Nosler Ballistic Tips

FatBoy...

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2002
Messages
302
Location
Nashville, TN
Gents,

I've searched the site, and have found some pretty good info on Nosler BT's, but I haven't found how effective they are at ranges out past 250 yards on whitetail sized game.

I shoot either a 165gr Ballistic Tip in a Winchester case over either 44 gr Varget or 43.5gr IMR-4064 and a WLR primer in 308win or a 90gr Ballistic Tip in a winchester case over 33 gr Varget and a WLR primer in 243win. I don't have a chrono, so my velocities would be guessing, but I have found both to be accurate, sub MOA(.6 - .7" area) at 100yards and they hold .7 moa at 200yards.

I have read that the Ballistic Tip isn't a good choice for game out far. Now, I tend to take what most people say with 1 gr of iodized salt over a can of BS, becuase out far for most is 200 yards, but that isn't the case here.

With these rounds, shot out of a Winchester M70 308(1:12 twist) 26" tube and a Remington 788 with 21" tube(1:9 twist)respectively, is there any way of knowing how far out these will perform as intended. I won't take a shot unless I know it's good, but limit my distance with these rounds to under 200 yards because I'm unsure of their penetration/expansion perfromance at distances greater than 100 yards, where I've found them to be excellent.

Sorry if I'm vague, I'm just trying to plan next years deer season's loads now. Testing on 'yotes will be my next project.. and learning how to sit still in the woods..

FatBoy...

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: FatBoy... ]
 
I have had good success with the Ballistic tips. With the 6.5, 120 grainers, I shot a whitetail this year at 356 yards. The initial velocity was only 2,800 fps and the bullet hit behind the shoulder from a slight angle and lodged behind the far shoulder. It made a nice hole when it exited the far side of the rib cage before lodging in the far shoulder. The deer dropped in its' tracks.

I have also taken woodchucks out to 500 yards with that same bullet. They are very accurate in all my rifles and have a high BC compared to most hunting bullets. I have shot the 140 grain 7mm which has a BC of .485, at my thousand yard range with excellent results.
They perform very well for me and if they shoot for you, don't hesitate to try them at extended ranges. For the real long stuff, consider the Sierra Match King. Many of the regulars here swear by them. They certainly shoot well in my 260.

May your aim be true.

PrimeTime
 
Prime Time,

I shoot 175 SMK's most of the time, as my 308 was set up for tactical competition and F class. I use the 175SMK over 44.2gr Varget in a win case and a WLR primer, but will be switching to Lapua soon, as I got some for Christmas... I love the SMK's, but have been hesitant to use them for hunting. (I don't wish to rehash that arguemnt, as I have no idea how they do personnaly on game, and will rely on the expierence of those here that have BTDT, I just like the idea of rapid expansion that the BT's provide, but that's also what has me questioning their performance at distance)

I have yet to do what I really started hunting again for, which is 'yotes, chucks and crow at 400+ yards here in middle Tennessee.. There's game all over the place, and no place to shoot.. On that type of game, I still prefer a qucik clean kill, but will use a SMK without hesitation.

I'm glad to see the Nosler BT's will perform out further on larger game, I won't be as hesitant to take a 300 - 400 yards shot with the 308, provided I can find an area that allows a safe shot of that distance.

Thanks for your help.

FatBoy...
 
FatBoy,

Welcome to LRH !! I have seen ya on some of the sniper boards and I think we may have posted back and forth a time or three..

In my opinion and this is only my opinion..

from my experience with ballistic tips. They are very accurate. However, from my experience as a big game guide, quite frankly they suck... keep in mind however these shots were all under 400 yards. I found that they basically exploded upon impact with bone. I helped another guide track an Elk shot 4 times by a hunter with 30 cal. ballistic tips all in the lung/heart area. We tracked for 7 miles after... I said, AFTER we let him bed for the night!! This was not my hunter, as I have always felt ballistic tips were to "light" for Elk. We eventually caught up with the Elk and he was killed with the same rifle using factory ammo and nosler partitions after 2 shots. None of the first 4 were pass though shots. And 2 never made it past the first ribs. I feel very safe in saying he may not have died to quickly if we would not have tracked him down. Even so 7 miles in the rockys is a LONG way to go with 4 rounds in you. that is one experience. The other was another Elk that took 7 shots from a 270 to dispatch him. All ballistic tips. The details on that story are sketchy but I saw the carcass after is was packed out and there were 7 holes in the rib area and NONE were pass through shots.
I am not saying that these noslers are not good bullets I used them myself for some hunting, however not medium to large game.
I would not trust them for any aspect of LRH.

Like I said just my .02, and from my experiences.. Other may have had a more favorable one....

See ya on the boards,

Ric
 
WW,

Elk are considerably larger than White Tail, and in the Rocky areas of the country, I would think that they would put on quite a coat. I wonder how your expierence with them will translate over to south Eastern whitetail. It's definatly something to think about. The animals I've taken and seen taken with the Ballistic Tips were neck shot at ranges under 125 yards, and they dropped like stones, but they are much smaller than Elk, and the expansion(exploding effect) had no impact with bone before penetrating a vital.

Also, looking forward to seeing how your Nighthawk RUM will perform.

I haven't used the Partitions, and I will not use Moly or any other "lube" coating so that pretty much puts Barnes out of the picture.

What do most of ya'll use on game in the 150 -250 lbs range out to say 400 yards in 30 cal(308win)??

FatBoy..
 
I have killed several deer with Winchester factory loaded Ballistic Silvertips (about as close to a Ballistic Tip as you can get, except for the black coating - don't know if the jackets are thicker?) and performance has been very good. Longest shots were 380 and one just over 425 yards, both pass-throughs with lots of internal damage (lungs).

Don't understand your comment about Barnes, most of their bullets are NOT coated, only the XLC line.

Also highly recommend the Sciroccos, and would bet that Hornady spire points would also work perfectly on deer for you out as far as you would like to shoot.

The .308 is a much better killer than many of the magnum-freaks at the gunshops would like to believe.
 
Hello Fatboy

Try the 168 gr or the 175 Gr Sierra MK. Even the 180 Match King would work for you.

The jackets are MUCH thicker then the BT bullets from Nosler.

The MK will do what you want it to do and won't blow up on a rib or shoulder. I also hunt the "small" Eastern whitetail. It normally don't take much to kill them.

You should see what a 270 with a 135 Gr MK does to them.
The 85 gr in the 243 works quite well to.

Good luck
Darryl Cassel
 
The ballistic tips are certainly not an elk bullet. I've heard many horror stories about their performance on elk and large animals. I have shot 5 deer with them though, and they all penetrated completely through and 4 of those deer dropped where they stood.
later
 
Ian M,

The Barnes that I've seen are the XLC and VLC's, but I forgot the regular X bullet when I posted that. I haven't tried the scirocco's either, but both the Barnes and the swifts are new to me. I may give them a try. I've used the Hornady in 300wm, and found them to be very accurate for a factory load, but I don't use a mag anymore.

Darryl Cassel,

I'll give the SMK's a try on 'yotes this spring,(provided I can find a place to hunt) and I'll be able to see for myself what they do. I think the 180's would have a hard time stabilizing in a 1:12" twist barrel. The 175's do as well as 168's, but the range I shoot past 250 yards on is closed due to the attack in Sept, do testing the 180's at any kind of range is off right now. I'm hoping the AEDC will open up in the next month or so.

Prime Time,

Tenn. Whitetail are not even in the same league as Penn. Whitetail. If we had deer the size of Penn., I'd be s**tin' in high cotton. I'll still use the BT's if I'm in the deep woods, as I know they work as advertised.

Thank you all for your help, looks like I'll be spending a bunch of time on the bench this spring.

FatBoy...
 
Hello Again Fatboy

I should have read your post a little slower.

If your rifle is shooting better with the 150 gr bullet there is a 155 MK that may be the ticket. I didn't see the 1 in 12 twist--Sorry about that. Most 308s are in the 10 twist configuation that I have been use to.

As you can tell, I have had a lot of success with MK bullets at ALL ranges.

I'm Sierra's BEST promoter too.

Later
Darryl Cassel
 
Darryl,

I haven't tried anything lighter than 168, but if the 168's and 175's will perform, I don't figure I'll have to go lighter, as I prefer a heavy bullet.

My 175 load will easily shoot .6 moa out to 600yards. I'd say that would get the job done if I was hunting in range type conditions. If I limity myself to 400yards or less, I should have no problem with shot placement and penetration, but conditions will dictate as I'm just starting again and will work my way out.

I've considered trying the 155 palmas for some range work, but the 175's track my scopes BDC perfectly, and I haven't felt the need to mess with getting new come-ups and remarking my turrets for a hunt yet.

The 1:12 twist is a factory tube. When I re-barrel it'll go to a 1:10. I'm considering having a 308 built, and keep it pretty much as George Gardners "Rock" rifle. It would have to be easier to walk through the woods with than that 26" tube. Some of you guys must sling load your gear in.. I can't imagine walking in with a #8 30" tube, but I'd welcome the weight while touching off better than 75gr of powder under a 300gr bullet. My hats off to ya gentlemen...

FatBoy...

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: FatBoy... ]
 
I've killed 10 deer with the Nosler BT's in 308. 2 with 165's and the rest with 150's.
None at long range though, the longest was a couple weeks ago at 242 yds. Based on the explosive behavior of the bullets on the deer I've killed and another dozen or so I've had part in skinning killed with these bullets I'd say on smallish eastern whitetails 150 lbs and less that they would be a excellent bullet for ranges up to 600 yds or so. Just my 2 cents though as I haven't done that YET. But I plan too. 308
 
Fatboy

75 Grs of powder???? That's a "Powderpuff" load. I use 122.5 grs in my 338/416 Rigby IMp with the 300 gr MK---Drives that bullet over 3250 FPS---I have taken it to 3310 FPS

Good luck and I'm sure you will like the 175 MK.

Later
Darryl Cassel
 
Darryl,

122.5gr's, You buy your powder by the keg huh :)

Thank you all for your help. I think I'm going to try the SMK's after some testing on the local 'yote population. I appreciate all the input.

FatBoy...
 
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