Ballistic tips

[go1fshn]

Reading all the old posts about the CT Silvertips and other ballistic tips, it sounds like many people had bad experiences with them not always working so good.
That was a long time ago and I was wondering if they had improved since then, What do you think?

[mcbammer]

I   never  had  a   problem with  them .  I   use  Nosler   Bal.  Tips  for   years  in   hunting  loads.   (  on   whitetale )  Never   shot  a   grizzly   bear   ,  dont   how   they  work   on  thick  game.

[LaOtto222]

I think they have made great improvements in ballistic tips. Hornady has recently came out with their leverolution ammo (flex tips) that were designed specifically for hunting. When purchaing balistic tip ammo, make sure it is designed for the application you intend it for. It is difficult to tell by looking, the difference between a varmint round, a match round and a hunting round; all can be ballistic tips. So you need to pay attention to the labeling on the box and do your research before choosing a bullet. Know what to expect for expansion and weight retention at different velocites and restrict your range to the bullet, cartridge combination you have. It is not just a matter of loading up a 150 grain bullet and thinking it will take every thing from 50 yards out to 500 yard be it a deer or a big bear. Know your intended target and watch your range and choose your bullet with that in mind. A bullet that will preform well at 100 yards may not do so well at 400 yards, or the other way around. A bullet that performs well out at 400 yards, may blow up at 50 yards. But instead of the 300 Winchester, it is shot in a 30-30, it will preform great. Speaking of old ballistic tips, remember the Winchester Bronze tips?

Good Luck and Good Shooting

[kynardsj]

The whole time I had my 30-06 I used 150 gr NBT's in it. Accurate and deadly on whitetail. For larger game I would recommend something else that didn't open so fast.

[charles p]

When they first came out, lots of hunters had to track deer when using BTs.  Seems the BTs either worked great or miserably.  I recall shooting a buck at about 50 yds, square in the chest (it was walking toward me).  The rifle was a 280AI loaded to over 3000fps with a 140grain BT.  The deer ran for 100 yds and fell in a canal.  As I got near it jumped and I shot it going away at 20 yds.  It fell again, and raised its head before I shot it in the neck and killed it.  When I skinned the buck the frontal shot and the rump shot both exploded on contact and did almost no tissue damage - just a big buise.  I didn't check the neck but have no doubt that it failed as well.  After that season I didn't trust BTs, and about 1/2 of my hunting partners felt the same, with similar experiences to tell.  The other half swore by them.  A few years later, the newer BTs worked far better.  I no longer shun them and they are absolutely the most accurate bullet for sighting in a rifle.  I still like Core Lokts for whitetail deer.  I get repeatable and dependable performance from them, year after year.  I shoot about a dozen doe deer per year.
I don't shoot any rifle with a velocity over 2800 fps any more.  Those 3000+ fps rounds have to be hard on fragile, fast expanding bullets.  That's my opinion, FWIW.  Good luck.
 

[1armoured]

I have used them in .308, .222, and .22Hornet,


and found those I've used to be very accurate, with groups down to less than .5 MOA


110gr V-Max
40gr Nosler
40gr Sierra  BlitzKing
and
35gr V-Max


Ideal for varmints and small game, but I wouldn't know how they perform on larger game,
as I'm sure there are many more specialist big game projectiles available.


cheers,
SS

[helotaxi]

Nice thing about the Nosler Ballistic Tips is that they are ballistically identical to their Accubond brothers of the same caliber and weight.  They are also available regularly at about half the price.  I have a bunch of BTs for load work-up and practice and a single box of Accubonds for hunting use.

[DANNY-L]

I have been useing the nosler bt in my 270 (130gr) forover 20yrs. I have shot deer from 30yds to over 300 and they have never failed and I have never had to shoot a deer twice when shot placement was on target (vitals).  I did however shoot a coyote through the ribs at about 250yds with the 50gr bt from my 22-250 and have it get up and run about 70yds before dropping but I would guess that to be more of an adrenaline rush than a bad bullet.

[Buckskin]

I use almost exclusively BT's for all of my rifles except my Mosin Nagant, and that is only because I can't find one in .312... Everything from 204 up to 300 RUM. And the reason is obvious, they are the most accurate and have the highest BC that you can get. If it has a projectile, I want it to hit as accurately as possible and out as far as possible. 
 
Now I don't go out hunting with match target bullets, but do have several rifles that shoot both match hollow points and hunting BT's... I am partial to the VMax's for the smaller calibers like the 204 and 223 only because they give incredible groups.  Although I have been playing around with the little bergers in those calibers and they are showing to be even tigher.  I use the Flex Tip for the 30-30, great bullet... For the other calibers, the Accubonds are my favorite for hunting bullets, but again the Bergers are showing incredible groups. Sunday I shot a 4 shot test load of the new 200 gr Berger Hybrid out of my RUM at 200 yards that measured .485".  Crazy... For me anyway.
 
I just have a hard time wrapping my head around using a frangible for hunting, even after seeing hundreds of animals being dropped in their tracks with them.  For one thing who wants micro particles of lead distributed throughout their meat...

[SHOOTALL]

I have been using Nos BT's in my 2506 for 28 years and not one has failed to kill a deer with one shot . I used them in a 708 which is long gone and they worked. Same for 3006 and 308 . To be honest none remained in the deer they were all pass thru. with a hole on the off side about bigs as a quater to a 50 cent pcs. On ground hogs with you get the meaning of the "red mist "in the scope .

[drdougrx]

I use BTs and Accubonds now pretty exclusively.  I use heavy for caliber BTs, i.e. 150gr in 270win, etc.  I was told by Nosler that the heavier bullets have a thicker jacket cause they know some folks will try them on big game and mag rifles. 
 
I use them with confidence.

[helotaxi]

I just have a hard time wrapping my head around using a frangible for hunting, even after seeing hundreds of animals being dropped in their tracks with them.  For one thing who wants micro particles of lead distributed throughout their meat...

Frangibles don't use lead, but valid point.  Makes shot placement of vital importance to keep from filling good meat with little hard bits of shrapnel.

[Buckskin]

I just have a hard time wrapping my head around using a frangible for hunting, even after seeing hundreds of animals being dropped in their tracks with them.  For one thing who wants micro particles of lead distributed throughout their meat...

Frangibles don't use lead, but valid point.  Makes shot placement of vital importance to keep from filling good meat with little hard bits of shrapnel.

You are right... But Berger's act similar to a fragible in that they violently shed up to 85% of their weight and produce a massive wound channel. I would love to see an x-ray of a well placed Berger bullet in a chest cavity also one not so well placed to see where the particles go...

[LaOtto222]

http://www.hornady.com/store/30-Cal-.308-150-gr-InterBond/


Here is an example of a Balistic Tip hunting bullet. They are not cheap, but premium hunting bullets seldom are. Of course $75 worth of bullets will do a lot of hunting and if you have a need for them, they are worth it.

[mcbammer]

http://www.hornady.com/store/30-Cal-.308-150-gr-InterBond/


Here is an example of a Balistic Tip hunting bullet. They are not cheap, but premium hunting bullets seldom are. Of course $75 worth of bullets will do a lot of hunting and if you have a need for them, they are worth it.

I  agree  Hornady  is   producing    some  excellent   ammo   on  the   market  today.

[spinafish]

Remington makes the Bronze Tip.

[LaOtto222]

Remington makes the Bronze Tip.

I stand corrected, and Remington is still making them. These are for medium sized game, so they are not as tough as the Hornady InterBond bullets.


Good Shooting and Good Luck

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive probably killed a 100 deer with them in the 250 sav 257 roberts, 2506, 257 wby. 264 mag, 7 rem mag, 7stw, 280, 300 win and wby mags and the 8rem mag. Ive yet to have a deer walk away from one and ate back straps every time. Bts and the seirra pro hunters have allways been my bullet of choise for deer hunting.

[SHOOTALL]

We seldom hear " I messed up that shot" in most cases its the bullet , scope or rifle . The best bullets in the world seldom can make up for poor shot placement. The magnum craze is marketed to such thinking most of the time. There are two really good reasons for owning a magnum omiting just wanting one. First is dangerous game up close and second is long range shooting. Why does one need a magnum to hunt deer out to 250 yards ? If anything the mag might make your shooting poorer. Well if you have to blame poor shooting on something it's better to blame the least expensive thing the bullet.

[Sourdough]

A few years back I shot a Caribou at 60 yards in the neck with a 30-06, and 180gr Nosler Ballistic Tips.  Caribou should have fallen, instead it ran off.  It stopped at 125 yards and looked back.  I could see a wound in the neck so I placed the second shot in the middle of the wound.  Caribou went down, dead.

My first shot had knocked a hole about the size of a softball in the neck tissue.  but it did not do any damage to the bone or nerves.  The second shot hit bone since the muscle tissue had already been removed by the first shot.  Only damaged one vertebra, but did not smash it like I thought it should have.  I no longer use BTs for hunting, don't trust them in the event I run into a Grizzly.  I've gone back to the old tried and true Partitions.

[SHOOTALL]

FWIW the only hog I have shot hunting was at abot 20 yards . Hit it in the spine in the neck . Shot it with a 180 Federal Prem. 300 win mag. It just stood there for a long time . If I judged that round on that one shot I would not use them but other shots were bang flop on deer. Some critters are just tuffer than others. How could you tell what the first bullet did if the second shot was in the same hole ? just asking ? My hog after a while fell over and no second shot was needed .

[Sourdough]

I got a good look at the hole in the neck through the scope after the first shot, while the Caribou was sort of stunned.  By the time I reloaded and was looking at the animal it started running.  As it ran I could see the hole, but I would not shoot till it stopped.  Caribou always seem to stop and look back, after running about 50 yards or so.

[yooper77]

Reading all the old posts about the CT Silvertips and other ballistic tips, it sounds like many people had bad experiences with them not always working so good.
That was a long time ago and I was wondering if they had improved since then, What do you think?

I have never had any bad experience with any Nosler bullet, now Barnes bullets I have witnessed very bad performance or should I say complete bullet failure.

I have used successfully 200 grain Nosler/Winchester Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip bullets in my 338-06 A-Square for upper Michigan white-tailed deer.

I also have some 180 grain Nosler Hunting Ballistic Tip/Accubond bullets for my T/C Encore 15" 338 Federal barrel.

I have also used 150 grain Nosler Hunting Ballistic Tip bullets in my 270 Winchester for deer and performed flawlessly.

I also have some 120 grain Nosler Solid base/Ballistic Tips for my 7mm-08 Remington for reduced youth deer hunting in the future when my daughter graduates from the 223 Remington and 60 grain Nosler Partitions for deer.

Also Nosler Varmint Ballistic Tips are the best of the best for vermin.

yooper77

[Lloyd Smale]

othree does just last night with the 264 mag using 120 bts. Two were standing about a 125 yards out. Both dropped on the spot and both had  a tiny enterance right behind the shoulder and a 50 cent peice sized exit hole in the off side ribs. Third one was shot at about 350 and hit in the spine. Basicaly cut the spine in half. Actually blew a chunk of it right out. Typical of the performance ive had with that gun and load. Hit big bore and your going to do some damage. Hit them right and youll get no more damage then any other bullet. Would i be trecking around in grizzly country with that gun and load? hell no! But for anything less then that they do just fine. Bottom line is you cant judge a bullet by one experience. Ive actually seen barnes tsx bullets do some real weard things. Had one that didnt even penetrate the shoulder on a 100 lb doe. Does that mean there junk. Heck no. Im sure if i shot 20 more animals id be more likely to have them underexpand if anything. Kind of why bts get a bad rap. Lots of so called internet experts had one bad experience and most likely didnt even had that, just gleamed on to someone elses post somewhere to make themselves look like an expert. Like i said ive shot proably well over a 100 deer with them. All went in the freezer. Will they do the same on larger game? I dont know. Ive never tried it, but sure wouldnt be afraid to use them on elk size game or smaller.

[Iowa Fox]

Llyod, Are you filling cull tags agin this year?

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  We have had great success with BT from the first time we used them..as Lloyd said hitting a major bone can cause some damage, but we have shot everything from gophers to moose with them and never had a problem..I could look at my notes and tell but, I know we have shot p. dogs, coyotes, rockcucks, antelope, turkey, mule deer, whitetails, axis deer,black bear, bighorn sheep, elk, caribou and moose with them..When shooting BT, I usually go for a behind the shoulder shot..several years ago, I put one though the lungs of a big cow elk..she dropped like she was shot though the spine..actually a bit of bullet may have this the spine..that was with a .300...IF I am hunting elk or moose under the conditions when bad angles can case problems then a partition is my choice..while we have used them on game bigger than deer, when we get to elk size critters I like the partition..BUT we have never had a failure with BTBT....

[shot1]

Waaaaaaaaay back with the ballistic tips first came out many were too lightly constructed. I used the 150 gr in a 30-06 and would put a perfect just behind the edge of the shoulder blade shot inside 150 yards and the deer would run off 100 yards or so and not leave a blood trail. The bullets just exploded just after going through the hide and often would only take out one lung and the entrance hole almost sealed up and the deer bled inside. I stopped using BTs for a while because of this. It did not take them long to get things right. They work really well now on light game.

[Lloyd Smale]

ya we been shooting them since the end of july. I didnt keep an exact count this year but its up close to 40.

Llyod, Are you filling cull tags agin this year?

[SHOOTALL]

I got a good look at the hole in the neck through the scope after the first shot, while the Caribou was sort of stunned.  By the time I reloaded and was looking at the animal it started running.  As it ran I could see the hole, but I would not shoot till it stopped.  Caribou always seem to stop and look back, after running about 50 yards or so.

interesting , I was just wondering . my experince is on deer . thanks

[charles p]

Newer BTs work fine but those from the first year of production were too fragile for hunting.  Be hard to find those early bullets now.