have the confidence or shooting ability to shoot past 200 yards then they start making excuses to not use something past those ranges which I find funny. energy is energy is energy you have to have it for it all to work yet you say the other two are more important. Shot placement and penetration are really what's more important than any of it.
Both the 6.8 and 300 examples shown basically give nod to heavier bullets…which is opposite of this video title lol for hunting you want better wind drift numbers, not so much energy or drop, especially if 500-600+ yrds are considered. BC wins there. Most are forced to use lighter monos since factory twist rates likely wont stabilize the heavier monos of equal weight to common cup cores. Or if they will, saami length and chambers kills powder capacity when seated. That said, 300-400 yrds or in, the light fast monos can be phenomenal
I think you stated the problem with the heavies perfectly. They are losers compared to lighter bullets at ranges game should be shot at. If you have to get to 600 yards before there’s any advantage to heavies, then there’s absolutely no reason to use them hunting.
@@phild9813basically but even the 300 prc with the 190 was much better in wind at 300. I guess you can go too light in some bullets. Gotta look at your options in your cartridge and make a decision
Agreed
Heavy, High BC Monolithic ELR bullets are actually perfect for snipers but absolutely lousy for hunting unless the power ratio is more than you need for that particular animal...
Just call the bullet manufacturer and get the range of effective impact velocity. Look at your ballistic table. Done.
The mono bullets do better when penetrating bone because it helps them expand.
They are designed to expand through liquid, not solids. Watch Barnes interview on Vortex Nation, very informative. They will pass through a wall- no expansion. But not a cherry tomato without expanding.
@@js7127 I don't doubt it but I wish I could remember the channel where they actually put a shoulder blade at the front of the gel and to everyone's surprise they performed better. If I come across it again, I'll let you know but it's just not coming to me now. Sorry.
VELOCITY NEEDED TO OPEN THEM UP?
Partly but you also have better weight retention so you'll get better penetration for weight, thus going faster is a greater help inside of hunting ranges
@@justahologram2230so for elk ttsx 338 win I should use 185 vs the 225? It expands a bit more and goes like 3,100 fps vs 2,800
2k seems to be a bare minimum, 2200 a better bottom limit. There are some specialized options that allow for lower speeds like the barnes lrx I think is closer to 1800fps
230gr Naturalis in 338 LM
Barnes has had mono bullets alot longer than 7 or 8 years.
But they weren't around until the 80's.
@ReloadingWeatherby great video love your stuff. And definitely don't need the heavy mono's. The 145lrx has been great in our 7mm rifles and the 175LRX and 180ttsx are great in the big 30s
Here everything under 180 grains (Fmj for training in 308) is sold out. Every shop has 180 grain bullets (but serious who wants them???) 180 grain is waaay to heavy for 308. I´,m allready waiting since 2 month for 150 FMJ bullets getting sold again. IT SUCKS. Yeah they have hunting ammo in all weights but again i don´t want to train with 4$ bullets per shot.