Dead deer but without an exit wound.

[R.W.Dale]

 I was rather suprized by this as I was shooting the Nosler 180grn balistic tips in my 300 wby. It was a perfect broadside shot at a range of 145yds impact velocity of appx 2800 FPS. Textbook shoulder heart lung shot on about a 150lb doe. Luckily this deer dropped dead on the spot because there would have been NO blood trail to follow.

 The bullet went through one shoulder and appearnetly disintigrated in the chest cavity, There was nothing that even resembled a heart or lungs in the chest.

 While I like the way the B-tips anchor whitetail I'm just not comfortable relying aboun this happening every time. Last year I shot a buck with the 168grn B-tip with the same results as above, so this year I stepped up to the elligedly tougher 180grn projectile. But got the same result as before

 I'm now of the opinion that the ballistic tips are fine for STD non magnum chamberings but in the big boomers they are best reguarded as varmint bullets.

[Redhawk1]

krochus, you have it right. I also think the ballistic tips are not for the magnum speeds. They do have a tendency to blow up when hitting a hard bone at high speeds. I am glad you recovered the doe though.

[kyote]

when nosler introduced them way back when,the Balllistic tips were written up as deer slayers.even with a not so good hit the deer would go down.and not run off to have some one else claim it when you tracked it to where it fell.
I have shot a lot of texas white tail deer with the 150 grain nosler b tip.and mucho mule deer with the same bullet.I have never had one exit.just like you, all the energy was used inside the animal.I thought they were great.there was never even a two step they could do..you shot em, and to the ground they went.and I kinda like the idea of no exit when hunting deer.

there are many bullets to choose from today..But, ya know.you did not have to track a wounded animal.what could be better?

[Tn Jim]

Somebody always has to be different. I shot a spike yesterday morning with my 7-08. 140 grain BT at 2850 fps. Buck was broadside at about 125 yards. At the shot he went straight down and thrashed for 3-4 seconds. Then got up and ran about 25 yards and jumped a creek. I swear he died in mid air because he didn't so much as twitch once he landed on the far bank. Just his final payback on me for shooting him (had to haul him back across the creek). I got a complete pass through with a exit hole about the size of a nickel. Heart and lungs could have been removed with a ladle. The shock wave was so strong it ruptured the stomach. All internals looked like a concussion grenade went off in him. Definately DOA. He left a blood trail out both sides a blind man could have followed (not that it was needed). I was very happy with the BT performance and will continue to use them. But I have heard many times the BT's were not really designed for MV above 3000 fps. For that speed you really need a more heavily constructed bullet. Just my .02.

[lewdogg21]

Like in 1992 or so My dad shot a deer in Idaho with a Nosler Ballistic Tip and well he made a bad shot as the deer started to go and hit it in the back ham.  The bullet just blew up in the ham.  Terrible performance. 

The deer was recovered but he said when he walked up on the deer it was tough b/c this thing was looking at him and couldn't really get up or move.

[NONYA]

Ballistic tips are JUNK,killed several deer,antelope and a cow elk with them last year,they all killed the animal but came apart on impact,Accubonds perform the same way despite what they claim,if your going to shoot Noslers at game stick with the partitions.

[John R.]

I've had good luck with the Accubonds in every caliber I load them in. (7mm/08,280,270,7Mag,7Ultra Mag,7STW) They shoot as accurate as the Bal. Tip and hit as hard as the Partition.(which I used for years)

[NONYA]

i SHOOT A 7 MAG AND HAVE KILLED manY BIG GAME ANIMALS WITH THE PARTITIONS AND A HANDFULL WITH THE ACCUBONDS,THEY DO NOT PERFORM ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE PARTITIONS,I HAVE LOST FAITH IN NOSLER ALL TOGETHER AFTER USING THE BALLISTICS AND ACCUBONDS WICH THEY ADVERTISE AS A BIG GAME BULLET,THE BARNES TRIPLE X BULLETS ARE SOLIID COPPER AND OUTPERFORM ANY OTHER ROUND I HAVE EVER USED,WONT HAVE THE NOSLER PROBLEM EVER AGAIN...

[Castaway]

Krochus, there are some shots that defy an explaination.  I shot a average sized doe last year broadside at 100 yards with a 420 grain bullet leaving the muzzle over 1800 f/s.  Bullet didn't exit.  In this case, there was disentegration at all and was under the off side skin.  How that happened I'll never figure out.  The only other of this bullet I've recovered was on a deer hit 1" east of due south that broke the pelvis and traveled through the deer to the left side shoulder, stopping under the skin.  I understand how that one failed to exit, but not the earlier mentioned doe.  In both cases thouh, they dropped where they stood with no trailing needed.

[John R.]

Well all I can say is they work great on whitetails. Of all the deer and hogs myself and my friends have shot with Accubonds in many different calibers we have not recovered one yet and they are very accurate. I can't commment on animals larger than deer or tougher than hogs as I haven't hunted them. You won't go wrong on deer using Accubonds.

[bearfat]

Ballistic tips are JUNK,killed several deer,antelope and a cow elk with them last year,they all killed the animal but came apart on impact,Accubonds perform the same way despite what they claim, if your going to shoot Noslers at game stick with the partitions.

I'm with NONYA sort of. I don't like ballistic tip for big game. I've read all the posts above and while it seems some guys haven't had the problems other have I have had them come apart in both short and long shots on big game. They're just too unpredictable for me. I do like them in my .223's for accuracy and coyote size varmints but not for anything smaller. The Nosler Partitions were the "Cats Meow" for me for the past dozen years plus but even they have had shortcomings lately for me.. so I'm switching to a big fat Sierra 220gr RN for the next 5 years to see what happens. And if that doesn't cut it I do like what I'm seeing guys say about the Barnes all copper triple X.

I gotta have an exit wound in Minnesota brush or I run the risk of not finding the animal. Heck even with an exit wound and an OJ Simpson blood trail my brother thought he missed a doe this fall. (I love slamming the older brother every chance I get esp since he also got a 10 pointer while I only got a spike this fall)


 

[Todd1700]

I was shooting the Nosler 180grn balistic tips

And there's the exact point in your post when I stopped being surprized you didn't get an exit hole. I hate ballistic tips. They overexpand, fragment easily and penetrate poorly.

[R.W.Dale]

I was shooting the Nosler 180grn balistic tips

And there's the exact point in your post when I stopped being surprized you didn't get an exit hole. I hate ballistic tips. They overexpand, fragment easily and penetrate poorly.

 I agree NOW, But between this deer and the last one I don't know how many times I was told that the 180 grainers have a thicker jacket and is a tougher bullet.

 With deer season over the quest for a new bullet BEGINS

 Partition, Triple Shock , Fail Safe or Grand Slam????The quest begins.

 I need to buy some more RE25 and lots of it.

[NONYA]

if you go to the barnes triple shock and base your opinion on how they perform on game you will never switch again,they are bonebreaking,penetrating,fast and retain 99.9-100% of thier weight,i recovered 1 that transversed a wt from the chest to the hide on the ass and it weighed in at 100% of its original weight,watch you backdrop with them because they are going through you animal and any other standing behind it.

[kyote]

it is interesting reading what folks agree on and disagree on.and how something preforms for one and so differntly performs for another.I Find it hard to believe (not saying that it did not happen)that shooting a .300 weathrby with a 180 ballistic tip at a doe and the bullet not exiting.wow.makes me wonder why.was the ammo tested during hot weather?and velocitys were great.and on par with what the hunter wanted?and then durning a cold morning deer hunting a shot was made and the ammo was cold and the performance was lost, (A lot of powders are tempature sensitive).metal contracts when cold.and it makes me wonder if the barrel of the rifle constricted and some how made the heavier jacketd 180 rupture and blow up in the animal and not pass through.even if that is a possibility,I do not know.I do know some rifles will shot the .222 rem velocity bullets at warp speed as the barrel is not as tight as some others that make the bullet blow up exiting the muzzel.
I did see an ole boy shoot a doe at 200 yards with a .300 weathrby using a 110 gr spire point (reload)hit the doe in the shoulder.my god it blew one shoulder off and the other some how swung around and went through the entry hole and came out kinda making it look like the one missing was not.the whole front of the animal was unfit to bucher any further.(the doe did not run,just fell over on it's side).
when Roy weathrby introduced his rifles in africa.I guess I should reword that.his ammo in africa.it preformed miserbly.and was banned/are Ph's would not allow hunters to use it.as the bullets blew up on/in animals.the problem was bullets had not been developed for the fast movers that he brought to africa.today is an entirely differnt story.
and a lot of folks are using magnums today.which is great.and shots are being taken at ranges that are ,,,kinda close and preformance is not what one might expect.there are differnt reasons for magnums.stoping dangerous animals in there tracks,taking dangerous animals at a distance,taking thin skinned animals at long range,goats,deer and antelope.this is where the true preformance of the magnums come in.guess where they kinda shine..
As most of you, I have shot more then my share of deer.and with all types of firearms,calibers and bullets.I normally like shooting rifles that buck and snort fire way out the barrel.and stuff blows up a little when it gets hit.But,sticking with the no exit theme,I shot a lot of does (white tails)in south texas at ranges under 100 yards.sitting at those feeder stands where the deer lolly gaggles on in not knowing that it is about to be blasted.and found that the does died nicly with a well place .22 rim fire round right behind the shoulder into the lungs.as long as I did not push the deer.and waited 5 minutes.just follow the direction it ran and with in 100 yards.it would be laying on the ground.no exit of the bullet and no blood trail.No meat loss at all,and hardly any mess when cleaning..
Krochos, you have a lot of nice bullets lined up to test.some pricey.you might want to add to your line up the swifts/sirracos.very nice bullets also.

[backstrap]

2 years ago i shot a doe 200 yards away with 30-06150 grain ballistic tip factory loads hit her right behind the front leg the bullet blew up on inpact all her insides where hanging out not to see her ever again no blood no nothing i seen this threw my scope after i shot her she stood there for a few seconds and then took of nedless to say i dont shoot them any more

[lewdogg21]

I was rather suprized by this as I was shooting the Nosler 180grn balistic tips in my 300 wby. It was a perfect broadside shot at a range of 145yds impact velocity of appx 2800 FPS. Textbook shoulder heart lung shot on about a 150lb doe. Luckily this deer dropped dead on the spot because there would have been NO blood trail to follow.

 The bullet went through one shoulder and appearnetly disintigrated in the chest cavity, There was nothing that even resembled a heart or lungs in the chest.

 While I like the way the B-tips anchor whitetail I'm just not comfortable relying aboun this happening every time. Last year I shot a buck with the 168grn B-tip with the same results as above, so this year I stepped up to the elligedly tougher 180grn projectile. But got the same result as before

 I'm now of the opinion that the ballistic tips are fine for STD non magnum chamberings but in the big boomers they are best reguarded as varmint bullets.

I told of the same exact bullet performance from a .300 win mag on a buck in Idaho.  Balistic Tips are not something I would use again on deer or other big game.

edit: Well this is the same thread.  I remember somebody complained about the shot placement which really had nothing to do with the bullet failing to perform.

[backstrap]

i know for a fact mine was not bad shot placement some thing to do with that bullet what was funny i had been useing the same ammo previase years and had no trouble with it so it must have been just that 1 bullet that was bad hit her but i quit useing them any ways have read many articles in hunting magazines about ballistic tip bullet blowing up on impact but i hear the silver tips are a lott better havent tryed these yet want to other than the price winchester supreme 32.00 a box 

[John R.]

I agree with everything said about Bal. Tips, but the Accubonds work as advertised.

[NONYA]

I had a 7mag 160 gr accubond blow up on the shoulder of a cow elk shot at 50 yards,only fragments penetrated the shoulder,i had a 140 blow up on 2 different antelope from 100-300 yards,i had 2 160s blow up on the shoulder of a muley buck shot at 200 yards,all of this in one season,is this how they are advertised?I contacted Nosler and thier rep told me they sometimes have a "hicup" in thier bonding process,he sent me a new box of 160's,i sent them to the junk pile.

[John R.]

I must not have gotten one of the boxes with the hiccups. My buddy shot two deer last year with the 160 gr. accubond out of his 7mm Ultra Mag both through the front shoulders (bullet testing) and had complete penetration through bones with massive holes coming out. One deer was 275 yds. the other at 125 yds. Even the 110 gr. out of my 25-06 had complete penetration on a 7 point at 20 yds. (deer snuck up on me) In your case it sounds like they tried to make it right, hard to ask for more than that.

[NONYA]

That MASSIVE exit hole is the bullet coming apart,it is supposed to be a BONDED bullet,not a fragmentationgernade,a bonded bullet that exits should never leave a massive hole,more like athe size of a nickel.You must have had "hicups" as well,if you knew what a bonded bullet was supposed to do you would have made the same conclusion.Making it right would be not misrepresenting these POS as a bonded hunting bullet when they are nothing even close to that,after a lifetime of reloading Noslers the accubonds,ballistic tips and even some of the partitions have forced me to switch brands,Im not about to pay premium bullet prices for unreliable qualty.

[1marty]

last year is the first time I used the Fed vital shock NBT 7-08. Shot a doe at about 50 yards it ran about 25 yards and when I found it the entire chest cavity was blown out with no exit wound. This year shot one at less than 25 yards just in back of the front leg; it went down got up and ran off. I'm going back to the rem greens-never had to worry about dropping a deer.

[R.W.Dale]

 WOW! From the posts in this thread it's beginning to look as though catastrophic bullet failure is the norm rather than the exception with ballistic tips.

[NONYA]

Accubonds out of a magnum rifle perform just as poorly,if i was buying otc ammo i would stick with the corelokts or maybe the federal fusions,my huntin partners use both and i have never seen a failure from either.It has become the norm if you talk to people who know what a bullet should do and not one that thinks the damage done by a fragmenting bullet is "cool"

[Graybeard]

For those of us not afflicted with magnumitus the BTs aren't bad for deer hunting. I recommend you use the heaviest per caliber version of it however as does Nosler I believe. They really don't suggest use of BTs in magnum rifles and most especially not the lighter for caliber ones.

Used properly they work great. Used improperly just like anything else they don't. In handguns with short barrels using BTs is as good as it gets. The reduced velocity of the handgun causes them to perform to perfection.

Now I'm not sure I'd want to use BTs on game like elk or moose or bears in any caliber below say .338". Those over .30s BTs are made entirely differently than the .30 and under BTs.

As to the Nosler AB and the Hornady IB they have already been well proven tough big game bullets in game fields all ove the world. They've proven to work and work well in far far more instances than any one of us here has had opportunity to try them. Samples of one have no meaning.

[NONYA]

They disintegrated on every animal I used them on,mule deer,wt deer,coyote,antelope and elk,thats enough proof for me.Ana s far as magnumitis goes when did it become a sickness to use a magnum round?Out here where a shot way over 300 yards is not uncomon the "magnumitis" can make you a way more succesful hunter.

[R.W.Dale]

Ana s far as magnumitis goes when did it become a sickness to use a magnum

 AW! lighten up, Half of riflemen suffer from classic magnumitis. While the other half are afflicted with magnophobia an irratonal fear of all things belted.  like all other things in life there is no middle ground.

[NONYA]

out here magnum rifle calibers are the standard,who came up with a term that makes it sound "WRONG"?Never been discriminated against before due to my choice of rifle:)

[Redhawk1]

WOW I agree with NONYA..