Strange?!?!?!

[BrockAlbaugh]

I was shooting long ranges yesterday with a .223, and by long ranges I mean 550+ yards. After a few shots I decided to go look at the target, which is that plastic poster board that looks like cardboard. When I walk up to the target I realized there was a bullet stuck in it. The weird part was it was stuck in the target backward. It had the rifling on it and the ballistic tip was gone, but other than that it was unharmed. Neither me, my dad, or a friend we were shooting with had any Idea what happened. Would anybody have any clue?

Thanks

 

[Big_Holla]

I'm by no means any kind of gun pro but it sounds like the bullet tumbled on it's way. Any chance there was some brush or weeds along the way?

 

[Big_Holla]

Welcome to TOO by the way!!

 

[BrockAlbaugh]

I'm by no means any kind of gun pro but it sounds like the bullet tumbled on it's way. Any chance there was some brush or weeds along the way?

Nope. Shooting from one hill to another.

 

[Bigslam51]

Welcome to TOO by the way!!

Ya, glad you could join us.

 

[yotehunter]

Sounds like your loading too light of bullet and they are keyholeing. This happens when you shoot a fast twist barrel with a light bullet and the bullet doesn't stabilize. What was the load and type of gun and barrel twist. Kinda need more info. Welcome too a great site.

 

[MK111]

Welcome to TOO. I do rather doubt a tumbling bullet would make it 550 Yds. Possible the bullet hit the ground in front of the target and just by dumb luck bounced up and hit the target backwards. See if there is damage to the bullet nose to verify my thought.
Do it again and I bet you can't.

 

[Jackalope]

Welcome to TOO. I do rather doubt a tumbling bullet would make it 550 Yds. Possible the bullet hit the ground in front of the target and just by dumb luck bounced up and hit the target backwards. See if there is damage to the bullet nose to verify my thought.
Do it again and I bet you can't.

I can remember quite often In the military when shooting at 350 meter popups, a bullet would hit short, tumble, and strike the target with enough force to register as a hit and drop the target. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

 

[Ohiosam]

Welcome to TOO! Sometimes when bullets transition from supersonic to subsonic they can destabilize.

A few questions. What weight bullet? What twist is the rifling, if you don't know what make/model rifle. Handloads or factory ammo, if Handloads what is the load.

 

[Hedgelj]

Welcome to TOO! Sometimes when bullets transition from supersonic to subsonic they can destabilize.

A few questions. What weight bullet? What twist is the rifling, if you don't know what make/model rifle. Handloads or factory ammo, if Handloads what is the load.

I don't think any common load for the .223 would transition to subsonic that soon. Normally it's 700+ yds.

I am with joe on this one.

 

[BrockAlbaugh]

Welcome to TOO! Sometimes when bullets transition from supersonic to subsonic they can destabilize.

A few questions. What weight bullet? What twist is the rifling, if you don't know what make/model rifle. Handloads or factory ammo, if Handloads what is the load.

It is a 50 grain through a 1/9 twist. It is factory ammo. The gun is a Smith and Wesson m&p 15 ORC.

 

[RedCloud]

My .223 with a 1/9 twist shoots a 69gr bullet the best. If I drop down to a 55gr it is always low and to the left because of the spin on the bullet. I was told the lighter bullet spins too fast in the barrel and it actually curves as well as the normal drop. I would go with a heavier bullet and I bet you will have better groups with that 1/9 barrel.

 

[Beentown]

Another vote for Joes conclusion. I have done it before at 650 yards shooting at a piece of Quartet plastic.

 

[GoetsTalon]

Try moving closer say 300 yards to see what the bullet holes look like. I say it bounced also!!! The tip missing says it hit something before the target but i also remember i had a older colt that had the older style feed ramps that would snap the plastic ballistic tip off while it was being fed into the chamber.

 

["J"]

Wouldn't the bullet look deformed if it hit the ground??? Take away some of the rifling I would think.....

 

[Ricer2231]

Reloads or factory loads?

 

["J"]

Reloads or factory loads?

Factory....

 

[Ohiosam]

I believe this rifle has a 16" barrel meaning a lower MV, plus if the ballistic tip broke before firing the B.C. could be low enough to drop to subsonic before 600 yards.

Did other rounds hit the target?

 

[Beentown]

I believe this rifle has a 16" barrel meaning a lower MV, plus if the ballistic tip broke before firing the B.C. could be low enough to drop to subsonic before 600 yards.

Did other rounds hit the target?

And if they did hit the target what did the holes look like?

 

[yotehunter]

Too much twist for 50 grain bullet jmo .