Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos, Apex Outdoors, and some Cutting Edge bullet offerings do. DRTs frags on impact. Cavity Back Bullets will shed above 3000 FPS.
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Monometal Bullet Choice for Elk 6.5 PRC
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memtb
Well-Known Member
I am constantly amazed at those who promote the amazing performance of their chosen bullet…..provided they are used within a pretty narrow criteria, which is very dependent upon terrain, distance to animal, animal anatomy, and shot angle on the animal!
Summary: This bullet is "magic" when used within it's pretty narrow performance window!
Thanks but no thanks..… that's too many boxes to check-off when I'm hunting!
memtb
Summary: This bullet is "magic" when used within it's pretty narrow performance window!
Thanks but no thanks..… that's too many boxes to check-off when I'm hunting!
memtbStarbuck
Well-Known Member
My experience with Barnes in under .308 diameters hasn't been that good. With any caliber, you are really relying on the bullet opening and doing damaging to tissue, and it seems the Barnes don't do as well with less frontal area in smaller diameter calibers.
In .308, .338 and .358 diameter, I've had great luck with Barnes bullets opening, even on Whitetails. With smaller calibers, I've had and witnessed more passthroughs without signs of upset, even at relatively high impact velocities.
I don't have experience with the other mono bullets listed.
If I was packing my 6.5 PRC on an elk hunt, I'd likely be shooting the 143 ELD-X or the 140 or 156 Bergers. Possibly the newer Norma LR 143 bullets, but I don't have any on game experience with them to say either way.
In .308, .338 and .358 diameter, I've had great luck with Barnes bullets opening, even on Whitetails. With smaller calibers, I've had and witnessed more passthroughs without signs of upset, even at relatively high impact velocities.
I don't have experience with the other mono bullets listed.
If I was packing my 6.5 PRC on an elk hunt, I'd likely be shooting the 143 ELD-X or the 140 or 156 Bergers. Possibly the newer Norma LR 143 bullets, but I don't have any on game experience with them to say either way.
Ucsdryder
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The worst performance I've gotten from a bullet the last 3 years are from monos. When a mono sheds its pedals and the entrance is .284 and the exit is .284 (shank only) good luck finding blood! That coupled with the fact that it didn't put the animal down quickly could have led to an issue. Luckily my wife, the shooter, put another one in the MD buck before he made it far.I am constantly amazed at those who promote the amazing performance of their chosen bullet…..provided they are used within a pretty narrow criteria, which is very dependent upon terrain, distance to animal, animal anatomy, and shot angle on the animal!
Summary: This bullet is "magic" when used within it's pretty narrow performance window!
Thanks but no thanks..… that's too many boxes to check-off when I'm hunting!
My experience with eld is the exact opposite, baseball sized exits, blood everywhere, and they all react the same. Run for about 20 yards, dead on their feet.
memtb
Well-Known Member
Perhaps there is some truth in this, as we hunt with nothing less than .338"!
However, we know of many using the small calibers with great success!
However, I have no doubt that one of the bullets offering easy, immediate, radical expansion will show a great deal of tissue/organ damage…..provided the bullet gets to said tissue/organs!
memtb
Ucsdryder
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I agree. I always say if you hit him in the heart and lungs, it probably doesn't matter what you pull that you use. If you hit him in the gut, you want something to expand as fast as possible. If you hit him in the shoulder you want something to penetrate as deep as possible. It's pretty easy to argue both sides.Perhaps there is some truth in this, as we hunt with nothing less than .338"!
However, we know of many using the small calibers with great success!
However, I have no doubt that one of the bullets offering easy, immediate, radical expansion will show a great deal of tissue/organ damage…..provided the bullet gets to said tissue/organs!
memtb
Well-Known Member
Just like my signature line….. I want to be prepared for the absolute worst case scenario! Use enough cartridge/caliber/bullet weight/bullet design that will access the animals vitals …..no matter how much animal must be penetrated to get to the vitals! memtb
Starbuck
Well-Known Member
Perhaps there is some truth in this, as we hunt with nothing less than .338"!
However, we know of many using the small calibers with great success!
However, I have no doubt that one of the bullets offering easy, immediate, radical expansion will show a great deal of tissue/organ damage…..provided the bullet gets to said tissue/organs!
There's no doubt that a 225 Barnes in a 338 WM provides copious amounts of tissue damage and penetration both near and far. I have had great experiences with them on large game.
In the smaller calibers, long, heavy for caliber cup and core bullets have offered such good upset and penetration, and the monos I've tried and witnessed others using performed poor by comparison, so I no longer look for mono bullets for smaller calibers. As a result, I should qualify my earlier post by adding that because the cup and core bullets perform so well, I don't have as much experience with monos in smaller diameters on game.
Incase they ever ban lead or I want to hunt in an area in which it is already banned, I'm always interested in learning about smaller diameter mono bullets that do perform well.
I should of worded that differently. When I said "only" I was referring only to the bullets in question. Where the Barnes and badlands are not designed to shed petals but do sometimes at high velocity impacts. Where hammers are designed to shed the nose, as well as the others you listed.
Appreciate everyones time to respond and help!
shinbone
Well-Known Member
It's new world out there when it comes to bullets. While the Hammer bullets are a monometal bullet like the Barnes, the killing mechanism is different. The Barnes tries to imitate a lead core bullet's expansion to kill with gross tissue destruction, but doing it with copper. The Hammer design takes a different direction and kills by hydrostatic shock, with the petal shards doing secondary damage and the bullet shank providing deep penetration. The Hammer bullets are extremely effective at killing, won't blow-up on close shots, and are also very easy to work up an accurate load for a particular rifle. With Hammer bullets, run a light-for-caliber bullet weight, and run them as fast as they will go. It is like reaching out and hitting the "off switch."
Not saying other bullets won't get the job done, either. And, with their low BC due to the copper construction, Hammers may not be the best choice for the 500+ yd shots, But for "normal" hunting distances, Hammer bullets are the easy button.
JMHO
Not saying other bullets won't get the job done, either. And, with their low BC due to the copper construction, Hammers may not be the best choice for the 500+ yd shots, But for "normal" hunting distances, Hammer bullets are the easy button.
JMHO
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I ordered some 124 HH and have 156 bergers so ill have options to load for and check between the two loads if there is a POI change and possibly have a HH on top ready for close shots and the gun zeroed with the 156 bergers for anything that is 200+ yards.
shinbone
Well-Known Member
JMHO, but I'd choose one bullet, and stick with it for all your shots. Trying to make a last minute cartridge change in the heat of the moment is a recipe for failure. Again, JMHO.
memtb
Well-Known Member
I had an acquaintance that used that theory on his first (and I think last) elk hunt! I'm not sure if it could be described as a "Chinese Fire-drill" or just a " Monumental C F "!
I wish that I could say that no elk were harmed during the adventure!
memtb
