Nosler Ballistic Tips...yes or no?

S

Sub MOA

New member
I would very much appreciate everyone's opinions on the Nosler Ballistic Tips for black bear and deer. I have read and heard that these bullets are unacceptable for big game hunting yet a lot of people use them successfully. I also understand that after the first year Nosler changed the design of the >.264 BTs to make them hold together better.

Specifically, I have a handloaded the 165 gr. BT to approx. 2750 fps in an '06 and am getting 1-1.5" groups. Would use Partitions in a second, but don't have any on hand and am just wondering how these BTs would perform on game.

Thanks,
Sub
 
I love the 150 gr BT in my '06. They shoot great, are accurate, and they will drop a whitetail deer deader than hell! Would use the Partitions on the bear though.
 
I got some recent email from a guy who has tested both the Partition and the Ballistic Tip. He says that not too long back, Nosler toughened up the BT; it performs more like the Partition, now. He, too, is a .30-06er.

Art
 
I'm going to use them this year again. I loaded some for my brother in law. He shot a deer in the front shoulder and it hit the ground never to get up again. I read an article in a recent rag that said nosler developed the ballistic tip for hunting and wound up with a bullet more accurate than the bench rest bullet.
 
So how does the 180 gr. stand up to the 150? I was carrying the 180 last year but I was thinking of going with the 150 this year. I still have enough of the 180 to check my scope and hunt so is it worth it to buy a box of 150 and just get rid of the 180. Once I choose one I will stick with it for the long haul or until something better comes along. I have a Remington 700 BDL in 30-06. Also how does this effect the recoil?
 
HukeOKC, I've mostly used the 150-grain in my '06 since 1950. Why? Cause my daddy and uncle did, and they got me started with the '06 and handloading.

Unless you're hunting for those monster whitetails in Maine, I'd go with the 150-grain...

FWIW, Art
 
Art:
The 150 in a .308 Win. works fine on Maine monsters of all kinds. :D


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If they take our guns, I intend to let my hair grow long and acquire the jawbone of an ass.
 
Thanks Art, I've had a few guys come in that are starting to go out and sight their scopes in and they are mostly getting the 150 gr. so I will grab me a box before it's all gone!! :eek:
 
Oh yeah, do you have any recommendations on Brands? I have been using the Remington Core-Loks but mostly because I was figuring that Remington ammo in a Remington gun was a good idea, but is that not necessarily the case? What have you found to be the best type. And reloads are out as I have absolutley NO time for that hobby yet.
 
You will have to try several brands to see what is most accurate in your gun. Most premium game bullets will work just fine on a deer. I'm not sure about the bear, you may want a deeper penetrator. However, shot placement on the bear (as with anything) is the most critcal factor.
 
HukeOKC: For deer-hunting, anything that lets you get 3-shot groups close to one inch, center to center, is adequately accurate at the usual hunting ranges--in my mind, under 300 yards.

Better accuracy is nice, but in no way is it a real necessity.

Don't worry about the bench rest, once you're sighted in. Spend some money on shooting offhand, seated, kneeling, etc. Out in deer country, there ain't no bench rests. If you can regularly hit a beer can at 100 yards, or a gallon can at 300, you don't have a thing to worry about.

FWIW, Art
 
The problem I have with these bullet types is that you sooner or later are going to blow a shot. Say you hit the deer too far back and it doesn't exit - you've surely killed it but you'll never find it because theres no exit wound to provide a blood trail.
I don't get concerned about penetration on deer for lethality purposes - I just want a big exit wound to make up for Murphy's law.



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Keith
The Bears and Bear Maulings Page: members.xoom.com/keithrogan
 
Accuracy in most my rifles is right up there with match grade bullets.

I had a bad experience using Nosler BT in my M7 .308 but it doesn't appear to be the fault of the bullet = 4-5 shoots in right place but the deer just wouldn't die. Full+ expansion & penetration - to the other side.
Still can't explain it ... again, not a fault of teh bullet.

Never used 'em for any other big game.

165s at about 2400 fps are hell on marmots. ;)

A buddy of mine uses 180s in his .30-378 (~3600 fps w/180s = yikes!) for elk. Swears by 'em & has yet to not kill one outright.

Seems a bit frangible for the bigger game.
 
I have had very good luck with Ballistic Tips in .30-06, 165 gr, and .257 Roberts, 100 gr. A hunting buddy swears he'll never use 'em again, though, because the 165s were too fragile in his '06. Perhaps he was right, and I was just lucky with bullet placement. My son has done right well with them, too.

Glad to hear, though, that the construction has been beefed up somewhat. Seems as if we just used a couple of boxes in the .30 and then drifted back to Sierra bullets. Never had ANY complaints as to accuracy. There was a time they were FAR cheaper than the 168 Sierra Match bullets, and dang near as accurate.

I really don't think I'd use the BT bullets on larger, tougher animals such as bear without some good, first-hand, references from hunters who are good observers. Sierra Game Kings are hard to beat.

Best,
Johnny

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---The Second Amendment ensures the rest of the Bill of Rights---
 
Ditto on Sierra Game Kings. A fave.

Never see them lsited as "premium" bullets though in the gun rags .... seem premo enough for my likes. Use these in the .30-06/180 grains for elk & seem like a true performer. Very accurate, too.
 
Nosler now makes the Ballistis Tip in a Varmint version and a Hunting version. The Hunting version is supposed to have a thicker jacket. 'Can't find a cutaway view online. They also have a new Ballistic Silvertip ... 'don't know the details about this one yet.
 
I use 150 grain ballistic tips in my 7MM Mag. I recovered one bullet from a buck I shot last year. It passed through his shoulder, smashed everything it touched on the way through and lodged in his neck in a classic mushroom pattern. He dropped like a bag of concrete. Next day I shot another buck, 30 yards later he was done. Given the right caliber & shot placement you can't beat a Nosler Ballistic Tip. I love it.
 
According to the Nosler reloading manual, the Ballistic Tip is designed for longer range shots where accuracy is more critical and the velocities lower. In high velocity cartridges at close range, the jacket is likely to seperate from the core. The manual does recommend the BT for long range deer hunting.
 
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