Are lead tip bullet just as accurate as the plastic tip

[Desert Fox]

Been pondering this question for a while. Are lead tip bullets just as accurate as the plastic tips or even the hollowpoint bullet?. I'm talking about hunting bullet here guys, not custom match bullet. My experienced say's otherwise. I did some comparison using groups from my rifles that I gathered from the past. The result was an eye opener. Lead tip bullet were just as accurate. What were your experience guys?.

 

[JD338]

Desert Fox,

I have had excellent results with Partitions, which are lead tipped.

JD338[/img]

 

[Guest]

I don't really think accuracy comes into play with the polymer tipped bullets except in cases where the cartridges are knocking the tips in the magazine, and being loaded, carried all day, unloaded, repeat, and eventually getting some flat spots on the lead tips.

The main reason for the polymer tips is to increase aerodynamic efficiency, to get a higher BC for a given bullet weight and design. So at longer ranges, your plastic tips are shooting flatter than your leads, generally speaking.

 

[fredj338]

You'll find the tip has little to do with accuracy of the bullet. The base & overall concentricty is what matters. Try this some time; take your favorite load & file the tips off & shoot them for group. Out to normal hunting ranges, there is little diff.

 

[longwinters]

+1

Long

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I've found that in most cases, at 100 and 200 maybe even 300 yards, that regular lead tipped bullets are just as accurate as plastic tipped ones. However, I have found that after 300 yards, and especially distances of 500 and 600, that plastic tipped bullets are a lot more accurate. They seem to hold there accuracy better if that makes any sense. Take this for example. I have a super accurate 25-06 load with the 117g sierra boat tail. Its shot a .043" 3 shot group at 100 yards along with plenty of .250" groups, you would think it would do about 1" at 300 yards but it groups about 3" at 300 yards. Now I can take a 110g AB and that shoots .5" at 100 yards, and it will shoot 1.5" at 300 yards. Obviously one case doesn't make a full point, but I've shot quite a few plastic tipped bullets and sierra game kings and I can say I notice better accuracy at LR with plastic tipped bullets.

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

Higher BC also helps a bullet buck the wind better, so the wind has less effect on POI.

 

[Guy Miner]

The most accurate hunting bullets I've tried (not including varmint bullets) are Nosler's Ballistic Tip and Solid Base, as well as Sierra's SPBT Gamekings.

I'm not surprised when one of those three types of bullets produces match-grade accuracy from a good rifle. The Ballistic Tips have quite an impressive accuracy record. I strongly suspect it's more the quality of the bullet than the presence or absence of a plastic tip.

 

[R Flowers]

I have to agree here that the use of a plastic tip on a bullet does not make it inherently more accurate than a lead tipped bullet.

If you believe the bench rest experts, the plastic tipped bullets should have the same advantage as a match hollow point. That is, it should have more of its weight in the rear of the bullet. In the real world I doubt this makes much difference.

For varminting, the plastic tip can initiate expansion and cause violent performance, to be sure.

But for shere accuracy, it is about a wash. The plain jane old Sierra 50 grain soft point is about as accurate in 22 caliber rifles as any plastic tipped bullet I have tried. ( I think I have tried them all, sure seems like it).

To back up a little, the plastic tip can be a good thing to avoid bullet tip damage in the magazine and may make the B.C. better. With a better B.C. a bullet will drop less, but that does NOT make it more accurate.

Point in case: I shot my 25-06 today preparing for a wild hog hunt next weekend. I shot 100 grain Nosler Partitions and 115 Ballistic Tips in it. Big surprise! They both shot 0.6 inch groups at 100 yards. The best part is the point of impact is identical. I have killed a number of hogs with each. Not much difference that I can tell. I will just grab some off the shelf and go.

To wrap this up, the plastic tipped bullets are probably a good thing, in general. BUT, the old Solid Base Noslers were better than the Ballistic Tips in every way in my opinion.

 

[FOTIS]

I just let the rifle pick its favorite.