.338 win ballistic tips

[375hh1973]

While visiting a local gunshop last week I found a couple of boxes of Federal Premium .338 win mag 180gr ballistic tips. They were discontinued by Federal and the gunshop was blowing them out. I had never shot any bullets that light out of my gun so I bought them out of curiousity. Figured that even if they didn't shoot, the brass was worth having. Anyway, they shoot AWESOME. Little tiny groups. My question is this- has anyone ever used this round on a deer and what were the results? Since I bought my .338 I have always shot the 225 AB and have been happy with results. Will the 180 ballistic tip hold together?

Thanks!

 

[JD338]

The 180 gr BT will give you bang flop kills on deer. Best to keep your shots in the ribs!

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

The 180 gr BT will give you bang flop kills on deer. Best to keep your shots in the ribs!

JD338

+1
Stay away from bone! :shock:

 

[DIXIE]

The 180 gr BT will give you bang flop kills on deer. Best to keep your shots in the ribs!

JD338

+1
Stay away from bone! :shock:

Do you say this for all BT's? I have a box of the 338 BT's but also am shooting 165 BT's out of my 308 win @ 2650 fps muzzle velocity..We secioned soem new BT's recently and the jacket looks thicker. Should i stay away from bone at the low of velocity with my 308 165 BT's?

 

[JD338]

The 180 gr BT will give you bang flop kills on deer. Best to keep your shots in the ribs!

JD338

+1
Stay away from bone! :shock:

Do you say this for all BT's? I have a box of the 338 BT's but also am shooting 165 BT's out of my 308 win @ 2650 fps muzzle velocity..We secioned soem new BT's recently and the jacket looks thicker. Should i stay away from bone at the low of velocity with my 308 165 BT's?

DIXIE,

My comment is based on a light bullet at around 3000 fps from a 338 Win Mag will take out a front quarter. The 200 gr would actually be a better choice.

The 165 gr BT at 2650 from your 308 Win will be awesome on deer. No worries if you have to bust bone. Keep in mind though that the BT isn't really designed to bust shoulders. That is what the AB and PT are for.

JD338

 

[375hh1973]

Yeah, I plan on neck shots on standing deer anyway with this rifle. Accuracy is scary-good, was wondering about disintegration factor. Has anyone noticed if the bt and the ABs shoot the same? I see where there is a 180 gr AB available in .338. I bought this rifle to shoot heavier bullets but it is nice to know that I can get 1-hole groups with the 180s...

 

[FOTIS]

Yeah, I plan on neck shots on standing deer anyway with this rifle. .

Prepare for decapitation! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[gldprimr]

I've used the 180 gr Ballistic Tip in a 338-06 and taken some does at distances of ~ 40 - 50 yards. Shoulder shot - blew out a piece of lung the size of your palm and left a blood trail like you were pouring it out of a pitcher It did blow through both shoulders and did not blood shot as much meat as expected. Heavier jacket on the 338 bores & up.

It worked fine for me, but you may be pushing it faster than I was.

 

[375hh1973]

The Federal factory rounds are at 3120 fps...we'll see I guess. The area where I will be hunting for the opener here in Michigan doesn't have any doe permits and the bucks are far and few between so chances are I won't get to try them out the first week...

 

[375hh1973]

The Federal factory rounds are at 3120 fps...we'll see I guess. The area where I will be hunting for the opener here in Michigan doesn't have any doe permits and the bucks are far and few between so chances are I won't get to try them out the first week...

 

[IRUAK88]

@375hh1973
Well, I'm bringing this one back from the dead! I was wondering if you ever got a chance to take any critters with these? Did they hold up to .338WM velocities?
I have a buddy looking to do some .338 WinMag loading. I've been looking over some bullet choices for him, I seen these the other day.
https://americanreloading.com/338-caliber-338-339/4633-338-180gr-ballistic-tip-100ct.html $55.99/100 shipped w/30% off code.
I Love American Reloading.. It seems Nosler only makes the Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip® in 200gr these days.. Black Lubalox® with a Silver Tip.. They run about $60/50. My buddy's one to always Bring "Enough" Gun for his Georgia and Alabama WT hunts.. .450 Marlin, 28 Nosler, and this 338WM I've tried to tell him, "You don't need 3,000ft. lbs. of Muzzle Energy for a 120lb. Deer you're shooting 150yd and in.."

 

[RL338]

"You don't need 3,000ft. lbs. of Muzzle Energy for a 120lb. Deer you're shooting 150yd and in.."

Nah, I like 7000 ft/lbs for deer

 

[JD338]

Nah, I like 7000 ft/lbs for deer

There's no replacement for displacement.

JD338

 

[KinleyWater]

Well, I think the fundamental issue is the exponential increase in deer toughness. In 2007, a 300 WM with 180grain BTs might have done the job, but this is 2023. If you aren't going to step up to a 338WM, you need to make sure you only take either neck shots, or wait until they get within 50 yards.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Years ago Nosler beefed up the shank of the 180gr .30 Ballistic Tips and bigger so they would perform well on elk. I've cut them in half and the jackets in the back of the bullets are nearly 3 times as thick as the front. I know tons of elk around here were shot with the 200gr BT's with 338wm's. I shot one with my 338 Baer and 200 BT's around 3250fps. It was a bang flop at 300yds.

 

[SJB358]

Years ago Nosler beefed up the shank of the 180gr .30 Ballistic Tips and bigger so they would perform well on elk. I've cut them in half and the jackets in the back of the bullets are nearly 3 times as thick as the front. I know tons of elk around here were shot with the 200gr BT's with 338wm's. I shot one with my 338 Baer and 200 BT's around 3250fps. It was a bang flop at 300yds.

I’ve never heard a bad word about those 200’s in a 338.

 

[375hh1973]

@375hh1973
Well, I'm bringing this one back from the dead! I was wondering if you ever got a chance to take any critters with these? Did they hold up to .338WM velocities?
I have a buddy looking to do some .338 WinMag loading. I've been looking over some bullet choices for him, I seen these the other day.
https://americanreloading.com/338-caliber-338-339/4633-338-180gr-ballistic-tip-100ct.html $55.99/100 shipped w/30% off code.
I Love American Reloading.. It seems Nosler only makes the Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip® in 200gr these days.. Black Lubalox® with a Silver Tip.. They run about $60/50. My buddy's one to always Bring "Enough" Gun for his Georgia and Alabama WT hunts.. .450 Marlin, 28 Nosler, and this 338WM I've tried to tell him, "You don't need 3,000ft. lbs. of Muzzle Energy for a 120lb. Deer you're shooting 150yd and in.."

Wow, that was a long time ago!

I did kill a couple of doe with that combo.

Neck shots, both instant kills, as you can imagine.

I ended up selling my 338 to a buddy who was moving to Colorado.

I miss having one!!!

 

[Blkram]

I haven't tried the 180 gr BTs in any of my 338s.
Have only used 210 gr Partitions and 225 gr Hot Cors in my 338 Win Mags, and 210 gr Partitions and 215 gr SGKs in my 338-06. Has always worked on the big game, from black bears to bison. The only deer I have ever witnessed being harvested with a 338 Win Mag was with a mildly loaded 200 gr Speer Hot Cor, and meat damage was very minimal, and result was DRT.
I have tried some of the Federal Premium factory 180 gr AB ammunition in my 338 Federal before we got the throat issue resolved. Need to try again for groups now.
Can't see why they (180 BT) wouldn't perform well on deer. Some may say overkill, but how much is too dead? LOL
The old saying is use enough gun!

I know the bullet that I am hoping to develop a load for the Federal in my Sako is the 200 gr AB. Depending on powder combination the rifle prefers should get 2600-2700 fps.
The Federal blue box ammo with the 200 gr Hot Cor bullet will produce .477" groups @ 200 yards (test target from gunsmith after resolving throat issue) in my LH Sako 85 Finnlight II, and worked just fine on my moose (80 yards) and caribou (150 yards) last fall.
The Federal Premium 210 gr Partition ammunition will produce 1" groups out of my rebarreled Winchester Model 88, and worked just fine on a nice caribou bull at 158 yards in 2018.

 

[CEG17]

I loaded up a bunch of 160 grain TTSX bullets in .338 Win Mag but have yet to shoot them.

 

[preacher]

I used the 180 AccuBond out of a 338 RUM on a big Aoudad. 250yds through both shoulders, quarter size exit hole, acted like a Partition. I had that baby cooking right at 3500fps! It was one flat shooting bullet! I now just have a 338 WM for a Medium and I too like to shoot light bullets on one end, and big heavies on the other end of my handloads. Light/fast/flat shooting for the longer shots/smaller game and moderate speed heavy/penetrating/ bone crushers up in timber. Gives me goosebumps, oh yeah!