30-06 125 grain Nosler BT

[ShootnMathews]

Posting this for informative purposes for anyone considering the bullet.

I have used Nosler BT for many years in many calibers all with great success. So I decided to try them in a super light 30-06 I have. The rifle is so light that 150 grain and up actually have quite a still recoil. With 168 grain bullets it kicks harder than any of my many guns. So I figured I could reduce that with 125 grain bullets. I just wasn't sure how the bullets would react at that speed. I have not had the chance to chronograph the load but it is shooting around an inch groups. Book estimates speed at 3100-3200 fps. I use this gun in 300 yard and closer situations so 1" is fine. I have not tuned this load just whipped up something quick for season.

Anyways, this past week I was able to take a nice 4.5 year old 10 pt whitetail at 60 yards. The shot was quartering to me and I only had one quick chance to shoot or pass. Some saplings were blocking the perfect shot and I had to hold back about 4"-6" from the ideal double lung shot. I ONLY shoot for lungs shots with BT bullets. At 2" deep the bullet made about a 1.5" wound channel which quickly opened up to about a 4" channel. The wound channel was approximately 12"-14" deep. The bullet did not exit. In the first lung I found many fragments of the bullet. The deer ran about 60 yards and fell dead.

About 5 feet from the deers location on impact I found large softball sized spots of blood. Then for the 60 yards I only found a handful of small spots. Where the deer hit the ground the ground was covered with blood everywhere. When I gutted the deer I'd say almost a gallon of blood was pooled inside the animal.

 

[RT2506]

I have lost count of how many deer I have killed with the 125 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip but it is over 50. I have used it for a number of years in three different weapons. I shoot it in a T/C Contender pistol 14" barrel 30-30AI at 2670 fps, 30x47 rifle at 2850 fps and a 308 Win rifle at 3000 fps. If my memory serves me Nosler says that the Ballistic tip IMPACT VELOCITY should be below 3100 fps. In my experience with the 125 gr .308 BT 2900 fps is the top end desirable impact velocity. Sounds to me that your velocity was between 3000 and 3100 fps which really caused the bullet to come apart. At 2900 fps and below it holds together better. Usually between 2900 down to 2750 fps this bullet will go through both shoulders and will be found just under the hide on the off side expanded all the way down to the base. At 2700 fps and below the bullet usually exits. I have killed a dozen of so deer with the Contender pistol from 20 to 125 yards and most have been shot through both shoulders and all have been through and through with a quarter size exit hole. Of all the deer I have shot with the 125 BT from 20 to a touch over 300 yards 99% have been BANG FLOP. If you want to push a 125 gr bullet above 3100 fps impact I suggest that you give the 125 Nosler Accubond a try. It flies like the ballistic tip and starts to expand like it but holds together like the partition and keeps on trucking. I run the 130 Accubond out of my 264 Win mag at 3350 fps and it reacts the same at 25 yards out to a little over 500 yards so far. It goes in expands and takes out the vitals and exits with a quarter size hole and deer hit the ground dead. I have not tried the .308 125 Accubond because I have what is probably a life time supply of the 125 BTs and I am of the school "If it ain't broke don't try to fix it." I love the 125 BT. It is supper accurate in all my weapons and as long as you keep the impact velocity in the range it likes it is VERY DEADLY. Glad you discovered this great bullet and harvested some good table fair.

 

[Guy M]

It is a mighty good bullet, isn't it?

Guy

 

[ShootnMathews]

Thanks RT. I will chrono it as soon as I have time and may download it some if I need to. I didn't load it for speed reasons. It's a lightweight mountain rifle. Weighing about 6 lb before I did some bedding and stuff, but it kicked like a 300wm with heavy bullets. I just wanted something a little more shoulder friendly for 300 yard deer.

 

[Don A Parsons]

This sounds like a good pet load for the 30/06.

Always looking at new ideas.

Thanks from Western Canada Don

 

[RT2506]

I had a Remington sportsman 78 (poor man's 700 made in the 80s) in 30-06. With the factory wood stock it would stomp you and throw rocks at you with normal 150 gr loads. I came across a used Bell and Carlson stock and put on it. First time I shot it I thought I had a squib load it kicked so much less. It took half of the felt recoil out of that rifle.