Several readers of these blogs are aware that I had proposed another penetration test of some .458-caliber bullets that had been purchased since the last test on November 21, 2017. At that time I still owned my favorite rifle – the Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT, and that was the instrument for testing (in similar media as this recent test) the following eight bullets in .458-caliber: a 500gr Speer African Grand Slam, a 480gr DGX (non-bonded), a 500gr Hornady Interloc RNSP, a 400gr Barnes Buster, a 330gr Barnes Banded Solid, a 350gr Hornady RN, a 350gr Barnes TSX, and another 350gr Barnes TSX (modified by a slightly larger cavity to 340gr actual). I’ve written quite a bit about the results from that test, so will add nothing new here.
The recent test of November 16/22 was to involve five bullets, new to me, two of which were of more recent production, and three having a much longer history. The more recent products were: a 250gr MonoFlex by Hornady, and a 500gr Bonded DGX by Hornady. Those of a longer record were: a 600gr Barnes Original, a 550gr Woodleigh Weldcore SN, and a 450gr Swift A-Frame.
On August 10/18, I traded by beloved Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT for the Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum. I’ve previously published details of that exchange on several occasions. It amounts to not lust but pragmatism: aging, less recoil, same ballistics, protecting one good eye, and dealing with severe arthritic attacks. I’d rather carry two extra pounds that reduces recoil from 60 ft-lbs to 40 ft-lbs. And that is my current test platform and hunting companion.
Some pics:
< All essentials for the test were brought from my SUV to the site (a prime bear bait site) on my sno-sled. It’s also great for transporting medium size fall-winter game to my SUV.
< The location: I was standing in a few inches of wet snow, below the box that was almost eye level at about 10 feet from me. The box was tilted slightly back so bullets wouldn’t go out the bottom. The fall bear-bait site was on the relatively flat area just above and back of the box.
< Up close.
RESULTS:
LEFT to RIGHT: 250gr Hornady MonoFlex; 450gr Swift AF; 500gr Hornady, and 550gr Woodleigh
1) The 250gr MonoFlex penetrated 4″, 94% weight retained, expanded to .8″ MV = 2685 fps.
2) The 600gr Barnes O. missed box low (much slower than the 250). MV = 1600 fps.
3) The 450gr Swift AF penetrated 6″, retained 350 gr (78%) and expanded to .675″, MV = 1925 fps.
4) The 500gr DGX penetrated 8″, retained 314.5 gr (63%) and expanded to .72″. MV = 1850 fps.
5) The 550gr Woodleigh penetrated 5″, retained 287grains (52%) and expanded to .82″, MV = 1665 fps.
NOTE: In general, multiply the above inches of penetration by a factor of 6 to 10 in animal flesh and bone, unless a heavy bone such as a ball joint is involved. This media, made of “wedged-in” glossy-dry magazines is “bone tough”. And of course, where the animal is hit, angle and structure of animal are all significant factors in penetration. One bullet from my .340 Wby, up close, made it from stern to stem on a bull moose – at least 6 feet (72 inches). It was found by the butcher in the front part of the chest cavity – a 250gr Nosler Partition leaving the muzzle at ~3000 fps and impact velocity at about 2660 fps. It retained 71% of initial weight.
A 300gr TSX/.458″ out-penetrated a 286gr/9.3mm Partition in similar test media. The 300 TSX was fired fron my former Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT at 2650 fps, and the 286gr at 2640 fps from my Tikka T3 into the same media on the same date. The TSX retained 100% weight and the 286 retained 209gr/73%. The TSX penetrated 8″ and the 286 about 5″. On a good bear, the 286 Partition at 2620 fps penetrated 30″ retaining, again, 73% at 211 grs. But the 286 into media was from about 10 ft whereas the one into the bear was from 68 yards. The 286 shot into the media was severely disfigured while still holding on to 73%. So, my estimate of penetration in inches into tough media could rationally be multiplied by a factor of 6 to 10 in game depending on some factors already mentioned.
<L to R: 600gr Barnes Original, 550gr Woodleigh Weldcore SN, 500gr Hornady DGX – Bonded, 450gr Swift A-Frame, and 250gr Hornady MonoFlex
Comments:
My initial response is that I was glad to get it done before the full force of winter hit us! I’d planned for Monday, 21st November, but due to a quick turn in the weather to below freezing with a snowstorm on the weekend, I had to postpone it. But by Wednesday, it turned much milder with cloudy conditions so that worked well enough. There was abut 4″ of heavy, wet and melting snow that served ideally for pulling the loaded sled (box of magazines weighed 50 lbs) from the SUV to the site about 200 yards into the woods. But standing and moving about in the wet-slippery snow wasn’t ideal for steady offhand shooting of the .458 at little dots on the end of the box!
So… I thought…. Humm, perhaps the best idea would be to first shoot the relatively light recoiling 250gr MonoFlex as its aiming point was the box’s end center dot! That would help in understanding what “logistics” should be employed for the others with much heavier recoiling effect (in the slippery snow!). Thankfully, while not fully conscious of it, I knew quite a bit about maintaining equilibrium in slippery conditions on an uneven surface! I grew up in a fishing community on the East Coast, a good part of which was aboard the Norwin, a 70′ dragger on the Atlantic where a dry, flat deck was never an experience!
But even that first shot caught me somewhat off guard… I slid backwards and nearly lost my footing… but didn’t, thankfully! So I was ready, I thought, for the 600gr Barnes that would dish out nearly 40 ft-lbs… but wasn’t! I shot low, missing not only the 1″ black circle, but the box itself! (well… it was the “dot” only a couple of inches above the bottom of the box – and I didn’t compensate enough for slower velocity and the bore being 1.6″ lower than the scope reticle… those are my excuses!). But I managed to compensate for the final three, that produced good results from 4 of the 5.
Take Aways:
The little 250gr MonoFlex impressed me, all matters considered. That was my current hunting load for bear and deer. MV was 2685 fps (last record at the range), and while it penetrated the least, yet it retained a much higher percentage of its initial weight than the others at 94%, plus a wide cavity from .8″ expansion! In the words of Dr Ron Berry (Riflecrank) on 24hr Campfire: “That 250-gr Monoflex with 94% weight retention at such high speed is mighty impressive, impressive expansion too.
“Half the weight and half the penetration but wider wound channel. That is going to leave a mark inside of the animal yet not on the shooter’s shoulder.”
Words of wisdom, and I fully agree!
Currently, the plan for the 600gr Barnes’ O is to give it a test, along with a few others, sometime in the spring of 2023.
No surprises from the 450gr Swift A-Frame. It retained the highest % of its unfired weight at 77.8% (350 grains), and weighed more than any others, including the 500gr Hornady DGX- Bonded. But it also expanded very quickly in the media indicating it could be effective on smaller game like whitetails.
Basically, they performed much as foreseen and predicted, but Ron and I both felt that the 500gr DGX by Hornady would out-penetrate all others by a significant margin, and it didn’t disappoint in that regard. However, though it will kill anything that walks (or swims) this planet, it is ideal for the biggest and baddest! And it is more readily available (and cheaper) than the 450gr Swift. I bought my box of 450 Swifts many years ago, and the price was steep even then at $75 for 50. I still have a few remaining that I’ll use for testing. Hornadys are a bargain in comparison.
One of my all time favorites for my former Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT was the 300gr TSX, and so it is now for the .458 Win Mag. I’ve fired more of those in tests than any other bullet in any caliber. But I never pulled the trigger on my .45-70 LT on game when loaded with that gem. Came close a couple of times over bear baits but no go. I got a good buy at the time, and being very aware of the scarcity of many wanted component bullets by handloaders, I despaired of ever seeing them again. But Tuesday of this past week I trekked to my favorite shop an hour away, to check on availability of some bullets and cases, and found a single box (20) of the 300gr Barnes TSXs at the same price I’d paid for each of four boxes nine years ago!
This is what one looked like after penetrating tough dry-magazines media, and like the 500gr Hornady-Bonded in this latest test, it made 8 inches penetration, busted the back end of the box and scattered magazines across the snow!
<It retained 100% weight, hitting the bullet box at 2650 fps.
God permitting, and cooperation from the weather, I’m hoping to do some predator hunting till the end of this year.
Till the next: the saga of the 300gr TSXs in two rifles, and Frank who found that single box for me last Tuesday, and shared some of his own story from a hunting family with a father who was a handloader ‘BACK IN THE DAY’, and shot his last moose at age 87!
Shalom
BOB MITCHELL
“Praise the LORD, my soul;
All my inmost being,
Praise his holy name!” – Psalm 103
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