Recovering bullets...

[Bluejay]

Hi gents,
what method can be used for recovering bullets (@ the target range) to check expansion ?
Someone told me to use soaked newspapers.....

Awaiting your replies.

Thanks
:wink:

 

[SOTN]

Bluejay:
I stuff magazines and catalogs tight into a box. and use that. Most bullets don't go very far into that slick paper. I don't know that it compares favorably with expansion on a game animal, but at least I an compare one bullet and load with another.
Smitty of the North

 

[R Flowers]

Soaking wet newspapers are a great bullet test medium. They provide plenty of resistance but have enough water in them to resemble animal tissue.

The only problem is they are heavy and messy. You need a pretty good stack of them to stop a premium bullet and you will have do dig through a mess of paper to find the bullets. I usually make a big stack and shoot several bullets into it before I bother to search for the projectiles.

As expected, Nosler Partitions did the best in the tests I did, but I was surprised at how well a 150 grain 7mm Remington Core-Lockt bullet held up.

Have fun, Randy

 

[JD338]

I have used water soaked phone books in the past and it works quite well. The only problem is that its a mess to clean up.

I have been using 1 gallon milk jugs filled with water for years. I line up 7-8 jugs in line on a 2x12 plank and shoot into the center of the first jug.
You will recover 30-06 class cartridges in jug 6. 338 RUM w/ PTs are found in jug 8. Here is an example of what you can expect from water.

JD338[/img]

 

[metallica]

Im just wondering how accurate your results are?? it doesnt make sence that the bullet is loosing more weight at a 100yds then 50..... or at 300yds there is less then all the rest... Are your #s mixed up??

 

[JD338]

Im just wondering how accurate your results are?? it doesnt make sence that the bullet is loosing more weight at a 100yds then 50..... or at 300yds there is less then all the rest... Are your #s mixed up??

There is only 3.4 grs total difference in this test, which I think is very small. If you look closely, you will notice less "mushrooming" as the distance increases and the velocity drops.
Water is actually a very tough test media for bullets.
One more thing to consider is that you will get less penetration at higher velocity. Playing with exterior ballistics cna be a lot of fun!

JD338

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I have always used wet newspaper. All I want it for is to compare different bullets to each other. I did a big test a couple months ago with several different 7mm bullets I was testing out of my 7 RM. I was also surprised at how good the 7mm 150g Core lokt did. I have shot other core lokts 120g 25-06, 180g 300 Win and they held up very poorly and were flat as a pancake at 100 yards. I have found that at 100 yards, the partititons and AB's will go around 10-12". The btips and core lokts and what not go anywhere from 6"-9". Its kinda fun seeing how bullets look after you shoot them.

 

[FOTIS]

Wet phonebooks/newspaper. Amazing resemblance to game.

 

[JD338]

Wet phonebooks/newspaper. Amazing resemblance to game.

I agree Pop.
The wet paper will also show you the shock wave and not shrink back like living tissue does. Downside is the mess you have to clean up.

JD338

 

[fredj338]

I also use wet phone books. I have found bullets recovered from game to look amazingly like the ones taken from wetpack. Dry paper really tears a bullet up. I use cardboard packing boxes that copy paper comes in. Line it w/ plastic trash bags & stack the wet phone books in tight. The boxes are just about 18" long when packed. Placed end to end, they stop any expanding bullet I have tried so far, usually in about 20" or less. If you are carefull you can get 5 shots into the stack. Left is from wet phonebooks, right is from a big kudu bull, 210grNP from my .338-06. :grin:

 

[SOTN]

fredj338:

Appalling Bullet Failure. Thet boolit shudda gone plum through thet kudubull.

Smitty of the North

 

[FOTIS]

fredj338:

Appalling Bullet Failure. Thet boolit shudda gone plum through thet kudubull.

Smitty of the North

yeah! :evil:

GShould have gone through! and then turn 180* around and gone through again! :mrgreen:

Sorry I could not resist! :lol:

 

[Glock Man]

Here at Nosler we use Ballistic Gelatin, Glue and a new wax medium. The newspaper/ phonebook method does work great, but I prefer the old fashioned way. Recovering them from critters.

JD338, I am still looking for my recovered 338 210 Partitions. Great board with the shot samples by the way.

 

[JD338]

Thanks Nosler 3.

Post some pictures of your recovered 210's when you can.

JD338

 

[fredj338]

An exit truely would have been impressive as the bull took the round in the front of his chest 1/4 away slightly. The bullet was just under the hide on the last offside rib. Perfect performance, very dead Kudu. :grin:

 

[30 whisper]

I have used phone books yoou can get them very easly at the en of each year best from big centers . they work great get them wet use some twine and bind them I have used barnes x bullets in 243 also bt and NP all 95 grs and by far barnes bleww noslers away with 11.5 inches and 98% weight retained bt 5 inche 45% partions 7inches and 65% all around 3000 fps +- 50fps on 3006 12inches 180 pations 65% retained weight barnes does not shoot well in this gun so i stay with nosler