I finally got out to the range to do some testing on the new Bonded Shockwave bullets. Since their cousins, the regular Shockwave and Hornady SST have shot so well I have really been anxious to do this, albeit late. Although the bonded ones are not so new by now they really haven?t been field-tested that much.
If you remember NYBob, a member of this forum did testing of bullet impacts a year or two ago. I wanted to follow his same type of procedure so at least a general performance comparison could be made between the bonded ones and the regular ones tested in Bob?s report, along with his other bullets.
I saved up newspapers and accumulated quite a pile?. Probably three times what I needed for this. I soaked the papers in water then folded and packed them in a tall plastic kitchen-type trashcan of rectangular shape. From the previous report I knew that I probably needed a stack around 20 inches high. (yes I used the trashcan from my kitchen!) I did the soaking and packing from home and had two containers of wet paper media. I didn?t anticipate that each would be as heavy as they were but somehow I got them loaded up and to the range.
Rifles and loads used??250gr Bonded Shockwave with supplied sabot?
Savage ML II 42 Grs Vihtavuori N110
Mv approx 2320 fps Impact velocity @ 35 yds approx 2180 fps
Knight Disc Elite 100 grs volume loose Triple Se7en ffg
Mv approx 1886 fps Impact velocity @ 35 yds approx 1757 fps
Impact results:
The smokeless load penetrated about 16 inches. The impact channel started small and opened up to a large 3+ inch cavity about half way in with the bullet stopping in a perfect mushroom. The retained wt was 195.6 Gr or 78.2%.
The Triple Se7en load penetrated about 13.5 inches with the impact channel opening up again to around 3 inches half way in and another perfect mushroomed bullet. The large cavity was not as long as the faster load but was very impressive regardless. This one had a retained wt of 224.6 Gr or 89.8%.
The obvious intent of this new bullet, at least in the advertising, was to develop a stronger one and I?m thinking that was accomplished. It stayed together and it?s retained wt was higher. Bob?s original report showed the 250 SST/Shockwave having good penetration but it did come apart. Anyway what strikes me here is that both bullets mushroomed well and stayed together in spite of the over 400 fps difference in impact velocities.
The bullet on the left is the Triple Se7en load.
If you remember NYBob, a member of this forum did testing of bullet impacts a year or two ago. I wanted to follow his same type of procedure so at least a general performance comparison could be made between the bonded ones and the regular ones tested in Bob?s report, along with his other bullets.
I saved up newspapers and accumulated quite a pile?. Probably three times what I needed for this. I soaked the papers in water then folded and packed them in a tall plastic kitchen-type trashcan of rectangular shape. From the previous report I knew that I probably needed a stack around 20 inches high. (yes I used the trashcan from my kitchen!) I did the soaking and packing from home and had two containers of wet paper media. I didn?t anticipate that each would be as heavy as they were but somehow I got them loaded up and to the range.
Rifles and loads used??250gr Bonded Shockwave with supplied sabot?
Savage ML II 42 Grs Vihtavuori N110
Mv approx 2320 fps Impact velocity @ 35 yds approx 2180 fps
Knight Disc Elite 100 grs volume loose Triple Se7en ffg
Mv approx 1886 fps Impact velocity @ 35 yds approx 1757 fps
Impact results:
The smokeless load penetrated about 16 inches. The impact channel started small and opened up to a large 3+ inch cavity about half way in with the bullet stopping in a perfect mushroom. The retained wt was 195.6 Gr or 78.2%.
The Triple Se7en load penetrated about 13.5 inches with the impact channel opening up again to around 3 inches half way in and another perfect mushroomed bullet. The large cavity was not as long as the faster load but was very impressive regardless. This one had a retained wt of 224.6 Gr or 89.8%.
The obvious intent of this new bullet, at least in the advertising, was to develop a stronger one and I?m thinking that was accomplished. It stayed together and it?s retained wt was higher. Bob?s original report showed the 250 SST/Shockwave having good penetration but it did come apart. Anyway what strikes me here is that both bullets mushroomed well and stayed together in spite of the over 400 fps difference in impact velocities.
The bullet on the left is the Triple Se7en load.
I will start buying those bullets now.
