Truc
Well-Known Member
I have been sighting in a few rifles and wanted to see what the terminal impact was like for a bear hunt I have coming up in less than two weeks.
My first test was with a 338/06 shooting a 210 Sirocco bonded bullet, after finding a load, I had some watermelons that had not really ripen and had no other form of test media so it split the watermelon in about 4 pieces.
I had the same results with a 150 Hornady Interbond from a 300 SAUM, maybe half was trash but still a good size piece left.
I then shot another watermelon with my 7SAUM and the 180 Berger traveling about 2750fps and it turned the watermelon into vapor w/ the biggest piece I could find was about 1" up to 40' away. Had the same results with a 168 Berger out of a 7 Rem Mag.
Now here is what I did not expect. I shot another one with a 350 Rem Mag and a 200 Barnes TSX around 2800fps, It had the same results as the Berger tiny pieces out to about 40 ft.
So what did I learn? well pretty much anything will kill a watermelon.
My wife will be using the 350 mag and I'll be using the 338/06 as we will be hunting thick timber so shots will be under 100 yds
I almost forgot my new 280 Rem, since a few people here think the 280 isn't up to it, I shot this watermelon at only 50yds vs the 100yds with the others. I shot it using the 140 Nosler Partition and it blew pieces out but did not completely vaporize like the Bergers, it was more like a mix between the two, being the bonded and the Bergers.
My first test was with a 338/06 shooting a 210 Sirocco bonded bullet, after finding a load, I had some watermelons that had not really ripen and had no other form of test media so it split the watermelon in about 4 pieces.
I had the same results with a 150 Hornady Interbond from a 300 SAUM, maybe half was trash but still a good size piece left.
I then shot another watermelon with my 7SAUM and the 180 Berger traveling about 2750fps and it turned the watermelon into vapor w/ the biggest piece I could find was about 1" up to 40' away. Had the same results with a 168 Berger out of a 7 Rem Mag.
Now here is what I did not expect. I shot another one with a 350 Rem Mag and a 200 Barnes TSX around 2800fps, It had the same results as the Berger tiny pieces out to about 40 ft.
So what did I learn? well pretty much anything will kill a watermelon.
My wife will be using the 350 mag and I'll be using the 338/06 as we will be hunting thick timber so shots will be under 100 yds
I almost forgot my new 280 Rem, since a few people here think the 280 isn't up to it, I shot this watermelon at only 50yds vs the 100yds with the others. I shot it using the 140 Nosler Partition and it blew pieces out but did not completely vaporize like the Bergers, it was more like a mix between the two, being the bonded and the Bergers.
