120 gr nosler bt

[dan06]

Is any one useing 120 gr. 6.5 Nosler Balistic tips on deer say in the 140 to 200lb range? I have shot 2 lately perfect placement behind the shoulder and have not seen much expansion but complete pass through with small exit hole and not much blood..... 6.5X284 at around 3000fps

Is there better bullets for deer out there

 

[dzelenka]

I have shot a truck load of deer with that bullet. I have used it out of .260, 6.5x55 and 6.5 JDJ with muzzle velocities from 2400 - 2800 fps. Impact velocities from around 2200 fps and up. I have experienced expansion in all cases. It would shock me to have no expansion with a 3000 fps muzzle velocity. I would have expected expansion to the bottom of the jacket with a loss of core for any shot within a couple hundred yards.

As to answer your question about whether there are better deer bulllets, not if you want fast expansion. If you want fast expansion and penetration, get a partition, if you want slower expansion, try a bonded bullet; if you want some expansion and lots of penetration, get a monolithic hollow point.

Dan

 

[65BR]

Good feedback.

My guess the bullet shed plenty INSIDE the animal. MAYBE you missed a rib going in and out, but I am sure it expanded.

If you want MORE expansion, I'd recommend:

130 Berger Hunting bullet
129 SST

I use 130 Accubonds, though a 129 SP is a hard to beat all around bullet, cheap, accurate, good retention and expansion.

For me, if I run another bullet, it will be Barnes 120 TSX/TTSX for sure penetration on bad angles or heavy bone. Not much in NA I would not shoot with one.

 

[BoilerUP]

Most folks complain that the 120 Nosler BT has *too much* expansion, not too little. What range did you shoot those deer at?

I've found that bullet provides spectacular neck shot bang/flops from my 260 Rem at a mild 2675fps muzzle velocity, from 15 to 100 yards.

Last year during muzzleloader season, I shot a doe with a 245gr 50gr Powerbelt at about 40 yards. First hunt with the new stick so I wasn't 100% confident about shot placement, so I went conservative with a boiler room shot. Bullet cleanly penetrated both lungs and put out a lot of blood, but the deer still ran over 100yd into thick cover before expiring.

My lesson learned? Break them down with a heart/shoulder shot or aim for something in the CNS...otherwise they'll still die but you'll have some tracking to do.

 

[wboggs]

Dan
The lung shot you are describing will sometime put deer down on the spot but many times it will not no matter what you are using. You should try for a high shoulder shot that breaks the spinal column and spinal cord if you want them to fall on the spot. Two other shots will do it, a neck shot that also breaks the spinal column or a brain shot. Both are more difficult because there is a large neck and room for error and the difficulty of hitting the brain. A lung shot is a dead animal but can run up to a hundred yds.
I have found the Barnes TSX and TTSX bullets do well at any angle, any shot, with large exit holes for easy tracking.
Bill

 

[dan06]

One of these deer was right at 272 yards on a bushnel range finder the other was right around 100yds. Both of these deer exhibited exit wounds not much bigger than say 1/2 inch. I couldn't find a drop of blood from where the deer ran until i found the dead deer. One went over 100yds. In the very thick brush this makes locating them some times difficult. I don't think either deer was hit in a rib bone. Clean shot through. I probably would have been impressed with preformance if they had hit the shoulder.

I'm not running down nosler BT bullets they are my absolute favorite killer in 165gr. for 30-06 and I have tried many others weights and makes. With the 30-06 they always pass through with great 2" plus exit wound. I have done many necropsy's on deer hit in all parts of their body with these

I have only shot 2 deer with the 6.5X284 both with that 120 gr nosler Bt.....I know deer don't always die in their tracks when hit snug in behind the front shoulders no matter what your using. I do like a really good blood trail if they do run. I like to see more damage inside the lung cavity when I clean them out. Before I had the 6.5x284 I killed 5-4 deer with a 6.5X55 Swede using a max Swede load with 140 gr Hearters bullets they killed like the hammer of Thor but I only have about a dozen left so I'm looking for some thing different.

It is my opinion that the best hunting bullet should give great expansion and always give penetration enough to shoot through the game with a broad side hit.

Are acubonds a tougher bullet than BT. ???? I do not have any of these but would get some.
I have some 130gr Berger vld hunting do they give reliable expansion? I'm guessing they are heavy enough to penetrate.

I have a few 129 sst bullets but always thought these were more for varmits? do they penetrate well?

 

[dzelenka]

One of my go to loads for the 6.5x55 is a 140 partition over 47.5 gr of RL22. It runs 2800fps. It gives pretty explosive expansion and deep penetration. Although it may be somewhat overkill on deer, I cannot fault the results.

 

[Larryh128]

Hard to believe out of a Ballistic tip, but anything is possible. My suggestion is the TTSX, they will open up & drive & there will be a large exit hole & no lack of blood trail. I used to shoot nothing but BT's on deer, now about every caliber has been switched to TTSX's.

 

[Larryh128]

All of the above mentioned bullets are also good choices but these just work. ;D

 

[wboggs]

BTs expand faster than AB and AB is designed to penetrate further and stand a higher velocity.
Try the Barnes TTSX. It is the best I have ever used. It will penetrate and leave a large exit for trailing.
Bill