Light bullets at insane velocities for White Tails.

I see the only mention of a melting tip I've ever found in this video by Hornady. https://vimeo.com/163427845

I don't deny that there could be something to it... but I also recognize marketing when I see it.

I have sent an email to Barnes to inquire... but then I submit a few of points to ponder in the meantime....

One, Barnes publishes load data for their 45gr TTSX in .22-250 at over 4,000fps... which leads me to believe that they don't anticipate an issue.

Two, Hornady strongly implies that they only knew there was an issue because they use doppler radar.... which makes me wonder if this is an issue that will rise above the noise for a normal shooter.

Three, on the other hand... the only truly disappointing load I've ever developed was in a .22-250 that otherwise routinely shoots well under 3/4 MOA at 100... that was with 35gr Noslers being pushed over 4,500fps and they exhibited a strange tendency to shoot reasonably well at 100 but then rather poorly at 200... melting tip? Hm.
 
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Strange how Hornady documented the problem, but still sell bullets with melting tips. Why is that, or is it just a bunch of hooey? If the tip was the only problem, why did they redesign the whole bullet? Why not just change the tips?

Hornady discovered the melting tips by radar? Hornady has a lot of capability to recover fired bullets. You would think they would have some recovered examples that show this alleged melting.
 
I see the only mention of a melting tip I've ever found in this video by Hornady. https://vimeo.com/163427845

I don't deny that there could be something to it... but I also recognize marketing when I see it.

I have sent an email to Barnes to inquire... but then I submit a few of points to ponder in the meantime....

One, Barnes publishes load data for their 45gr TTSX in .22-250 at over 4,000fps... which leads me to believe that they don't anticipate an issue.

Two, Hornady strongly implies that they only knew there was an issue because they use doppler radar.... which makes me wonder if this is an issue that will rise above the noise for a normal shooter.

Three, on the other hand... the only truly disappointing load I've ever developed was in a .22-250 that otherwise routinely shoots well under 3/4 MOA at 100... that was with 35gr Noslers being pushed over 4,500fps and they exhibited a strange tendency to shoot reasonably well at 100 but then rather poorly at 200... melting tip? Hm.
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Hornaday was also publishing data that cooked their tips. If what Hornaday says is accurate, so is Nosler. Is cooking the tip off a problem? It just makes it basically a hollow point and thus essentially a TSX. I have always seen the tip as a gimmick anyway. When the first tipped ammo came out, a rep told me it was "ballistic" because it kept the meplat from being deformed in the magazine.
 
Double Naught Spy said:
Strange how Hornady documented the problem, but still sell bullets with melting tips. Why is that, or is it just a bunch of hooey? If the tip was the only problem, why did they redesign the whole bullet? Why not just change the tips?

Hornady discovered the melting tips by radar? Hornady has a lot of capability to recover fired bullets. You would think they would have some recovered examples that show this alleged melting.
Click to expand...

They have changed the polymer in their bullets that are more precision based. It did affect accuracy some, but typically at the longer distances where there was sufficient time to melt the tips. In their 100ish yard test ranges, the tips don't melt, not enough time. Not hooey, but at the same time, irrelevant for most bullets, most shooters, 400 and in.
 
There’s no question with any brand or caliber bullets I’ve ever seen that the tipped bullets are far more consistent, in terms of lacking deformity. It seems to me that even if it melted off, that melting would be more consistent than aan I melted but deformed metal tip. This is especially true with exposed lead bullets but even all the hollow points I’ve used are commonly slightly misshaped.

The tipped bullets typically have much larger cavity than a normal hollow-point so a tipped bullet missing it’s tip is not just another hollow point... however, I would be highly suspicious of the claim that the ENTIRE tip melted off.

I had the same thoughts about time at close range... for instance, it seems a plausible explanation for that .22-250 load but the bullet covers the 100 yards from 100 to 200 in 0.074 seconds... is there even time for whatever melting is happening (which has no discernible effect at 100) to produce noticeable deflection? Seems debatable.
 
I shoot Nosler Ballistic Tips in all my rifles and have done so since they were introduced. I don’t worry about melting tips. And, having read PO Ackley’s book/books, and his high praise of the 220 Swift, I tried deer hunting years ago with my 220 Swift, which had fairly blazing speed but the wrong bullets. The 220 killed em like lightening, or didn’t drop them at all. I guess I’m just not in the super fast tiny bullet camp, though if I had had today’s bullet options back then maybe i’d feel different.

I’ll just stay with the BTs (partly, I’ll admit, because I’ll die of old age before I shoot up what I have). 120’s in the 260 and 130’s in the 270.

I should at least try some of those little Barnes bullets in the 220. Maybe I’m missing something.
 
I mostly used the Winchester Ballistic Silver Tips (130 grn) in a .270 Win. Prior to shooting deer in the neck I was always getting a lot of bloodshot meat. From what I’ve read of those who really love their large caliber guns is that expansion isn’t needed, and that you can virtually eat right up to the hole. Of course the maximum range is cut down quite a bit.

I now have a .50 cal muzzleloader that I’m working on using both a .49 cal 177 grn ball and the 250 and 320 grn Lee REAL conicals. Our Texas deer are rather small so the more meat I get the better, and I’ve never shot anything beyond 80 yds anyway, though I’ve had opportunities and do want a rifle for hunting across fields and such.
 
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