Nosler ballistic tips

[HUNT2MUCH]

Whats the general opinion of ballistic tips,I found a good deal on 30 cal 165 and 180's, I am now hearing some grumbling from other sources --- now that I have a couple hundred loaded up of course!!I have yet to shoot anything with em, but am hopefully headed to wy for a deer hunt this year.

H2M

 

[danr55]

Hunt2much, Welcome to moosies. It's a pretty good place to be if you cant be hunting.

Nosler ballistic tip bullets have been my bullet of choice since I started hunting. I find them to be extremely accurate and very deadly. I don't know what kind of rumblings youre hearing, but I would be willing to debate the propriety of this bullet with anyone. If you shoot straight, they will do the job.

------------------
Dan AZ www.huntandlodge.com

 

[Nodak Hunter]

Ballistic Tips are probably the most polarizing subject on the various shooting and hunting forums. I will relate my limited experience with them, and then we can go from there.

My first big game rifle was a .308 Winchester Model 70, and my second was a Ruger Model 77 In .270. I liked the lower recoil with the .270, and used it on whitetails and pronghorns. The .308 became my mulie/black bear/elk rifle.

Being both a Jack O'Connor fan, and an impressionable young lad, I developed a load utilizing 130 gr. Ballistic Tips scooting along at about 3,100 fps. Accuracy was far and away better with these bullets than the Speers and Hornadys I'd tried, so I was quite confident in my rifle, my load, and my shooting ability.

My first hunt with them was a whitetail hunt, and I took a goodly sized buck at about 180 yards. The shot was almost broadside, and the bullet entered about 2" behind his shoulder, and exited with a rather large hole about 5" behind his opposite shoulder. He dropped in his tracks, and was dead before he hit the ground. Feeling invincible, I was ready to take on anything with this deadly combo.

My next shot at game was later in the year, pronghorn hunting. I was sneaking along in a ravine, stalking some goats I'd glassed earlier in the day. I eased up over the lip, and there they were, not 50 yards away. I quietly set up for my shot, and fired at a billy standing broadside. The bullet hit him, there was a tremendous crack from the impact, he hunched his back, and started stumbling away. Puzzled, I watched for a few seconds, expecting him to go down, and he started speeding up. I took a rear quartering shot on him, and hit him in the rear ham, just as he was getting up to speed. He went down in a heap, but was still kicking. This shot hit him at a distance of around 120 yards.

As I came up to him, he expired. An examination of him revealed that my first shot hit high, (he was only 50 yards away, my zero was 250 yards)and the bullet struck him squarely in the vertebra slightly behind his shoulder blade. The bullet did not break his back, but it did fragment dramatically, as evidenced by copper shards embedded in his vertebra and his hide. That injured, and stunned him enough to almost put him down, but he shook it off and went another 50-60 yards before my next shot hit him in the ham. (tough goat, he was) That bullet performed well, penetrating some 8" of meat, and then angling up through the stomach into the lungs. It nicked the far lung, and the base was found imbedded in the far side ribcage. Total penetration was on the order of 18-20", with the remains of the bullet weighing about 65 grains. My confidence in a lot of things was shaken that day.

In retrospect, I realized two things had conspired against me on the first shot. I had not held low enough for the shot, and the velocity of the bullet was very high at impact. Had only one of these been in effect, I probably would be singing the praises of the BT today, and still be using them exclusively. But the most important thing I learned that day was that I'm not perfect. I can make a mistake. I don't want a bullet that demands a perfectly placed shot every time, or it's cripple city. I now use Grand Slams, Partitions, and Interlocks. I've had no problems with any of their performance on some thirty head of game.

I'm not saying anyone is "wrong" or "stupid" for using BTs. I'm just saying that I prefer other bullets.

 

[missed]

On Nosler BT's-a lady I shoot with and reload for took a 287 yard antelope with a 165 grain in her 30/06 last September. The bullet worked fine. In December she shot a 200 yard oryx on White Sands with the same bullet. It worked well again. I think that some of the bad stories about the BT's are coming from magnum loads at close range.
my 2 scents
missed

 

[Anaconda]

I use em & swear by em for deer sized game.
Don't try to break big bones with ballistic tips, aim for the hart/lungs, nothing will drop em faster.

 

[Nodak Hunter]

Missed, Anaconda,

I agree with both your posts. I like bullets that can mash through bone if necessary. The kills with a Partition may not leave the spectacular exit hole that a BT may, but the critters are still dead.

Just a matter of personal preference, but expressing our opinions and experiences is what HUNT2MUCH was expecting when he asked the question, I believe.

-Brett

 

[WDSWIFT]

HUNT2MUCH, Man what a smelly can of worms you've opened up here. These bullets are a love hate item if there ever was one. Ya either love 'em or hate 'em.
My experience with them has been highly favorable for a host of reasons.
First, I subscribe to the philosiphy that a bullet that passes through the animal expends "wasted" energy upon the tree, rock, dirt, or whatever it hits on the other side. What good is 3000ftlbs of energy if 2000 is expended on the tree on the other side of the target? You might as well have used a (smaller rifle). Just my opinion.
Secondly, around here a hunting bullet that ricochets is unacceptable to me. I've never heard one of the NBT's come off the ground.
Third I expect a bullet to go where I sent it. Again the NBT's shoot consistantly the tightest groups for me.

I have used the NBT's in my 223, 220 Swift, 243, and 30-06 and have been happy as a lark with the results in all of them.

With the 243, I've shot deer from 20 to 150 yds, straight on from the front, through the shoulder, and broadside through the boiler room... no exit wounds all one shot kills dead before they hit the ground with 70gr bullets.
With the '06 I've taken them, straight on, through the shoulders, broad side, and withers shots, and same results, one shot kills.. dead before they hit the ground but in more spectacular fashion than the 243 as one would expect. Distances of from 80 to just over 200 yds,using 125gr NBT's. Only one exit wound so far. Bullets recovered showed me approx. 50-60% weight retention.

Bottom line, if you can place 'em where they need to be shoot 'em. If you like to avoid controversy like I do, just be careful who ya tell you're using them.

WD

 

[josh]

Funy things can happen when you shoot an animal, I too like the BT's for deer, I have never had a problem with them. It seems to me you can shoot 10 deer hitting the same place on each of them and get 10 different results, some drop, some run a little, some a lot!

I shot one deer using Barnes X bullets, right behind the shoulder. He kept walking as if nothing happened!! A second shot to the neck dropped him.......I could barely fit my finger in the exit hole on the other side.....Too much penetration???? I think so...

 

[HUNT2MUCH]

OK, the tally is in, I think I'll try em ,nay maybe I won't,yah I think I will.no really I will. hey thanks for the imput everbody! why do I feel like I'm about to date my um um sister here ?? shoot straight and play hard h2m

 

[Shaky]

HuntToMuch,

This is my first post to this board. I have been using ballistic tips on deer for about 15 years now. Last year I killed a deer at 75 yards with my 300 win mag pushing 180gr ballistic tips at 3200 FPS out of a 29" barrel. I hit it high in the shoulder and the bullet exited out the opposite side low in the chest (I was in a stand where my line of sight is about 16'). That deer was dead before it hit the ground. Two days later I killed another deer at 388 yards, broadside, double lung shot. The bullet came out the opposite side leaving about a 2 1/2" diameter hole. That deer went about 30 yards and dropped.

In 1998 I killed a deer at 380 yards when the bullet broke it's back (my shot was slightly high) and the bullet did go all the way thru. It died instantly. Not 20 seconds after killing that deer I killed another deer at 420 yards. I hit it just ahead of the left rump (quartering away) and the bullet went clean thru the deer and exited the right chest and broke it's right front leg on exit. That deer went 30 yards and piled up dead. These were all doe (whitetail).

I have heard stories where the ballistic tips have exploded on impact. I have never had that happen to me personally and I have killed at least 25 deer using them in various calibers (150gr in a 7mm mag and 180 gr in a 300 win mag).

If I had to pick one bullet to cleanly kill deer out to 300 yards I would select the Speer hot core. They aren't as flat shooting or as accurate as the ballistic tips but they sure kill better.

I have my 300 win mag worked out to 650 yards for the purpose of killing deer. I do this for a reason which I will explain. I have a handicap which doesn't allow me to shoot offhand, therefor I shoot off a bench, front rest and rear bag. It is the only way I can cleanly kill an animal.

These results are mine and mine alone and not to be confused with the results of others.

Safe Hunting, Don

 

[MLM]

Running in throwing can of gas on fireplace!! Ah should get nice and warm in here now!

As far as Noslers go, I belive if you live and hunt in the lower 48 it is about the only bulet a man needs! I have had amny talks with there tech. Dept. and have done soem testing for the .260 for them. (can we say free stuff) They will tell you the lowest two bullets in the Nosler bullet class is for varmints! The rest are for game or hunting! I have used and will TRUST the 165 and 180 grain Noslers for Deer sized game and up to Elk! Now for Elk I do like the Nosler Par. bullet better! But as it has been stated I want all of the bullet energy to be used in and on the game, not on the tree, dirt or rock behind it!
So I guess you can say , not to worry use what you got loaded up and you will have no problems!
Mike Murphy

 

[danr55]

Hi Shaky, Welcome to Moosies board. It's a pretty good place to be, if you can't be hunting.

The Nosler bullet line is basically broken up into 3 catagories. The lighter weight ballistic tip bullets in each caliber are very frangible and best used for varmints. Those boxes are marked "Varmint bullets". The rest of the ballistic tip bullets in each caliber are marked as "Big Game" bullets and are suitable for thin skinned big game such as deer, antelope, etc. The partition bullets are all designed to take heavier game or game that may present a problem in penetration. The partition that give them thier name, keeps the rear core intact after the forward core has disipated during impact.

That is the end of my disertation on Nosler bullets except to say that the most spectacular shot I've ever seen on a big bull elk was made with a ballisitc tip bullet. A 300 Weatherby, 180 grain ballistic tip at about 80 yards. The bullet struck the elk just behind the shoulder, all four legs went out in different directions and the elk was dead when he hit the ground. I don't suggest using ballistic tips on elk, but dont' ever say they don't work.

------------------
Dan AZ www.huntandlodge.com

 

[MLM]

Now that I am tired from running up and down the stairs to recheck the boxes! Dan you are the man! BUT , in the OLD days (I still have some of the old red boxes) they were not marked as such! Even up to 3 years ago there tech guys would waffle about using them on big game! Ah but again Dan hit the nail on the head! Must be part Amish, Hey if you are what are you doing with electric!!!I though all you guys were carpenters!

Mike Murphy

 

[Shaky]

DanR55,

Thanks for the welcome. I guess I should introduce myself before I go rambling on.

I am an old godger from Northwestern PA. I enjoy watching woodchucks EXPLODE when they get a 52gr Berger for dinner

I like to hunt deer as well. If I had to shoot a deer offhand I would quit hunting. I would get as many deer in my living room as out in the field. My "handle" stems from the fact that I shake like crazy. Some drunk driving a tri-axle dump truck decided I made a good hood ornament back in 1973. Ever since I have been shaking like a dog chittin razor blades. It has gotten worse over the years. Oh, I was on a motorcycle when that drunk hit me. They estimated he was going about 50 MPH when I became part of his grill.

Since I can't hold a rifle steady enough to hit the broad side of a barn (from inside the barn) I hunt using a bench, front rest and rear bag. I have opted for the long range stuff because it is rather difficult carrying a 90lb bench, front rest, rear bag, rifle on a stalk LOL. If anybody is interested in killing animals way out there, I love it. So far "way out there" for me is 650 yards. I did get real lucky 2 years ago and killed a woodchuck at 660 yards with my 22. I should clarify, my 22 CHeetah MK 1.

In any case I hope to have a lot of fun and educational conversations with all of you.

Good Luck, Be Safe, Don