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Range Report Milk jugs to stop a 225.

Bigwheels

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Jun 16, 2007
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    Anacortes WA
    I want to test the terminal ballistics of Hornady's new 225 gr HPBT for use as a back up for my hunting rig.
    How many milk jugs do you think I will need to stack to recover one & 500-600 yds from my 300WM? I'm guessing about 6. What do you think?
    BTW. I dropped a couple into a hard snow bank @ 600yd, but only recovered one. It was only about 40% left, had shed the majority of it's lead, & what jacket remained I could not bend with my hands.
     
    Re: Milk jugs to stop a 225.

    I'm going to guess 10-12 if you can keep it intact.

    I've used milk jugs to try catching some subsonic hard cast from a 44 wildcat.

    460gr hard cast, 16 jugs penetrated and a "pwaaannnnggggzzzzzzz" downrange.

    When those bullets slow down enough to stay intact they take a bunch to stop.
     
    Re: Milk jugs to stop a 225.

    I recently tried the same excercise using a Dynamic Research 190 gr Predator HP .308 load (from Mike @ Southwest Ammunition) @ 100 yd distance. MV from the 22" barrel on my DTA SRS Covert was ~2650 fps. I was hoping to collect the projectile, but it tore through 8 full water jugs like they weren't even there. Fortunately, I had the RO catch the impact using my digital camera on video mode. After looking at the video in slo-mo on my computer at home, I'd say your going to need at least 10-12 jugs as bohem suggested. Maybe even more like 15. Alternatively, a long box divided into sections filled with sand would work, but I wasn't motivated enough to go to that length. I was lucky that the projectile went straight through all 8 jugs. I can easily see how the projectile may go through a few, then turn and exit out the side. Trying to go straight through 12 jugs is going to be a pretty difficult feat, particularly at longer ranges.
     
    Re: Milk jugs to stop a 225.

    Why didn't I think of that?
    My load should have it going a little over 2000 fps @ 600yd. I'd like to think they would work on an elk @ long range. But I can still go back to my 208 A Max if the 225's are too stout to open up @ that velocity. Just hope I can stick with the 225's.
     
    Re: Milk jugs to stop a 225.

    get yerself some 5 gallon buckets with water tight lids. Fill those up and lay them on their sides so you are shooting at the lid (or the bottoms). Do like 4 of those to be safe. Probably would only need 2 or 3.

    If you filled them with sand you would probably only need 1 or 2
     
    Re: Milk jugs to stop a 225.

    Yes, I would reduce the load to 600 yard velocities and test it at 50 or 100 yards. I will have a report on the 225 grain on deer and pigs when hunting season opens. I can not imagine a 225 grain 30 cal bullet not knocking something on it's @$$ from any distance out of a 300WM. I'll be using this bullet for all my 300WM work for hunting and any match shooting.
     
    Re: Milk jugs to stop a 225.

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bigwheels</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yeah. I hear 'ya. My only concern is if the jacket is too stiff, it may pencil through, & I'll have to track an elk into the next county. </div></div>

    Shoot the critter in the shoulder blade.
    The don't go anywhere after that.