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Strange?!?!?!

B

BrockAlbaugh

Junior Member
3
0
I was shooting long ranges yesterday with a .223, and by long ranges I mean 550+ yards. After a few shots I decided to go look at the target, which is that plastic poster board that looks like cardboard. When I walk up to the target I realized there was a bullet stuck in it. The weird part was it was stuck in the target backward. It had the rifling on it and the ballistic tip was gone, but other than that it was unharmed. Neither me, my dad, or a friend we were shooting with had any Idea what happened. Would anybody have any clue?

Thanks
 
yotehunter

yotehunter

Member
1,527
36
spencerville oh
Sounds like your loading too light of bullet and they are keyholeing. This happens when you shoot a fast twist barrel with a light bullet and the bullet doesn't stabilize. What was the load and type of gun and barrel twist. Kinda need more info. Welcome too a great site.
 
M

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Welcome to TOO. I do rather doubt a tumbling bullet would make it 550 Yds. Possible the bullet hit the ground in front of the target and just by dumb luck bounced up and hit the target backwards. See if there is damage to the bullet nose to verify my thought.
Do it again and I bet you can't.
 
Jackalope

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,855
260
MK111 said:
Welcome to TOO. I do rather doubt a tumbling bullet would make it 550 Yds. Possible the bullet hit the ground in front of the target and just by dumb luck bounced up and hit the target backwards. See if there is damage to the bullet nose to verify my thought.
Do it again and I bet you can't.
Click to expand...

I can remember quite often In the military when shooting at 350 meter popups, a bullet would hit short, tumble, and strike the target with enough force to register as a hit and drop the target. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
 
Ohiosam

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,751
191
Mahoning Co.
Welcome to TOO! Sometimes when bullets transition from supersonic to subsonic they can destabilize.

A few questions. What weight bullet? What twist is the rifling, if you don't know what make/model rifle. Handloads or factory ammo, if Handloads what is the load.
 
Hedgelj

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,190
178
Mohicanish
Ohiosam said:
Welcome to TOO! Sometimes when bullets transition from supersonic to subsonic they can destabilize.

A few questions. What weight bullet? What twist is the rifling, if you don't know what make/model rifle. Handloads or factory ammo, if Handloads what is the load.
Click to expand...

I don't think any common load for the .223 would transition to subsonic that soon. Normally it's 700+ yds.

I am with joe on this one.
 
B

BrockAlbaugh

Junior Member
3
0
Ohiosam said:
Welcome to TOO! Sometimes when bullets transition from supersonic to subsonic they can destabilize.

A few questions. What weight bullet? What twist is the rifling, if you don't know what make/model rifle. Handloads or factory ammo, if Handloads what is the load.
Click to expand...

It is a 50 grain through a 1/9 twist. It is factory ammo. The gun is a Smith and Wesson m&p 15 ORC.
 
RedCloud

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,382
193
North Central Ohio
My .223 with a 1/9 twist shoots a 69gr bullet the best. If I drop down to a 55gr it is always low and to the left because of the spin on the bullet. I was told the lighter bullet spins too fast in the barrel and it actually curves as well as the normal drop. I would go with a heavier bullet and I bet you will have better groups with that 1/9 barrel.
 
GoetsTalon

GoetsTalon

Senior Member
Supporting Member
4,311
128
Walbridge oh
Try moving closer say 300 yards to see what the bullet holes look like. I say it bounced also!!! The tip missing says it hit something before the target but i also remember i had a older colt that had the older style feed ramps that would snap the plastic ballistic tip off while it was being fed into the chamber.
 
"J"

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
57,049
274
North Carolina
Wouldn't the bullet look deformed if it hit the ground??? Take away some of the rifling I would think.....
 
Ohiosam

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,751
191
Mahoning Co.
I believe this rifle has a 16" barrel meaning a lower MV, plus if the ballistic tip broke before firing the B.C. could be low enough to drop to subsonic before 600 yards.

Did other rounds hit the target?
 
Beentown

Beentown

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Supporting Member
15,740
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Sunbury, OH
Ohiosam said:
I believe this rifle has a 16" barrel meaning a lower MV, plus if the ballistic tip broke before firing the B.C. could be low enough to drop to subsonic before 600 yards.

Did other rounds hit the target?
Click to expand...

And if they did hit the target what did the holes look like?
 
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