Bullet failures

[MagnumManiac]

My favorite bullet failure stories are the ones claiming high powered rifle bullets failed to penetrate and elks lungs or their scapula

But it seriously does happen.
Had it happen with Berger OTM out of my 338-416 Rigby Improved at 10 yards…..the hole was dinner plate size and no penetration just shrapnel. Also had it happen at 20' with a 260g Ballistic Tip out of my 375 Weatherby. The entire R/H ham was destroyed, bullet fragments went into the pelvis as did the olive green plastic tip.
Have had it happen several times actually.
When you shoot enough and try enough bullets, you will encounter this. The stories I have trouble believing are those that say a bullet 'pencilled through' at 15 yards. Just doesn't happen, unless it's a mono with a blocked up cavity, which I did personally witness once.

Cheers.

 

[DoneNOut]

I was anticipating more Hammer bullet failure accounts. I only frequent this forum. However, there are hearsay accounts of Hammers crapping the bed at an alarming rate on other forums. I need to know. I only own two boxes of them in one caliber and need to apply my shrewd skepticism towards them.

 

[Petey308]

you wrote that a non favorable result was typically because of using outside their limits, to me that is not bullet failure that is operator error and the two should not be confused. the examples i gave are of bullet failure not being used outside their limits. to many times people want something to blame for failure and we need to keep the two reasons for failure separate.

TYPICALLY, yes, and I agree it would boil down to operator error. I try not to blame anything if I can. I just look for the most feasible explanation. It's hard to know what the explanation is though if you don't know the bullets limitations and all the factors/variables that went into the shot too though.

 

[can1010]

I was anticipating more Hammer bullet failure accounts. I only frequent this forum. However, there are hearsay accounts of Hammers crapping the bed at an alarming rate on other forums. I need to know. I only own two boxes of them in one caliber and need to apply my shrewd skepticism towards them.

do you have anything constructive to add to the discussion or just sarcasm, we are trying to have a civil discussion and dont need the tread derailed

 

[DoneNOut]

do you have anything constructive to add to the discussion or just sarcasm, we are trying to have a civil discussion and dont need the tread derailed

Nah, I want to know. There's a great deal of talk about the Hammers. A great deal of irrational hatred towards them. Spill it people! Like, this is the perfect thread to do it!

 

[can1010]

TYPICALLY, yes, and I agree it would boil down to operator error. I try not to blame anything if I can. I just look for the most feasible explanation. It's hard to know what the explanation is though if you don't know the bullets limitations and all the factors/variables that went into the shot too though.

i agree way too many people look for something to blame but we also cant always look for the easy answer because then the wrong conclusion usually comes about

 

[Hard rock]

Many years ago I shot a WT buck 165lb roughly, with a ballistic tip in fed ammo in 270 win 130gr.
Buck fell and got back up running slowly with leg flopping. shot was slightly quartering to me. Aim point was slightly forward of center shoulder @ about 120yds. Trailed buck about 600yds little blood heard him jump up. Dark got me and lack of blood. Two days latter another member on our lease shot same buck and called me. We did autopsy and the ballistic tip hit joint at very bottom of shoulder blade where joins leg and disintegrated mostly. Found a piece of jacket in a rib and the whole shoulder was a meat mess. Nothing we found penetrated into chest past ribs. I did strike about 3" more forward than I was aiming, but had bullet held together he would have been dead.

I've seen the same thing with the same bullet

 

[Petey308]

i agree way too many people look for something to blame but we also cant always look for the easy answer because then the wrong conclusion usually comes about

I think ultimately you and I are on the same page, at least the same chapter of the same book lol.

The answer can definitely be complex and I'm confident in saying a lot of people lack the ability to comprehend exactly what happened sometimes in order to draw a true and definitive conclusion- I include myself in that at times. I'm no expert.

 

[can1010]

Nah, I want to know. There's a great deal of talk about the Hammers. A great deal of irrational hatred towards them. Spill it people! Like, this is the perfect thread to do it!

NO you and your buddies have derailed every other bullet tread the last couple days if you have nothing to offer just move on

 

[DoneNOut]

NO you and your buddies have derailed every other bullet tread the last couple days if you have nothing to offer just move on

Ok, I'll offer a bullet failure instance. I muzzleloader hunt. Barnes 290 T-EZ just got boring. There was like 0 chance a deer could take more than 20yds of steps. I'd have to say 15yds of steps with a 5yd snowplow slide to death. The deer found out about this death-valley (I really do hunt in a valley) and those critters were hanging out higher up the ridge. (Ask @338 dude he was with me in cell phone spirit) Well, I thought I would use something different with what I thought might give more range. So, I chose Hornady 300gr XTP in harvester sabot to fire out a 50 cal TC. Things were looking good. Started picking them off the ridge at 150yds and all cool.

So, I tell 338dude about them deer not coming closer and hanging on the ridge. He says, "Go after'em." So I did. First time spot & stalk on this property. Tons of selfies and sits just appreciating taking the oxygen into my lungs, looking at the beautiful landscape of the valley from different vantage points, just a hell yeah appreciation of life.

Well, nothing was moving, so I thought. So, I gave up. I stood under a tree stand I placed at the other end of the property and evaluated if I needed to do anything different with it. During that evaluation, I look over and three doe are looking at me. I'm wearing First Lite Fusion camo, so they really couldn't see me. I took a knee and blasted one of those doe at 30yds with a Hornady 300gr XTP. Smoke clears and there's 3 tails full bloom white running up the hill. WHAT? I haven't missed a deer in 15yrs! I said to myself. So, I go looking for blood. I found fur, and blood going all the way up the hill and for 200yds I tracked her down the opposite side of the hill into valley 1. I saw guts hanging out her shot on side. Just behind the boiler room. I felt bad for her. I took her down with another shot at 125yds. Shes in the freezer and I will use her energy in 2022.

Now, can I still comment in the thread, since I contributed?

 

[Hard rock]

Same experience here with Nosler BT bullets in a 260 Remington. This was late 90s/early 2000. Turned me off to using them for whitetail.

Changed to Partitions and never looked back.

I've had good and bad experiences with partitions mainly no exit when the shot placement should have one , one of the reasons I shoot monos now I like a entrance and exit no matter how high of impact velocity bone or flesh

 

[can1010]

Ok, I'll offer a bullet failure instance. I muzzleloader hunt. Barnes 290 T-EZ just got boring. There was like 0 chance a deer could take more than 20yds of steps. I'd have to say 15yds of steps with a 5yd snowplow slide to death. The deer found out about this death-valley (I really do hunt in a valley) and those critters were hanging out higher up the ridge. (Ask @338 dude he was with me in cell phone spirit) Well, I thought I would use something different with what I thought might give more range. So, I chose Hornady 300gr XTP in harvester sabot to fire out a 50 cal TC. Things were looking good. Started picking them off the ridge at 150yds and all cool.

So, I tell 338dude about them deer not coming closer and hanging on the ridge. He says, "Go after'em." So I did. First time spot & stalk on this property. Tons of selfies and sits just appreciating taking the oxygen into my lungs, looking at the beautiful landscape of the valley from different vantage points, just a hell yeah appreciation of life.

Well, nothing was moving, so I thought. So, I gave up. I stood under a tree stand I placed at the other end of the property and evaluated if I needed to do anything different with it. During that evaluation, I look over and three doe are looking at me. I'm wearing First Lite Fusion camo, so they really couldn't see me. I took a knee and blasted one of those doe at 30yds with a Hornady 300gr XTP. Smoke clears and there's 3 tails full bloom white running up the hill. WHAT? I haven't missed a deer in 15yrs! I said to myself. So, I go looking for blood. I found fur, and blood going all the way up the hill and for 200yds I tracked her down the opposite side of the hill into valley 1. I saw guts hanging out her shot on side. Just behind the boiler room. I felt bad for her. I took her down with another shot at 125yds. Shes in the freezer and I will use her energy in 2022.

Now, can I still comment in the thread, since I contributed?

i have seen that where they push intestines out to seal off the hole looks like a rose bud on their side thats not bullet failure its shot placement error. lets not confuse the two

 

[DoneNOut]

i have seen that where they push intestines out to seal off the hole looks like a rose bud on their side thats not bullet failure its shot placement error. lets not confuse the two

I'm not confused. If that would have been my trusty Barnes, there would have been no tracking. That's the first time I tracked a deer in so long, I bout forgot how.

 

[DoneNOut]

Allright, let me PM all those unbiased, scientific, "Lets let the world know there are other coppers than Hammers" respected members and let them know about this thread. I anticipate an outpouring of responses.