Nosler ballistic tip 'hunting' bullets and 243 and tip separation

[tailbon3]

My daughter and I are trying to work up a hunting load for her savage axis 243 youth model.
She is a beginning shooter so I started her off with some reduced loads with H4895 and 95 grain Hornady interlocks. Those shot fine and didn't kick enough to cause flinching. Then we shot some 58 grain V-max's with a normal load of Varget. Those made a slightly louder bang and slightly more kick and they shot just fine at 100 yards. Then I started with 'real' hunting loads.
40.0 grains Hybrid 100v and 95 grain Nosler ballistic tip 'hunting' bullets. (they are marked as hunting bullets on the box)

Strange things happened at this point. The first shot when 3" left and 1/2" under the center of the target. Not bad at all for novice shooter and a new firearm.
The second shot did not hit the target.
The third shot concerned me enough that we stopped shooting. The purple ballistic tip hit the target about 3" right of center and it lodged in the foam poster board we used as a backing to the targets. The rest of the bullet was no where to be found. I checked the barrel and it is not lodged there. It did not hit anywhere that we could find on the 3' by 4' piece of plywood the targets were attached to.
I inspected the cases for pressure signs but did not notice any.

I wonder if bullets destabilized due to the shorter barrel (20") combined with a long/heavy-for-caliber-bullet.?. How might I know if that were the case?

Any thoughts/ideas you guys have on the subject would be appreciated.

P.S. In retrospect, I realize I should have checked the barrel after the first missed shot.

 

[FearNoWind]

What's the twist in that barrel?

 

[SA1000]

I've been shooting them in my 6mm-284 with 1in 10 twist and they're holding together at my velocity.And kill whitetails great out to 500 yards.

 

[tailbon3]

The barrel rate of twist is listed as 9.25

 

[FearNoWind]

The barrel rate of twist is listed as 9.25

I was considering jacket separation due to a high rate of twist barrel but I wouldn't expect a 9.25 to create that sort of problem.
Clearly it's jacket separation. What's causing it is the mystery.

 

[ShootnMathews]

I've been using the 95 grain ballistic tips in my 243 for years. 1:10 twist. I'm shooting 35.1 grains of Varget into about a .4" average group at 100 and about 2" at 500. I have never had a fail like that and my load is pretty hot. It does sound like jacket separation but I do not know the cause either. If the crown is in good shape it could just be a bad lot.

 

[upacreek]

I think its quite amazing the tip hit the target. Such an odd shape with no real weight. Must have happened close to the target. What condition was it in? Damaged? Prestine?

 

[tailbon3]

It was a fresh box of bullets purchased in the last month. I loaded them up roughly a week before we shot them. Visually, they looked great.
The rifle is a brand new savage youth model - 20" barrel - 9.25 twist. The crown looks brand new.
I'm tempted to shoot a few more, perhaps at 50 yards and look for any sign of bullet instability on the target.

Maybe this is the excuse I need to finally buy a chronograph

 

[SA1000]

You could try them in a different 243 if you have one.Unless you've got them loaded for that gun only as far as lenght and everything.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

I'm tempted to shoot a few more, perhaps at 50 yards and look for any sign of bullet instability on the target.

Clean the barrel and then do this, im curious.
Although i highly doubt its a stability issue.