What load do you guys want something big shot with?

[Jim in Houston]

Midway is having a sale on Barnes .451 Spit-Fire T-EZ bullets in 250 and 290 gr. These are all copper with a polymer point. Don't know if they are suitable or not, but since it seems like Barnes are popular with this forum . . . just sayin'

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?promotionid=656708&cm_mmc=M_Spop-Email-_-Hunting-_-Hunting_826201213_1-_-Product5_ShopNow&cm_mmca1=jmsjnk@earthlink.net%20&cm_mmca2=CustNum=102427040

[Wicked Hunter]

Thanks for posting that. I shoot the 250 gr T-EZ through mine. That would be a good bullet to try on something big. As far as accurracy my 20" absolutely LOVES the 250 T-EZ's over 38.5 gr of lil-gun. I shot a 3.5" group at 200 yds with them. I will be taking them deer hunting!

[wildcatter]

I've wanted to try these myself, but before you put your "Took-Us" on the line, ya all might want to do a water test on them and compare them to something we all recognize as a standard..

..t

[Hoot]

I've wanted to try these myself, but before you put your "Took-Us" on the line, ya all might want to do a water test on them and compare them to something we all recognize as a standard..

..t

Man, I just put an order in to Midway on Friday. Had I known they were going on sale, I would have held off and ordered a pack to do some water shots on them. I plan on doing a jug foraging run on the way to work this coming Friday. The neighborhood where I work puts out a lot of milk jugs on recycling day. In four blocks, I can fill the bed of the F150, one layer deep. Stinky, but productive. We're moving my daughter into her dorm this coming Sunday, but that leaves Saturday and Monday. Monday is attractive as no doubt I'll need to get away from my weepy wife by then. Only child you know.

Anyone want to send me one of them, I'd be happy to throw it at a stack of jugs. Two would make for a backup shot in case the first one decides to "exit stage left". I could also load it down to simulate velocity at 100 yards if that's more desirable data. Being all copper, I doubt there is value in trying to simulate 200 yard velocity. Here's a 200gr XPB loaded down to simulate 200 yards (1550fps):



FWIW, it went through 7 jugs of water. If the velocity is such that they open up, the penetration is 4-5 jugs with greater devastation of them than unexpanded. If I can figure out the 240 frames per second mode on my video camera, perhaps I can get a slow motion video of the impact as well.

Hoot

[Wicked Hunter]

I can save you the trouble of a water shot Hoot. I did one the other day just didn't have time to get it posted. This was the 250gr T-EZ over 38.5 gr of lil-gun. Loaded to 2.245" using the Stab crimp. I had the jugs at 60yds. filled with cold water. I found the bullet lodged between the 6th and 7th jug. When i pulled them apart the bullet fell back into the 6th jug. The 7th jug did have a hole/crack in it though. The blue tip was found in the second jug. I have tried the 250gr T-MZ but didnt have near the accuracy everyting being the same except for the T-MZ has a boat-tail.

[Hoot]

...snip... Being all copper, I doubt there is value in trying to simulate 200 yard velocity. Here's a 200gr XPB loaded down to simulate 200 yards (1550fps)...snip
Hoot

I did some reading after I said the above statement and unlike the XPB, the MZ bullets are designed to open up as low as 1000fps. I stand corrected. I will continue to use XPBs because in my particular deer hunting environment where I tote the 450b, it rarely affords shots beyond 100 yards. For the longer environments, I tote a different caliber.

Hoot

Edit: Looks like I was typing the same time wicked hunter was typing. There's your proof!

[Wicked Hunter]

I will get some better pics when the I can get ahold of our other camera. I was supprised at how far the bullet penetrated the jugs. This was out of my Trident upper. I may have to revisit with the 20" Bushmaster. The nice thing about doing the water shots is i noticed the ports of the Trident were really scarring up my bullets. Looking down the barrel you could actually see some burs where the ports got drilled.

[Hoot]

I will get some better pics when the I can get ahold of our other camera. I was supprised at how far the bullet penetrated the jugs. This was out of my Trident upper. I may have to revisit with the 20" Bushmaster. The nice thing about doing the water shots is i noticed the ports of the Trident were really scarring up my bullets. Looking down the barrel you could actually see some burs where the ports got drilled.

Ouch! I would have guessed they would lap the burs out once it was machined. When you push a patch through does it catch on them? Some say the best way to get them out is just to shoot the gun and they will efface over time. Not the answer I would want to hear though, but then I don't normally reach for my copper file to remove steel from a piece of metal I'm working on.

I got off early and stopped by the range, just having gotten home now with my annealed case results. Have to get it written up and posted.

Hoot

[Wicked Hunter]

I had 300 rounds through the upper when i did the water shot. So yeah the copper file wasn't doin the trick. I did a little research on porting and found that most gunsmiths pour the end of the barrel full of lead before drilling ports, in order to keep the bur from forming. Something I also didnt know is that most major gun manufacturers use an EDM to actually burn the ports in there barrels or choke tubes.
As far as cleaning is was pretty noticable when the upper was new. After about 50 rounds it quit tearing my patches up and was alot easier to clean.

I updated the pictures of the bullet. Notice the scarring from the ports.