I bagged a nice trophy roebuck a few weeks ago with my new Tikka 6.5x55. I was using 140g 6.5x55 RWS twin core factory ammunition - as it was all I could find in 140g here in Latvia. The buck dropped on the spot at my 150m shot. The buck was standing front on to me, and on inspection the bullet struck high in the front of the chest, not a drop of blood on entry, and no exit wound (!). Later found the bullet had travelled through the vitals, the guts, and what was left of it was found against the skin in the groin.

Now the RWS web page blurb says the following on its twin core projectiles:

"The twin-core projectile consists of two lead cores with different hardness and a Tombak jacket. The harder tail core has an additional tough Tombak jacket separating it from the softer tip core. The core weight ratio is 50:50. A tail groove at the rear end of the projectile reliably bonds the tail core with the external jacket. (didnt reliably bond in my case!)

A second groove in the front section forms the sharp rim and is also the specific breaking point for the front jacket of the projectile. This is an important point for the tearing away of the otherwise obstructive projectile flares. This design ensures a straight shot channel for the important exit hole."

THE SPECIAL QUALITIES AT A GLANCE:
blah, blah, including.....
"Secure exit hole guarantees sufficient traces of blood"

I would have thought that a 6.5x55 140g should exit a wee roe every time! No matter what RWS says, all I found against the inner skin was 2 small pieces: the empty rear - with no core or other material inside, and a slither of the front part, with one small petal left. The weight would have been about 10% of the original projectile. The rest disintegrated along the way. The Nosler ballistic tip doesnt fall apart as much as this!

Now the RWS product is supposably top-notch, and is priced to match - but if it cant even penetrate a roe, how can I trust it to use on boar and red deer - where a blood trail is highly desirable, if it doesnt happen to drop on the spot? I know somebody will chime in and ask "at what point in the deer's death did the projectile fail?" - but I want reliable penetration from my legendary penetrating 6.5x55!

Any body else had experience with this RWS "twin core" projectile and its penetrating qualities?

Latman

Hi Latman

Sounds like the Dopplekerne did what its meant to which is kill the buck quickly and cleanly. I have used them on roe and fallow deer with excellent results. You need to remember that this bullet has travelled the length of the beast not the width and is travelling through a lot of soft tissue which causes rapid expansion . I have shot an impala with a 300 gn woodleighSP in 375 H+H and that did much the same but that should pass through a cape buffalo broadside.


The woodleigh has the jacket bonded to the core I dont think the DK is bonded so you can get seperation if it has to travel a long way through a fluid medium.

I guess a roe deer is about three times longer than it is wide, would you be disappointed if you shot three roe deer broadside with one bullet, I think not.

Regards

Mark

Latman & Mark,

The RWS Dodppelkerne or Twin Core has this reputation. They are those who love it and those who have had more experience with it.

As described the frangible front should; like the Nosler, give way & disinigrate leaving the core to follow through - on occasion it dosen't deliver what the brochure claims.

Sorry, based on experience, I don't use them, nor would I reccomend them. In my experience they are made for standing broadside shots only and deliver less than satisfaory results when the gane field presents shots otherwise.