Hornady .264 HP BT

[Bisbee]

Last fall I was going to zero in my rifle for some 6.5 Creedmoor,143 ELDX cartridges that I had loaded the year before, but was consumed with trying to get my sisters rifle to shoot accurately. I had been shooting the Hornady 140 grain HP target bullets so very accurately that I left well enough alone, believing that a 140 grains could never splash. Boy was I wrong. My sister had just shot a buck when I spotted another broadside, up the hill at 200 yds. When I shot there was a pronounced whap! The deer disappeared. While I was deboning my sister's buck, my brother spent a lot of time searching for mine. Eventually he jumped my buck and observed that he wasn't doing well. We searched the hill and eventually found him dead with a perfectly placed shot but the bullet had disintegrated on the shoulder meat, no bone encountered. The lungs were badly bruised and a few tiny jacket shrapnel pieces had hit the lungs, I do mean tiny. Several hours after being hit the deer died.
Take this opportunity to learn from my mistake, target bullets do not necessarily make good big game bullets. I have seen you-tube videos asserting that these same bullets are appropriate for big game. Don't believe it.

 

[ultimag43]

Don't shoot shoulders they work just fine.
Target bullets are not made to shoot through shoulders or heavy bone Hornady had said as much

Using a bullet not meant to shoot through heavy bone isn't the bullets fault it's the shooters fault
for not using the proper bullet
they work just fine for killing game when used properly

 

[Bisbee]

ultimag, the shot was not on or through any bones whatsoever. The bullet disintegrated on soft tissue without any bones around except ribs and the bullet never made it to the ribs. This was a bullet failure, and I don't want other hunters to make the same poor bullet choice that I made. I never would have believed that a 140 grain bullet could so explode so shallow, until it happened. I wasn't born yesterday, I have been hunting deer since 1976.
Perhaps your experience is different, that's ok, this was my experience.

 

[okie man]

I shot those bullets out of my creedmoor. They leave nice big dents in my 1/4" steel plate at 750 yards. I find it hard to believe they wouldn't penetrate 2" of deer meat. Got any pics?

 

[Bisbee]

My brother has some photos. I will have him send them to me.
Okie, I would never believe that this was possible until I experienced it. I have been doing this long enough to understand that specific bullet performance is sometimes hard to reproduce again. I learned a valuable lesson and a buck had to suffer unnecessarily. I was inclined to not mention this mess up to others, yet, talking about my experience may prevent others from wounding game.

 

[sticshooter]

I use 147 ELD M's out of my creed and it has anchored every whitetail I have shot and the performance has been devastating.
I use 155's in my .308 with same results.
I know they're different than the BTHP but both are marketed as "target" bullets but I wouldn't use anything else on whitetails or mulley's but that's me,I love them.

 

[B-LOT Banga]

The Hornady #26335 6.5mm 140 gr BTHP is the bullet I shoot out of my .260 Remington. I've shot dozens of sheep and a handful of axis deer and always had golf ball to tennis size exits. I've since started shooting my other rifles but I would not hesitate shooting an animal with this bullet. This is just my opinion and experience. Good luck.

 

[VinceMule]

I stay off the shoulders with the 140g Horn BTHP, and diaphragm shots. 147g Hornady works well with the same aim spot, 8-10" behind the shoulder.

 

[dogbuster0006]

Hate to have an animal suffer, sometimes it's as simple as a bad jacket. I know some bullets are more sensitive than others. I've had great luck from 168amax in my 308 but similar result with the 168hp. Similar shot distance and had to fire 3 shots before she dropped. Every shot was shoulder/chest perfectly lethal on a dozen other deer over the years. Switched to the amax and have yet to have that issue drops them like lightning.