Can varmint bullets blow up on tall grass?

[flabbydan]

:? It may seem like a silly question, but I'll ask it anyway.  Do any of the polymer-tipped varmint bullets, Hornady SX, or Sierra Blitz, etc. start to fragment upon hitting tall grass, either near the muzzle (as in shooting from the prone position) or at the target?  I'm just curious.  I don't have a lot of varmint hunting experience, but it seems like when I spot a groundhog, it's often moving around in some tall grass, and I've often wondered if one of those super-frangible little bullets might come apart before arriving on target.  Of course, I'm not talking about shooting at a critter in vegetation so thick that it can't be clearly identified.

[Questor]

Yes! It's amazing! You wouldn't think it possible, but they really can.

I've hit dirt clods with them and then found the deformed bullet laying on the ground.  I've shot them at the edge of a sheet of paper and could see the lead spatter marks from when it was tearing through the page lengthwise.

[skb2706]

Can't tell you about the grass cause on the dog farms it tends to be very short. But I have made afew hits that could be chalked up to bullet spray.....bullet hits directly in front of them on the ground and chops 'em up. Probably more frangible than a plastic tip bullet ....take one of those Speer TNT .224 bullets that was made for under 3400 fps.....load it up to 3900 in a 1-14 twist barrel. Shoot one ofthose thru a single piece of cardboard and it will totally come apart. It has been said in a faster twist barrel they will come apart in flight.

[Lawdog]

flabbydan,

Yes they can.  The lighter the weight the easier it can happen.  Especially in heavy grass like Sudan grass.  Also those high speed .224 caliber jobs easily deflect on heavy grass.  I took a shot at a ground squirrel with my .224 Weatherby Magnum one time and hit his buddy that was three feet behind him and off to the left.  I guess it was just his day to die.  Small groups and tight lines to you.  Lawdog
 

[oso45-70]

Flabbydan
Dan, You can set yourself up a couple or three targets one behind the other say five feet apart and get one of the hot little 224 or 17 cal's and shoot through them and check your results. A lot of the time you can see the burn on the first one then it gets more pronounced with each sheet of paper you go through. Take Care Dan..............Joe

[varmit_master]

Hi Dan the Speer TNT and the Hornady SPSX bullets  can like if you shoot them out of a 22 250 and a hot load of powder behinde them i down load the 50gr SX to shoot out of my 22 250 VM

[scruffy]

Yep, I hunt alot of pasture and fields with terraces and have to be aware of the thick stemmed grass.  Last November I have a coyote lip squeeked stop 120 yards infront of me, broad side, I squeezed the trigger on my 223 and the coyote stood there.  The crossairs where on his side when I pulled the trigger and were still in the fur after the recoil, so I knew something went a rye.  10 feet infront of me were 6 blades of thick grass with the coyote 120 yards on the other side.  5 blades of grass were 4" taller than the 1 blade of grass directly between me and the coyote, and that 1 blade of grass was the same height as the barrel.....

I can't say if the bullet blew up when it hit the grass, but it's a good chance.  Win 45 jhp white box varmint advertised at 3600fps out a 1-7" twist barrell...  The barrel has spun apart 40 grain BTHP's so I think the 45 grainers are probably on the edge out my 223.

later,
scruffy

[KN]

I once shot a butterfly that landed on my 100meter target. Hit it square centered with a 55 gr blitz king from a 22/250. Blew about a 30 caliber hole through the target where it was perched. Really surprised me how big a hole it produced.   KN

[New Hampshire]

Hey KN, did ya skin it and eat it?  Ive always wondered what Butterfly tastes like....I doubt it tastes like butter  :-D .
Brian M.

[oso45-70]

Sure they taste like ( butter ) why would they call them butter flies if they didn't taste like butter ? Makes sence to me.
.........................................Joe............................................................

[Glanceblamm]

Very interesting subject along with a great shot by KN!

I do think that some of these bullets come apart easily such as when shooting an SX bullet at .22-250 velocities.
I would place this as being the lesser of the evil's compared to what happens when the bullet touches the thick stemmed stuff.
The Diameter, weight, and lenght determins the stability. This stability is destroyed when the bullet touches something realitivly small.

Most of us have seen this happen in the form of a violent ricochet when a .22 LR Bullet encounters a twig not much bigger than a horse hair!

[DirtyHarry]

 Ive always wondered what Butterfly tastes like....Brian M.

They taste like chicken.....

[trappenjoe]

Boy I was way off ,I thought they tasted like spotted owl. lol
LIL JOE

[Glanceblamm]

And the river rat, having been arrested for killing & eating a Sandhill Crane was being questioned in a court of law.

Just what does a Sandhill crane taste like, the Lawyer ask him sarcastically. Oh, about like one of dem Bald eagles he replyed.   :lol: