A-tips on game?

[Deleted member 103481]

I have read of other bullet mau's that use slightly harder lead cores for match bullets---they claim that too soft of a lead core can start to separate from the jacket at high speeds from hand-loading and can cause downrange accuracy issues

To be honest an eldm with a slightly harder lead core makes me even more excited.

 

[codyadams]

What were your experiences with the 147s? What speed and impact velocity? Thanks

https://www.longrangehunting.com/th...-game-a-lot-of-shot-videos-and-photos.208832/

Just check out this thread.

I had two videoed, photographed and well documented cases where the 147 did not expand or do anything more than an FMJ would have on a pronghorn buck at 980 yards. If the A-tips are even harder and expand less, I won't touch them. Most of our shots are 500+ yards, averaging over 600, so long range expansion needs to be there for our uses. There will be a lot of lost game from guys using them if they dont expand well, because people are gonna stretch them out because the bc makes it possible to go a little farther. However the harder aluminum tip may counteract this, it is still out to be seen.

 

[palerider3]

My questions is why? They are sold as a match bullet, and yes i understand many use the ELD-M on game, but those also do not cost .75 a bullet. There is significantly more and better bullets designed to use on game, and if you are okay with spending that much why not just step up to one of the Hammer bullets?

Because many of us have had excellent results with "target" bullets on game. Sometimes better than "hunting" bullets. $.80 each is nothing really when you're hunting. Say you buy 3 boxes of them for double the cost of your hunting bullet, then you shoot and hunt with them for a season. You're out an extra $100 right? That's a tank of gas in your pick up. If a hundred bucks over a hunting season is too much for you that's ok. I was there once too. But now a hundred bucks ain't a big deal to me, but 1/2 a mil of wind is. As for the hammer bullets, when they make a 30 Cal bullet with a remotely comparable BC I'll give them a shot. Personally, I have had mixed results with solids, but never had an amax or ELD fail to shoot well. Hell, I shot the NRL Championship with factory ELD-M ammo and did pretty well. Killed plenty of game with factory ELDs too.

 

[WYO300RUM]

Man I wish I had that problem. Didn't draw one single tag this year!

That really blows...
Somebody already used that term. Sorry..
That just ain't right not drawin a dern tag !

 

[Jeeper48]

Because many of us have had excellent results with "target" bullets on game. Sometimes better than "hunting" bullets. $.80 each is nothing really when you're hunting. Say you buy 3 boxes of them for double the cost of your hunting bullet, then you shoot and hunt with them for a season. You're out an extra $100 right? That's a tank of gas in your pick up. If a hundred bucks over a hunting season is too much for you that's ok. I was there once too. But now a hundred bucks ain't a big deal to me, but 1/2 a mil of wind is. As for the hammer bullets, when they make a 30 Cal bullet with a remotely comparable BC I'll give them a shot. Personally, I have had mixed results with solids, but never had an amax or ELD fail to shoot well. Hell, I shot the NRL Championship with factory ELD-M ammo and did pretty well. Killed plenty of game with factory ELDs too.

So your proving my point when I asked why would you shoot the Atip on game, thank you. Spending .80 on an essential FMJ bullet with no proven track record for game makes no sense. There are plenty of other bullets like the ELDs that work great. Most of us have thousands into our hunting rigs, gear, tags ect. why take a chance when you finally do get to pull the trigger on a bullet that may not perform? Coyote sure, but I wouldn't use them on an elk.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

So your proving my point when I asked why would you shoot the Atip on game, thank you. Spending .80 on an essential FMJ bullet with no proven track record for game makes no sense. There are plenty of other bullets like the ELDs that work great. Most of us have thousands into our hunting rigs, gear, tags ect. why take a chance when you finally do get to pull the trigger on a bullet that may not perform? Coyote sure, but I wouldn't use them on an elk.

Just like the eldms and berger hybrids somebody has to give it a shot to find out.

If somebody hadn't given a 215 hybrid a shot on game then we wouldn't know about one of the best long range hunting bullets in the world. Everything has no track record until it does.

 

[Swamplord]

got the 153 gr A-Tips up to 3400+ fps so far and still working up, will see what the next load batch shows on the 4th of July weekend, no game yet

 

[jonthomps]

Based on what testing? They are just hitting the market now, have maybe been in the general public's hands for 3 weeks? There is a potential someone used them on a spring bear hunt, but i doubt there has been enough data collected to say they work really well.

You asked a question. I answered it. Now you want me to justify my answer - as if I'm accountable to you in some way.

The fact is that truckloads of animals are shot and killed with match bullets every year. If you don't like that/agree with it/etc and prefer to use a hunting bullet fine, but don't drag your preferences into an issue you already have your mind made up on.

 

[B23]

This is kind of ironic to a degree because people used to, some still do, complain about how Berger's grenaded and came apart on animals and how they were a thin jacketed target bullet and should never be used on game, let alone an Elk. Fast forward and Berger's are widely regarded as excellent hunting bullets on North American game animals.

But now, we complain about bullets not expanding enough. Maybe it's just me, but I find it rather humorous and makes me wonder what we will complain about next.

 

[gillettehunter]

If you want to see what one looks like cross sectioned here is a link:
http://www.longrangeonly.com/forum/...0-hornady-tip-match-153-gr-6-5mm-testing.html

 

[palerider3]

So your proving my point when I asked why would you shoot the Atip on game, thank you. Spending .80 on an essential FMJ bullet with no proven track record for game makes no sense. There are plenty of other bullets like the ELDs that work great. Most of us have thousands into our hunting rigs, gear, tags ect. why take a chance when you finally do get to pull the trigger on a bullet that may not perform? Coyote sure, but I wouldn't use them on an elk.

Do you have something constructive to add? You can have your own views and I'm not faulting you for them. But if you just came here to complain about someone wanting to try something new then please save it for someone else.

 

[cohunt]

If you want to see what one looks like cross sectioned here is a link:
http://www.longrangeonly.com/forum/...0-hornady-tip-match-153-gr-6-5mm-testing.html

here is the pic from the other thread-- vld, smk, atip
looks to me like a thicker jacket, no void under the tip and if Hornady is correct a harder lead core-- this bullet may not expand at LR speeds--time and testing will tell though, anyone have some ballistic gel?

 

[B23]

I gave some 135's to a friend that has a bullet trap with strips of leather he soaks in water. He uses reduced loads to lower the muzzle velocity so it more simulates impacts at distance. He's tested a few other 6.5 bullets and I sent him some 140 A-Max as well to see how the A-Tip and A-Max compare.

It's nothing overly scientific, but it'll give us some amount of data/reference for comparison.

I'm pretty sure he's a member here and maybe he'll see this and add to the conversation.

 

[yorke-1]

I gave some 135's to a friend that has a bullet trap with strips of leather he soaks in water. He uses reduced loads to lower the muzzle velocity so it more simulates impacts at distance. He's tested a few other 6.5 bullets and I sent him some 140 A-Max as well to see how the A-Tip and A-Max compare.

It's nothing overly scientific, but it'll give us some amount of data/reference for comparison.

I'm pretty sure he's a member here and maybe he'll see this and add to the conversation.

I hope to get out on Sunday to try some low(ish) velocity impacts with the bullets you sent. I'll try a couple in the 8" twist 6.5 Grendel to start. If I can get a muzzle velocity around 2300 from the 19" barrel, I should end up around 2100fps at 100 yards and still have an SG of 1.5 or higher. If I have a couple left I'll load some up in the 6.5 Badger to simulate 26 Nosler at short range.

Like B23 said, I'm not doing anything super scientific but it's an easy way to test them. I've done a fair number of other bullets as well using the same testing procedures and it's all documented in another thread. I thought about changing my testing to include ballistic gel, but then it wouldn't give a fair comparison between the old tests and the new ones.
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/bullet-expansion-test-results.183285/
You'll have to click on the links for the pictures on photobucket but they're all still there. I'm too cheap to pay the $400 to upgrade the photobucket account!