Whitetail bullet options

[cjmac]

Morning , new here and never used nosler bullets . I hunt southern alabama whitetail. Thay are fairly small compared. 90-100 lb does 120-150lb bucks ..
Have always been curious about the nosler ballistic tip and Partition and how thay would preform on thin skin deer . We always used the winchester silvertip or corelokt . Im looking for something thats gonna leave a hole like the old corelokt did . Out longest shot is bout 150 yards .
Normally make neck shots or above the shoulder .
Shot one last year with a sierra gameking btsp . Did the job but didnt pass through on the neck .
Thanks , chris

 

[JD338]

Welcome to the forum.
The Nosler BT was designed to be a deer bullet. I’ve taken countless deer with BTs in various calibers and weights resulting in a dead deer. Most are DRT but some have run but not far leaving a good blood trail. I’ve only recovered one.
BT’s are accurate. If you can’t get them to shoot, you have bigger issues with the rifle.

JD338

 

[cjmac]

Welcome to the forum.
The Nosler BT was designed to be a deer bullet. I’ve taken countless deer with BTs in various calibers and weights resulting in a dead deer. Most are DRT but some have run but not far leaving a good blood trail. I’ve only recovered one.
BT’s are accurate. If you can’t get them to shoot, you have bigger issues with the rifle.

JD338

From what I hear the BT is the same as the ballistic silvertip ? I have a friend that used them , work good ..
Correct me if wrong but the Partition has a fast soft mushrooming front-end while the read holds solid to push it through?

 

[JD338]

From what I hear the BT is the same as the ballistic silvertip ? I have a friend that used them , work good ..
Correct me if wrong but the Partition has a fast soft mushrooming front-end while the read holds solid to push it through?

The Winchester Ballistic Silver Tip is the Nosler Ballistic Tip with the Winchester Lubalox coating to the jacket and a gray polymer tip.
The Partition uses dual lead cores. The front core is designed to expand and is sometimes lost but the rear core is locked in to maintain weight for deep penetration.

JD338

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Welcome. Jim has given you good information. I can testify that either the BT or PT bullets are good deer getters. As he said if your rifle won't group the BTs then there is some other issue. Used a 120gr BT in my 7mm08 this past buck season second week on a small buck and it was complete pass thru with a short trot of 20 yards. What caliber are you wanting to use Nosler bullets in? Lots of good informative members on here willing to help. Dan.

 

[JMRhino]

I too use NOS BTs in 7mm-08 (120gn &140gn), .270 (130gn) and .257 (115gn) on Whitetails of similar size in GA and VA. I generally stay away from a true shoulder shot with BTs but I have never had any issues with full penetrations. I don't use partitions a lot because I don't feel they're needed for deer in the southeast. Furthermore, they seem to be a little more finicky in handloads.

My favorite BT load is my 7-08 with 120 NOS BTs and max load of RamShot Big Game.

 

[bdbrown66]

Welcome. While you are checking out deer bullets, don't overlook the Hornady SST. It's their version of the Nosler BT. I've used both with good success.

Brian

 

[JMRhino]

I too use NOS BTs in 7mm-08 (120gn &140gn), .270 (130gn) and .257 (115gn) on Whitetails of similar size in GA and VA. I generally stay away from a true shoulder shot with BTs but I have never had any issues with full penetrations. I don't use partitions a lot because I don't feel they're needed for deer in the southeast. Furthermore, they seem to be a little more finicky in handloads.

My favorite BT load is my 7-08 with 120 NOS BTs and max load of RamShot Big Game.

Doe at 120 yards courtesy 7-08 w/ 120gn BTs.

 

[cjmac]

The Winchester Ballistic Silver Tip is the Nosler Ballistic Tip with the Winchester Lubalox coating to the jacket and a gray polymer tip.
The Partition uses dual lead cores. The front core is designed to expand and is sometimes lost but the rear core is locked in to maintain weight for deep penetration.

JD338

After reading more , I was wondering if the Partition would be to "tough" to mushroom on small whitetail? The site says bear , moose and elk

 

[cjmac]

Doe at 120 yards courtesy 7-08 w/ 120gn BTs.
View attachment 28940

Definitely leaves a hole lol

 

[wvbuckbuster]

I too use NOS BTs in 7mm-08 (120gn &140gn), .270 (130gn) and .257 (115gn) on Whitetails of similar size in GA and VA. I generally stay away from a true shoulder shot with BTs but I have never had any issues with full penetrations. I don't use partitions a lot because I don't feel they're needed for deer in the southeast. Furthermore, they seem to be a little more finicky in handloads.

My favorite BT load is my 7-08 with 120 NOS BTs and max load of RamShot Big Game.

Man after my own heart

 

[JD338]

The PT is designed to expand even at lower velocities so they will work well on WT deer. What are you shooting?

JD338

 

[salmonchaser]

I started using 150 gr. Ballistic tips out of an 06 when they came out. Killed an awful lot of mule deer with it. I’ve also used it to good success in the 257 roberts and 7x57. Simply a great deer antelope bullet. Nosler did toughen them up some as folks started using them on elk. My favorite spot to hunt mule deer puts me on top of a tall cliff looking down on where my brothers will move deer. I’ve killed quite a few over the years shooting down, striking the deer through the spine between the shoulder blades. A deers spine will destroy a 150 ballistic tip out of an 06. Bone fragments as well as bullet fragments will get the lungs. The deer is certainly DRT but the destruction caused by the spine gives me pause on using them on elk at the risk of hitting the upper leg and shoulder.
I’ve had no issue killing deer with broadside shots through the leg bone and or shoulder, the organs are destroyed.
I’ve used partitions on everything from ground squirrels to moose and grizzlies, damn good bullet.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

After reading more , I was wondering if the Partition would be to "tough" to mushroom on small whitetail? The site says bear , moose and elk

Partitions are designed to expand the front half with the rear half driving thru. I have used partitions in 223 Rem, 243 Win, 25-06 Rem, 270 Win and 30-06 all of them expanded gave more than satisfactory results.

 

[cjmac]

The PT is designed to expand even at lower velocities so they will work well on WT deer. What are you shooting?

JD338

308 or 3006

 

[cjmac]

Partitions are designed to expand the front half with the rear half driving thru. I have used partitions in 223 Rem, 243 Win, 25-06 Rem, 270 Win and 30-06 all of them expanded gave more than satisfactory results.

I might try it . I used to use the old remington corelokt bullet and thay worked great . Reqlly wish thay would have kept making them . The 150 in a 3006 would punch a hole above the shoulder

 

[wvbuckbuster]

I've used 150 and 165gr PTs in the 30-06. Does really well. Just for your information the Accubonds do as well as the partitions.

 

[cjmac]

I started using 150 gr. Ballistic tips out of an 06 when they came out. Killed an awful lot of mule deer with it. I’ve also used it to good success in the 257 roberts and 7x57. Simply a great deer antelope bullet. Nosler did toughen them up some as folks started using them on elk. My favorite spot to hunt mule deer puts me on top of a tall cliff looking down on where my brothers will move deer. I’ve killed quite a few over the years shooting down, striking the deer through the spine between the shoulder blades. A deers spine will destroy a 150 ballistic tip out of an 06. Bone fragments as well as bullet fragments will get the lungs. The deer is certainly DRT but the destruction caused by the spine gives me pause on using them on elk at the risk of hitting the upper leg and shoulder.
I’ve had no issue killing deer with broadside shots through the leg bone and or shoulder, the organs are destroyed.
I’ve used partitions on everything from ground squirrels to moose and grizzlies, I'm guessing the front half expands fast

I started using 150 gr. Ballistic tips out of an 06 when they came out. Killed an awful lot of mule deer with it. I’ve also used it to good success in the 257 roberts and 7x57. Simply a great deer antelope bullet. Nosler did toughen them up some as folks started using them on elk. My favorite spot to hunt mule deer puts me on top of a tall cliff looking down on where my brothers will move deer. I’ve killed quite a few over the years shooting down, striking the deer through the spine between the shoulder blades. A deers spine will destroy a 150 ballistic tip out of an 06. Bone fragments as well as bullet fragments will get the lungs. The deer is certainly DRT but the destruction caused by the spine gives me pause on using them on elk at the risk of hitting the upper leg and shoulder.
I’ve had no issue killing deer with broadside shots through the leg bone and or shoulder, the organs are destroyed.
I’ve used partitions on everything from ground squirrels to moose and grizzlies, damn good bullet.

Im guessing to front of the Partition is soft like any other soft point . Expansion is fast

 

[cjmac]

How would yall compare the 150 grain Partition to the 150 grain remington core lokt ?

 

[salmonchaser]

Back in high school ( early 70s) I was using Partitions (180 out of an 06) and my best friend was using 160 ? Corelokt out of a 7mm mag. Both killed elk cleanly and I don’t recall any of the elk we killed being any deader than the other. He was using the same bullet for deer while I used the 150 BT or the 150 Partition I recall more blood shot on Deer shot through the ribs with the ballistic tip but not a lot of difference. He ultimately switched to the 160 Partition. Over the last 50 years I would guess he’s killed 40 elk plus or minus and at least one big mule deer every year with the partitions. I know he lost one elk back about 92. It was a long poke before we had laser range finders, using the topo map we put the elk at a little over 400. Elevation was good but our wind call bad.