Range Report Nosler RDF Terminal ballistics?

[Potss]

With their ludicrous bc/weight ratio and seemingly honest reporting from Nosler this time round, the RDF projectiles are looking very promising as a match bullet. But like the AMAX, SMK/TMK, DTAC, and many other "match" projectiles, I'm very curious if the new RDFs will also prove to be a good game/defensive round.

I'd love to know if anyone has or can gel test any of the RDF bullets, although I'm most interested in the 6.5mm 140gr and .22 70gr. I'd be willing to ship a block of gel if someone is down to test and reliable.

 

[Conrad]

I would not shoot any pointed bullet at game. Odds are very good that they will pencil through. I witnessed it twice one 2 neck shot TX hill country whitetail deer of mine. These deer are small and neck shots are devestating on them, so for this to happen says something. Filed the tips back open with a nail file and regained typical destructive results of a neck shot whitetail deer.

 

[308Gunner]

I have some 140's that I will shoot for you, shoot me a PM

 

[Potss]

PM Sent

 

[HuntinBuddy80]

Interested in this as well.

 

[Potss]

308Gunner is doing the 140gr, and I imagine all of the larger bullets will perform similarly. Still looking for someone to do the 70gr though, as that might be a different story.

 

[Potss]

Ok, 308Gunner really came through, posted some excellent pics and might be following up ITT with a video. Thanks so much! Below are his results & pic:

"I shot the gel this morning the rifle is a 6.5 Super LR the RDF is going 2905. As you can see it did not start to open up until around 7" then the wound cavity is ends at 13.5 and there are fragments still in the block but the majority exited. If you want I can ship the block to you so you can have it but I think at a 100 and farther I would not have a problem hunting with these bullets, hopefully I will get a chance to try one out on a pig"

So it looks like it has a very long neck, which makes it suitable for thicker skinned and larger game, but not two leggers. We don't know about the terminal velocity window, but I'll leave that for someone else to test.

I am still offering to ship ballistics gel to anyone who can test the 70gr RDF!

 

[7mmShooter]

Nice! Thinking of trying the 175s in my 300 Win Mag. Interested in the results on those piggies as well if you can plug one 308Gunner!

 

[Potss]

Ok more to report. Huge shout-out to osu92, he tested the 70gr RDF in an 18in clear ballistics gel block. No stated velocity, but impact was at 83 yards, so a reasonable distance. Attached are the pics:

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"https:\/\/www.snipershide.com\/shooting\/core\/image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw=="}[/IMG2]​

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"https:\/\/www.snipershide.com\/shooting\/core\/image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw=="}[/IMG2]​

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"https:\/\/www.snipershide.com\/shooting\/core\/image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw=="}[/IMG2]​

So as we can see, it has an ~4.5in neck before exhibiting good terminal performance characteristic of other "match" bullets like the SMKs and penetrating a full 14in+. Very fortunately as well, the neck has shrunk over 3in from it's 6.5mm brother above! The gel looks very similar to the mk262mod1 gel tests, which of course used the 77gr SMK. Unfortunately like the older SMKs the neck, while much shorter in .223, is still just a bit longer than most would like for use on some two legged or thin skinned game. While you do lose velocity stepping up to the 77gr TMK, you get a neck that is ~2in shorter. Whether or not that is a good trade really depends on what you are doing with the round.

So now the question is, what is the terminal envelope of the 70gr RDF? I believe the TMK window is 1800fps+ it will frag/deform. That will take more extensive testing, if anyone is up for it let me know.

 

[osu92]

Happy to help out (and frankly was super happy I got a good shot in the middle of the gel - was feeling the pressure not to miss!! ).

Muzzle led velocity on that round was roughly 3125. So far these have been very easy bullets to load with. The four different powder charges I started with were all under .5 moa and the best under .25 moa 3 shot group.

 

[jb1023]

Ok more to report. Huge shout-out to osu92, he tested the 70gr RDF in an 18in clear ballistics gel block. No stated velocity, but impact was at 83 yards, so a reasonable distance. Attached are the pics:

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"https:\/\/www.snipershide.com\/shooting\/core\/image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw=="}[/IMG2]​

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"https:\/\/www.snipershide.com\/shooting\/core\/image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw=="}[/IMG2]​

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"https:\/\/www.snipershide.com\/shooting\/core\/image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw=="}[/IMG2]​

So as we can see, it has an ~4.5in neck before exhibiting good terminal performance characteristic of other "match" bullets like the SMKs and penetrating a full 14in+. Very fortunately as well, the neck has shrunk over 3in from it's 6.5mm brother above! The gel looks very similar to the mk262mod1 gel tests, which of course used the 77gr SMK. Unfortunately like the older SMKs the neck, while much shorter in .223, is still just a bit longer than most would like for use on some two legged or thin skinned game. While you do lose velocity stepping up to the 77gr TMK, you get a neck that is ~2in shorter. Whether or not that is a good trade really depends on what you are doing with the round.

So now the question is, what is the terminal envelope of the 70gr RDF? I believe the TMK window is 1800fps+ it will frag/deform. That will take more extensive testing, if anyone is up for it let me know.

Hey PotSS, I can't see your pics and have tried in 2 different browsers. Any chance you can reload them or is it just me?

 

[Potss]

Interesting, thanks for the heads up. When I view the thread logged in, I see them. When I log out, they don't load. Very odd. Here are imgur links instead:

http://imgur.com/AU06FAS

http://imgur.com/ceb62Kf

http://imgur.com/Ud3nGkt

I hope that works.

 

[jb1023]

Perfect, thank you. I can now see the new pics as well as the links so not sure what is happening to the original pics. Anyway, great pics.

 

[Potss]

Thanks, but thank osu92 too, that is his camera hard at work haha.

Still looking for someone to shoot these at ~400yards or so to test the terminal velocity window.

 

[spife7980]

Id like to see the 70 gr with a 1/4" piece of plywood or something before to see how they would react to a skull or shoulder plate. I imagine just pencil through like my target backer but maybe they expand a bit more with something a tad more solid? idk

 

[Potss]

That would be great see as well if anyone is up for it. I cannot imagine they would be much different than 77gr SMK/TMK but who knows.

 

[Yondering]

I'd be willing to test that, although I don't have any gel. Along with the 70gr RDF I have 77 SMK and 75gr Hdy BTHP loaded up for comparison. Think I've got some 69 TMK as well for that matter.

 

[Potss]

Pm me and I will send you gel for the 400y test. Otherwise I can show you where to get it cheap.

 

[Yondering]

Will send a PM, but I was referring to the plywood comment. I don't have easy access to a 400 yd range where I could set up gel right now.

 

[MTSLW]

I've been shooting prairie dogs with 105 fire forming loads at a mv of 2780 and it bears out the gel results. Broadside shots seem to zip through most of the time. Frontal or rear shots behave much more like a varmint bullet and result in much more dynamic results.