Best supersonic bullet?

[rsilvers]

Anyone figure out the best supersonic bullets for general use (deer-sized game hunting, self-defense) given these constraints:

1. Must expand, tumble, or fragment and have good terminal effects - including when shot at lower velocities from a 10 inch AR or Contender barrel.

2. Must be in the 110 to 155 grain weight range.

3. Must not be frangible (must be silencer compatible).

4. Must feed in an AR (nothing with a round nose or large ogive).

5. Must be accurate and reliable in 1:8 twist barrel.

I am thinking one of the following:

Remington 125 PSP:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=1601586307

Remington 150 grain Bronze Point:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=1601240379

Hornady 110 grain V-MAX:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=601277

Nosler Ballistic Tip 125 grain:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=741609

Sierra 125 grain Pro Hunter:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=337808

Speer TNT 125 grain HP:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=712369

Speer Hot-Cor 110 grain:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=287850

Barnes 130 grain T-TSX:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=392754

Hornady 110 grain Spire Point:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=539640

Barnes 110 grain T-TSX:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=179000

Remington AccuTip 125

[rsilvers]

Anyone gel test the Nosler?

[TCCrewchief76]

Ummmm...you forgot the Sierra 110 Varminter. You know, the one with the giant hole in the end :smile:

[rsilvers]

Varminter has too large a hole to feed well.

Got some tests done:

http://www.silencertalk.com/300AAC/300%20AAC%20Blackout%20test%20results%2006OCT2010. pdf

[rsilvers]

Nosler is being loaded now:

http://www.300blktalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=156&t=78368

[justshoot]

( for your list offered ) the 125 grn. PSP look good .

I dont see this one on the list .
( 135 grn. Pointed/soft points )
in a short barrel I have killed a few Coyotes but I am sure it will also translate well over to heavier weight game like Deer or hogs well also .
Good OAL in the Magazine also . & good Vel.
.

[rsilvers]

Once these are out, they will be the best.

http://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/300-Blackout-1-400.jpg

[jimpa]

dont post a picture without some facts on the bullet,,, comne on!

[Titleiiredneck]

Once these are out, they will be the best.

http://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/300-Blackout-1-400.jpg

According to who and for what? "people or game" If its not over 140gr, then I would not shoot even a yearling deer with it.

[LouBoyd]

"Best" might mean best profit for the seller. Why the black tips if they're not military surplus AP ?
Pictures without data can lead to wrong conclusions.

[LouBoyd]

Wouldn't shooting any of the bullets on rsilvers list meet all five of his criteria better if shot using a 300 OSSM cartridge or even a 7.62x39 Russian? Pardon my blasphemy...

[Titleiiredneck]

I agree, any of these out of a x39 based round would be tons better for deer ect.

[rsilvers]

According to who and for what? "people or game" If its not over 140gr, then I would not shoot even a yearling deer with it.

110 grain. Why do you like heavier bullets? What does a heavier bullet accomplish? You want to ensure sufficient penetration? This has it:

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/7161/300aacblkbarriersummary.jpg

[rsilvers]

Wouldn't shooting any of the bullets on rsilvers list meet all five of his criteria better if shot using a 300 OSSM cartridge or even a 7.62x39 Russian? Pardon my blasphemy...

It depends on the bullet. A 110-VMAX would not be good at higher velocities as it will just blow apart and not penetrate enough. On the other hand, a 125 Nosler is a bit too tough for lower velocities and probably would be better from a 308 (but not necessarily a 300 OSSM).

[rsilvers]

The best thing about this bullet is the shape and length - designed to have the ogive rest on the magazine rib and be as long as 5.56mm when loaded. The UMC bullet does the same thing. As does the Remington 125 Match bullet. As do 6 more bullets coming out in 2012. Each of these are or will be the best bullets of their kind. So 9 optimal shape custom 300 BLK bullets.

[rsilvers]

"Best" might mean best profit for the seller. Why the black tips if they're not military surplus AP ?
Pictures without data can lead to wrong conclusions.

The black tips are just the color we preferred for BLACKOUT.

[rsilvers]

At lower velocities, 308 smaller game or varmint bullets (110-125 grains) penetrate deeper than what you would get from a 308, and so start to behave like a medium or big game bullet.

You can see this from the gel testing I had done after starting this thread:

http://www.300aacblackout.com/resources/300AACBlackout06OCT2010.pdf

For this reason, you have to toss your sense of what constitutes a normal bullet weight.

[LouBoyd]

The argument for more case capacity is for greater range, not higher terminal velocity. Each bullet has a window of terminal velocity which is target dependent where it gives it's best performance. The muzzle velocity, bullet BC, atmosphere and range determine the terminal velocity of any bullet.

A quick calculation says a 110 grain bullet in a 24" 308 would give about 3300 fps muzzle velocity. I'm just guessing at the BC but that should give roughly the terminal performance at 300 yards as the 300 BLK near the muzzle. I think the 300 BLK is the best subsonic cartridge on the market. I just don't have a use for it for supersonic shooting. For many hunters with suitable game at short range it may be ideal.

rsilvers:
Can you give us the dimensions and BC for 110 Barnes bullet? Is it a "lead free" design? So the back tip is a poly insert in a large hollow point? It would be nice if SAAMI would standardize what tip colors mean like NATO does.

I really like the way you present your test results with bullet photos and barrier + gel penetration measurements. What thickness is the door steel, plywood, and drywall?

[rsilvers]

Agreed that starting out at a higher velocity gives longer range for any given bullet.

The plywood and drywall should be whatever the FBI uses - that is all standardized. But I also don't know what it is.

I don't have an exact BC, but it should be about 0.300.

The bullet is designed to be loaded to a nominal 2.245 inches OAL and perfectly rest against the rib. That is what I had done to a whole slew of bullets (the UMC included) from several manufactures.

The black tip is plastic. The bullet is solid copper. The tip is unusually large to allow for a larger cavity to control penetration.

While solid copper bullets are not cheap, there will also be plastic-tipped jacketed-lead bullets with this profile - its gonna be great.

[rsilvers]

It would be nice if SAAMI would standardize what tip colors mean like NATO does.

Every company has their colors. Barnes are usually blue. Nosler has everything. Hornady is normally red. Swift does a lot of black.

Part of the reason why this tip is black is because the first ones were lathe-turned while the plastic injection molds are being made - and Delrin(R) comes in white or black.

We have been using red primer sealant on supersonic and blue on subsonic loads.