450Bushmaster.net

Just a disclaimer before you view this post, there are some "internal wound ballistics" photos showing what the Hornady load did to some hogs this weekend.

This was my 1st outing with the 450 bushmaster, I'll have to say I'm pretty pleased with the performance. I do have a few issues I'd like everyone to chime in on though. The 1st is bullet performance, I know the Hornady load isn't bonded, and the hogs hit with it didn't know the difference, but should I be looking for something that holds together a bit better in the future?

The 2 recovered bullets were extracted from the big hog. One was in the flank (shot on the run) after we spooked it out of a hole, the other was behind the shoulder. We recovered the jacket from the flank shot as it didn't hit any large bone. The bullet from the shoulder shot broke 6 ribs and shattered the spine at the neck where it stopped. Shot was about 45 yds, DRT. Jacket fragment material was scattered everywhere.

The picture that is labeled small hog entrance, the bullet entered behind the shoulder and traveled the length of the hog exiting in from of the ham. Again, DRT.

Seems to me, that this load expands a bit too fast, I may be concerned with shot placement when encountering larger hogs, but I can't argue at the moment.

Great post mortem shots. Your bullet performance is consistent with the results I got shooting into sequential milk jugs full of water using the 200 FTX, 225 FTX and 250 FTX. If you slow them down, they don't over expand as much. Problem is, seems like everyone is obsessed with "mo velocity mo velocity!" While I can't speak from experience, I believe there are jacketed .452 bullets out there that hold together better and at higher velocities to boot. I just haven't used them as my work is tailored towards brush hunting for whitetails. Since the velocity falls off so quickly with the FTX bullets, those lower velocities occur out at 100 yards and beyond. The terminal performance you encountered when you put that second round in the boiler room is great, as you attest, despite the separation. What you may yet find is the pieces of copper petal that broke off and caused collateral tissue damage, so be careful eating that baby. Those copper shards are sharp.


Hoot

NICE! If you reload -- there are Barnes 275's and Nosler HG Partitions in 260 and 300 grain.

The muzzleloader guys state from time to time that the Hornady 250's open quickly and sometimes do not exit. They say there is love hate relationship. Frankly for deer I want a bullet like the 250 Hornady -- as Hoot says.

So, then, perhaps there is something to what Wildcatter was suggesting ( the flat nose projectile ) ?

Bill

First thing, Nice kills!! I have shot near double digit critters with this gun and I have retrieved shrapnel like you showed when I hit the shoulderblade of one of my whitetails. It was a surprising amount of shrapnel. The others passed through w/o evidence of separation, but also didn't hit any bone. They should be built a little better, and I think that was why everyone was so excited about the core-lokt that never showed up. Maybe Hornady will start bonding these things, as there has been absolutely no problem with expansion. Everything I have shot (hog, deer) has dropped in its tracks.... I can't complain about that. Billy, W/C is definitely on to this as I have talked to him about my bone hitting experience, and his flat nose projectile theory is dead on, EXCEPT... 3 states I know have expanding bullet requirements, GA being one of them. I would suggest a compromise such as the dangerous game bullet that barely expands so that it meets all of the above, or a bonded, slightly less expanding version of what we have now.

bushmeister wrote: Billy, W/C is definitely on to this as I have talked to him about my bone hitting experience, and his flat nose projectile theory is dead on, EXCEPT... 3 states I know have expanding bullet requirements, GA being one of them. I would suggest a compromise such as the dangerous game bullet that barely expands so that it meets all of the above, or a bonded, slightly less expanding version of what we have now.

Good to know, but now I have to wonder what our laws here in Kalifornia say?

I'm going to give the Barnes 275 grain all copper bullets a try. Barnes bullets get good reviews for holding together. BTW, nice going first time out with your 450!


Barnes 275 by Shadow Dog, on Flickr

Nice pics! Good shootin'! I wondered about hogs and the FTX.
(Those pics wouldn't happen to be from a place north of Houston?? Looks familiar...)

W.O.C. - I've considered loading some of the barnes XPBs. I'd be interested to see what your results are.

Naah, this was in central La. Guess it's time to get back in to reloading...

Billy, You just can hunt here with a fully jacketed bullet, Some have gone as far as drilling a tiny hole in FMJ bullets and tapping in a #7 lead shot into it. From experience the warden just wants to see it's A) a soft point or B) hollow point. I use the Hornady GMX bullet for my 06 loads when hunting in the A zone, It is a expanding bullet by design, The only thing I would see where you might have a issue is using a completely solid non-lead bullet, It would "LOOK" like a fully jacket bullet.