Checking bullet expansion

[Baroque Brass]

I have handloads for my 6.5 Creed (working on the requisite man bun but my hair is thin and short) with hornady 120 grain ELD match bullets. I plan to deer hunt with them but I’m curious about expansion. I was thinking I’d fill two milk jugs with water and place one behind the other to capture the bullet to check expansion. Will two jugs stop it? Y’all got a better method? Velocity is about 2300 ft/ second.

 

[The Original Rooster]

We used wet cardboard boxes packed full of wet newspaper to stop handgun rounds. It worked really well and was reusable with more packed in wet newspaper.

 

[bullethead]

I have handloads for my 6.5 Creed (working on the requisite man bun but my hair is thin and short) with hornady 120 grain ELD match bullets. I plan to deer hunt with them but I’m curious about expansion. I was thinking I’d fill two milk jugs with water and place one behind the other to capture the bullet to check expansion. Will two jugs stop it? Y’all got a better method? Velocity is about 2300 ft/ second.

Water jugs will definitely show whether they expand, break up, or not.
Just curious, why only 2300fps?

 

[Railroader]

I think you'll need at least four jugs...

 

[bullethead]

If possible shoot the jugs at or near the distances that you expect to shoot deer or hogs at. It will give a better indication of what to expect from the bullet.

 

[Baroque Brass]

Water jugs will definitely show whether they expand, break up, or not.
Just curious, why only 2300fps?

That’s why I don’t rely on memory for important stuff. 36 grains of Varget yields a muzzle velocity of 2668 FPS. Not a huge difference but some.

 

[SC Hunter]

2 jugs won't stop it. You'll need at least 4 or 5 I'd think.

 

[bullethead]

That’s why I don’t rely on memory for important stuff. 36 grains of Varget yields a muzzle velocity of 2668 FPS. Not a huge difference but some.

300fps is a world of difference.
Please post your results with whatever you test them in.

 

[killerv]

why so slow? Curious what powder also? Even reduced recoil loads arent that slow. Even if using H4895 which is popular for reduced loads and recommended, that is way slow.

 

[Long Cut]

Hunting bullet choice for the 6.5 CM (or any .264 cal) I’d be looking at the ELDX & ELDM’s and Sierra 130gr TMK’s.

The Rokslide forum members post a ton of their kills using the above 3 bullets in 6.5’s on Deer, Elk, Hog, Antelope, Bear, Mule Deer etc... Ranges from 50 yards to 600+ and the above 3 seem to consistently outperform everything else.

Now velocity wise, you want to be 2600-2800 at the muzzle for better expansion and cavitation on tissue. Not sure your barrel length or powder selection/charge, but I’d do a little ladder testing and find a hotter node if it were me personally.

Hope this helps.

 

[Baroque Brass]

As I said in post#8, 36 grains of Varget, MV 2668 FPS.

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

I was not impressed with the eldm in the creedmoor, eld x was much better in my opinion. My wife's load this year will be 129gr Barnes lrx, if you really want to check expansion I'd buy a ham that's going out of date instead of using water jugs.

 

[furtaker]

Rick Jamison and some of the old gun writers back in the day used to use wet newspapers.

 

[rosewood]

Isn't the ELDM for target and the ELDX for hunting? Same bullet but with different expansion properties. Much like the old AMax vs the SST??

I would lean to the the one designed for hunting.

Rosewood

 

[Baroque Brass]

Isn't the ELDM for target and the ELDX for hunting? Same bullet but with different expansion properties. Much like the old AMax vs the SST??

I would lean to the the one designed for hunting.

Rosewood

It’s my understanding that the ELD match is the new and improved A max. I’d definitely lean towards the one designed for hunting. I almost bought a box of factory loads the other day but at $39 and I have stuff to make my own, I changed my mind.

 

[Baroque Brass]

300fps is a world of difference.
Please post your results with whatever you test them in.

You’re right, about 500 ft lbs of energy difference. More than I realized.

 

[rosewood]

2600FPS seems kind of slow for a 120 grain. I am getting that with a 140. Seems like the loads I played with in the 120 weight class were hitting over 2800.

Of course, accuracy and expansion is more important than speed.

Rosewood

 

[tcward]

I know people use the match bullet to hunt with, but to me there are better choices. Each to their own and if you have had success with them…kudos.

 

[bullethead]

2600FPS seems kind of slow for a 120 grain. I am getting that with a 140. Seems like the loads I played with in the 120 weight class were hitting over 2800.

Of course, accuracy and expansion is more important than speed.

Rosewood

I agree that the 140ish bullets are easily driven to 2700+fps.
But, that 120gr at 2600 is much better than 2300!!!

 

[BriarPatch99]

That bullet could be driven to 2900 fps easy... not sure why 2300 fps is "good"... but different folks have different opinions than do I.....

It would be best to use four jugs to catch that bullet...