Brainshot Saga: Barracuda Hunter Extreme

[_walter_]

Recent talks of head vs vitals, figure you guys would like this insight.

In my everlasting quest for the “perfect” hunting pellet, I put something new to the test.

I was shooting .22 hades 15.89 grain and got 4-5 head/brainshots in a row, around 15yrds. Too easy. They were doing some major dancing, jumping around and everything. Sure they were dead, but not DRT in my mind. I sighted my AGT vixen for this pellet and never did any scientific tests, figured everything else would have to work around this zero.

I actually started my PCP journey with h&n brand pellets, they seem to cost more and so I reasoned, were “better”. Anyhow I got on the JSB hypetrain bc of internet.

Long story short I put a mag of barracuda in the other day and today I was pleasantly surprised to see the barracuda go EXACTLY where the crosshairs were, in the eyeball hole and dropped him IMMEDIATELY. No hanging on by a leg or anything. However I feel like whereas the last few times it hit and penetrated the skull and stopped, this time went clean through the brain, change projectors and instead of hitting the tree went into the fence! My heart dropped. I found it lodged and no passthrough. Relieved, never shooting into the fence again! But yea because it went through instead of puncture I guess it’s hard to compare but here’s some pics and video

TDLR h&n barracuda hunter exteme accurate and deadly

 

[Struckat]

Sorry, I don’t understand.
Are you saying you normally don’t get a pass through on a head shot, but you did with the H&N?
The last squirrel I shot was with my HW30 and a 7.33 dome @ 25 yards, it was a pass through. I would expect that your Vixen is much more powerful and would pass through on every shot.

Nice shooting, and I really like that Vixen.

 

[Ranchibi]

Nice shot and video! It seems to me some critters are abnormally tough and also depending on shot placement. If I get a chance to hit a rat behind its ear and sever the spine as well as a partial lobotomy there is zero movement but that shot rarely presents itself...so I get the dance with brain shots 1/2 of the time (rats have smaller heads and probably brains LOL) but with a vitals take the heart out shot, drt.

 

[Gerry52]

I've been using JSB Hades in my .25 cal. Royale for the last 2-3 years and RARELY have any pass-through. They dump all their energy in the small space of a squirrel's cranium & it's devastating. Used to use Hunter Extremes when I had a Hatsan BT65 but my Royale is way more accurate with the Hades. Neck shots just back of the ear are usually DRT. HEART shots usually have same results.

 

[_walter_]

Sorry, I don’t understand.
Are you saying you normally don’t get a pass through on a head shot, but you did with the H&N?
The last squirrel I shot was with my HW30 and a 7.33 dome @ 25 yards, it was a pass through. I would expect that your Vixen is much more powerful and would pass through on every shot.

Nice shooting, and I really like that Vixen.

kind of, I guess all previous shots I was not aware of passthrough because the backdrop was tree or dirt. This time it was the fence so it was very obvious and also this time It went through a clear path of flesh rather than bone.

 

[BlackICE]

With that shot placement it doesn't matter what type of pellet is used. Skull crushed, brain damaged beyond hope.

 

[Bigragu]

Not boasting or trying to one up the original poster, just sharing my experiences with the BHE pellets as those are my go to. I don’t know if it’s the tune, the velocity, the distance, but the majority of the squirrels I pop don’t twitch or shake upon impact. They are hurled up in the air a good 18” and when they land, no movement. The effects of that 28.4g pellet is devastating.

This was the last one I got, approx 25 yards up a tree. His right side was quartered to me so I opted for a shoulder shot and this was the result

I don’t think the H&N BHE in 25 cal get enough kudos. They are an accurate pellet, and high speeds don’t seem to affect them much. Here’s a target at 40 yards, going at 1010 FPS out of my MK2 wildcat. FFP Monstrum 3-18 x 50, with a center dot that covers the center bulls(not good, but I deal with it as it’s not a bench gun)

If you’ve never tried the BHE’s, you ought to give them a try, and do a comparison to the haydes.

I wish H& N made the BHE’s in a 45-48g in 30 cal

 

[Airgun Capital]

Very good to know. Thanks for posting. How much did that tin cost?

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

My 25 akela LOVED the BHE, and they are devastating on game. My other 25 didn't like them as much as the hades.

Actually, seems like my Krals don't like the BHE in any caliber. They shoot ok, but not as tight as the hades. Too bad, I loved that plop they made when hitting brains!