160gr Matrix

[CliffM]

Woke up at 3:00 this morning thinking about an expansion test and decided I probably wasn't going to get much sleep until I had done something about it.
I like milk jugs for this but after searching all the hiding places there were not enough jugs of any kind to make that work.
Not to be deterred, I did a search here and came across Roy's with an unnamed media. Hmmmm
The farm supply store will be open todaylightbulb
A cardboard box 5 gallons of water an two bags of floor-dri and I was in business!

I layered saturated floor-dri in plastic bags with cardboard separators about every 4"
This was placed at 600yds and 3 shots were fired with an esimated impact velocity of 2200-2250fps.
The box was about 20" deep and the bullet jackets were recovered in the middle of the last bag.
The first pic is the last cardboard separator and the entrance holes.

The saturated media


separators at each depth






and the jacket fragments found in the last bag at about 18"


Cliff

 

[CliffM]

PS, I'll sleep better now!!!
Cliff

 

[barnesuser28]

Nice! Seems like they will penetrate pretty well with plenty of expansion. Exciting!!

 

[CliffM]

The only one that had not expanded in the first 4" was the one at the top and it looked like the media was dry there. The rest of the way through it's about a 2" hole.
I'm happy!
Cliff

 

[bigngreen]

That looks a lot like the pieces of bullet that drain out the bottom of elk after running into a 270 cal 165 Matrix! Those are going to cruuuush an elk gun)

Everybody, happy, happy, happy

 

[barnesuser28]

That look a lot like the pieces of bullet that drain out the bottom of elk after running into a 270 cal 165 Matrix! Those are going to cruuuush an elk gun)

Everybody, happy, happy, happy

I cant wait for antelope season!! These should be (will be) the ultimate 6.5 bullet!! Marshal if you are reading this THANK YOU!! I will give these a shot into some milk jugs when i go to break in the barrel of my 284 win, a case full of trail boss should give around 1500-1600 fps. gun) Cliff, can you weigh the two pieces on the right to give us an idea on weight retention?

 

[CliffM]

The larger pieces are from 26-30gr
Considering how rough a ride they took....not bad
Cliff

 

[barnesuser28]

Im not to familiar with floor dry, but IIRC Roy uses Canadian peat moss, his one word of caution to me was to use a stick to mix it as the ants love the stuff LOL. I cant wait to see what else comes from this thread.

 

[elkaholic]

Good job Cliff! That is good expansion at that velocity. It would be interesting to see what they will do at lower velocity. Say <1800 hint, hint.......Rich

 

[rooster721]

Good job Cliff! That is good expansion at that velocity. It would be interesting to see what they will do at lower velocity. Say <1800 hint, hint.......Rich

...or at very-close range*

General consensus on the "like bullets" from other "popular manufacturers" is for longer-range hunting.. would be very interesting if these would differ any. I for one would be curious to see what those impact tests would look like at 50yards or so... just for curiosity sake (say in the event of a bear-charge maybe) Would they explode upon impact, punch a pin-hole, or enter & expand ???

Makes you wonder... anyone willing to give that a whirl?

 

[barnesuser28]

...or at very-close range*

General consensus on the "like bullets" from other "popular manufacturers" is for longer-range hunting.. would be very interesting if these would differ any. I for one would be curious to see what those impact tests would look like at 50yards or so... just for curiosity sake (say in the event of a bear-charge maybe) Would they explode upon impact, punch a pin-hole, or enter & expand ???

Makes you wonder... anyone willing to give that a whirl?

I volunteer if no one else does. While i am doing the reduced velocity i can do a high velocity, someone could probably do it before me though, as we just got about 18" of snow today. might be a while before i can make it to the range.

 

[rooster721]

This could be a real shot in the dark.. but have any of you's tried them in 1:9 barrels?

...My 264win is only a 1:9 and handles the 140 Berger fine (which is also 1:8 recommended!!) Have shot so far as 840 at steel, but no issues to that distance with 'em* I can't say "they" are in-stable or tumbling

Can someone comment on this by chance ?? With so-much longer bearing surface on that 160, maybe it would-be a stretch to shoot 'em through a 1:9 ??? I don't know.

??

 

[bigngreen]

...or at very-close range*

General consensus on the "like bullets" from other "popular manufacturers" is for longer-range hunting.. would be very interesting if these would differ any. I for one would be curious to see what those impact tests would look like at 50yards or so... just for curiosity sake (say in the event of a bear-charge maybe) Would they explode upon impact, punch a pin-hole, or enter & expand ???

Makes you wonder... anyone willing to give that a whirl?

We'll saddle someone with shooting an elk at very close range to test just that, we've killed quit a few bulls with the 270 165 Matrix in the 50-100 yards range and they grab dirt rather abruptly, bullets don't exit but they don't blow early either. Massive amounts of sectional density just won't be denied!

 

[elkaholic]

This could be a real shot in the dark.. but have any of you's tried them in 1:9 barrels?

...My 264win is only a 1:9 and handles the 140 Berger fine (which is also 1:8 recommended!!) Have shot so far as 840 at steel, but no issues to that distance with 'em* I can't say "they" are in-stable or tumbling

Can someone comment on this by chance ?? With so-much longer bearing surface on that 160, maybe it would-be a stretch to shoot 'em through a 1:9 ??? I don't know.

??

You might get away with it at altitude, but not sure? The bearing surface isn't quite as long as you would think. The boat tail is extended a little.....Rich