Well, not real world hunting, but none the less, I like to try and find bullets and test how far they penetrate logs. I bought a box of the newer barnes vortex 400gn RN solids in 416 remington and decided to try and catch one.

I set up 4 gallon jugs of water behind a 14" freshly cut stump. I then placed another 6" dead log behind the water jugs just in case.

The bullet zipped through the 14" tree, split open all the water jugs, punched through the 6" log and buried itself about 5 inches down in the hard clay and dirt.

This is what I dug out of the ground.

Only slightly bent (unless the weave pattern is throwing my eye off.) Gonna use 300-grainers in my .375 Wby someday. Monometal RHINOs ready for the Rigby...

I thought it looked bent to the naked eye also but when I roll it on the table there's no wobble

I think the reflection is causing an optical illusion.

So how did this compare with the older Barnes banded solids with a metplat?

quote:

Originally posted by gohip2000:

The bullet zipped through the 14" tree, split open all the water jugs, punched through the 6" log and buried itself about 5 inches down in the hard clay and dirt.

Holy!

If you had set the waterjugs in front of the tree, that long round-nose, brass solid might have been turning sideways by the time it hit the tree.
The wood as initial impact medium (non-cavitating) kept the bullet going straight by side pressure on the tail whenever it tried to get out of line.

Hitting the water jug at initial impact, top speed would have offered much more resistance than wood of any kind, live or dead.

Wood (first order medium/linear or constant resistance proportionality to velocity) produces less resistance than water at high velocity.
Water (second order medium/exponential resistance proportionality to velocity) produces less resistance than wood at low velocity.

Cavitation in the water (like in aqueous tissue) will allow the non-shoulder-stabilized RN solid to yaw whereas an FN solid (shoulder-stabilized) will stay straight on course.

A much tougher test of the bullet would be to set the water jug(s) in front of the tree. The bullet might go squirrely before making it to the tree.

And, just one water jug for initial impact will take a lot of speed off of the bullet, assuming it does not yaw in that first jug.

Your test medium is definitely set up to help an RN solid look good.

The RN solid penetrates wood better than an FN at whatever speed if both are staying straight and on course. But the FN does more damage along the way.

Alas, the only thing to reccomend an RN solid is that they are easier to get to feed well than FN solids.
BUT, FEEDING IS A BIG CONSIDERATION ...

Molon labe!

I haven't gotten to test the FN solid so not sure, but I bet it does better in a liquid.

RIP,
I'm sure your right on that. my goal with this one was to actually recover a bullet. If I put the water in front of the tree, i might never have recovered it as it would be stuck in the wood. plus I I wouldn't have had any water to slow it down after the tree and it would have gone way into the ground and possibly hit a rock and deformed it. I wanted one pretty bullet to show. I did notice that all the water jugs had a perfectly symmetrical hole in and out as well as the log behind the water bottles. The true test would be to have so many jugs that one would catch the bullet and then see if it keyholes at all.

I did try one more stump the length of my arm today just to see if it would go through and yes it did.

It's just fun to see what it will go through

gohip 2000, I agree. these kinds of test/experments provide a lot of enjoyment and information. I am experimenting with a 577 in the same way.

Have you tried NorthFork or Cutting Edge bullets. They are designed to really penetrate in a straight line and cut an effective wound channel. Brian

I think the new Woodleigh solid is the best yet, but most any solid will work on buffalo and hippo..Elephant is the solid killer..North fork FN will deform on the nose somewhat, but work fine on buffalo, GS Customs work great on buffalo and never used one on elephant...hard to recover either on buffalo except on that going away second shot if you get lucky...I do think its wise to slow down a bullet if you want max penetration, even with a solid.

The best solid I ever used was the Bridger flat nose solid, it was impossible to change its shape, but its no longer available as he had cancer and probably passed on by now..I lost his contact numbers and have not heard a thing from him in years, He was or is a great guy, hope he got lucky...I still have a couple of hundred of his fine solids..