Tattered Paper?

wilee.wade

New member
Took my rifle (.280AI) out to check it's zero before hunting. The place I shoot is very informal. I was in a hurry and forgot to take a board to put targets on. Luckly(?) there was a piece of Hardybacker (really hard board for behind tile) up there. I shot with my Barnes TSX bullets that the holes in the target were really tattered. Today I went to shoot again, this time I took some 1/2" plywood and my holes were really tattered again, not to the extent as last time. My buddy, shooting same caliber rifle (different bullets) was punching perfect holes in the paper. I shot a different target on a different place on the board and the holes were better. Think it was just a hard spot on the plywood (like the Hardybacker)? The Barnes bullets expanding that fast? Anyone else ever see this? Thanks in advance for you suggestions.
 
Not a keyhole, there is a hole where the bullet entered but the paper is just torn outward around the hole. Like it is "exploding" when it hits.
 
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Almost like a splash. Seen it before shooting .22lr at a target with a metal backdrop. Bullets fragment and shred the target with bullet frags. No experience with Barnes so I'm
Not sure if that's normal or a manufacturing issue on that lot. But seems to me they would at least penetrate half inch plywood before fragmenting.
 
I shoot targets taped to old real estate signs that are metal. I always get splashes with v-maxs but have never shot Barnes. I figured that is just the nature of the V-max being a frangible bullet.
 
When your backer is too hard of a surface your bullets and pieces of them along with pieces of your backer will tear up your targets. I have a simple frame that holds cardboard sheets that I staple my targets on. No tearing and the holed are perfect.
 
Plywood is terrible for a backer. It explodes when the bullet hits and leaves a ragged hole. I use old or new political or advertising signs. They're all over the place. Up and down the road, just stop and snag them. Also a good piece of heavy cardboard works well too. Usually gives you a nice round hole and the target doesn't tear.
 
Nothing you shoot at will care how clean the holes on paper are. AS long as the bullets go where you want the tsx will have no issue. I've used them on 2 animals so far, very little damage on either side of the animal and massive destruction inside. Neither animal has taken more than 1 jump after being hit, and no blood even on the hide. But seeing what happened inside, there was nothing to move blood outside the skin.

 
I use real estate/political/advertising plastic corrugated signs for backers that leave nice round holes in the paper.
 
Originally Posted By: NdIndyNothing you shoot at will care how clean the holes on paper are. AS long as the bullets go where you want the tsx will have no issue. I've used them on 2 animals so far, very little damage on either side of the animal and massive destruction inside. Neither animal has taken more than 1 jump after being hit, and no blood even on the hide. But seeing what happened inside, there was nothing to move blood outside the skin.



I have had the same experience with all of the critters I have shot with Barnes TSX thus far. Amazing bullets. Just wanting to make sure I didn't have something weird going on.
 
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