Nosler Ballistic tip bullets -

[Bill Norris]

I just wanted a bonded bullet just for an extra measure and if I would go elk hunting. They were both the same price at that time and accuracy was the same. I really didn't see any performance changes switching to accubonds either. They were like lightning on deer.

I found the 90 gr. Accubond to be just as accurate in my 243 as the B T. Both kill deer DRT.

 

[Drop Port]

Ive only used them once - I shot one deer 20+ years ago with a 165, at 25 yards broadside , it ran away limping -left a pile of hair like a barber shop - no blood , tracked for 2 days before I found it and put it down -the front shoulder was shaved .bruised and blue -I feel like the bullet blew up on impact , havent hunted with them since - just trying to see what experience others have had with them - they look to be very similar design to a Horn vldx or amax- I lost 2 days of hunting season and 2 nights sleep - but I hear others rave about them- maybe the new ones are better like kcjim says

Since this is the only info supplied to go on for cal, cartridge and FPS. I used the 30 Cal. 165 for culling deer and ran them 3380 fps. Not to damage crops I could usually wait until they hit the edge of the field and plant them where I wanted them (high shoulder shot) for an easy retrieval with the Pickup. I had a 3000 fps load that I used in South Africa, all 1 shot no tracking. Most bullets have an ideal application, for me NBT's either go high shoulder or slip them in the boiler room. All depends what you want from a bullet, I don's use Barnes but seen enough to know they leave two holes. To me Bullet questions are like asking who makes good Pizza, the answers are usually the same.

 

[std7mag]

I thought i would elaborate on my expierences more.
I don't shoot shoulder or neck.
Always going for broadside, behind the front leg shots.

Untill this past year i haven't had a Ballistic Tip that didn't pass through a white tailed deer.
Living/hunting in MD. & PA.

The only non pass throughs were with the 100gr, 25 caliber out of my 250 Savage. Both shot under 70 yards.

In the 80's i was using factory Federal Premium 165gr in 30-06. Deer were DRT out to 300 yards.
one at 125 yards was unknowingly slightly quartered away.
Good behind the shoulder shot.
But offside went through the shoulder. Litterally picked the deer up & threw it. You could put your fist in the hole.

Using the 115gr BT in 257 Roberts gives pass throughs.
Ditto all my 7mm rifles out to 400 yards.

 

[std7mag]

Living just down the road from the Nosler plant, knowing most of the crew there, and my wife working there for many years, I've spent much time talking about this very subject. The one thing I don't see mentioned, is that there are TWO varieties of BT's: VARMINT & HUNTING.

The jackets are much different in both thickness and taper. The varmint bullets are designed for explosive performance on PD's and the like, and the hunting bullets are (now) better designed for deer sized game. The old jacket failures of the early hunting BT's has been long put to sleep. And every ground squirrel, PD or chuck I've shot since the early 90's when they first came out has not lived after the "flight".

Most guys I know here that hunt game with BT's have no complaints. I'll freely admit though, for elk we all use either Partitions or Barnes TSXX's. My .338-06 Ackley thrives on the 210gr Partition, no elk has ever survived one. Like complete end-to-end penetration on a nice 5pt bull. But that's a different story.

Use the right bullet for what is being hunted, right?

Great!

Tell the powers that be at Nosler that we'd like some BEFORE October!!!

Leaves precious little time to develop loads and do some accuracy testing!!

 

[AckleymanII]

Thinking of trying the 7mm 120 BT for deer, out of my 7mmbr rifle. Would use out to about 200yds. Thoughts?

Brother and I have shot the 120g Nosler BT for years. Remington 700's seem to like 72-73g of R#22 and a CCI 250 is critical. Seat the bullet close to the lands, if not just barely touching the lands, and the Groups are sub 3/8" in our rifles with high power scopes on them. The 120g Ballistic tip is a TOUGH bullet and never explodes on the surface! You will not see complete penetration on the deer with quartering shots. If you want complete penetration on quartering shots, the 150g Nosler ballistic tip at 3200 using a max load of R#25 with WIN MAG primer will more than please.

In our short freebore 7 STW's we ran the 140g Nosler Combined Tec bullet with amazing success at 3650 with IMR 7828, and the 120g ballistic tips and TTSX at 3850. Groups were so small with the 120's, it looked like we were shooting a 6 PPC.

 

[Adam in WI]

Anybody with experience with the 130 grain at 270 WSM speeds?

 

[gldprimr]

who uses or have used Nosler Ballistic tip bullets , and what are your opinions on them - I had a elderly friend mentor I respected his opinions on a lot of things - he used them exclusively- and had good success with them - I tried them and had less luck than he , and haven't tried them again for some time now - If you have hunted with them what was your experience with them ?

Nosler Ballistic Tips have been my white tail bullet since the old lead tip Solid Base bullets were discontinued. I think current generation are definitely better than initial one replacing Solid Base lead tips.
I have used them successfully in 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 Winchester, 280 Remington, 7mm-08 and loaded them for a friend who successfully used them in 308 Winchester and 30-06. It is my preferred bullet for hunting white tails. If I were hunting heavier game such as elk I’d use a Partition or AccuBond.

 

[wboggs]

I have never had that problem with bts.
could have just been your time for bad luck.

Hundreds of deer taken in my hunting camp. No bullet failures but some poor bullet placements. They are deadly and accurate.

 

[gldprimr]

Anybody with experience with the 130 grain at 270 WSM speeds?

Given my experience with 130 gr. in 270 Winchester & 140 gr. in 280 Remington I think at closer ranges with 270 WSM you’ll find them pretty destructive and make quite a mess. Most of my shots are < 100 yards so that wouldn’t be my preferred bullet in 270 WSM at the ranges I take deer though I’m sure it would work in terms of killing deer.

 

[Bill Clifton]

For deer over 2500 fps, I don't like them, they destroy too much meat, yes they knock deer down and shoot well but too messy. I'm in LA so I'm not shooting big deer either 200lbs is considered big here but I prefer the partition for deer in most of my rifles. When I'm shooting hogs idgac its just pest control I shoot whatever's is cheapest, laying around, and hits where I aim.
That said I do load them in my 7mm tcu, old 300 savage, 30-30 ( i know, only two shots) etc as they still expand well at the lower velocity and hold together.
If your shooting coyotes or other varmints they're good for that too

I've never understood this, if you shoot it where you are supposed to it's just rib meat and some front shoulder which isn't much to brag about anyway.

 

[CADDIE5]

Loaded 125gr ballistic tip for AR 300 blackout pistol for Illinois deer season. 20.7gr LilGun @2.06" . Good to 200yds.

 

[603Country]

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Nosler BT for sale. It isn’t a crisis with me right now, since I have loaded ammo and a good stock of the various caliber BT’s that I use. That said, the next loading session will be for the 6.5 Grendel, using 100 gr BTs, and I sure would like another 100 or 200 bullets.

I wonder what the problem is at Nosler, that they have so little to sell. Hornady seems to be banging out bullets pretty fast.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Great!

Tell the powers that be at Nosler that we'd like some BEFORE October!!!

Leaves precious little time to develop loads and do some accuracy testing!!

YUP,. I'm DONE with, Nosler hunting Bullets ( they're NOT, Shipping them out ).
Using Berger's for, Elk / Moose in .270 WSM and ELD-X's in, my 6.5 Creed for, Deer / Antelope and Targets.
I guess that, Nosler likes making, Hats and Tee shirts,.. better ??

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Anybody with experience with the 130 grain at 270 WSM speeds?

NOPE,. but, I can tell you how accurate, the 140 Berger Classic Hunter's are at 3,185 FPS are and how they Penetrated thru, BOTH Shoulder Blades, Both Hides, Jello'ed the lungs and a LOT of Meat in between on,..
a Bull Elk last Oct.
The Nosler BT's I've used, in other Cal's, come apart,. I'd Not recommend, hitting, Bone !
Stick with, "Boiler Room" shots, IMO

 

[Adam in WI]

Using Berger's for, Elk / Moose in .270 WSM and ELD-X's in, my 6.5 Creed for, Deer / Antelope and Targets.

This seems backwards at first thought since the Hornady has the interlock ring, no? Are you getting better performance from the Berger on the bigger animals? Or do these bullets just shoot the best in their respective rifles?

NOPE,. but, I can tell you how accurate, the 140 Berger Classic Hunter's are at 3,185 FPS and how they Penetrated thru, BOTH Shoulder Blades, Both Hides, Jello'ed the lungs and a LOT of Meat in between on,..
a Bull Elk last Oct.

That's impressive. Your quickly putting to bed my concern over using them. I debated running the 130 hybrids at warp speed to flatten my 0-400. Incidentally, according to my computations, this combo would also net the lowest wind deflection versus the 145 ELD I've been shooting.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

The .270 cal. Classic Berger 140 grain has, a Nice BC and this Load @ 3,185 FPS is still going OVER, 2,000 FPS at 800 Yards @ 5,000 Ft Elev. also, Sub 3/4 MOA accuracy ( 1/2 MOA on MY good Days, LOL ).
This Bullet, is way Tougher than I ever, thought !
After seeing One of these, cut my 3/8ths inch dia steel, Target Frame in Half at, 550 Yards ( Wind caught one ).
I figured that, they would be, "Good" to go and the Penetration on my Elk, "sealed, the Deal" for, me.
KaPow,.. Hooves in the Air with, the high Shoulder shot ( Shot him while Kneeling W/ Stix, over Sage Brush ).
The 145 gr. ELD-X would have been, My second choice as,.. Good, too !
I Zero at 200 yds and Past 350 yds I use, my Scope Dials.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Having shot, 2 Bulls now with, the .270 WSM, I can tell you that, the Berger's ARE, Impressive Killers !
The 140 AccuBonds, do penetrate well, but are, SLOW,.. "Killers" !
I had read Lots of "Bad things" about Berger hunting Bullets Years ago when trying to, pick a Bullet for my 270 WSM and the "Consensis" THEN, was use, the AccuBond.
Now, I'm SOLD on, the Berger HVLD's, Classic's and Elite Hunter, Berger's

 

[std7mag]

This seems backwards at first thought since the Hornady has the interlock ring, no? Are you getting better performance from the Berger on the bigger animals? Or do these bullets just shoot the best in their respective rifles?



That's impressive. Your quickly putting to bed my concern over using them. I debated running the 130 hybrids at warp speed to flatten my 0-400. Incidentally, according to my computations, this combo would also net the lowest wind deflection versus the 145 ELD I've been shooting.

There are different Bergers.
The VLD go in 1-3" then expand rapidly and come apart.
MASSIVE internal damage! Not much meat loss. Never had a pass through.
BUT....
Don't shoot the shoulders!

The Classic Hunter is a different beast entirely!
Made to hold together.

Hornady does have an Interlock bullet.
The ELD (both X and M) are not these.
And there's plenty of talk about performance on game on different forums.
But goes about 50% liking, 50% not.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Adam, ..
I'm using, ELD-X's because,.. I CAN,.. GET them in, 6.5 cal and didn't want to wait, Months on, the Bullets.
My 21 y/o grandson made, 3 One shot Kills, all DRT ( One, two, Hops & down ) on Deer with, ELD-X's
( Pass thru's on 2, @ 225 and 280 ish yards ) and the one at, 468 Yds was, just under the Hide with his New 6.5 PRC. Thinking that, they should work Fine in my, slower, Creed, on Deer.
The ELD-X has, a .037 thick Jacket at the Shank,W/ an Interlock Ring and a Tapered Tip designed to, Expand.

 

[wboggs]

I never used bts on anything larger than deer. I don't doubt they will not be reliable on large game especially when bone is involved or deep penetration is needed