Nosler Ballistics Tip Performace?

timberelk said:

Any experience with BTs and larger game like elk?

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Sorry, when I was hunting elk I used a 300 Win Mag or a 338 Mag with Nosler Partitions, 180's and 250's. Too old to go now.

Coming to this thread rather late, but I have used/use the Nosler BT's for more than 20 years in cals ranging from 22-375.
Admittedly, some of my favourites have been and gone ie: 338 & 375. The Accubonds are a superb replacement.

I find the accuracy to be identical between Accubonds & BT's in the same weights in my 30 cal magnums.
I have used BT's beyond the 1800fps minimum without a failure to expand, however, I don't recommend this with the Accubond. The ABLR is better suited for this if BT's aren't available.
I just like Nosler bullets, they're superbly accurate without trying very hard and are consistent.

Just my 2c.

Cheers.

I have shot a ton of them over many years into deer and elk out of a 270 win and 300win mag. I love the bullets but I have noticed at below the 1800 they do not expand a whole lot. Above that they are like Thors hammer! Super accurate as well. I have only had one extreme failure and it was out of the 300 with a 165 BT at 20 yards into a bull elk shoulder while laying down. Bullet grenaded the shoulder but didn't enter the ribcage and he got up like he wanted to fight. Gave me a better shot then. I would try to get the velocity up a bit and you will be great at 500. I think there 1800 estimate is pretty accurate tho. I would not recommend the regular accubonds because at your velocity. You want it to expand rapidly.

105Coues said:

I have shot a ton of them over many years into deer and elk out of a 270 win and 300win mag. I love the bullets but I have noticed at below the 1800 they do not expand a whole lot. Above that they are like Thors hammer! Super accurate as well. I have only had one extreme failure and it was out of the 300 with a 165 BT at 20 yards into a bull elk shoulder while laying down. Bullet grenaded the shoulder but didn't enter the ribcage and he got up like he wanted to fight. Gave me a better shot then. I would try to get the velocity up a bit and you will be great at 500. I think there 1800 estimate is pretty accurate tho. I would not recommend the regular accubonds because at your velocity. You want it to expand rapidly.

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Interesting fact, I used to run Nosler & Speer Hot Cor's side by side in the same rifle. ( I used to hunt LOTS of pigs!)
This was before Accubonds were introduced, the only difference between the 2 was the fact that the Speer's NEVER shed their core and more often than not the expansion was very similar, even at extended ranges. I found both would expand with the expanded portion close to the shank and unless very close or under 75yrds, the weight retained, even with the BT's sheding the core, was around 60-70%.
I have used a couple thousand 25 cal 100gr BT's & 100gr Hot Cor's in various 25-06's & 257AI's and cannot see a performance difference other than the BT's have always been a little more accurate.

The only bullet failure I have had was with a Hornady A-Max 208gr in 300WM that blew up spectacularly on the shoulder of a Sambar stag, which did nothing other than producing a large hole. The deer escaped, but I was able to harvest him the next day.
The damage to his shoulder was like nothing I've seen before or since.
I could fit my whole fist in the there.

Cheers.

I'm just more of the same story, but I've never had a failure. I started using them when they first came out. I used to use Sierra GK but hated the way the lead would get mangled if the tip was rough handled.

So when I seen they had a plastic tip I was all in. I always considered a massive wound channel as a good thing. So when I moved to the Acubond I was disappointed by the lack of a wound channel. They are very tough compared to a normal BT.

My wife hit her buck this year on the point of the shoulder at 307yds, big time bang flop...it hit bone as it broke the skin...264wm 130gr Acubond with a muzzle velocity of 3150fps. The exit hole was roughly 6.5mm. The inside was mush! I felt it was a narrow wound channel, but he hit the ground and only kicked a couple times...that was it.



Quartering to me at 403yds...7mmRUM 140gr. AB...I don't have the picture in my phone but have a similar wound from 7mmRM 130gr BT.

CaptnC said:

I'm just more of the same story, but I've never had a failure. I started using them when they first came out. I used to use Sierra GK but hated the way the lead would get mangled if the tip was rough handled.

So when I seen they had a plastic tip I was all in. I always considered a massive wound channel as a good thing. So when I moved to the Acubond I was disappointed by the lack of a wound channel. They are very tough compared to a normal BT.

My wife hit her buck this year on the point of the shoulder at 307yds, big time bang flop...it hit bone as it broke the skin...264wm 130gr Acubond with a muzzle velocity of 3150fps. The exit hole was roughly 6.5mm. The inside was mush! I felt it was a narrow wound channel, but he hit the ground and only kicked a couple times...that was it.

View attachment 91793

Quartering to me at 403yds...7mmRUM 140gr. AB...I don't have the picture in my phone but have a similar wound from 7mmRM 130gr BT.

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Exactly how fast is a 140 AB in a 7RUM??

Faster than Quiznos?

tb23....I no longer have that rifle, but if I recall correctly, the 7mm RUM 140gr AB bullet was just under 3300fps...I will say this was from some of the first Acubonds to come out...IMO...they were more like the BT's...a lot more destructive.

I will say we have only shot two deer with the 140gr AB in 6.5mm (264wm) and they were both one shot bang flops. Neither destroyed much meat, minimal wound channel...so they have acted more like a bonded bullet.

Dead is dead and that is a good thimg!

We have shot a lot of elk over the years with 180BT out of 300 wm , 140 BT out of .280, and even a couple with 115 BT out of 25-06 with excellent results. The bullet all performed even when we hit heavy bone . 40-50% retention with core separating from jacket lodged under off side hide.

A good fried of mine loads both the 180Bt and the 180ab in his 300RUM. impacts are almost spot on. He goes to colorado every other year and claims if he sees a bull he chamber a AB, and deer get the BT.
We were in Wy the other year together doin a diy deer/antilope hunt and he chose to carry his RUM. Now we Checked velocities before we left and at our altitude was right aroud 3310fps. We killed 4 animals on That trip with that rifle and the 180gr BT, with all bang flop results. Even 2 gut shots. We noticed with shots under 425 yards the bullet grenaded. I've never seen a gut shot animal crumble so fast let alone twice. Now the 2 deer he shot were right at 425 and 600 yards. Both of these deer produce fine exit wounds and stil ban flop results with behind the sholder shots.
I was rather impressed with the results because I like frangable bullets and there preformance on game, but he disliked the performance so much I don't think he has used them since.
To each is their own , but from my experience with them in a 257 rob, 270 win, and witnessing them in the big fast 30cal, I'm impressed

Man I have yet to poke a critter with one but my 7RM Sendero will not shoot anything but these, **** do they shoot these things!

It's this every time.

tbrice23 said:

Man I have yet to poke a critter with one but my 7RM Sendero will not shoot anything but these, **** do they shoot these things!

It's this every time.View attachment 91868

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Looks like bad medicine

The 30 cal 168 and 180 grain Ballistic Tips are a lot tougher than the run of the mill hunter gives them credit for.

I

tbrice23 said:

Man I have yet to poke a critter with one but my 7RM Sendero will not shoot anything but these, **** do they shoot these things!

It's this every time.View attachment 91868

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I haven't found a rifle that wouldn't shoot them. May have to try a couple weights tho.

Bullet on left is 129 LRAB. Shot a cow elk with it at approximately 100yds with 6.5-06 3000fps. This is typical performance I have seen for these bullets, front fragments and bonded core stay together with 50-60% retention

Bullet on right is a 115 BT fired out of 25-06. Shot cow elk at 80 yards high shoulder. The jacket was under hide on off side. This is typical performance I've seen out of these bullets. Core separates from jacket 40-50% retention pictures are same 2 bullets