NorthRiverGuide
Well-Known Member
Any results and feedback on the afterburners especially terminal ballistics would be greatly appreciated.
-
If you are being asked to change your password, and unsure how to do it, follow these instructions. Click here
Apex outdoors afterburners performance
- Thread starter NorthRiverGuide
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
So far, I've shot all three available weights of the .308" Apex Afterburners (135gr, 144gr, and 153gr), their 166gr target bullet, and the 161gr Haymaker. I've tried them in a 1:10" twist 300 RUM and 300 PRC, as well as a 1:7" twist 300 Savage and 1:7" twist 300 Blackout. A lot of these bullets were shot into 10% ballistic gel at different ranges, with different muzzle velocities, from different barrels, and with different crimps. I've shot significantly more of the 153gr bullets than the 135gr or 144gr, but they've all performed in a very similar way in the gel when the impact velocities are similar.
I've fired the majority of the 153gr Afterburners in the 300 RUM, which is an old Savage that's probably 20+ years old. That particular rifle has been one of the pickiest guns that's held a spot in my safe, and only shot the 200gr Swift A-frame sub MOA. The Afterburners have consistently shot well (sub MOA) with a variety of powders in that rifle. The 153gr Afterburner in the 300 PRC was happiest at about 3350 fps with H4350. I got up over 3400 fps with Superformance, but the accuracy wasn't as good as H4350.
The load I've settled on in the 300 RUM uses RL 26 with the 153gr Afterburner for a velocity of 3520 fps with 3 shot groups hanging just over .75 MOA. I've shot that same load as far as 900 yards and it held 1 MOA to that range. I used that load on a black bear here in WA at 523 yards. The bear was walking up a log on the other side of the valley, so the bullet entered between the shoulders just to the right of the spine and exited on the left side of the throat. The bullet destroyed the spine and the bear didn't even twitch. The shot placement was great for anchoring the bear, but not so much for testing a bullet. LOL Here's the thread with more details on the bear:
www.longrangehunting.com
Entrance
Exit
A friend of mine has a cattle ranch near by and I loaded some of the 153gr Afterburners for his 30-06 to try out on coyotes in his field. He's taken two so far. I belive the ranges were around 100-150 yards on both coyotes.
Entrance
Exit
Entrance
Exit
I haven't shot any animals with the 135gr or 144gr Afterburners yet but I would expect them to perform very similarly to the 153gr version. I have seen the 153gr penetrate slightly farther in gel than the lighter versions, which makes sense since the additional weight is all in the shank. I did shoot the 135gr Afterburner out of the 300 Blackout with good accuracy and the 144gr version in the 300 Savage. I was just testing them though and haven't spent any real time working on loads. I have a load with the 135gr Afterburner in the 300 RUM at more than 3800 fps that I need to shoot out to 500 yards or so, but I may try that during deer season.
I'm really anxious to get something with the 161gr Haymaker. This one is a pretty specialized bullet and was optimized for the 300 Blackout. I've tested this one out of a 16.25" 300 Blackout with a 1:7" twist and I saw full expansion and petal separation at less than 1000 fps impact velocities. I haven't seen that with any other bullet that I've personally tested. My standard load in the 300 Blackout with the 161gr Haymaker uses Ramshot Enforcer and I get 1925 fps. That's not a max load, but it is very accurate (under .75 MOA) and it's compressed about as much as I'd like.
The 161gr Haymaker was designed for the 300 Blackout, but I've shot it a 300 PRC, at just under 3000 fps as well as a 300 Savage at about 2450 fps. The Haymaker was just over .5 MOA in the 300 PRC, but I personally wouldn't use it on a deer at that velocity. The Haymakers are designed for lower velocity impacts and they behave almost like a ballistic tip when they impact over about 2400 fps in the testing I've done. It would make for some spectacular coyote kills though! I do however have the Haymakers loaded for a 20" 300 Savage that I've been using as my truck gun this year. I almost tagged a bear about a week ago (we get two bear tags a year in WA) with the 161gr Haymaker out of the 300 Savage, but I spotted some cubs with the bear when I got about 150 yards away from her. I've had a few close opportunities on coyotes, but I just haven't been fast enough. Porcupines are my go-to bullet traps around here, so I just need to find one to test the Haymakers out on game.
This thread has some of the bullet testing I've done over the years. There's an older thread as well around here somewhere. The results from the first prototypes of the 153 Apex are around page 4.
www.longrangehunting.com
This thread has some good info on some of testing I did with the 161gr Haymaker.
www.longrangehunting.com
This thread is a good rundown from Apex about their company, what they offer, and probably a good starting point if you're looking into their bullets.
www.longrangehunting.com
Hopefully @mcdil will chime in when he has time. I know there are additional animals taken with the Afterburners, but I'll leave that information for them to share.
I've fired the majority of the 153gr Afterburners in the 300 RUM, which is an old Savage that's probably 20+ years old. That particular rifle has been one of the pickiest guns that's held a spot in my safe, and only shot the 200gr Swift A-frame sub MOA. The Afterburners have consistently shot well (sub MOA) with a variety of powders in that rifle. The 153gr Afterburner in the 300 PRC was happiest at about 3350 fps with H4350. I got up over 3400 fps with Superformance, but the accuracy wasn't as good as H4350.
The load I've settled on in the 300 RUM uses RL 26 with the 153gr Afterburner for a velocity of 3520 fps with 3 shot groups hanging just over .75 MOA. I've shot that same load as far as 900 yards and it held 1 MOA to that range. I used that load on a black bear here in WA at 523 yards. The bear was walking up a log on the other side of the valley, so the bullet entered between the shoulders just to the right of the spine and exited on the left side of the throat. The bullet destroyed the spine and the bear didn't even twitch. The shot placement was great for anchoring the bear, but not so much for testing a bullet. LOL Here's the thread with more details on the bear:
Black Bear With the 153gr Afterburner - 523 Yards
We were excited to get a quick text and some pictures in this morning from yorke-1 who took this bear late last night on the west coast with our 153gr Afterburner out of a 300 RUM. I'm sure he'll come in at some point and add a bit more color to the story, but between a late night with the bear...
Entrance
Exit
A friend of mine has a cattle ranch near by and I loaded some of the 153gr Afterburners for his 30-06 to try out on coyotes in his field. He's taken two so far. I belive the ranges were around 100-150 yards on both coyotes.
Entrance
Exit
Entrance
Exit
I haven't shot any animals with the 135gr or 144gr Afterburners yet but I would expect them to perform very similarly to the 153gr version. I have seen the 153gr penetrate slightly farther in gel than the lighter versions, which makes sense since the additional weight is all in the shank. I did shoot the 135gr Afterburner out of the 300 Blackout with good accuracy and the 144gr version in the 300 Savage. I was just testing them though and haven't spent any real time working on loads. I have a load with the 135gr Afterburner in the 300 RUM at more than 3800 fps that I need to shoot out to 500 yards or so, but I may try that during deer season.
I'm really anxious to get something with the 161gr Haymaker. This one is a pretty specialized bullet and was optimized for the 300 Blackout. I've tested this one out of a 16.25" 300 Blackout with a 1:7" twist and I saw full expansion and petal separation at less than 1000 fps impact velocities. I haven't seen that with any other bullet that I've personally tested. My standard load in the 300 Blackout with the 161gr Haymaker uses Ramshot Enforcer and I get 1925 fps. That's not a max load, but it is very accurate (under .75 MOA) and it's compressed about as much as I'd like.
The 161gr Haymaker was designed for the 300 Blackout, but I've shot it a 300 PRC, at just under 3000 fps as well as a 300 Savage at about 2450 fps. The Haymaker was just over .5 MOA in the 300 PRC, but I personally wouldn't use it on a deer at that velocity. The Haymakers are designed for lower velocity impacts and they behave almost like a ballistic tip when they impact over about 2400 fps in the testing I've done. It would make for some spectacular coyote kills though! I do however have the Haymakers loaded for a 20" 300 Savage that I've been using as my truck gun this year. I almost tagged a bear about a week ago (we get two bear tags a year in WA) with the 161gr Haymaker out of the 300 Savage, but I spotted some cubs with the bear when I got about 150 yards away from her. I've had a few close opportunities on coyotes, but I just haven't been fast enough. Porcupines are my go-to bullet traps around here, so I just need to find one to test the Haymakers out on game.
This thread has some of the bullet testing I've done over the years. There's an older thread as well around here somewhere. The results from the first prototypes of the 153 Apex are around page 4.
Bullet testing, again....
A few years ago I did some bullet testing, shooting about 85 different bullets into a bullet trap I made out of strips of apron leather soaked in water. The post is still here on LRH, but most of the pictures got removed because Photobucket changed their photo hosting policy and I just don't...
This thread has some good info on some of testing I did with the 161gr Haymaker.
Apex Outdoors New Bullet Launch - .308 161gr Haymaker
Hello, everyone! We're thrilled to launch our new Haymaker bullet line with the debut of our .308 161gr designed to maximize the performance of the 300 AAC Blackout in both rifle and pistol platforms. With a performance range spanning 1000 - 2400 fps, we have you covered in any and all hunting...
This thread is a good rundown from Apex about their company, what they offer, and probably a good starting point if you're looking into their bullets.
Apex Outdoors Bullets - A Brief Summary
Hello, everyone! For those that aren't aware of Apex Outdoors, we are a Swiss lathe-turned, bullet manufacturer, headquartered in Texas, who began launching products earlier this summer. I thought I'd put a brief summary of Apex Outdoors and our bullet lines in one condensed post for quick...
Hopefully @mcdil will chime in when he has time. I know there are additional animals taken with the Afterburners, but I'll leave that information for them to share.
Last edited:
NorthRiverGuide
Well-Known Member
ThanksSo far, I've shot all three available weights of the .308" Apex Afterburners (135gr, 144gr, and 153gr), their 166gr target bullet, and the 161gr Haymaker. I've tried them in a 1:10" twist 300 RUM and 300 PRC, as well as a 1:7" twist 300 Savage and 1:7" twist 300 Blackout. A lot of these bullets were shot into 10% ballistic gel at different ranges, with different muzzle velocities, from different barrels, and with different crimps. I've shot significantly more of the 153gr bullets than the 135gr or 144gr, but they've all performed in a very similar way in the gel when the impact velocities are similar.
I've fired the majority of the 153gr Afterburners in the 300 RUM, which is an old Savage that's probably 20+ years old. That particular rifle has been one of the pickiest guns that's held a spot in my safe, and only shot the 200gr Swift A-frame sub MOA. The Afterburners have consistently shot well (sub MOA) with a variety of powders in that rifle. The 153gr Afterburner in the 300 PRC was happiest at about 3350 fps with H4350. I got up over 3400 fps with Superformance, but the accuracy wasn't as good as H4350.
The load I've settled on in the 300 RUM uses RL 26 with the 153gr Afterburner for a velocity of 3520 fps with 3 shot groups hanging just over .75 MOA. I've shot that same load as far as 900 yards and it held 1 MOA to that range. I used that load on a black bear here in WA at 523 yards. The bear was walking up a log on the other side of the valley, so the bullet entered between the shoulders just to the right of the spine and exited on the left side of the throat. The bullet destroyed the spine and the bear didn't even twitch. The shot placement was great for anchoring the bear, but not so much for testing a bullet. LOL Here's the thread with more details on the bear:
Black Bear With the 153gr Afterburner - 523 Yards
We were excited to get a quick text and some pictures in this morning from yorke-1 who took this bear late last night on the west coast with our 153gr Afterburner out of a 300 RUM. I'm sure he'll come in at some point and add a bit more color to the story, but between a late night with the bear...
Entrance
Exit
A friend of mine has a cattle ranch near by and I loaded some of the 153gr Afterburners for his 30-06 to try out on coyotes in his field. He's taken two so far. I belive the ranges were around 100-150 yards on both coyotes.
Entrance
Exit
Entrance
Exit
I haven't shot any animals with the 135gr or 144gr Afterburners yet but I would expect them to perform very similarly to the 153gr version. I have seen the 153gr penetrate slightly farther in gel than the lighter versions, which makes sense since the additional weight is all in the shank. I did shoot the 135gr Afterburner out of the 300 Blackout with good accuracy and the 144gr version in the 300 Savage. I was just testing them though and haven't spent any real time working on loads. I have a load with the 135gr Afterburner in the 300 RUM at more than 3800 fps that I need to shoot out to 500 yards or so, but I may try that during deer season.
I'm really anxious to get something with the 161gr Haymaker. This one is a pretty specialized bullet and was optimized for the 300 Blackout. I've tested this one out of a 16.25" 300 Blackout with a 1:7" twist and I saw full expansion and petal separation at less than 1000 fps impact velocities. I haven't seen that with any other bullet that I've personally tested. My standard load in the 300 Blackout with the 161gr Haymaker uses Ramshot Enforcer and I get 1925 fps. That's not a max load, but it is very accurate (under .75 MOA) and it's compressed about as much as I'd like.
The 161gr Haymaker was designed for the 300 Blackout, but I've shot it a 300 PRC, at just under 3000 fps as well as a 300 Savage at about 2450 fps. The Haymaker was just over .5 MOA in the 300 PRC, but I personally wouldn't use it on a deer at that velocity. The Haymakers are designed for lower velocity impacts and they behave almost like a ballistic tip when they impact over about 2400 fps in the testing I've done. It would make for some spectacular coyote kills though! I do however have the Haymakers loaded for a 20" 300 Savage that I've been using as my truck gun this year. I almost tagged a bear about a week ago (we get two bear tags a year in WA) with the 161gr Haymaker out of the 300 Savage, but I spotted some cubs with the bear when I got about 150 yards away from her. I've had a few close opportunities on coyotes, but I just haven't been fast enough. Porcupines are my go-to bullet traps around here, so I just need to find one to test the Haymakers out on game.
This thread has some of the bullet testing I've done over the years. There's an older thread as well around here somewhere. The results from the first prototypes of the 153 Apex are around page 4.
Bullet testing, again....
A few years ago I did some bullet testing, shooting about 85 different bullets into a bullet trap I made out of strips of apron leather soaked in water. The post is still here on LRH, but most of the pictures got removed because Photobucket changed their photo hosting policy and I just don't...
This thread has some good info on some of testing I did with the 161gr Haymaker.
Apex Outdoors New Bullet Launch - .308 161gr Haymaker
Hello, everyone! We're thrilled to launch our new Haymaker bullet line with the debut of our .308 161gr designed to maximize the performance of the 300 AAC Blackout in both rifle and pistol platforms. With a performance range spanning 1000 - 2400 fps, we have you covered in any and all hunting...
This thread is a good rundown from Apex about their company, what they offer, and probably a good starting point if you're looking into their bullets.
Apex Outdoors Bullets - A Brief Summary
Hello, everyone! For those that aren't aware of Apex Outdoors, we are a Swiss lathe-turned, bullet manufacturer, headquartered in Texas, who began launching products earlier this summer. I thought I'd put a brief summary of Apex Outdoors and our bullet lines in one condensed post for quick...
Great stuff! I'm excited to hopefully get my own testing started on deer next month.So far, I've shot all three available weights of the .308" Apex Afterburners (135gr, 144gr, and 153gr), their 166gr target bullet, and the 161gr Haymaker. I've tried them in a 1:10" twist 300 RUM and 300 PRC, as well as a 1:7" twist 300 Savage and 1:7" twist 300 Blackout. A lot of these bullets were shot into 10% ballistic gel at different ranges, with different muzzle velocities, from different barrels, and with different crimps. I've shot significantly more of the 153gr bullets than the 135gr or 144gr, but they've all performed in a very similar way in the gel when the impact velocities are similar.
I've fired the majority of the 153gr Afterburners in the 300 RUM, which is an old Savage that's probably 20+ years old. That particular rifle has been one of the pickiest guns that's held a spot in my safe, and only shot the 200gr Swift A-frame sub MOA. The Afterburners have consistently shot well (sub MOA) with a variety of powders in that rifle. The 153gr Afterburner in the 300 PRC was happiest at about 3350 fps with H4350. I got up over 3400 fps with Superformance, but the accuracy wasn't as good as H4350.
The load I've settled on in the 300 RUM uses RL 26 with the 153gr Afterburner for a velocity of 3520 fps with 3 shot groups hanging just over .75 MOA. I've shot that same load as far as 900 yards and it held 1 MOA to that range. I used that load on a black bear here in WA at 523 yards. The bear was walking up a log on the other side of the valley, so the bullet entered between the shoulders just to the right of the spine and exited on the left side of the throat. The bullet destroyed the spine and the bear didn't even twitch. The shot placement was great for anchoring the bear, but not so much for testing a bullet. LOL Here's the thread with more details on the bear:
Black Bear With the 153gr Afterburner - 523 Yards
We were excited to get a quick text and some pictures in this morning from yorke-1 who took this bear late last night on the west coast with our 153gr Afterburner out of a 300 RUM. I'm sure he'll come in at some point and add a bit more color to the story, but between a late night with the bear...
Entrance
Exit
A friend of mine has a cattle ranch near by and I loaded some of the 153gr Afterburners for his 30-06 to try out on coyotes in his field. He's taken two so far. I belive the ranges were around 100-150 yards on both coyotes.
Entrance
Exit
Entrance
Exit
I haven't shot any animals with the 135gr or 144gr Afterburners yet but I would expect them to perform very similarly to the 153gr version. I have seen the 153gr penetrate slightly farther in gel than the lighter versions, which makes sense since the additional weight is all in the shank. I did shoot the 135gr Afterburner out of the 300 Blackout with good accuracy and the 144gr version in the 300 Savage. I was just testing them though and haven't spent any real time working on loads. I have a load with the 135gr Afterburner in the 300 RUM at more than 3800 fps that I need to shoot out to 500 yards or so, but I may try that during deer season.
I'm really anxious to get something with the 161gr Haymaker. This one is a pretty specialized bullet and was optimized for the 300 Blackout. I've tested this one out of a 16.25" 300 Blackout with a 1:7" twist and I saw full expansion and petal separation at less than 1000 fps impact velocities. I haven't seen that with any other bullet that I've personally tested. My standard load in the 300 Blackout with the 161gr Haymaker uses Ramshot Enforcer and I get 1925 fps. That's not a max load, but it is very accurate (under .75 MOA) and it's compressed about as much as I'd like.
The 161gr Haymaker was designed for the 300 Blackout, but I've shot it a 300 PRC, at just under 3000 fps as well as a 300 Savage at about 2450 fps. The Haymaker was just over .5 MOA in the 300 PRC, but I personally wouldn't use it on a deer at that velocity. The Haymakers are designed for lower velocity impacts and they behave almost like a ballistic tip when they impact over about 2400 fps in the testing I've done. It would make for some spectacular coyote kills though! I do however have the Haymakers loaded for a 20" 300 Savage that I've been using as my truck gun this year. I almost tagged a bear about a week ago (we get two bear tags a year in WA) with the 161gr Haymaker out of the 300 Savage, but I spotted some cubs with the bear when I got about 150 yards away from her. I've had a few close opportunities on coyotes, but I just haven't been fast enough. Porcupines are my go-to bullet traps around here, so I just need to find one to test the Haymakers out on game.
This thread has some of the bullet testing I've done over the years. There's an older thread as well around here somewhere. The results from the first prototypes of the 153 Apex are around page 4.
Bullet testing, again....
A few years ago I did some bullet testing, shooting about 85 different bullets into a bullet trap I made out of strips of apron leather soaked in water. The post is still here on LRH, but most of the pictures got removed because Photobucket changed their photo hosting policy and I just don't...
This thread has some good info on some of testing I did with the 161gr Haymaker.
Apex Outdoors New Bullet Launch - .308 161gr Haymaker
Hello, everyone! We're thrilled to launch our new Haymaker bullet line with the debut of our .308 161gr designed to maximize the performance of the 300 AAC Blackout in both rifle and pistol platforms. With a performance range spanning 1000 - 2400 fps, we have you covered in any and all hunting...
This thread is a good rundown from Apex about their company, what they offer, and probably a good starting point if you're looking into their bullets.
Apex Outdoors Bullets - A Brief Summary
Hello, everyone! For those that aren't aware of Apex Outdoors, we are a Swiss lathe-turned, bullet manufacturer, headquartered in Texas, who began launching products earlier this summer. I thought I'd put a brief summary of Apex Outdoors and our bullet lines in one condensed post for quick...
Hopefully @mcdil will chime in when he has time. I know there are additional animals taken with the Afterburners, but I'll leave that information for them to share.
They look great so far, I'm anxious to see what they do on heavy bone or a knuckle
I am going to give the 200g .338 when it is available.
mcdil
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to add a bit on some of the other animals yorke-1 was referring to, and thanks for the great post and to everyone that has or will contribute to it. It's you first adopters that really make small, private companies like mine move forward, and I'm extremely grateful. Early in our launch, we were fortunate enough to get a customer that takes more game a year than I will in my lifetime, with some of these being heavy bodied/boned animals. This really helps in the real-world validation process, no doubt, and the data so far is lining up with our predictions and testing. We saw massive trauma accompanied by straight and deep penetration when compared to all other styles of bullets in initial testing, most noticeably in the wet newsprint. We were curious as to how this would translate into real world results, and we're happy to witness alignment between testing and terminal results.
The animals shot thus far by the customer referenced above have been free range cattle that is part of a giving back effort he's doing for his community, very commendable; I take my hat off to him. That's a lot of grunt work processing and hauling those off the mountain. Below are some of the pictures I've received from him on the cattle taken. Most of the time, he's avoiding shots that encounter meat loss, so there are quite a few neck shots and at least one head shot. In most cases, the spine was hit on the neck shots. On one particular animal, he sent it through both shoulder bones broadside to get an understanding of the terminal performance in that scenario. I have layered pictures of that from entry into the center section. I don't have pictures all the way across, but he did verify that it was both shoulder bones and an exit. I know in that particular instance, it was hot, and they had three animals down, and trying desperately to get them processed quickly in the heat, so I'm glad I received any pictures at all.
He's shooting a 300 WSM with the 144gr Afterburner at a muzzle velocity of 3350 fps. From what I've observed from his 507 yard target dialing in for range, I'd guess around a .2 MOA setup, but that's just a visual observation on my part looking at two and three shot clusters as he walked his scope in. I have no idea where he settled in on his true BC yet, and he has the ability to true up out to 1200 yards and further.
Okay enough talk, here are some of the pictures I have of the terminal wounds. Every case, to include the shots not pictured below, resulted in a straight, massive, tubular hole with complete devastation, all with exits. He did find one petal, I think in the double shoulder shot, but lost it prior to finishing processing. In every other case, everything that they were able to notice exited far side. Where appropriate, I'll add his commentary for each picture as well.
This is the first cow shot, commentary always in quotes (2 pics):
"Went out and shot this cow at 235 yards on her shoulder as she was slightly walking away. Broke her spine where it goes low above her heart. Made a huge fist hole and I couldn't find a base or petal nothing but broken bones and devastation. Is this typical of what you folks have experienced?"
Another cow (1 pic):
"Base of neck/high shoulder 416 yds... I hit her spine and it left a monster hole. No base or petals!!"
This particular cow is the double shoulder shot cow (5 pics)
"First cow.... 291 yds shoulder shot broadside"
"Under the skin"
"Under the first section of meat"
"Paddle bone"
"Under the paddle bone"
"Inside under the ribs"
The animals shot thus far by the customer referenced above have been free range cattle that is part of a giving back effort he's doing for his community, very commendable; I take my hat off to him. That's a lot of grunt work processing and hauling those off the mountain. Below are some of the pictures I've received from him on the cattle taken. Most of the time, he's avoiding shots that encounter meat loss, so there are quite a few neck shots and at least one head shot. In most cases, the spine was hit on the neck shots. On one particular animal, he sent it through both shoulder bones broadside to get an understanding of the terminal performance in that scenario. I have layered pictures of that from entry into the center section. I don't have pictures all the way across, but he did verify that it was both shoulder bones and an exit. I know in that particular instance, it was hot, and they had three animals down, and trying desperately to get them processed quickly in the heat, so I'm glad I received any pictures at all.
He's shooting a 300 WSM with the 144gr Afterburner at a muzzle velocity of 3350 fps. From what I've observed from his 507 yard target dialing in for range, I'd guess around a .2 MOA setup, but that's just a visual observation on my part looking at two and three shot clusters as he walked his scope in. I have no idea where he settled in on his true BC yet, and he has the ability to true up out to 1200 yards and further.
Okay enough talk, here are some of the pictures I have of the terminal wounds. Every case, to include the shots not pictured below, resulted in a straight, massive, tubular hole with complete devastation, all with exits. He did find one petal, I think in the double shoulder shot, but lost it prior to finishing processing. In every other case, everything that they were able to notice exited far side. Where appropriate, I'll add his commentary for each picture as well.
This is the first cow shot, commentary always in quotes (2 pics):
"Went out and shot this cow at 235 yards on her shoulder as she was slightly walking away. Broke her spine where it goes low above her heart. Made a huge fist hole and I couldn't find a base or petal nothing but broken bones and devastation. Is this typical of what you folks have experienced?"
Another cow (1 pic):
"Base of neck/high shoulder 416 yds... I hit her spine and it left a monster hole. No base or petals!!"
This particular cow is the double shoulder shot cow (5 pics)
"First cow.... 291 yds shoulder shot broadside"
"Under the skin"
"Under the first section of meat"
"Paddle bone"
"Under the paddle bone"
"Inside under the ribs"
Fantastic post, and deserving of a more appreciative response than a desultory single word 'thanks' from the OP.So far, I've shot all three available weights of the .308" Apex Afterburners (135gr, 144gr, and 153gr), their 166gr target bullet, and the 161gr Haymaker. I've tried them in a 1:10" twist 300 RUM and 300 PRC, as well as a 1:7" twist 300 Savage and 1:7" twist 300 Blackout. A lot of these bullets were shot into 10% ballistic gel at different ranges, with different muzzle velocities, from different barrels, and with different crimps. I've shot significantly more of the 153gr bullets than the 135gr or 144gr, but they've all performed in a very similar way in the gel when the impact velocities are similar.
I've fired the majority of the 153gr Afterburners in the 300 RUM, which is an old Savage that's probably 20+ years old. That particular rifle has been one of the pickiest guns that's held a spot in my safe, and only shot the 200gr Swift A-frame sub MOA. The Afterburners have consistently shot well (sub MOA) with a variety of powders in that rifle. The 153gr Afterburner in the 300 PRC was happiest at about 3350 fps with H4350. I got up over 3400 fps with Superformance, but the accuracy wasn't as good as H4350.
The load I've settled on in the 300 RUM uses RL 26 with the 153gr Afterburner for a velocity of 3520 fps with 3 shot groups hanging just over .75 MOA. I've shot that same load as far as 900 yards and it held 1 MOA to that range. I used that load on a black bear here in WA at 523 yards. The bear was walking up a log on the other side of the valley, so the bullet entered between the shoulders just to the right of the spine and exited on the left side of the throat. The bullet destroyed the spine and the bear didn't even twitch. The shot placement was great for anchoring the bear, but not so much for testing a bullet. LOL Here's the thread with more details on the bear:
Black Bear With the 153gr Afterburner - 523 Yards
We were excited to get a quick text and some pictures in this morning from yorke-1 who took this bear late last night on the west coast with our 153gr Afterburner out of a 300 RUM. I'm sure he'll come in at some point and add a bit more color to the story, but between a late night with the bear...
Entrance
Exit
A friend of mine has a cattle ranch near by and I loaded some of the 153gr Afterburners for his 30-06 to try out on coyotes in his field. He's taken two so far. I belive the ranges were around 100-150 yards on both coyotes.
Entrance
Exit
Entrance
Exit
I haven't shot any animals with the 135gr or 144gr Afterburners yet but I would expect them to perform very similarly to the 153gr version. I have seen the 153gr penetrate slightly farther in gel than the lighter versions, which makes sense since the additional weight is all in the shank. I did shoot the 135gr Afterburner out of the 300 Blackout with good accuracy and the 144gr version in the 300 Savage. I was just testing them though and haven't spent any real time working on loads. I have a load with the 135gr Afterburner in the 300 RUM at more than 3800 fps that I need to shoot out to 500 yards or so, but I may try that during deer season.
I'm really anxious to get something with the 161gr Haymaker. This one is a pretty specialized bullet and was optimized for the 300 Blackout. I've tested this one out of a 16.25" 300 Blackout with a 1:7" twist and I saw full expansion and petal separation at less than 1000 fps impact velocities. I haven't seen that with any other bullet that I've personally tested. My standard load in the 300 Blackout with the 161gr Haymaker uses Ramshot Enforcer and I get 1925 fps. That's not a max load, but it is very accurate (under .75 MOA) and it's compressed about as much as I'd like.
The 161gr Haymaker was designed for the 300 Blackout, but I've shot it a 300 PRC, at just under 3000 fps as well as a 300 Savage at about 2450 fps. The Haymaker was just over .5 MOA in the 300 PRC, but I personally wouldn't use it on a deer at that velocity. The Haymakers are designed for lower velocity impacts and they behave almost like a ballistic tip when they impact over about 2400 fps in the testing I've done. It would make for some spectacular coyote kills though! I do however have the Haymakers loaded for a 20" 300 Savage that I've been using as my truck gun this year. I almost tagged a bear about a week ago (we get two bear tags a year in WA) with the 161gr Haymaker out of the 300 Savage, but I spotted some cubs with the bear when I got about 150 yards away from her. I've had a few close opportunities on coyotes, but I just haven't been fast enough. Porcupines are my go-to bullet traps around here, so I just need to find one to test the Haymakers out on game.
This thread has some of the bullet testing I've done over the years. There's an older thread as well around here somewhere. The results from the first prototypes of the 153 Apex are around page 4.
Bullet testing, again....
A few years ago I did some bullet testing, shooting about 85 different bullets into a bullet trap I made out of strips of apron leather soaked in water. The post is still here on LRH, but most of the pictures got removed because Photobucket changed their photo hosting policy and I just don't...
This thread has some good info on some of testing I did with the 161gr Haymaker.
Apex Outdoors New Bullet Launch - .308 161gr Haymaker
Hello, everyone! We're thrilled to launch our new Haymaker bullet line with the debut of our .308 161gr designed to maximize the performance of the 300 AAC Blackout in both rifle and pistol platforms. With a performance range spanning 1000 - 2400 fps, we have you covered in any and all hunting...
This thread is a good rundown from Apex about their company, what they offer, and probably a good starting point if you're looking into their bullets.
Apex Outdoors Bullets - A Brief Summary
Hello, everyone! For those that aren't aware of Apex Outdoors, we are a Swiss lathe-turned, bullet manufacturer, headquartered in Texas, who began launching products earlier this summer. I thought I'd put a brief summary of Apex Outdoors and our bullet lines in one condensed post for quick...
Hopefully @mcdil will chime in when he has time. I know there are additional animals taken with the Afterburners, but I'll leave that information for them to share.
I am particularly interested in the 300 Savage you have, can you provide more detail? I have a Savage 99F in 300 Savage, that I purchased in too poor of condition to merit restoring, but is functionally serviceable. I put on a Marbles tang sight, and have been considering using it as a truck gun as well. I need to slug the barrel and determine twist rate, but I intend to settle on a solid of some make that will maximize my MPBR. I have not found much data from people using solids in these older rifles. If you happen to also be shooting them in a 99, I'll have a leg up!
Thanks for sharing that, Mark. It all appears really transparent, which is hugely appreciated. Do you have a good estimate on his impact velocities? I'd assume they were still pretty high with that MV.
mcdil
Well-Known Member
Not sure what elevation these were shot at, so that plays a role in impact velocity for sure. The furthest one taken was at 513 yards with the same terminal result. I've radared the 144gr at a G7 of .234. Like I mentioned, I'm not sure what he's trued his BC to, but if we assume the radar number is correct, and say 2000' elevation, that over 500 yard shot was around 2400 fps or just a tad faster at impact. That's one of the advantages of the Afterburner is that it starts fast and stays fast comparatively speaking for its weight. Yes, it helps for the true, dedicated long range guys, especially when we get to our fast twist options, but they know how to handle both aero and hydro parameters correctly using different bullets, and understand those limits. It REALLY helps the more average range hunter that is trying to extend their 400-500 max thresholds, at least from the bullet's total performance point of view and what their current equipment and skills offer them.
Right. I knew of all the variables, that's why I was just looking for an estimate based on starting BC you've radared and also based on his approximate elevation and such. An estimate is good enough for me right now lol. It's just to give me an idea for exactly things you're talking about.
Doodle
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2016
- Messages
- 64
This is great stuff. I'd love to hear reports on the 6.5 & .277 bullets if anyone has experience with them (I realize the broader public probably has not gotten their hands on them, given that they are marked as "coming soon" on the website).
I'm shooting them in a 20" Encore barrel, but I've had a few 99s in 300 Savage over the years. I don't remember what the max OAL is in the 99's rotary mag, but it might be a tight fit with the Haymaker in the 300 Savage, but I'm pretty sure my OAL is still under 2.800". The Afterburners will fit without an issue.
Lots of the loads I've tried with the Apex bullets were based on published loads for similar weight Barnes bullets. I'm using H4895 with the 161 Haymaker and H335 with the Afterburners. I've kept the loads in the 300 Savage pretty mild, so I know you could run them hotter if you wanted. I use the 300 Savage as a tuck/backpack gun, so I don't need or want to try and run it hard.
I'm looking forward to those too, as well as the 338 version. I have a little CZ 527 with an 18" 6.5 Grendel barrel on there that's a good fit for a light weight mono. I also have a 30" 6.5x338 RUM improved to test them on the high end. For the .277, I have a pair of 270x338 RUM improved barrels to try the light .277 Afterburners in. That chambering isn't very well behaved with super light bullets though. But they'll be fun to try!
