Non Toxic Bullet Comparison

[Edinburgh Rifles]

Following a number of recent online discussions on Non Toxic bullets we decided that an comparative test of some of the main brands and a couple of new brands of non toxic bullets available in the UK might be of interest.

It is a subject that gets a lot of strong views.
There seem to be a number of aspects that are constantly mentioned when the subject of non toxic bullets is brought up:

· Why? - If its not mandatory why bother?

· Expense and Availability - at £50+ for 50 bullets and limited availability on the dealer shelf, the leading brands can be hard to justify

· Terminal Efficacy - Numerous stories of runners, failure to expand, "over penetration", poor accuracy, poor lot to lot consistency

· Accuracy, Legal Energy and Twist rate requirements - Expectations of driving lighter for calibre bullets at higher velocities to get the expansion from the "harder" bullet and difficulty reaching deer legal ME/MV levels with longer bullets in mid sized calibres. Will the higher MV give more carcase damage?

· Pressure/Fouling - Will they damage my rifle? Will I have to clean more?

Some Possible Answers:

· Why? - Weight retention and Less Carcase Damage/loss - less metal material in the carcase. Standard cup and core jacketed lead bullet designs shed up to 60-70% of there original mass. Much of it Lead in very small pieces. Monolithic, non-toxic bullets are designed to not only shed less material but still create efficient wound channels and organ destruction. What little material is shed is not lead. Lead toxicity has been a concern since the days of lead water pipes and leaded petrol. The argument is NOT whether copper is more toxic than lead, its all about how much is left in the carcase.

· Supply - If you can get a reliable source and a good price that is that answered.

· Terminal Efficacy - Accuracy on paper is easy to quantify. Terminal ballistics on live quarry is not as straight forward as the variables increase. However solid terminal performance under controlled conditions goes towards better understanding of effects on quarry. Field testing and analysis of variables adds further detail.

· Accuracy, Legal Energy and Twist rate requirements - Only really a concern with long for calibre weight and cartridge choices where a minimum bullet weight is required. Scotland, .243 100gr in 1:10" twist for example. Choosing a flat base shorter bullet and loading for accuracy rather than out-and-out higher velocity is one option.

· Pressure/Fouling - Huge advances have been made in both material composition and design to avoid the initial observations of the harder, monolithic copper derived bullets causing fouling and subsequent issues. Driving bands dramatically reduce initial chamber pressure and fouling without affecting velocity potential. A wider range of metals from 100% copper through copper alloys (mostly CuZn)

We embarked on a test of 4 brands:

Barnes TSX - U.S. made. Arguably the leading brand in the Non-toxic market in the UK
A solid copper, boat-tailed bullet with 4 deep driving bands, small meplat hollow point to initiate expansion, also available in a Ballistic Tipped version TTSX "Tipped Triple Shock X-panding".
Available in .224 through .577 Nitro
Factory Ammunition available through other brands, Sako, Norma, etc
Cost: £47-£82 per 50 bullets (RRP)
Claims "close to 100%" weight retention, excellent accuracy and reliable expansion 1.5-2x calibre (1800-2000fps impact velocity recommended), reliable penetration

Hornady GMX - U.S. made, Hornady's "Guilding Metal Expanding" bullet, the same material used in cup and core bullet jackets.
A Copper Alloy(CuZn5), boat tailed, ballistic tipped design with 2 shallow driving bands and a crimp cannelure
Available in .224 through .375
Factory Ammunition available
Cost: £42 to £115 per 50 bullets (RRP)
Claims "95% or more" weight retention, reliable expansion 1.5x calibre (2000fps impact velocity recommended) , excellent penetration (30" in gelatin tests) and excellent accuracy

Red Moose - Tarvas - Made in EU (Finland) -
A proprietary, Annealled, Copper Alloy (CuZnXX), Flat base bullet, with large meplat, hollow point and three shallow driving bands
Designed specifically to limit meat loss, create a straight, deep wound channel and maintain velocity through the target. The higher velocity inside the quarry claims to create a longer and larger wound channel.
http://www.redmoose.eu/tarvas_bullets/terminal-ballistics
Available: 6.5mm to .375 (smaller calibres in production)
Cost: RRP TBC indicated at £53 to £67 per 50 bullets
Claims 99% weight retention, extremely controlled expansion 1.1x calibre, Excellent penetration, Fast knock down and killing power, wide range of effective terminal velocities 1600fps to 3000fps.

Fox Bullets - Made in Slovenia
A Copper Alloy (CuZn10), flat based, cone Ogive, Rounded polymer tipped bullet, with large meplat and two pairs of driving bands.
Designed with deep central void to produce reliable expansion
Available in .224 through 9.3mm
Cost: RRP TBC indicated at £33 to £48 per 50 bullets
Claims 95+% weight retention, Reliable expansion to 1.5x calibre, Excellent penetration and accuracy

There are other products available from RWS, Nosler, etc

The Tests

4 Brands (Barnes (Factory Sako ammo), Fox, Hornady (Factory ammo), Tarvas)
5 weight classes (130gr .270, 139gr 7mm, 130gr/150gr/165gr .30cal)
3 cartridge derivations (.270, 7x57, .308)
Unfortunately the planned 180gr 300wm test was not completed

Brass used - Norma
Primers used - CCI200
Powders used - N140/N160

Accuracy
Load development for indication of Optimum Charge Weight

Penetration
Bullets shot into NATO (formula) 20% Ballistic Gelatine 100yds
Additional Water containers behind gel used to contain any bullets that managed to penetrate the 7 x 8" (20cm) gel blocks

Wound Cavity
Bullets shot into Ballistic Grade Clay

Weight Retention and Expansion
Measurements of Unfired, Fired/cleaned (gel), Fired/Cleaned (clay)


Accuracy
Accuracy was tested on 1" square target paper with 1/4" feint squares
Only a 3 shot group was used as an indication and is by no means definitive
Accuracy ranged from very average to showing real potential
Obviously the results are specific to this test and rifle ammo combinantion but they are indicative of potential
These are raw loads, not tuned for OAL or specific accuracy
The two factory loads were not modified
Figures below are centre to centre group size:


Fox .270 130gr - 0.71" (best load 56.5gr N160)
Fox .308 130gr - 0.64" (best load 45gr N140)
Fox .308 150gr - 0.63" (best load 43gr N140)
Hornady GMX 139gr - 1.20"
Barnes .270 130gr - 1.65"
Tarvas .308 165gr - 0.60" (Best load 42.5gr N140)













Summary:
Great potential to tune handloads for most of them
Factory ammo was marginal in these rifles but handloading is likely to produce much more acceptable results


Penetration Gel
NATO formula (20%) Ballistic Gel was used to better indicate penetration rather than the slo-mo expansion often shown in gel tests on much softer 10% gel formulae
This gel has a much higher chance of bullet recovery and was cast in eight individual blocks 12"x8" 30cmx20cm
These were lined up horizontally, with four 5litre plastic bottles filled with water comprising a further 80cm behind as a back up.
Penetration was measured from the front impact to the position of the recovered bullet (where applicable!)
Only one weight class was tested due to cost of gel

Tarvas 165gr .308 (MV C 2750fps) - 240cm (8 block and 4 water - recovered in the last bottle having dented the rear panel)
Fox 130gr .270 (MV C2950fps) - 115cm (block 6)
Barnes .270 130gr .270 (MV C3050) - 75cm (block 4
GMX 7mm 139gr (MV 2750fps) - N/A (exited side of block 3)

some "raw" footage of the test:

Summary:

The path taken by the bullets was largely in a straight line with some minor deviation shown by the Fox and Barnes.
The Tarvas did not deviate at all and almost penetrated the entire test medium, only being recovered having dented the rear panel of the last bottle.
The GMX was not recovered as it passed through two blocks and exited through the side of the third
What we noted from slow motion video is the different shock wave each different bullet produced.
The GMX, Barnes and Fox show dramatic transfer of energy/shock into the first and second blocks but limited transfer further in.
The Tarvas shows less dramatic transfer at the first block but more obvious transfer deeper into the medium


Wound Cavity

The test were not conclusive....fun, but not conclusive
The clay was 70cm thick sealed in plastic. unfortunately we got a lot more destruction and movement to draw much in the way of data on wound cavity
The blocks did serve a much denser penetration test and allowed recovery of 2 of the 4 brands
The Tarvas bullet penetrated the entire stack (70+cm)
The Fox penetrated 65cm
The Barnes penetrated 60cm
GMX exited out the side...


Weight Retention

Bullets weighed in grains following test media removal, cleaning and drying
(figures before cleaning clay and gel off the bullet were markedly different)

Barnes
unfired -130gr
Fired Gel -128.6 (98.9% retained)
Fired Clay -43.4gr (33.3% retained)

Fox
Unfired -150gr
Fired Gel -148.8gr (99.2% retained)
Fired Clay -107.0gr (71.3% retained)

Tarvas
Unfired -165gr
Fired Gel -163.2 gr (98.9%)
Fired Clay -N/A Full penetration

GMX
Unfired - 139gr
Fired Gel - N/A Exited Side
Fired Clay - N/A Exited Side


Expansion

Bullets measured across widest point after recovery

Barnes
Gel - 0.594" / 15.10mm (214%)
Clay - 0.869" / 22.07mm (313%)

Fox
Gel - 0.63" / 15.95mm (204%)
Clay - 0.455 / 11.57mm (147%)

Tarvas
Gel - 0.353" / 8.97mm (114%)
Clay - n/a

GMX
Gel - n/a
Clay - n/a

Summary:
Expansion where designed was very good
It should be noted that the Tarvas bullet is designed to work not by expanding and using energy to deform into a larger front area and creating a wound channel whilst slowing down, like a standard cup and core.
Wound tracts from these bullets get smaller from entry to exit
It is designed to maintain velocity, the flat front area creating a pressure wave and primary cavity, penetrate completely and leave a wide wound tract through the entire target.
Certainly penetration is not in question

Weight retention figures were lower than manufacture's marketing, some markedly so, especially when encountering significant resistance.
Failure to recover bullets to measure was partly due to shortage of material and more penetration than expected, partly down to non-linear wound channel and bullets exiting the side of the media.

Barnes TSX 130gr .270
Before, Recovered from Gel, Recovered from Clay





Fox 150gr .308
Before, Recovered from Gel, Recovered from Clay



Tarvas 165gr .308
Before, Recovered from Gel





It should be noted that this test was by no means exhaustive and whilst some conclusions can be drawn from it the data sample is very small
It does however demonstrate that there are some exciting products coming out of Europe

We also have some samples out with stalkers for field testing

There are numerous videos of Tarvas bullets in action and they certainly look to work as expected knocking down target animals very quickly

https://www.facebook.com/redmoose.eu/videos/739607379464609/

https://www.facebook.com/redmoose.eu/posts/1182510808507595

https://youtu.be/pJV0Ee4TwvI

https://www.facebook.com/redmoose.eu/posts/728292370596110


We would be very interested in speaking to anyone who would like to test some of the Fox and Tarvas bullets on larger deer (fallow/red) in the field and can provide load data and a small sample in return for (ideally) video and photographic data.
There will be some more calibres available shortly and we hope to have a full range available within the next 2 weeks

[Pushandpull]

Many thanks for doing this research and posting it.

[Walker570]

I have been using the Barnes TTSX for some time now in 375, 8mm,7mm and 22 and have found them to be first class game takers. Taken everything from a muntjac to a Silver Medal 190kg wild boar with them with great success. They are expensive when you can get them but in my view well worth that bit extra.

 

I did expansion tests on the 8mm (8x57JRS) into very well soaked and packed newsprint. Took two cardboard boxes full to stop a 160gr and the bullet travelled 22 inches. The expansion was total, undistorted, with virtually 100% weight retention. The one fired at the big wild boar went right through both shoulders, from 120 yards. Impressive.

Edited April 8, 2017 by Walker570

[saddler]

Interesting read.

Just been waiting for the UK bullet rules to return to normality, then I can get some Barnes TSX.

One of the calibers I use has about 36 available bullets, only 4 are currently legal for target shooting.

Annoying.

 

Never heard of the Finnish brand, will look into these.

[Edinburgh Rifles]

can you use TSX for target?