SAVAGE HMR Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 (edited) Went out for a bit of a mooch around one of my permissions today to have a wee crack at the bunnies. All the hay and grass has been cut by the farmer so there were no hiding places left for the little blighters! Anyway, I spent about an hour wandering around getting a better idea of where all the bunny hot spots were then eventually settled in the corner of a field overlooking the most busy warren. I'd taken 26 rabbits in three hours at ranges between 50 and 140 yards. Shot 2 woodies as well but left them for the birds of prey. Decided to call it a day and went to pick up all of my quarry. When I got home and started skinning and jointing all the rabbits I noticed this odd cone shaped thing inside a rabbits skull. Upon further inspection it turned out to be a balistic tip from one of the .17 H.M.R. rounds. I was quite surprised at finding this as I was under the impression that the balistic tips shattered on impact. I didnt have a lot of time to dig around but I found about eight of them in near perfect condition all taken out of skulls. I could understand taking perfect specimens out of soft tissue but was surprised about their condition after having hit bone. Tough little things! I didnt have the camera out in the field so dont have any 'sporting' photographs as such but I took some photos of the first ballistic tip I found incase anyone was interested in having a look. Edited July 13, 2011 by SAVAGE HMR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbuster Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I've found a tip in rabbit before, but it wasnt as good condition as that! Thats quite impressive. Are they remmington?? I now use hornady red tips and havnt had this happen since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Von Tirpitz Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 That is amazing, the only time I thought they did not shatter was when the rounds do not hit anything solid and simply pass right through, certainly all the head shots I have had, ended up blowing a large hole or more on the other side. I have fired through wood as a target several inches thick and the bullet passes straight through, so not sure why your bullets have been stopped by a rabbit skull. Anyone else any clues? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy130 Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 won't these be from the longer distance shots? Must have only had the velocity to punch through one side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 do us a favour mate, take that first pic down. nobody needs to see that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Elvis Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 won't these be from the longer distance shots? Must have only had the velocity to punch through one side. In my experience its the other way round, the longer range shots seem to do a lot more damage, where the closer ones zip through, ...perhaps going too fast? 200yards + and they 99% of the time make BIG holes in bunnies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonstool Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Sounds like your LONG RANGE shots are a bit TOO long range - and the round is tumbling (head over tail - not spinning round) The tip is to assist the round to 'mushroom' thereby releasing it's energy to cause 'trauma' and death QUICKLY. Get closer ! ! ! and I agree - I don't want to see blood and gore - I am sure others don't either - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPARKIE Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 There not always meant to brake up they push inside the air gap behind the tip which mushrooms the bullet and make the bullet expand. A rabbits skull isn't that thick really so im not supprised i bet if it was harder/thicker bone it would fragment. heres a bit of explanation on wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_tip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 The poster says in his post 50 - 140 yards. Well accuracy aside the HMR should still be breaking up just fine at 140 yards shouldnt it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hornet 6 Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 The bullet is breaking up, or the OP would have found them as well. The plastic rarely breaks up completely, it is there just to make the bullet fragment, nothing more. Neil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 I often find blue tips in rabbits and a couple of times some metal foil! I shot one with the HMR a few weeks ago ... opened him up an a shotgun pellet rolled out! - that farm is my sole permission and the owner does not shoot!!!! so did he come on a journey from another farm or is there a poacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triscrx Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 The bullet is breaking up, or the OP would have found them as well. The plastic rarely breaks up completely, it is there just to make the bullet fragment, nothing more. Neil. ^ As above the piece you have dugout is made of polymer and is there to assist the lead in mushrooming it doesn't fragment itself as far as I understand it just provides a hard surface for the rear of the bullet to fragment round. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_tipped_bullets Bit contradictory there but my impression is that it is driven into the bullet causing the lead to mushroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 (edited) I often find V-max tips from my 243 in targets / backstops in perfect order Edited July 13, 2011 by garyb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAVAGE HMR Posted July 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 I've found a tip in rabbit before, but it wasnt as good condition as that! Thats quite impressive. Are they remmington?? I now use hornady red tips and havnt had this happen since. Yeah they are Remington. I've used the Hornady Blue tips and never had this happen before. do us a favour mate, take that first pic down. nobody needs to see that. No bother mate, only put it up to show that the tip was taken from a head shot and not soft tissue. Sounds like your LONG RANGE shots are a bit TOO long range - and the round is tumbling (head over tail - not spinning round) The tip is to assist the round to 'mushroom' thereby releasing it's energy to cause 'trauma' and death QUICKLY. Not to long range though. I've shot rabbits at 200 yards with the hummer and never had a round yaw 'tumble' It's always been the same effect as at 50 yards. I've punched holes in targets at around 280 yards with a wood backing and the holes are still round. I think the .17 HMR will only yaw at above 300 yards. It might lose stability above 200 yards but it wont tumble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 I bet the polymer tip would shatter if you fired it at a 1/2" steel plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Elvis Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 (edited) Sounds like your LONG RANGE shots are a bit TOO long range Not at all. I have a huge farm that a mate and I shoot and we had an evening where we shot nothing under 209 yards, with the furthest in excess of 250 yards, all measured by the bushnell 600 and out of 11 shots I missed 1. There are a lot of people that poo poo those sorts of ranges, I can do it consistently and the guy i shoot with does it even better!! My best shot on a bunny was 284yards, witnessed and measured with the bushnell. Despite the witness etc there was a certain now ex member that hounded the hell out of me because he didnt believe it, well believe it or not, im sure there are others out there that have pushed this versatile little round just as far! and just to contradict myself, my furthest shot...DIDNT expand! Edited July 13, 2011 by Evil Elvis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George1990 Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 The tip is designed to be durable enough to expand the lead behind it so not that surprising. Also not made of brittle plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yds Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 The whole idea of the tip is to act as a wedge which drives down the HP cavity causing the bullet itself to shatter. The tip was never designed to break up!! It is often laid with in a wound cavity even with .22250 rounds. If so it will be almost in one peice and it will have done the job it was designed for. Buy or borrow a Nosler reloading manual and read the section about ballistic tips and how they work. They are also designed to protect the bullet tip from damage in the mag and to make it more efficient in flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yds Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 and just to contradict myself, my furthest shot...DIDNT expand! at long range it will have shed its useful velocity so will not expand propley. all bullets are designed for a velocity "window" to fast and no penetration to slow and pass throughs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Pic of a 3KG putty block thats had a .17HMR blue Tip round fired into it from 100 Yds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Internal pic of abouve putty block when cut in half. Note the bullet fragments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yds Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 http://www.nosler.com/Bullets/Ballistic-Tip-Varmint.aspx http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/terminal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Thats not a bad pic Beretta, I tried a test with a box made of 3/4 inch ply then put a couple of extra sheets spaced in the middle to see how "explosive it was and it was still going through all 4 at 200 yards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 I think i have a few more pics along those lines, i think theres a .22lr one and a .17HMR hollowpoint one. If anyone wants them PM me with a e-mail adderess as for some reason i cant upload them here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk52 Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Not at all. I have a huge farm that a mate and I shoot and we had an evening where we shot nothing under 209 yards, with the furthest in excess of 250 yards, all measured by the bushnell 600 and out of 11 shots I missed 1. There are a lot of people that poo poo those sorts of ranges, I can do it consistently and the guy i shoot with does it even better!! My best shot on a bunny was 284yards, witnessed and measured with the bushnell. Despite the witness etc there was a certain now ex member that hounded the hell out of me because he didnt believe it, well believe it or not, im sure there are others out there that have pushed this versatile little round just as far! and just to contradict myself, my furthest shot...DIDNT expand! Is the same Ex member who challenged you to prove your marksmanship by hitting a coke can at 300 yards. I think the conditions were perfect at least 3 times yet you were either washing your hair or going to see Take That or Soft Cell or some other such Boy Band. Maybe you are just a little sour that the person who you introduced to shooting is now getting some proper instruction from someone who can actually shoot and can tell her where she is going wrong. Rather than telling her to fit tight chokes and use 28 gram loads. I know that your 284 yard claim is a lie as I know how far 300 yards is, I frequently shoot at 300 yards and that is classed as short range. The school kids on here maybe impressed by your ficticious claims but frankly anyone who has shot an HMR to 300 yards knows full well that you have never hit a rabbit at that distance, let alone 10 out of 11 Keep kidding yourself, someone may believe you. But don't hold your breath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.