500 s&W jacket fragmentation

[cberge8]

Shot some 500gn Hornady SP bullets yesterday and while packing up to leave the range noticed many copper jacket fragments withing about 2-5 feet of the firing line and one on the bench. I am sure these were not here when I started shooting because I scrounged the range for brass and saw nothing of the sort.

I am seating to the cannelure and charging with 32gn of H110 with a heavy crimp.

I was unable to attempt to dig any spent rounds from the burn due to others shooting when I left.

What could be causing this? Could it be that I am over crimping? I slowly adjusted my crimp until I got no bullet pull after 4 shots. Or do these projectiles have a tendency to do this?

 

[Steve Koski]

Wow. Never seen that before, but I haven't shot that bullet either. Keep us posted on what you learn.

 

[cberge8]

The only other thing I can think of is that it was separating when it hit the backstop, earth berm about 25 feet away, and splattering back.

At this range it normally rains dirt/mud with every shot from this beast.

 

[gamestalker]

About the only thing that could be causing this is splatter coming back from the dirt burm your shooting at. I don't load those 500 gr. big boys, but I'm fairly certain that they wouldn't be coming apart, even with a 32.0 gr. charge of H110. If your little 500 isn't out of time or loose, thus shaving bullets, then those Hornady's will stay together very well, even with H110 under them. I load a lot with H110 and Hornady's and have even pushed 110 gr. XTP's with a full tilt charge of H110 under them, and they stay together just fine, even from a snubby.

I think your good to go, unless you do have a timing problem or loose firearm.

GS