120 Ballistic Tips and 2 different results

[CTK]

2 equal size whitetail doe were shot by my rifle in the last 2 weeks. Rifle is a 6.5x47 pushing 120 BT at approximately 2900 fps. First doe was shot at 50y. Through upper shoulder and exit behind opposite shoulder. Collapsed instantly with bloody entrance hole and blood spewing 2” diameter exit hole. Second doe shot at dusk @ 230y. I used a cedar tree branch as a rest. Immediately found doe which apparently dropped in exact spot she was standing when shot at. Dead as a door nail. No blood anywhere. Absolutely could not find entrance or exit hole. Quickly field dressed her and took to the processor. Field dressing showed no evidence of where the hit occurred. I was aiming for the rear upper shoulder. Shoulder was not broken. Looked like I might have scared her to death. Processor found no entrance or exit. Found that I hit the spine at the top of the shoulder. No sign of the bullet left. I have never seen such little damage to a shot deer. I have only killed deer with bigger cartridges and heavier bullets. Is this typical of performance from a Ballistic Tip hitting bone? No complaints with the end result. Just wonder if common terminal performance. Is heart/lung shot better than shoulder shot with the BT’s? Shot was about a 3 “pull” from aim point. Checked zero yesterday and was correspondingly off. Certainly could have missed by 3” if wasn’t off.

 

[Kermit in Va.]

My son uses them in a 264 and has never had a problem.
Most exit and deer gose down close to where shot.
They surprised me on how tough they are. They stay together
better than I thought they would.


Kermit

 

[Chief 101]

Location is the key. As a young teen I shot a spike Mule deer with a Sav mod 99 takedown in 30-30 at 100 yards and made the same glancing hit on the spine with the same results. Clean kill with factory ammo...borrowed gun not sighted in and put together after I spotted the Mulie...I am much better prepared these days

 

[AckleymanII]

There is also a spot just rear of the high shoulder where a bulltet can zip through and you may not find them.

 

[2506]

One thing you must take into count is that a bullet at different velocity reacts differently. At 50 yards your bullet was still going about 2750 fps and at 230 yards it was only going around 2300 fps. In my experience with Nosler BTs which is vast with many different calibers is that you really need to keep impact velocity under 3000 fps and on average they really perform best below 2800 fps. I have shot a lot of 120 BTs out of 6.5x55 and 260 Rem and killed everything from groundhogs to white tail deer and they just plain work and I usually shoot deer through the shoulders and it is bang flop. I went with the 130 Accubond out of my 264 Win. mag because muzzle velocity is 3350 fps. Talk about a GREAT bullet on deer. You do not need to worry about it not exiting. I have killed over two dozen deer with this bullet from 25 to a touch over 500 yards and it reacts the same. Goes in scrambles the vitals and exits about a nickel size hole and deer drop in their tracks. I have only recovered one bullet shot into a buck at 111 yards that was almost facing me with a slight left shoulder angle facing me. Bullet entered front edge of left shoulder and was found when cutting up the meat against the smashed right ham ball socket. Text book mushroom and weight was 87 grs. Impact velocity had to still be at least 3100 fps. Don't get much better than that.

 

[Larryh128]

It is also a possibility that you could have hit a branch before the deer and only a fragment actually hit it. Other than that and the possibility of hitting an area that shows no evidence, it's a really good bullet.

 

[CTK]

There is also a spot just rear of the high shoulder where a bulltet can zip through and you may not find them.

Might have found that and clipped the spine on the way through.

 

[CTK]

One thing you must take into count is that a bullet at different velocity reacts differently. At 50 yards your bullet was still going about 2750 fps and at 230 yards it was only going around 2300 fps. In my experience with Nosler BTs which is vast with many different calibers is that you really need to keep impact velocity under 3000 fps and on average they really perform best below 2800 fps. I have shot a lot of 120 BTs out of 6.5x55 and 260 Rem and killed everything from groundhogs to white tail deer and they just plain work and I usually shoot deer through the shoulders and it is bang flop. I went with the 130 Accubond out of my 264 Win. mag because muzzle velocity is 3350 fps. Talk about a GREAT bullet on deer. You do not need to worry about it not exiting. I have killed over two dozen deer with this bullet from 25 to a touch over 500 yards and it reacts the same. Goes in scrambles the vitals and exits about a nickel size hole and deer drop in their tracks. I have only recovered one bullet shot into a buck at 111 yards that was almost facing me with a slight left shoulder angle facing me. Bullet entered front edge of left shoulder and was found when cutting up the meat against the smashed right ham ball socket. Text book mushroom and weight was 87 grs. Impact velocity had to still be at least 3100 fps. Don't get much better than that.

I have shot many deer with the 7mm 140 and 160 Accubond. I had same results other than the drop in their tracks part. Likely this was due to heart/lung shots. Deer usually ran 40-80y, often without a heart. Very tiny entrance and exit. Scrambled insides. I am now shooting more high shoulder shots. Went with the 140 Ballistic Tip a couple of years ago with my 280AI. Deer dropped a little quicker with the heart/lung shot with the BT vs. the Accubond. They also had a larger exit hole. I think the 120 BT @ lower velocities is still a good bullet. I may pull back from the shoulder shot. I found a warm Varget load for the 120 BT that my rifle loves. Someone here turned me on to Varget for lighter bullets in the 6.5x47. I am a believer now.

 

[okie]

It is also a possibility that you could have hit a branch before the deer and only a fragment actually hit it. Other than that and the possibility of hitting an area that shows no evidence, it's a really good bullet.

that sounds very plausible

 

[Kermit in Va.]

My other son uses the 130 accubonds and they do a good job too.
We like the accubonds in every caliber we hunt with. The youngest
Model 70 just shoots the 120 bts better.


Kermit

 

[CTK]

that sounds very plausible

Also possible. Deer was in corn stubble.

 

[seymour fish]

2 equal size whitetail doe were shot by my rifle in the last 2 weeks. Rifle is a 6.5x47 pushing 120 BT at approximately 2900 fps. First doe was shot at 50y. Through upper shoulder and exit behind opposite shoulder. Collapsed instantly with bloody entrance hole and blood spewing 2” diameter exit hole. Second doe shot at dusk @ 230y. I used a cedar tree branch as a rest. Immediately found doe which apparently dropped in exact spot she was standing when shot at. Dead as a door nail. No blood anywhere. Absolutely could not find entrance or exit hole. Quickly field dressed her and took to the processor. Field dressing showed no evidence of where the hit occurred. I was aiming for the rear upper shoulder. Shoulder was not broken. Looked like I might have scared her to death. Processor found no entrance or exit. Found that I hit the spine at the top of the shoulder. No sign of the bullet left. I have never seen such little damage to a shot deer. I have only killed deer with bigger cartridges and heavier bullets. Is this typical of performance from a Ballistic Tip hitting bone? No complaints with the end result. Just wonder if common terminal performance. Is heart/lung shot better than shoulder shot with the BT’s? Shot was about a 3 “pull” from aim point. Checked zero yesterday and was correspondingly off. Certainly could have missed by 3” if wasn’t off.

You shocked the spinal cord.

 

[Beruisis]

I once saw a guy checking out a few deer in a clearing with his rifle scope, While doing so his rifle went off and a doe dropped dead.
We couldn't find a mark on her anywhere. Later the ranch hands were cleaning her out, they found the bullet had gone into her ear canal. The rifle was a 17 Remington.

 

[Eric Leonard]

I have shot many deer with the 7mm 140 and 160 Accubond. I had same results other than the drop in their tracks part. Likely this was due to heart/lung shots. Deer usually ran 40-80y, often without a heart. Very tiny entrance and exit. Scrambled insides. I am now shooting more high shoulder shots. Went with the 140 Ballistic Tip a couple of years ago with my 280AI. Deer dropped a little quicker with the heart/lung shot with the BT vs. the Accubond. They also had a larger exit hole. I think the 120 BT @ lower velocities is still a good bullet. I may pull back from the shoulder shot. I found a warm Varget load for the 120 BT that my rifle loves. Someone here turned me on to Varget for lighter bullets in the 6.5x47. I am a believer now.

I worked up a load with the 120 NBT and Varget for my 6.5x47 also and it is as accurate as any match bullet I have shot,,I would have to look at records for exact charge weight but from a 27 inch 5R Bartlien it clocks 3015 fps and shoots 1/2 inch type 3 shot groups at 300 yards and is a lazer to 500 yards but it doesnt have the BC of the heavier bullets and starts slowing down pretty fast after that,,I aint shot a deer with the 6.5 yet but I have killed a ton truck load with the 100 NBT at 3410 fps from a 25-06 and with the high shoulder shot the shockwave to the spinal cord puts them down like nobodys buisiness,,