Ballistic Tip ?

[dubyam]

If I were pushing a 150gr bullet from a 7mmRemMag, and knew shots would all be beyond 100yds, I'd have no problems. But at 50yds, if you hit a shoulder blade, you're going to ruin a lot of meat, and risk a long tracking job if the bullet doesn't hold together. If shots are going to be potentially that close, I'd opt for the Partition or the E-Tip. In fact, at 3100fps, for the ranges you listed, I'd opt for the E-Tip based on the performance of the 180gr E-Tip out of my 300Wby at 3200fps, which should be very similar to the 7mm performance, as the two bullets are similar in BC/SD/Velocity. At close range, the 180 busted three ribs on the way in, and four on the way out, and dropped a late season buck in his tracks back in January 2013. It was the textbook "Bang-Flop" event.

 

[Ridge_Runner]

The skinny on BT's
when first introduced they were just a thin jacketed varmint bullet of all different weights and calibers packaged 100 to the box, and they were tender when fired through high intensity cartridges, in cartridges like the 270, 7mm and 300 mags they were explosive. Then nosler changed some of the heavier weight BT's to the exact same makeup as the solid base boatail except they kept the polymer tip. these bullets are packaged 50 per box and designed for med. game hunting, the varmint bullets are packaged 100 or 250 per box.
I have shot deer with the earlier 140 BT's in a 7 mag, and hit nothing but hide and still had core/jacket separations at 3150 fps, and have launched the new ones at 3550 from my 7mm STW that exited on shoulder hits on deer and bear, todays ballistic tips are a totally different animal, but some folks just stand by their or their dads experience with the old bullets.
RR
edited to add: I have yet to find a better whitetail bullet than a 115 gr BT from my 25 wssm at 3000 fps, having tried about every angle possible I'm yet to recover one.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Well I just ordered a pile of them to try out this summer and run through some jugs. I will post pictures when I do shoot them.

 

[cloverleaf]

When I did some testing in wet newspaper with 130g 270cal BTs, in comparison with other bullets, I found when impact speed was over 3000fps the BT was ho-hum for penetration and weight retention. When the impact speed was dropped a bit, it came into its own and was the best bullet in its class.

They have always been among the most accurate bullets in my rifles in all calibres.

Parallels (I am assuming) my experiences with the 100 Gr BT in 25 Cal. This one was not a dramatic "bang flop" but the bullet broke the near side upper leg/joint of an antelope before continuing on through both lungs and out the far side. The goat hobbled in a little circle before he laid down and expired. The Antelope was taken at 264 yds with a modest muzzle velocity of 2800+ fps. Obviously no chance of that bullet "Blowing up" at those distances/ velocity, but it obviously held together and did the job. Closer shots have been equally lethal from that rifle. CL

 

[baltz526]

Looking at the Nosler #7, I see that with a max load, they publish around 3150-3200 fps at the muzzle. I am guessing that is a little higher than what will be obtained by a shorter barreled rifle.

I have killed a LOT of deer with the 140gr Ballistic tip in the 7mm rem mag. Muzzle velocity 3175fps. When the deer are over 100yrds high shoulder hits always dropped them right now, Through the ribs they never made it 20' unless they where already running. Inside 100yrds if you hit bone, expect dead almost instantly, but wound channels can be very messy. Dead on impact is to be expected if you hit the deer in the front half.

 

[STW]

My STW turns 20 this month. It was brand new when I rechambered it from 7Rem mag to the STW in 1994. It was fed a steady diet of 140 and 120 grain Nosler ballistic tips. It has taken numerous black bear, whitetail, mule deer, beavers and coyotes. Some of the best groups I ever shot were with the Nosler ballistic tips in this rifle. I don't recall an animal requiring more than one shot. My 300 RUM will shoot very small groups with the 150 ballistic tips and flatten deer. I won't hesitate to use them.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I used to shoot the original 140 BT's in my 7mm Rem Mag. They killed deer okay but were too messy for my taste and I switched to the 160 Partitions for deer and all hunting. The Partitions also made a mess inside but they always penetrated all the way through the deer and did not leave lead fragments inside the deer as badly as the BT's did. Deer hit by the Partitions never went anywhere!

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

All I and my family had used for years untill the AccuBond came out.

I am particularly fond of the .257" 115g from the 25-06. Have killed everything from ground squirrels to black bears out to 600 yards and have yet to recover a bullet. Most animals were bang flop as I am a shoulder/high shoulder shooter.

The other ballistic tip that has killed a pile of deer, antelope, elk and black bear is the .308" 180g from 300 mags. My family and friends have used this bullet per my recommendation and has performed flawlessly from 50-800 yards.

They are still one of my favorite bullets. They are cheap, accurate, have a fairly high BC, and they plain kill stuff.

It helps to use them within there parameters and how there designed as well. My guess is most those guys with failures werent using the right weight or had bad shot placement or were trying to bust shoulders or shoot lengthwise through stuff at 25 yards

I really wish nosler would just come out with heavier ballistic tips honestly.

 

[Partisan]

I took a Pronghorn last fall using a 150gr BT out of a 7mm RM at 153yrds. First time I have used BT in that gun for game. Shot went in slightly right of the brisket center and exited left side right in front of the diaphragm. It went straight down DRT. Exit hole was only about half an inch. There was nothing left in the chest cavity but red gel. Impact velocity would have been 2750fps.

There was a lot of concern abut B-Tips early on as being too The B-Tips will work as well and mostly better than any other cup-and-core bullet and mostly better. They are VERY accurate.

I have taken a lot of Midwest deer with that gun using 150gr Partitions and will continue using those for that situation since that is Timber hunting where shots are very likely to be less than 100yards. Just a little extra insurance.

Before the 7mm I used a .308 Win carbine and early 150gr B-Tips on Timber deer. That combinations produced DRT hits as well but impact velocities even at short range were about 2400-2500...

 

[HeathSexton]

180 Ballistic tips from my 30/06, still waiting to recover a bullet and they have put down everything very quickly.


I shoot the 120NBT from my 260 rem and I am trying the 115 NBT from my 257 Roberts this coming fall.

 

[longrangehunter]

A lot of years have past and gone using Ballistic Tips in various rifles I've owned. All preformed very well on Game, and all were highly accurate. In fact the most accurate hunting bullet I've found in more then a few guns. My 7mm-08 loved the 140's, sam with the 150's in my 280 AI, I still use them today, and my 300 Jarrett will digest the 165 at 3400 with ease all under 3/8".

For me the simple truth is they worked then and still work to this day..... pretty simple really, why try to fix something that isn't broke.

 

[wbyfan1]

They've worked well on Hogs and Whitetails from my 257 Weatherby. I have no reservations whatsoever using them for my purposes.

Here's a repost from 12/1/12 in regard to one of my experiences with the 115 BST...

Below are a few pics of a 115 BST recovered from a little 8 pointer I shot a few weeks ago with my 257 Wby. Distance was 165 yards and the deer was DRT. Starting velocity was 3450.

The bullet entered the right shoulder and was found lodged underneath the skin on the left side, at the base of the neck(see pic). Recovered weight was 58.5 grains.

 

[DaveA37]

I had the good fortune to hunt caribou in Alaska a few years back and used a .300 Win stuffed with 165 gr BT's. I took a very nice bull at just under 200 yards. Caribou are slightly larger than whitetails and in some cases large mule deer bucks. My bull dropped like a ton of bricks with one bullet just behind his front shoulder. Was I impressed with that bullet?......caribou is great table fare eating!

By the way, I still use the 165's for whitetails here in Wisconsin in not only my .300 but also my .308. Hope that helps make your decision. Nosler makes good stuff!

 

[bowfishn]

I have not had a chance to take game with them but they shoot real good out of my Sako Finnbear 30-06. I used 60.5 grains of H-205 behind a 165gr. Nosler Bal Tip Boat Tail with Lapua fire formed Brass using CCI BR2 primers, it gave the best results 5 shot groups less than .500" center to center at 100 yards. I also bought some of the 168 gr Bal tips but have not had a chance to work up a load.

 

[DrMike]

Welcome aboard, bowfishn. I trust you'll join in the fun and give us more posts. The Finnbear is a fine rifle, to be sure.

 

[SJB358]

Welcome aboard bowfishn. That's a sweet rifle and man, that load sounds real good too.

 

[bowfishn]

The H-205 was an unopened 8 lb. box that a guy in New Hampshire had purchased about 20 years ago, I met with him a year ago, we opened the box and untied the heavy pink colored bag. It smelled good no acidic or ammonia smell so I purchased it. I used to use it in the early 80's in both my fathers 30-06 and my 1903 Springfield with good results. My father gave me the Sako a few years ago, I can remember when he bought it in the spring of 1964 and I have been trying out various 165 gr bullets with the H-205. Hornady SSTs shot alright, Speer SPBTs not as good and the Nosler Bal Tip Boat tail a bit better than the SSTs. I have been thinking about trying the 190 ABLR but not sure if I should just use the 165 AccuBonds for any game larger than Whitetail's. I should be able to draw a Moose permit this year and I would think the Accubonds would be better for Moose and Bear than the Bal Tip. Here in Vermont to get a shot over 500 yards is almost unheard of so the extra gain of the 190 Long Range seems unnecessary, realistically shots of 300 yards would be long. The 165 Accubonds would be all I needed, they would give good performance on larger game and sighted in at 200 yards with the velocity I get from the 165s they only drop a hair over 6" at 300 yards

 

[SJB358]

You'd have a hard time finding fault with those 165's out of your 30-06.

 

[bowfishn]

I just canceled my backorder of the 190 ABLR and will order the 165 Accubonds.
One of my buddys and I took his range finder out today for grins and giggles to check out a few of the longer shots that could be made around our area and to my surprise there were many 500 to 600 yard shots that could be made on game that had very safe backstops. I had always figured these locations were less than 500 yards. While checking out one of the feilds we used a couple horses to range with the Range Finder, 2 Police officers pulled up beside us in a cruiser and asked if we needed any help. I told him "No, we were just checking out the yardage to the 2 horses in case we got hungry and needed to shoot them " He laughed and said " I didn't think there was a market for horse meat " and then drove off.
There is even a 500 yard privately owned shooting range just 6 miles from my house.

 

[Wincheringen]

I've used a few other bullets, but the BT is my favorite. I've toppled quite a few deer with it and always been very happy with the results. The 115 BT out of my 25/06 is a go to for everything I want to hunt.