Nosler Expansion -Tip Bullet – All Gilding Copper – Kills Fast – Fragment Resistant

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Ed Hale

I have been a fan of Nosler Rifle Products for Hunters from the get-go. In particular the Nosler E-Tip (Expansion Tip) bullet I write about time and time again. It is not like the pure copper bullets that can smear copper in some barrels. The E-Tip is solid gilding copper like a harder copper alloy bullet jacket. It has a hollow cavity that expands (controlled Expansion) like the petals of a banana into a perfect mushroom below. I know the words E-Tip aren’t glamorous like “Hammer” or such but in fact you can say that it is like a hammer that gets created upon touching skin and tissue. It plows through the toughest tissue and bone and stays together. It creates large wound channels for vital blood to flow rapidly and kills quickly for fast recovery of downed game. I have seen it.

If you are like me, I like to eat all of my wild game, not cut hunks of meat that are likely fragmented with bullet pieces from my big game meat. If you haven’t used the E-Tip you are missing something big. Nosler sells them loaded up in your caliber or as heads to reload.

Give them a try you will be glad you did!

New BELLM Trigger for TC Pro Hunter -update

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Ed Hale

UPDATE : I had trouble installing the new spring for the trigger so I am sending the frame to BELLM to do the work.

As most of you know, I tested the TC Pro Hunter 50 cal. Muzzleloader/30-06 Springfield Rifle Combo this summer and fall…and I bought it! The cheek rest and ammo pouch is an add on of mine.

I love the combination as I can now buy barrels for shotgun and other calibers for it. The only thing that can be significantly improved upon is the trigger. So I ordered the G2 kit below from the new website. http://1gunshop.com/catalog/?ret_id=1485279

I want the trigger pull in the 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pound range so Kurt from the 1gunshop set me up for it. The kit should be here soon so I can install and test it before my Russian Boar Hunt.

In addition I will test the trigger with Nosler’s 30-06 Springfield 168 grain E-Tip that Zach Waterman of Nosler is sending me.

along with Leupold’s VX-6 zoom scope. It has a lighted crosshair too…

Good Hunting!

Nosler E-Tip and AccuBond Bullet – Best in Class! by Ed Hale

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Ed Hale

We all enjoy eating our wild game don’t we! I have shot Nosler E-Tips in my game and into media (fir planks) and find that the bullet flairs into petals for the E-Tip and stays together. It is a gilding copper bullet that will leave less copper in your barrel rifling than other bullet manufacturers.

In a deer hunt in 2015, I killed a spike buck at 300 yards with my test gun, a Savage 11/111 in 7mm Remington Magnum’Leupold VX-6 combo, loaded with 140grain Nosler E-Tips. Below is the exit wound.

I shot once a bit high and got full penetration, the deer fell like lighting but stood up moments later. The second shot was 4 inches lower through the lower ribs and shoulder and exited. The deer fell in its tracks for good! No trace of either bullet was found and I liked the fact that there was no chance of lead fragmentation from a bone strike that I have seen in my non bonded cheaper bullets of other manufacture. In bone strikes of early deer kills, I had to cut a large chunk of meat around the bullet path as lead and copper fragments were seen.

AccuBond Bullets are designed where the lead is bonded to the copper and stays together BIGLY, while other bullets come apart. The AccuBond keeps the lead together much more so, thus I believe it is also best in Class.

The AccuBond has been produced as an “all range” bullet, for near and far. Below is a 800 lb Bison I took with a 260 grain AccuBond with my Ruger M77 African Rifle and VX-3 Leupold Scope at 100 yards quartering away. The bullet entered the last rib and angled forward through the heart and lungs and exited after busting the opposite shoulder. The buffalo dropped in its tracks! No fragments found around the bullet path or wound site.

Another AccuBond Kill was a nice Moose with the same rifle and load.

For those who are shooting beyond 500 yards there is the Long Range AccuBond which has one of the highest Ballistic Coefficients for its bonded design as a hunting bullet. See the video below.

I have not had an opportunity to shoot this LRAB as I have no immediate need to hunt that long a range at this time, but if I do, you know I will use this bullet.

In closing, I have had more meat, and less fragment damage with the E-Tip and AccuBond than any hunting bullet EVER!.

UPDATE – My good friend Zach Waterman at Nosler is sending me Nosler gilding copper E-Tips to use on my upcoming Russian Boar Hunt so we can again see how a shoulder hit on a big game animal can still be accomplished with little or no fragmentation and no lead in the meat.

Good Hunting!

New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine winning Ruger, Hornady and Leupold Combination by Ed Hale

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Ed Hale

New Hampshire Rifleman’s winning combination is the Ruger American – Predator Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor winning Hornady bullet and winning Leupold VX-6 3-18x 44mm CDS scope.

The Rifle

The rifle that won my value driven pocket book is the Ruger American for under $400 dollars yet shoot sub-Minute of Angle at 100 yards as my Test Rifle. Not long ago it took a few thousand dollars to shoot groups like that. Adjustable Trigger, floating barrel and so much more that you have to read the spec sheet below. http://ruger.com/products/americanRiflePredator/specSheets/6973.html

In particular I have tested two of the rifles, one in 243 Winchester and the other in 6.5mm Creedmoor in the Predator series. Both shot sub MOA out of the box and both were in the $400 price range. Exceptional performance from these rifles was uncanny. I bought them both but later sold the .243 as recoil was similar to the 6.5 Creedmoor and it delivered more energy punch hands down. Wow! Accuracy? We got it!

The Cartridge

The 6.5 Creedmoor Cartridge is just slightly smaller than the .308 Winchester yet with a 143 grain bullet at 1000 yards it beats the long standing military champ .308 or 7.62 NATO in both trajectory and wind deflection. As a first time 1000 yard shooter, I was able to break 8 inch balloons at 1000 yards. If you couple that with an Extremely Low Drag Bullet you have a fabulous combo for Target, as that was the original intent of the cartridge, but what about Hunting? The 6.5mm Creedmoor can handle a wider array of big game bullet weights than the 6mm/243 Winchester. I suspect the 6.5 will in time overshadow the 6mm at least as a big game hunting round as it delivers a bullet in the .270 Winchester class with the mild recoil of a 6mm. Of course bullet velocities are a bit slower. The .270 Winchester is still a faster bullet as is the 7mm Remington Magnum but at a higher cost of recoil as well.

The Bullet

Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X™ in 143 grain with new Heat Shield™ Tips Patent Pending with AMP® Advanced Manufacturing Process. Mushroom design as low as 1800 fps and stays together out of the barrel. ACCURATE-DEADLY-DEPENDABLE

In testing by Hornady, the Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X™ Extremely Low Drag Bullet has a very impressive G1 Ballistic Coefficient of .625/ G7 BC .315 for hunting at any distance within the delivered Energy Envelope for the game hunted such as 1000 ft-lb for deer 1500 ft-lb for Elk size game. Click the video below.

The Target

The Scope

Leupold VX-6 3-18x44mm Side Focus CDS see the VX-6 video below

https://youtu.be/t9ocquk0m7Y

The most expensive item was the scope. The VX-6 is unparalleled in quality and zoom and has dual erector springs that are vital in a far off hunt. This scope raises the bar in optical quality. You can spend more, but you will likely not get more dollar for dollar. It is a scope for all time, near or far it is my best scope to date. It’s versatility, reliability was nearly unimaginable just a few years back. Retail $850 to $1430 and worth every penny. Leupold Scopes are All American Made!

A perfect 10 combination for a big game hunter for deer, elk and African Plains game with low recoil. And my grandkids can shoot it!

Put a Ruger American-Predator Rifle Combo under your Christmas tree!

Good Hunting!

Why the 6.5 Creedmoor Cartridge for Big Deer, Elk and Kudu Hunting? By Ed Hale -Weatherby Update

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Ed Hale

I have tested 3 rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor, the Ruger M77 Hawkeye Predator which I wrote about in 2015, Savage Model 12 LRP (Long Range Precision) Rifle, and the Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor both I joyfully tested this year. The Creedmoor was created for long range target shooting and is a supreme newly designed cartridge just a bit smaller than the .308 Winchester Case. It shoots fast, hits hard and recoils little, and is accurate as all get-out in the right rifle. Perhaps you read an article I wrote in 2015 on it.

All three test rifles were fantastically accurate, shooting sub-MOA and packing a wallop to boot! On the target range I busted 8 inch balloons at 1000 yards with this cartridge shooting the new 143 grain Hornady Precision Hunter ELD -X(Extremely Low Drag) 143 in the Savage M12 LRP. With a high ballistic coefficient such as the G1 .625 Hornady bullet it comes out of the barrel at a modest 2700 fps.

But more than that, it is a dynamite hunting cartridge with the right weight bullet like the 143 grain because it has very high Sectional Density (SD) where bullet weight vs diameter, a key factor in penetration of vital organs. The SD of the Hornady bullet is .293, hold that thought. Calculations of killing energy for Elk and Kudu are 1500 ft-lbs and can cleanly kill out to 350 yards where the bullet is still traveling at 2200 fps yet not punish the hunter in recoil

I purchased the Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor which shoots sub-MOA for hunting. At 6.6 lbs with 4 round capacity and Moss Green it is a shooter that is easy to carry.

My grandkids can kill deer with it too someday. Ok, now the Sectional Density is .293 which allows more mass to penetrate in a smaller diameter than some other bullets.

It was Winchester that invented a way to classify bullets based on Sectional Density for the taking of various game animals; and call it Controlled eXpansion Performance or CXP and where game animals were broken up into 4 categories CXP1 thru CXP4. CXP1 for game less than 50 lbs., CXP2 for game 51 to 300 pounds, CXP3 for game animals 301 lbs. to 1000 lbs. and finally CXP4 for animals over 1000 to 12000 pounds such as Cape Buffalo up to Elephant.

The 6.5 143 grain bullet meets the CXP3 criteria for game up to 1000 pounds provided it delivers the energy for a clean kill. For Moose it is recommended to be 2500 ft-lbs. The 6.5 Creedmoor can’t develop the recommended 2500 pounds of energy to kill Moose but many hunters use the .270 and .308 and 30-06 delivering energies less than recommended yet kill due to excellent shot placement and meet the CXP3 criteria of having at least an SD of 0.260 for deep penetration. You recall that the SD for the 6.5 Hornady is .293 and way up there in CXP criteria. Just .007 from hitting the CXP4 bandwagon.

I love my Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor as a hunters rifle, not flashy, love the color, handles like dream, adjustable trigger, shoots hard and kicks soft and really cost effective. I make mine bark with a Leupold VX scope on it.

For more on Sectional Density go to http://www.chuckhawks.com/sd.htm and on CXP info go to http://www.chuckhawks.com/cxp.htm

For the Ruger American Predator rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor go to http://ruger.com/products/americanRiflePredator/models.html

2018 Update:

At New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine we are continuing to test the Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard in 6.5 Creedmoor and sports a handsome Monte Carlo stock with a higher cheek rest, 22 inch barrel, a 2 stage trigger, Weatherguard barrel coating and shoot sub moa groups. (retail $585.00) And has one of the best actions in the world. This is a hunters rifle and able to withstand the rigors of rain and snow yet need little attention to exterior rust.

We now prefer the Weatherby for its very low cost and very high quality and weather resistance.

TC Encore Pro-Hunter Rifle 30-06 Powder Tests w/ Nosler Partition

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Ed Hale

As I mentioned in an earlier test on the TC Encore Pro-Hunter Rifle, the first rifle bench-rest test produced a one inch group with H4350 Powder and Sierra 150 grain bullets making a fine group. But I believed that this barrel could shoot sub-Minute of Angle (MOA) so I hand-loaded them as an experimental test.

Today I tested Nosler 165 grain Partitions with three powders, and the following three shot groups were recorded at 100 yards. I chose Nosler Partitions in part because I had access to them as a supreme hunting bullet. http://www.nosler.com/partition-bullet/

Powder Type Powder Wt Bullet 3 Shot Group

IMR 4350 56 grains 165g Partition 1.0″

H4350 57 grains 165g Partition 3/4″

W760 52 grains 165 Partition 1 3/4″

As you can see the hand-loaded H4350 (upper left) seems to shoot the best with this bullet and powder level. Each square is one inch. Both of the 4350 powders are listed as great powders by Nosler Manual #6. I was searching for a load that really puts this TC barrel at its best and I believe that the H4350 reveals the winning group. The bullets are nearly touching!

W760 powder was on the can do list but did not maximize bullet speed but was best rated at 52g powder. The bullets were much slower than the IMR4350 and the H4350 and grouped poorly at 1 3/4 inch but acceptable for hunting if one had to use that powder.

We owe it to the game we hunt to shoot accurately and ethically for a quick humane kill and to enjoy such fine venison as table fare by your own hand.

Shoot well, Shoot often!

Hunting Bullets and Target Bullets… Is There a Middle Ground?

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Ed Hale

The difference between a hunting bullet and a target bullet, in the strictest sense, is that a target bullet is required only to place a hole in paper with exacting micrometer like accuracy.

On the other hand a hunting bullet needs to strike the vital zone of your game animal such as a deer, elk or bear within the vital heart lung area usually 6 to 8 inches in diameter, then expand as it travels though vital tissue to create a wound channel through the animal and preferably exit to leave a blood trail. Is there a middle ground where both target and hunting bullets meet? The answer is a resounding YES!

I believe what has changed is the use of ballistic science coupled with new manufacturing and test equipment with tolerances that are so much better than that of the 1960’s and 1970’s and its impact on bullet manufacture cost and overall quality.

In many cases today hunting bullets have the same exacting quality as some of today’s target bullets and the cost associated with each are not orders of magnitude different. So you can use hunting bullets, in many cases, for target competition because the bullet ballistic’s on the outside are the same, such as Nosler with their “Ballistic tip” and Nosler AccuBond and e-Tip and the new Hornady ELD-X (Extremely Low Drag eXpanding) Hunting bullet and their line of other hunting bullets that equally can be used for Match grade target Competition. Of course there are other companies doing great things but these are good examples.

It was Hornady just recently that used science to validate long range ballistics using Doppler Radar (Yes the same technology used by police to detect your car speed) and determined that the bullet meplat (tip) of polycarbonate was melting and needed to be reformulated to be heat resistant.

In general American bullet manufacturing is moving in that direction as a science. And it is we the shooters and hunters that benefit. The movement of today’s manufacturing also reduces cost for total cartridge manufacture making shooting less expensive and more attractive to shooting and hunting enthusiasts. And they are made in America!!!

Good Shooting!

Savage Model 12 LRP 6.5 Creedmoor System Test Products Arriving updated 5/24

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Ed Hale

My heart quickens at the thought of testing each new rifle, scope and accessories here at New Hampshire Rifleman… Like Christmas in the summer. As you are aware if you read articles here at New Hampshire Rifleman, we are going to test the Savage Model 12 Long Range Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. I am told that this Rifle can really shoot and sports a 26 inch barrel/w 1-8 twist. It just arrived to my FFL. I drove over just minutes ago and filled out the background check as usual and the rifle is home in my office Wow! We shall see. I used my Lyman Electronic Trigger pull gauge and the Target model accuTrigger weighed in at an average of 2 lbs pull out of the box. The red target trigger is adjustable as low as 6 oz and as high as 2.5 pounds.

I ran a Hornady bullet OAL gauge in the bore to find lands at 2.868 inches w/ my Sierra bullets.

Max SAAMI COL is 2.825 but need one caliber worth of grip to hold bullet which will be closer to 2.80 inches for a safer COL for this bullet.

along with a “New” 2016 Leupold VX-3i/w aggressively redesigned power selector. Shipping to NH Rifleman soon…

a 20 MOA Picatinny rail add-on to reach out there and the famous RX 1200i DNA Laser rangefinder with TBR.

And the test bed Match grade 142 grain bullets from Sierra – The Bulletsmiths®

and

Cartridges with the new Hornady® ELD-X™ Hunting bullets see earlier article. The Sierra bullets and cartridges have arrived but no rifle yet but it is on its way to my FFL dealer here in Plaistow, NH.

I will hand load the Sierra’s, one at a time… details to come.

Long Range AR-15 – Putting It All Together by Ed Hale

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Ed Hale

I must admit that there was “much” needed for this AR-15 to be ready for real long distance and it may be that “more” is needed to accurize it. So what did I do to make it more suitable for long distance? Use a systematic approach that makes sense without going overboard. And use what you have as much as possible; improvise,adapt and overcome says the “gunny”. I keep saying that, for sure some of that will happen.

First was to change the mil-spec trigger. As you can see from a previous article I installed a 2 stage Timney Trigger.

It has 2 pounds pull in the first stage as it is squeezed rearward and then 2 more pounds to break and release the internal hammer within the trigger. It is crisp once the first stage is complete. Next was to put a better scope on it. Leupold’s VX-6 is an outstanding scope with a working range from 3x to 18x with a 44mm Objective lens.

The VX-6 is unique in all rifle scopes for its 6:1 Zoom capability, with unserpassed light transmission and optical clarity throughout the entire magnification range. This was the scope that helped me drop my whitetail deer at 300 yards this past fall. See this link.http://www.nhrifleman.com/2015/11/02/savage-11111leupold-vx-6-and-nosler-e-tips-field-test-by-ed-hale/

The scope model includes the Illuminated Boone and Crockett Reticle with the option of creating a Custom Dial System (CDS) for dialing in your favorite bullet, (based on the ballistic coefficient) out to 600 yards. I have not entertained creating the CDS dial as I keep moving it onto different rifles and calibers. It is such a rock solid scope that I use it to test rifles. Next, I mounted a Mark 2 Integral Mounting System. (See the article on it)

Ammunition: I am using Nosler Custom Competition ammo as you may have already seen in early articles. I will be testing 69, 77, and 80 grain bullets at longer ranges with different powders and cartridge overall lengths.

I am in training too.

Reloading: I found that Custom hollow point target bullets need special attention when seating them so I did some research and purchased a Redding Custom Competition seating die below. The design of this die and its capability of keeping the cartridge straight and in alignment with the bullet is not only well known but perhaps even legendary.

Powder: You will need to experiment. Right now I am using Reloader 15 powder.

Behind the Rifle: I have visited Sniper Hide and found a piece on Breathing and Natural Point of Aim. There is a video there you can purchase. I chose to read and practice. They instruct to break the shot at your natural respiratory pause (meaning at the bottom of your exhale). https://snipershide.mycustomevent.com/ShoppingCart.aspx?com=detailview&iid=103&cid=247

I never trained to shoot at the bottom of my exhale but somewhere in between. I have lots to unlearn it seems but some I did well on too. I need to play with cheek weld on my AR stock too, which will cause your shots to never fly well if you can’t weld your cheek consistently. I am very unfamiliar with the collapsible stock settings too making it a real learning experience.

I found a number of sites you can google on shooting techniques for long range. They are too numerous to list but the word to the wise is practice each day if you want to win matches. Dry fire with snap caps can help but remember only perfect practice makes perfect. I must put lots of bullets down range too using the skills I have learned. You can do it too. I am looking forward to loading up some rounds and burning some powder.

Good Shooting!

My AR-15 at Range with Mil. Spec.Trigger by Ed Hale

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Ed Hale

Yesterday, 3/1/2016 was sunny and little wind (0 to 5 mph) at the range in Southern New Hampshire. This article is a continuation of discussion my Colt upper/ Bushmaster mil spec lower AR-15 and its Trigger.

First, let me say that if given this trigger was a permanent one and I could not change it, it does work “ok” if you work to learn it even at 8.5 lbs. Thankfully that is not the case. New Timney triggers are coming and thus we can see what kind of improvement we can get. Should be a fun exercise and we can hopefully learn a lot. Yes there are other manufacturers that also produce triggers but that is for another day.

So I went to the range today and shot 3 brands of 55 grain Full Metal Jacket FMJ ammo with cannelure crimp at 50 yards to see what grouped best with 5 shot groups.

What I found was groups tighter than expected and occasional fliers which can be attributed to 1) the trigger 2) the shooter, 3) the ammo itself, 4) new rifle.

The trigger pull experience on this rifle can be understood to be heavy and have slack. I found that I could pull up slack and find the barrier wall where the hammer is located. It helped me group better than I expected by pulling to the wall first and then a final squeeze.

I chose 50 yards to begin this grouping exercise because I could clearly see the “x” in the bullseye and focus on it. What I found was that each brand grouped well with this trigger with occasional flyers due perhaps to a combination of things including the trigger, shooter unfamiliarity etc. I am satisfied with this exercise of capability with each brand of ammo with ARMSCOR USA shooting the best 5 shot group with one flyer. It is about groups not where they hit the target bullseye you see. We can always adjust the scope! My goal is to do this kind of grouping at 100 yards not 50 yards with a better trigger like the drop in Timney’s that I will test. Note the “X” Ring circle is 1 inch across for your reference. Triggers are coming! The take away here is that the Colt barrel is excellent and, I believe, capable of better groups than we see here under ideal conditions.

November 2024

Category Archives: Bullet Tests and Reviews.