Author Topic: Shockwave Performance on Whitetails? (Read 3730 times)

Crazy Coot · « **on:** July 10, 2009, 03:15:15 AM »

I shot some 250 grain easy glide Shockwaves out of my Triumph last weekend and it seemed to like them really well. I'll be using these for whitetails only. How well have they performed on whitetails for those of you that have used them? Any concerns?

Also, I got the non-bonded type. Do you all prefer the bonded or non-bonded Shockwaves for whitetails only?

Thanks!

cherokee75 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 10, 2009, 05:40:06 AM »

I have used the 300 grain in both bonded and non bonded and with both regular and super glide sabots in my Omega. There are very accurate and have worked well on the three deer and one coyote I have taken with them. I use (2) .50 grain Pyrodex pellets. I have shot the 250 grain bullets and they were very accurate but I have never used them in the field. As far as the bonded vs. non-bonded, my first two deer were with bonded S/Ws and the last was with a non-bonded S/W. All three were complete pass thrus but the non-bonded had a bigger exit wound. Basically, they both are good but there really is no need for bonded ones on deer.

simplicity · « **Reply #2 on:** July 10, 2009, 04:59:13 PM »

I haven't shot the easy glide style sabots out of my encore. I shoot the 250 grain shockwaves, and found them to be quite accurate even with a 150gr charge behind them (I don't use pellets). My last deer I shot with a 250gr. shockwave non-bonded with 150gr charge. The bullet went through both shoulders of the deer at 150yrds. It's the only deer I've shot with them after seeing what it did no I can't see the need for using the bonded ones on deer.

MUTTLY · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2009, 10:14:18 AM »

I've been hunting with the same encore for 10 years, using 250 grain shockwaves for the last 9, dropped over 20 deer from 30 to 215 yards. I started with 100gr of pyrodex pellets, then moved up to 150 gr. I switched to 777 after it came out. Shockwaves group well and simply knock deer down. Even my 215 yard shot was broadside and just behind the shoulder- it passed thru the boiler room and left a great blood trail for the 35 yards that deer traveled.

alsaqr · « **Reply #4 on:** August 15, 2009, 11:21:06 AM »

I've killed 9 or 10 deer and a lot of hogs using the 250 grain SST/Shockwave shot from my Encore. My powder load has varied from 90 grains of JSG to 120 grains of Goex Pinnacle. Using 120 grains of Goex Pinnacle, the bullet always gives pass throughs on deer hit behind the shoulder. It gives pass throughs on hogs hit low behind the shoulder up to about 175 pounds. It does not give pass throughs on the bigger hogs: Not to matter because even big hogs seldom go more than 10 yards after being hit with that bullet.

This 250 grain SST/Shockwave bullet came from a 120 pound sow that was hit at a transit lasered 192 yards. The powder load was 90 grains of JSG. The bullet is missing one petal. It weighs 167 grains. That hog was shot just behind the diaphram. Pieces of the bullet shredded the heart, lungs and diaphram. That sow fell over, kicked for about 30 seconds and expired.

grouse · « **Reply #5 on:** August 15, 2009, 04:40:06 PM »

The 250grn SW has done just fine for me.

Tn Jim · « **Reply #6 on:** August 17, 2009, 06:03:12 AM »

I use a 250 grain SW and 100 grains of loose 777. I took a doe last year at 153 yards through the boiler room. She dropped at the shot and kicked a couple times. Complete pass through with a 3" exit hole. All the others have done the same (3 total) as close as 30 yards. They work!

Double 30 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 01, 2009, 06:14:19 AM »

Anyone know the minimum required velocity to expand bonded and non-bonded Shockwaves? I tried some in my Black Diamond. 90 grains of 3f Swiss got me 1700 fps but I need to know the minimum velocity for reliable expansion.

simonkenton · « **Reply #8 on:** September 01, 2009, 07:07:09 AM »

I am shooting the 250 SST in my Savage. With 43 gr of VV N110, I get 2,300 fps.
It really hammers a deer on a lung shot, doesn't matter if it hits a rib or not, I get a 2 inch exit wound, Bambi is not getting far.

DennyRoark · « **Reply #9 on:** September 01, 2009, 12:29:54 PM »

Quote

Anyone know the minimum required velocity to expand bonded and non-bonded Shockwaves?

Last fall, one of the tech's at Hornady told me 1250FPS for the SST. Bonded, I don't know! Don't bother calling T/C, they don't have a clue. After 20 mins on the phone with T/C, I realized this and called Hornady. The tech they put me with didn't even hesitate when he told me 1250.

My wife shot her doe last year at 125 yds w/80gr of Pyro RS and 250 SW, resulting in a pass thru and a broken shoulder and double lung and the thing ran 200 yds. I don't think that bullet was going 1250FPS when it hit that deer!!!

alsaqr · « **Reply #10 on:** September 01, 2009, 02:33:39 PM »

Quote

I don't think that bullet was going 1250FPS when it hit that deer!!!

Most likely not. 80 grains of Pyrodex RS and the 250 grain SST gives about 1,550 fps at the muzzle.

nomosendero · « **Reply #11 on:** September 01, 2009, 03:35:40 PM »

I have used both the 250 & 300 on several deer & they do well, very good penetration & decent expansion.

MI.sabot · « **Reply #12 on:** September 03, 2009, 03:04:48 PM »

I have a bit of mixed emotions regarding the shockwaves.

I'm shooting the 250 gr easy glides over 85 gr of loose 777 using the 25ACp ignition.
Accuracy is outstanding!

Now within our hunting group over the last 2 years, 7 deer have been taken with 7 shots all using the 250 gr. easy glides. Can't complain with the success ratio. 6 of the 7 have been bang flops. Again not a bad ratio.

But the 2 kills that I have personally been involved with haven't convinved me that this is the bullet I will stick with.

Case 1: I was in the blind with my son 2 yrs ago and he decided to take a relatively small doe at a relatively close range. I was ok with this as it was going to be the first deer he was attempting to harvest. A perfectly placed shot behind the shoulder resulted in a relatively long tracking job. Fortunately there was snow on the ground to follow what I would considered to be a very very light blood trail.

Case 2: Last year I bang flopped a nice doe standing broadside at 130 yds. Entrance wound in the front shoulder, exit wound near the rear on the opposite side. Bullet ran right thru the tenderloins. Hmmmm? Could she have started to turn as I squeezed the trigger, possibly, but I really don't think that was the case.

I really can't argue with the end results but nonetheless I just ordered some Barnes TMZ'a earlier today.
If they print on paper as well as the shockwaves, that's what I'll be taking into the woods this season.

mirage1988 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 03, 2009, 03:39:04 PM »

Haven't used them on whitetails yet, but I shot a 250 pound black bear last nite with a 300 grain bonded shockwave. Broadside shot through the vitals (heart and both lungs) bear went straight down. I wonder if they would be overkill on whitetails though. I have been using 130 grains 777 pellets.

simonkenton · « **Reply #14 on:** September 04, 2009, 11:36:36 AM »

I will bet you will not be happy with the expansion of the 300 bonded Shockwave on deer.

AndyHass · « **Reply #15 on:** September 08, 2009, 08:26:48 AM »

I have been more than pleased with the performance of the 200gr SW at all impact velocities from about 2000 fps down to 800fps.

Not much experience with the 250, never saw the need when the 200 does so well. From 2nd hand experience the 250 seems a little "soft".

I have shot one deer with the bonded 300 and it will be the last. It was a bang-flop, and the bullet did not pass through much meat (high behind shoulder) and hit no bone. But there was ZERO expansion. I got lucky that time and she dropped but that bullet is too hard for deer. I would use it on elk.

mirage1988 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 08, 2009, 01:28:36 PM »

What about the standard 300 grain shockwave or the hornady sst on deer, or should I use a lighter bullet for more velocity? I keep my shots under 100 yards as we aren't allowed to use scopes in this stupid state during muzzleloader season.

simonkenton · « **Reply #17 on:** September 08, 2009, 03:58:00 PM »

You are shooting a heavy charge of powder there, mirage.
You would be happy with the performance of the standard 250 SST on deer.

AndyHass · « **Reply #18 on:** September 08, 2009, 07:30:15 PM »

Shockwave, SST are the same bullet sold under 2 different brands with a different color plastic tip.

mirage1988 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 09, 2009, 12:23:22 PM »

Quote from: AndyHass on September 08, 2009, 07:30:15 PM

Shockwave, SST are the same bullet sold under 2 different brands with a different color plastic tip.

I know, but the hornady isn't bonded, is it? I have some sst's and some bonded shockwaves so my question was should use the hornady's over the shockwaves for deer?

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #20 on:** September 09, 2009, 01:49:33 PM »

The Shockwave is sold both ways - bonded and non-bonded. I have yet to see anyone recommend the bonded version for shooting whitetails.

alsaqr · « **Reply #21 on:** September 09, 2009, 11:09:02 PM »

Quote

I have yet to see anyone recommend the bonded version for shooting whitetails.

+1
The bonded Shockwave is responsible for a lot of the complaints about failure of the SST/Shockwave to expand on deer.

AndyHass · « **Reply #22 on:** September 10, 2009, 04:48:56 PM »

I can't speak for the 250, but I did shoot 1 deer last year with the BONDED 300gr. I did not hit any bone and the shot was very high in the chest so there was only about 6in of flesh passed thru. Now the deer flopped right over, but the bullet did NOT expand at all.

Keep the bonded bullets for elk, bear or hogs.

KAYR1 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 11, 2009, 09:24:51 AM »

I can only speak of whitetails here, but the shockwave has put a ton of venison in my freezer. They shoot well in my Encore, expand, exit and kill very reliably. They are easily found at local big box stores as well.

DennyRoark · « **Reply #24 on:** September 11, 2009, 09:26:49 AM »

Quote

Last fall, one of the tech's at Hornady told me 1250FPS for the SST. Bonded, I don't know! Don't bother calling T/C, they don't have a clue. After 20 mins on the phone with T/C, I realized this and called Hornady. The tech they put me with didn't even hesitate when he told me 1250.

Just got off the phone with Doug at Hornady, just to double check minimum terminal velocity of 250gr SST and he told me 1650. Wow, a lot of my loads probably aren't doing THAT at 100 yds.

2 different tech's in 10 months at the same company, two different answers...go figure!

LONGTOM · « **Reply #25 on:** October 16, 2009, 03:44:11 PM »

I agree compleately with AndyHass.
The 200gr SWs do so well I don't use anything else.
The bonded SWs are just to hard.
A friend used the bonded 250gr SWs last year in his Pro Hunter with three 777s and lost three out of the five deer he shot.
Two were never found and the one that was found showed a good hit behind the shoulders with a full pass through and no expansion.
The same with the two he did harvest, no expansion.
This year he has switched to the yellow tip non bonded SWs.
I think he will be pleased with them.

LONGTOM

alsaqr · « **Reply #26 on:** October 17, 2009, 12:23:39 PM »

Just got off the phone with Doug at Hornady, just to double check minimum terminal velocity of 250gr SST and he told me 1650. Wow, a lot of my loads probably aren't doing THAT at 100 yds.

I shot a 120 pound sow at 192 measured yards with my Encore using the 250 grain SST driven by 90 grains of JSG. The muzzle velocity of that bullet was about 1,500-1,600 fps. The bullet broke two ribs going in and stuck in the ribcage on the off side. That bullet expanded well and now weighs 167 grains: I doubt that the velocity of that bullet was 900 fps when it hit that sow.

1sourdough · « **Reply #27 on:** October 17, 2009, 02:35:35 PM »

I'll bet you didn't run your bullets pushed by 90 grns of JSG through a chronograph?? Last Fall my friend shot some 250 grn Shockwaves pushed by 120 grns of Jim Shockey's Gold through my chrony. He was getting an erratic 1550+/-, mostly -. I know speed isn't everything, but consistancy is very important. He switched to B209, which gave a steady 1950 fps.

alsaqr · « **Reply #28 on:** October 17, 2009, 04:20:31 PM »

Quote

I'll bet you didn't run your bullets pushed by 90 grns of JSG through a chronograph??

No i did not, but i did run 110 grains of JSG and the 250 grain SST in the tight fitting red sabot through my chrono and the chrony of a friend; 1,725 fps and consistent. JSG likes a very tight fitting sabot seated hard on the powder: One can feel the powder compress when you lean hard on the ramrod. Inconsistency with JSG comes from a failure to seat the bullet the same every time. Some of my best groups have been fired with JSG.

1sourdough · « **Reply #29 on:** October 18, 2009, 12:08:09 AM »

Yes, maybe he had some seating issues, that was out of my hands.