I have been trying to call Andy at Hawk bullets for a week to get some .065 jacketed bullets for Michael to test. All I can get is an answering machine. I leave messages but no one ever returns the calls. Anyone heard anything?

Michael, just got off the phone with Andy. He was out having knee surgery but is back now.

I have a box of 400 grain .416 bullets with the .065 jacket on the way. He is also sending some 400 grain .458 .065 jacket bullets as well. Andy suggested we shoot them side-by-side at about the same velocity for the test so the only difference is sectional density so see how they do. I'm thinking we should launch them at about 2300-2350 into the test medium at 45 yards or so. That would be a pretty good hunting simulation don't you think?

Dave

Ok that's excellent! Damn, knee surgery can't be much fun!

Dave, I can do that any way you want me to. What you suggest sounds just fine and I don't think any problem at all! Did he say why shoot a 458 and 416 side by side??? I suppose to see the difference in penetration side by side, but we will see that anyway shooting X2 and then X2 each? Curious, that's all, if he maybe had another reason?

Glad you got in touch with him, I know it was beginning to concern you!

Should be a very good test, that .065 jacket should hold them together much better than the .025 and .035 I have tested! We will see! Send a couple extras if you have them and we will take the velocity down to 2000-2100 fps too!

For instance, I love that Woodleigh 400 gr 458 bullet. But it is very soft, it will flatten like pancakes above 2200 fps. Slow it down to 2000-2100 fps and it's a hammer, penetrates better the works. I was going to use that on some really close range bear in Russia last year and gave it a big workout at 2100 fps and it gained a few inches over 2200! Held together better too! That bullet transfers a tremendous amount of trauma to. The Hawk with it's expansion does the same thing, except the trick is to get it to hold together better, .065 jacket, maybe so!

Michael

Michael:

I think I misspoke. I think Andy just meant for us to test them both and see what the penetration was for each. I don't know if you know him or not but he is a really nice guy.

I ordered 50 of the .416 bullets. Will ten be enough for the test? Wayne Jacobsen should have my .416 Rigby back to me in a couple of weeks and I can shoot the rest in that gun or in my .500/.416. I told Andy about your test and he just threw the .458 bullets in for free so we could test them. I would rather have had the 500 grain .458 .065 jacket bullets but he didn't have any on hand. However, the 400 grain .458 bullets might be a better choice for one of your cartridges. I don't know how many he had laying around but I will send you what I get.

I have to say that I am really looking forward to your test. Andy's "dead soft" concept really has my interest.

Dave

Some years ago I had a different attitude towards bullet performance. If a particular bullet behaved a particular way that I did not care for, I considered it a failure, condemned it and moved on to something else that suited me better. Today, I have a different attitude, possibly a bit more forgiving, or possibly I think I am a little more mature because I can find a use for nearly every bullet out there, and find a good velocity for it to work it's best. Of course there are some bullets that can't make the grade, but one must expand ones horizons to many possibilities, and opportunities and know how to utilize them at their best! This Hawk may very well be such as that. That's why I would like to test them at some different velocities, find where they work their best, then one can know what they can be utilized for!

I think 10 will do us fine. We can start there, if we run into some strange things we can regroup. It has been several years since I spoke to Andy, he is a nice chap and willing to take a lot of time with you with his bullets. You have my address, just send a little package when you get them, and we will go to work!

M

Sounds great!