12g Rackmaster vs Power Point

[gak1]

This is an unscientific test, conducted in a hurry so the wife doesn't notice I borrowed her kitchen scale.

I usually shoot the excellent 12 gauge 2 3/4 Winchester Power Point (X12PPVP) 1oz Foster slugs at 1700 fps, but Winchester came out with their Rackmaster (S12SR1) line and I thought I'd try them out. They're 1 1/8oz slugs at a slightly slower 1625 fps.

I asked the fellow at my local store if the slugs are actually heavier, or if the extra weight is just due to the stabilizer that makes the Rackmaster's good for smooth _and_ rifled barrels, and he assured me it's a heavier slug.

At the range in my smoothbore they shot just as well as my old faithful Power Points, but at twice the cost I thought I'd see if the slug is actually heavier as the chap claimed. The Rackmaster is in black, the Power Point red:

The black plastic is the "innovative WinGlide rear projectile stabilizer".

Ok, time to weigh them. Are those footsteps ? Gotta hurry !

Booo ! They're the same weight, you're just losing velocity over the Power Points but gaining some potential accuracy from the stabilizer.

Because this is a 2 cent test, after I slipped the scale back in the kitchen and stopped hyperventilating I gave Winchester Ammunition a call.

A nice fellow named Paul agreed that it's the same one ounce slug in both shells, but they add the plastic stabilizer to the weight of the Rackmaster and call it 1 1/8oz. He said they're attached, but in my case the stabilizer fell out from gravity. I thanked him, and he agreed if the accuracy is similar for my smoothbore I might as well save the money and still keep buying the cheaper and faster Power Points for black bear.

Thanks for reading !

 

[gak1]

Since the fellow at Winchester said the Rackmaster stabilizer is "attached" to the slug, I had an idea.

Since the stabilizer pokes into the base of the slug, maybe upon firing or impact the slug crimps around the stabilizer. Therefore, it would behave like a 1 1/8oz slug downrange rather than just a slower version of their cheaper Power Point slug.

I wanted to test that theory, so I set up three water bottles in a row and blasted away to see what happened.

Rackmaster impact:

Third bottle damage:

It blew through the first two bottles, but only managed to tear the third bottle on one side and bounce off! I found two fragments weighing 3/4oz beside the table. What was shocking was in front of the table was a pristine "attached stabilizer", the same one shown in the picture.

Apparently as soon as impact occurs or maybe even before, the stabilizer is already bailing on the slug. Therefore, you're getting a 1oz slug at 1625 fps, not 1 1/8 oz.

Next up, the Power Point:

Third bottle damage:

It blew through all three, and 15 yards downrange I found a 1/2oz fragment. The faster 1700fps speed of this slug gives it just enough velocity to punch through that third bottle.

I still had three bottles left, so I tried the Challenger slugs my local dealer sometimes has in stock:

Third bottle damage:

Wow, not only did it blow through all three, it also ripped open that third bottle!

Apparently the pointed design of the Challenger slug and the firmly attached stabilizer help it maintain enough velocity to punch through all three bottles with authority. I couldn't find the fired slug, so in the picture I included an unfired one to show how the stabilizer is firmly bonded to the slug somehow. They did a great job with this design.

I can see why the chap at Box O' Truth has so much fun testing !

 

[Carne Frio]

Thanks for the post. Looks like you did have a lot of fun.

 

[SteelChickenShooter]

I like this topic. And I especially admire guys like this that perform such experiments and share them. I still need to learn how to insert photos like those found in this thread. I enjoy tinkering with cameras, weights, measures, and down range performance. This thread is a wonderful read.

 

[BrittB]

What sort of accurate range do you figure that these loads would be good for large game? In other words, would it put down a deer at 75-100 yards?

 

[Newton24b]

that style of 'projectile gide" is merely an attempt to have some minimal chance of getting the hollow base of the foster type slug to engage rifleing. ive never seen one stick to the bullet before no matter the brand ive used. i used to collect them .