.224 36gr Varmint Grenade. Terminal info

[Wilderness Blacktail]

Hey folks I have a bit of info on this bullet I thot might be useful to somebody. When components were scarce I couldnt find any options so picked these up to run in ny nephews 22-250 and my 14" twist 22Hornet.

Research I did indicated they would likely pass thru deer on broadside shots with impacts below 4000fps and surely reach vitals.

So i loaded em up did some testing. Just in my hornet at 3000fps i shot a hunk of 6-7" thick douglas fir firewood at 10 yards. Pass thru. Bullet was lodged in a the backing round of solid oak, in chunks. The 2 pieces of it I recovered weight 19.2grs

So i thot maybe liquid causes the "grenade" effect and put a small water bottle in front of the wood now sideways at 5ish" thick with the oak backer behind it and let fly.
Passed thru all that and again lodged in the super hard oak in a couple chunks. I couldnt dig it out.

So i loaded em around 4k n told him stay stay from the shoulder bones until weve seen results. A couple bucks and so far great terminal performance.

On small game in the Hornet at 2900ish ive a taken a few birds the size of starlings at 50 and 80yards and even direct chest hits they did not blow up. On a grouse (legal for us) at 10 yards i hit a touch lower on the chest than i wished and it did ruin a bit of meat but did not blow up and destroy the bird.
My nephew hit one a smidge low at 20 yards with his rifle and blew it up. Oops. Bummer.

So far it seems these bullets break apart in chunks after a inch or so which continue to penetrate but unless the impact is extremely high they do not grenade.

I'll put the test pics

 

[Wilderness Blacktail]

The other wood shot and the grouse i hit a lil low but got to eat. Impact 2830.

The same hit with 22-250 vel woulda obliterated it.

Considering it didnt do this to the few much smaller birds at a 30-50yds further away it likely needs to hit solid muscle before opening emphatically.

If the velocity is above a certain point Im thinking itll chunk up no matter what it hits.

 

[bsnyder]

Timely post been looking at this for my 223 for fox and bobcats hoping to not put big holes and be fur friendly.

 

[Wilderness Blacktail]

Nice!
When i was doing my research i got my clues from predator hunters who were getting exits but wishing they didnt. From what I gather the werent big holes or nuthin, just it happened some of the time.

One gent called Barnes and the technician said with that bullet to expect exits 50% unless impact around 4k. Said the 30gr Hornet version wont. I forget bout the 50 grainer.

Some other folks said they used em on antelope and said same thing, sometimes exited but penetrated enough.

So Im guessing you'll see exits but not gnarly ones.

Oh I has also tested these thru a 4" thick fir knot at 85yds and they all 6 or so went thru it. Impact 2400ish.
Incidentally the 40MTH shot thru 3" all of em exited that as well. Speed 100fps faster.

 

[bsnyder]

I won't be running them that hard. They will be around 3100 I'm cutting my barrel to 16.5 inches

 

[Wilderness Blacktail]

Sweet! Ur lovin that I bet. I cut my 22H from 22 down to 17.5". Pushin em 2890 with this new combo and H110.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

The other wood shot and the grouse i hit a lil low but got to eat. Impact 2830.

The same hit with 22-250 vel woulda obliterated it.

Considering it didnt do this to the few much smaller birds at a 30-50yds further away it likely needs to hit solid muscle before opening emphatically.

If the velocity is above a certain point Im thinking itll chunk up no matter what it hits.

Did you shoot your hand?