Back Yard Ballistics (pork, water, and 70gr GMX, 75gr Gold Dot, 64gr Ranger Bonded)

[Unobtanium]

All shots were at 40 yards, except for the Gold Dot. It was shot from 50. I used my suppressed 16.1" DDM4. The pork was boneless, and appeared pretty homogeneous.


The Gold Dot created a lead snow-storm when it hit the pork. The rear shank of the bullet penetrated and stopped in the 2nd water jug. It was pretty light. I'd say maybe 20gr? If that.

The Hornady GMX did not open very fast, as you can see. Pictured is the entrance, and then the exit. It sheared all of its petals off, and based on how it is bent, yawed. It was recovered in the 4th jug.


The Ranger Bonded performed text-book. The impact also caused the most "jumping around" of the test fixture. It was recovered in the 3rd water jug.

[witchking777]

How wide was the wound channel difference between the GMX and the Ranget?

[Unobtanium]

How wide was the wound channel difference between the GMX and the Ranget?

The ranger opened up nearly as soon as it hit. It produced a hole in the meat about 1.5x the size of a golf-ball all the way through nearly. The GMX opened slowly, finally arriving at about the size of a golf-ball upon exiting the meat and entering the water jugs, where I presume it tore off the petals, I don't know. It may have in the meat, or may have in the water. I can't say.

The ranger "slapped" the target a LOT harder though. For example, on the deer I killed with it, the entrance wound took out 3 ribs and made a very sizeable hole. I don't think the GMX would have. The 55gr GMX on the other hand seems to be a completely different animal.

[LSP552]

I've used Barnes TSX bullets a fair amount for deer and pigs, as do some friends. In general, the mono metals tend to like speed and the hunting recommendation is to drop down a weight for the cartridge, as in use the 150 or 168 gr. instead of a 180 in the 30-06. Unless looking for the better BC at distance, and trading expansion for it, I think the lighter weight bullets are the way to go with the GMX/TSX/E-Tips.

[witchking777]

The ranger opened up nearly as soon as it hit. It produced a hole in the meat about 1.5x the size of a golf-ball all the way through nearly. The GMX opened slowly, finally arriving at about the size of a golf-ball upon exiting the meat and entering the water jugs, where I presume it tore off the petals, I don't know. It may have in the meat, or may have in the water. I can't say.

The ranger "slapped" the target a LOT harder though. For example, on the deer I killed with it, the entrance wound took out 3 ribs and made a very sizeable hole. I don't think the GMX would have. The 55gr GMX on the other hand seems to be a completely different animal.

I wonder if that's because it's moving about 300 fps fastet out of the muzzle?

[witchking777]

I've used Barnes TSX bullets a fair amount for deer and pigs, as do some friends. In general, the mono metals tend to like speed and the hunting recommendation is to drop down a weight for the cartridge, as in use the 150 or 168 gr. instead of a 180 in the 30-06. Unless looking for the better BC at distance, and trading expansion for it, I think the lighter weight bullets are the way to go with the GMX/TSX/E-Tips.

I agree,I use 165 gr bullets in my .308 and drop down to 150 gr for the GMX bullet.

[Unobtanium]

I wonder if that's because it's moving about 300 fps fastet out of the muzzle?

No, the deer my friend shot with 75gr Gold Dot had a nasty entrance wound, as well. He hit it at 142 yards, I hit my deer at 25 yards with RA556B. Judging by the pork, the GMX just opens slowly. he has said the same thing about the animals he has killed with GMX. Smaller entrances. Here is my RA556B on my deer, and 75gr Gold Dot on the deer he hit, in that order.
Entrance 64gr RA556B, 25 yards (paced off), 16" barrel.

Entrance 75gr Gold Dot, 142 yards (lasered), 16" barrel.


*Mine is shown after being skinned with some of the blood-shot meat removed, I believe his photo is just field-dressed, hence less "sunlight" through the hole, but they look pretty similar.

[witchking777]

No, the deer my friend shot with 75gr Gold Dot had a nasty entrance wound, as well. He hit it at 142 yards, I hit my deer at 25 yards with RA556B. Judging by the pork, the GMX just opens slowly. he has said the same thing about the animals he has killed with GMX. Smaller entrances. Here is my RA556B on my deer, and 75gr Gold Dot on the deer he hit, in that order.
Entrance 64gr RA556B, 25 yards (paced off), 16" barrel.

Entrance 75gr Gold Dot, 142 yards (lasered), 16" barrel.


*Mine is shown after being skinned with some of the blood-shot meat removed, I believe his photo is just field-dressed, hence less "sunlight" through the hole, but they look pretty similar.

The coyote I shot had an exit hole the size of a half dollar,the petals tore up a ton of flesh that bonded bullets just mushroom up and push out of the way.

[SecondsCount]

Thanks for the write up Unobtanium.

My experience with 75 Gold Dot is that it is very accurate. I have not had the opportunity to test the GMX or Ranger loads.

[Unobtanium]

Shot some boneless pork shoulder at 25 yards with my 16.1". Was about 10" of meat, backed by water jugs. This slug punched the meat (haha! Sorry...) and then went through 1 complete jug, and stopped in the second. I was able to shoot this setup twice, with identical results. I found only 1 or 2 specs of lead in the pork shoulder. I think that the earlier test I performed where I had thought the slug had fragmented, I must have hit the board.