benchrest
Silver $$ Contributor
i will pull this thread back up. i recently did a bullet rpm/expansion test on watermelons & cantaloupe.
i have a 6mmDasher 1:8 - loaded with 55gr noslers 3875fps @ 348,750rpm
recently got a 6bra 1:12 - loaded it with 58gr vmax & 55gr noslers 3875fps @ 242,187rpm
so i always thought in my mind that a fast twist & high rpm would have a bigger explosion. maybe because i read it on the internet... so i tested this theory out.
i put each watermelon & cantaloupe on a stump of wood to get them off the ground. then i used my drone to fly down to 185yards and film each shot. i was then able to watch the videos frame to frame on my phone. results were interesting.
1st watermelon round:
55gr nosler 1:8 vs 58gr vmax 1:12-- no comparison, 58gr slow twist for the win. much better red mist factor. the nosler left a whole lot bigger chunks laying around. 55 didnt have the splat factor i was looking for.
2nd watermelon round:
55nosler 1:8 vs 55nosler 1:12-- this is when i noticed the fast twist was holding this bullet back. yes, the 1:8 blows up the watermelons but not like the 1:12. this time the 55s out of the 1:12 looked more like the vmax explosion as above.
3rd watermelon round (best varmint bullet shootout)
55gr nosler 1:12 vs 58gr vmax 1:12-- very close but the the vmax wins for red mist factor. vmax just leaves the least amount of chunks of watermelon on the ground. i can tell in the video how the nosler pushes through the backside better, its like you can see a red vapor trail through the back. i would guess it to be better on coyote.
now i have over spun and vaporized bullets before they make it to the target. complete bullet disintegration in mid air. a puff of smoke, its not that big of a puff either. if lead all separates as a puff of powder at high rpm, then maybe there isnt as heavy of mass coming apart. same mass but its smaller massed shrapnel coming apart from the bullet at high speed. idk
maybe every bullet has a max rpm for best red mist factor. if i slowed my 1:8 down to 3600-3700fps i could possibly see a completely different outcome. maybe thats why opinions vary on this...heck idk. but for watermelon & cantaloupe as for now, slow twist wins in my tests.
this was just my testings....on fruit. someone else's test may be different. you may get different results depending on what bullets are tested or what you test them on or how fast you spin them, lots of factors. it is kind of fun being able to test bullet rpm side by side though.
i may end up making 75gr vmax loads for each. try to keep them close to the same velocity. any bets on which would win? 1:8 vs 1:12, heavier bullet, slower speed & lower rpm's....
***added images of 58gr 1:12 red mist vs 55nosler 1:8
paused on the frame with max expansion
i have a 6mmDasher 1:8 - loaded with 55gr noslers 3875fps @ 348,750rpm
recently got a 6bra 1:12 - loaded it with 58gr vmax & 55gr noslers 3875fps @ 242,187rpm
so i always thought in my mind that a fast twist & high rpm would have a bigger explosion. maybe because i read it on the internet... so i tested this theory out.
i put each watermelon & cantaloupe on a stump of wood to get them off the ground. then i used my drone to fly down to 185yards and film each shot. i was then able to watch the videos frame to frame on my phone. results were interesting.
1st watermelon round:
55gr nosler 1:8 vs 58gr vmax 1:12-- no comparison, 58gr slow twist for the win. much better red mist factor. the nosler left a whole lot bigger chunks laying around. 55 didnt have the splat factor i was looking for.
2nd watermelon round:
55nosler 1:8 vs 55nosler 1:12-- this is when i noticed the fast twist was holding this bullet back. yes, the 1:8 blows up the watermelons but not like the 1:12. this time the 55s out of the 1:12 looked more like the vmax explosion as above.
3rd watermelon round (best varmint bullet shootout)
55gr nosler 1:12 vs 58gr vmax 1:12-- very close but the the vmax wins for red mist factor. vmax just leaves the least amount of chunks of watermelon on the ground. i can tell in the video how the nosler pushes through the backside better, its like you can see a red vapor trail through the back. i would guess it to be better on coyote.
now i have over spun and vaporized bullets before they make it to the target. complete bullet disintegration in mid air. a puff of smoke, its not that big of a puff either. if lead all separates as a puff of powder at high rpm, then maybe there isnt as heavy of mass coming apart. same mass but its smaller massed shrapnel coming apart from the bullet at high speed. idk
maybe every bullet has a max rpm for best red mist factor. if i slowed my 1:8 down to 3600-3700fps i could possibly see a completely different outcome. maybe thats why opinions vary on this...heck idk. but for watermelon & cantaloupe as for now, slow twist wins in my tests.
this was just my testings....on fruit. someone else's test may be different. you may get different results depending on what bullets are tested or what you test them on or how fast you spin them, lots of factors. it is kind of fun being able to test bullet rpm side by side though.
i may end up making 75gr vmax loads for each. try to keep them close to the same velocity. any bets on which would win? 1:8 vs 1:12, heavier bullet, slower speed & lower rpm's....
***added images of 58gr 1:12 red mist vs 55nosler 1:8
paused on the frame with max expansion
Attachments
Last edited:
