So bullets, particularly bullet construction and composition, is sort of a thing for me. I enjoy the science and how it plays such a crucial role in the terminal performance of said bullet. I've done a lot of research, testing, dissecting, etc of a lot of bullets now, and I've tried sharing that experience and knowledge as much as possible. I wanted to make a new post regarding it with a few updates to the bullets I've looked at.
I have used Hornady AMAX bullets for long range hunting, and for close range work, for a very long time. It's the first non-marketed for hunting bullet I actually used for hunting. I had tremendous success with them too. Before that, the Hornady SST was one of my go-to's. When the ELD lines were introduced from Hornady, it didn't take long to realize that terminally the ELD-X was essentially a higher BC version of the SST and that the ELD-M was a better and higher BC version of the AMAX. They perform nearly identical, terminally, and dissected, they have a lot of similarities, to the point of literally being just improved versions of AMAX and SST, respectively.
The SST has a cannelure, bonding/interlock ring, and an inferior polymer tip that was proven to melt in flight, degrading its external ballistics performance. The ELD-X has a bonding/interlock ring, but no cannelure, which increases accuracy potential in itself. It also has the newer acetyl resin tip, which does not melt from the friction in flight. Both the SST and ELD-X feature jackets that are thicker near the bases and taper out at the ogive. The average jacket thickness is .051" for both bullets- at their thickest point. That, along with the bonding/interlock rings and cannelure of the SST will limit them to around 1800fps minimum impact velocity, according to my experiences.
The AMAX and ELD-M both have a uniform jacket thickness of around .024" and do not feature a bonding ring. The thinner jacket will produce a lower minimum impact velocity, around 1300fps, depending on amount of resistance upon impact and bullet weight.
I used to favor the AMAX/ELD-M, specifically in the 178-208gr range, for 308 and especially the latter in the 300wm.
I finally decided to try the Sierra Tipped MatchKings (TMK) about 4-5 years ago now, after some earlier success with them in 223 and 22-250, and have been extremely impressed and pleased with their overall performance. I've had a few customers and friends that have used them with nothing but success as well. Initially, I went with the 195gr in my 308, for the most sectional density since I also shoot close range with my 308. Load development was a breeze, and accuracy was excellent, producing 1/4 to 1/2 MOA without issue or messing with jump.
The TMK features a slightly thicker jacket than the AMAX/ELD-M, at around .026", but they also feature a slightly larger meplat and cavity below their polymer tip (also made of acetyl resin by the way). Those two things together create an excellent balance in penetration and expansion. They still expand well down to 1400fps, and produce increased wounding. They're my current favorite, but unfortunately there's still limited selection in all calibers- particularly heavy for caliber options that provide adequate sectional density for closer range shots where impact velocity is higher.
Here are some sample measurements taken, measuring the jacket thickness (base thickness) among several popular bullet designs:
* Nosler BT, AB, LRAB– .185" (tapering out to .028").
* Hornady ELD-X and SST – .051" (tapering to various thicknesses).
* Hornady Interlock SP - .037".
* Hornady AMAX (also ELD-M) - .024"
* Hornady A-tip- .022"
* Hornady .338 AMAX (also ELD-M) – .051"(tapers .030"). This version also has an interlock ring
* Sierra SMK, TMK, GK – .026".
* Sierra Tipped GameKing- .046"
* Berger VLD- .035" (ogive up to .047"). The ogives became thicker after changes to the manufacturing process in 2011.
* Berger Hybrid ogive- .026" (has internal ribbing at the ogive). The ribs measure .031"
* ALCO Rebated Boat Tail Aluminum Tip (RBAT)- .022"
Also, it's very important to mention that the width of the meplat (tip) has a major effect on terminal performance. A wide frontal area meets more resistance on impact. A deep hollow point (cavity) also helps weaken the ogive (the front tapering section of the bullet). Depth of hollow points vary from bullet design to bullet design and not just from manufacturer to manufacture. You can easily test the depth of a hollow point (cavity) by inserting a needle into the open point and observing the depth. As for the shape, a very long and slender ogive has greater strength than one that has a measure of radius (secant vs tangent ogives). An open tip match (OTM) style bullet generally features a small hollow point as a means to maximize BC. Unfortunately, this type of bullet may not expand and any gain in BC is soon lost via poor terminal performance at extended ranges. Generally speaking, to ensure full fragmentation at low velocities (1600fps or less), a meplat diameter of .100" is ideal, though this can have a negative effect on BC. A meplat diameter of .070" can work as a compromise. Any smaller and long range wounding potential may be greatly reduced, especially if the copper jacket has been drawn thick at the ogive, such as the post 2011 Bergers. The Berger Hybrids, on the other hand, do not have the same issues as the VLDs and feature a very large cavity below the hollow point opening, along with uniform jacket thickness. This allows for the tip to buckle into itself, rather than neck over like other OTMs, and initiate excellent expansion.
Here are some samples of meplat opening diameters:
•210gr ALCO- .182"
•230gr A-tip- .128"
•200gr ELDX- .115"
•195gr TMK- .114"
•208gr ELDM- .076"
•178gr AMAX- .065"
•215gr Berger Hybrid- .030"
All of those are .308" caliber bullets, and it's just to show comparisons among similar size and weights. These measurements will vary from caliber to caliber (bullet diameter).
I wanted to keep this kind of brief, so hopefully everyone would have the time to read it.
Below are many samples of bullets and you can see how they compare and contrast. I focused on the most recent ones I've dissected. Since it'll only let me attach 10 at a time, I'll post more in the comments. Please hit me up with any questions or other comments if you have them.
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