Badlands Precision Bullets thread - From BC to terminal ballistics

[Rep 284]

Has anyone tried the .277 SBD 2 140 grain yet? I have a 270 WSM long action 1:8 twist that I'd like to try them in.

 

[codyadams]

Has anyone tried the .277 SBD 2 140 grain yet? I have a 270 WSM long action 1:8 twist that I'd like to try them in.

Yup, in a .270 Sherman. Haven't tested velocity yet, but ended up at 62 grains reloder 26, max was around 63.5-64, shooting pretty good so far and still need to fine tune them a little

 

[Rep 284]

Yup, in a .270 Sherman. Haven't tested velocity yet, but ended up at 62 grains reloder 26, max was around 63.5-64, shooting pretty good so far and still need to fine tune them a little

How is the accuracy?

 

[codyadams]

How is the accuracy?

The McMillan stock just has pillars and isn't bedded yet, and it is consistently grouping like this -

So around .6-.75" group, but always has one thrown out of the group, literally every time there will be two touching or almost touching, and one out a little bit. Savage action and a Mcgowen barrel with a can. I would bet once it is bedded that will tighten up and get more consistent, so I would say they are shooting good. I will follow up

 

[alcesgigas]

Finally got me ducks in a row... New Murphy SS base on, remount, dishes washed, etc., and got to the range on Friday the 26th to run the newer Badlands 338 275 gn (mK II's?) against my remaining 270 gn originals. Very few times do I get to the range without forgetting something and this time it was by bipod. Forced to use the tripod of which I have little experience I commenced to resight. After the usual scenario I considered it good and settled in for some serious shooting. However, not off the tripod; I used a rolled up carpet remnant instead. The load is Peteresen brass, GM215M, 100 gn RL26 off rifling .002 making these loadings 4.113" base to tip (single shot 338 LMAI). Average speed was 3133 fps. Here's the resulting target photos:

 

[alcesgigas]

But wait--there's more; the sixth target told me that after 31 shots in 90 minutes things were en-route--south. And this was yet another reason why the reduced loads and the six-month moratorium on shooting anything other than my 270; after a grueling September I learned I have to replace my right shoulder. I did hunt caribou this winter, bagged a couple using the Winchester, and of course endured the haul out--normally. At the range--the 23rd not the 26th--shooting didn't bother my shoulder at all. Ask me if I'm thankful... Here's the sixth, and last target:

 

[Pdvdh]

These 275gr bullets were all seated 0.002" off the lands? Or did you mean 0.020" off the lands?
Is this precision similar to what you experienced with the prior 270gr SBD Gen-1 bullets?
Thanks for posting your results.

How do you get RL26 up there? Must have a stash of it tucked away in the secret closet.

 

[Rep 284]

The McMillan stock just has pillars and isn't bedded yet, and it is consistently grouping like this -

View attachment 271490

So around .6-.75" group, but always has one thrown out of the group, literally every time there will be two touching or almost touching, and one out a little bit. Savage action and a Mcgowen barrel with a can. I would bet once it is bedded that will tighten up and get more consistent, so I would say they are shooting good. I will follow up

Thank you, I'll have to order some this week and try them for myself. Would like to see your velocities when get them. Thank you for your response.

 

[alcesgigas]

These 275gr bullets were all seated 0.002" off the lands? Or did you mean 0.020" off the lands?
Is this precision similar to what you experienced with the prior 270gr SBD Gen-1 bullets?
Thanks for posting your results.

How do you get RL26 up there? Must have a stash of it tucked away in the secret closet.

Thanks for the correction; it was twenty thousandths (0.020"). I have the next batch cooked up and they are seated--in .012" and then .020 and in groups of six right out to 0.060" off lands. The prior noted sixth target was the last three of the original SBD 270 gn. However that group was an anomaly; usually the originals grouped as targets (using gen2's) one through five.
I bought the last remaining 8# RL26 at SportsWhse in October 2019 and opened it February 22, 2020. Hopefully it will last until shipping returns to normal and the Swiss need to get rid of... I do spend considerable time dreaming these days!

 

[Unoboats]

Well, I have an update.....

Went out with my good buddy "Wedgy" from the forum on a successful back country elk hunt. First thing in the morning once topping the Mountain, he spotted the large herd of elk, about 2 miles away, so we beat feet down the mountain, then up the mountain to where they were.

They were on a sloping hillside in timber, but directly across the canyon on from them on the ridgeline we had a decent vantage point. After a few hours of glassing through the bulls and waiting for them to stand and give an opportunity, I picked one out. We ranged him at 883, I put in the dope and sent the shot. First round went just high, we figured out later that the wind was doing crazy things in the canyon, including an intense up draft on the far side of the canyon. I was able to spot my impact with my .338 Norma, adjusted, and the bull gave me another shot. At impact, I watched his back legs come up and smack his belly, his rear end dropped, then his front, and he slid about 200 feet down the hill until he got caught up in a tree, I watched him for a little bit, and no movement, I assumed he was done. Impact speed was 2113 fps and 2678 ft-lbs of energy.

We hiked around the back of the canyon and up to him, to find him down, unable to move anything but his legs a little bit, but still alive. I used my anti-bear .44 mag to finish him off. I saw my impact was where the neck meets the shoulder, a little far forward, but I have hit other animals there with devastating outcomes at times, however no vital internal organs were hit. Upon boning him out, I was surprised to find the bullet. The bull was facing to the fight upon impact, strait broadside. It entered center body for elevation, penetrated the entrance side of the neck just outside the thoracic cavity, hit the bottom of the vertebrae, then turned up and to the left, and was found under the back strap against the off side of the spine. Total penetrating was 12", maximum, half the neck, then up and to the left a little. Wound channel was relatively small, but acceptable. Pictures of the bull and bullet below.

View attachment 221689View attachment 221690View attachment 221691View attachment 221692View attachment 221693View attachment 221694View attachment 221695

Afterwards once out of the back country, I contacted Jason and George (bullet designer and company owner) to talk about what I observed and report my information. After talking about my rifles twist rate, velocity, and some other details, Jason was surprised at the lack of penetration. I asked him about expansion, and he said that is typical, and that they use the hardest copper available (explains the early pressure generally seen with these bullets). George also seemed surprised, and said that what likely happened is that just clipping the vertebrae, which he said is the densest bone in an animal, likely caused the bullet to turn, and when frontal area increases, the rate at which it looses speed quadruples, so if the surface area was 4x the size, it would slow down 16x's faster, and that is what likely caused it to stop so abruptly and slide along the muscle up to the left. As far as expansion, he said that is what he expects from this hollow point design at those speeds, maybe slightly more, and that it was at one point much larger diameter than that, before the petals folded over and rolled back.

I am somewhat torn. I personally am surprised that the bullet didn't punch through, I wonder if a tighter twist would have helped, or if it is just circumstance. I didn't put the bullet in the vital organs, I was off on my wind call by .75 MOA or so, wind was anywhere from a slight whisp up to 15+ mph at times coming from 7 or 8 o'clock where we were, but was going to the left out in the canyon around 5ish mph judging from mirage, and swiftly up hill over at the elk, and I missed the mark on the wind. I have a hard time making a decision or call on bullet performance if it is not placed properly, and generally dispell any information I get from a kill if I didn't do my job as the shooter, but I also am having a hard time accepting that a 270 grain bullet still going over 2100 fps couldn't even punch through the neck of an elk, even with hitting the spine. On the other hand, the bull dropped and didn't get up, though he was still alive, but again, no organs were hit, and the clipping impact to the vertebrae did not cut the spinal cord.

Pretty much all my big game is done for the season, I will likely have my wife use this rifle for her elk and may get a better idea on a shoulder type hit, but this interesting experience has raised my eyebrows at least. Overall I would like to see a little more bullet expansion at these low velocity impacts (after all, it is obviously a long range bullet, low velocity impacts is where it should shine) and if I rebarrel down the road for these bullets, I will do an 8 or 8.5 twist. However, this is just one elk. I try to be objective, and get a good amount of field data prior to making any assumptions about a bullet. Hopefully my wife gets an opportunity, and we can see what happens there.

On a different note, Wedgy made an awesome 987 yard shot on a calf elk on the third day with his 300 RUM using 227 Hammers, she tumbled down the hill close to mine, and my buddy that came along took his first ever elk, a large cow, at 1002 yards with a perfect heart shot from his .338 Norma Mag using 300 Bergers. It was an amazing hunt, but more on that in another thread.....

Thanks all!!View attachment 221697

I would guess extreme copper build up in barrel looking at shot slug erosion ??

 

[Pdvdh]

I would guess extreme copper build up in barrel looking at shot slug erosion ??

Are you thinking that could be a cause for the limited expansion?

 

[codyadams]

Well just found out some great news....another species is likely gonna be taken with a 250 grain SBDII.....

I drew a Wyoming mountain goat tag!!

Depending on things I may not even hunt deer or elk, so I may have less animals harvested this year, but I don't care, I have a chance to hunt mountain goat!

Sorry, somewhat off topic. I'm gonna start another thread for my goat hunt.....

 

[Pdvdh]

Nice! Good for you. Don't let your Billy crawl to the edge of a cliff and commit the suicide leap they're known for. I had one try that with me, but the 338/378 Weatherby and a 250gr Nosler Partition kept him from reaching the abyss. Almost had to hammer him again, but he folded just before reaching the cliff. That was 29yrs ago. Fewer bullet choices back then. No range finders. Kentucky windage days.

 

[codyadams]

Nice! Good for you. Don't let your Billy crawl to the edge of a cliff and commit the suicide leap they're known for. I had one try that with me, but the 338/378 Weatherby and a 250gr Nosler Partition kept him from reaching the abyss. Almost had to hammer him again, but he folded just before reaching the cliff. That was 29yrs ago. Fewer bullet choices back then. No range finders. Kentucky windage days.

Ya, I have heard they are tough, will be a good test for these 250 SBDII's for sure if I get the opportunity!