ballistic tips

[bigkevmorgan]

has anyone useing the ballistic tips ever had an issue with them not opening up? heard some of the western guides was not letting people use them , getting ready to load up some 7- 30
waters i have bonded and ballistic and rockey talks highly about the 140gr noslers will be shooting ram size out to 175yrds like the texas dall ,corsican,black hawaiian...thanks for the input....
bigkev.

[Ol` Joe]

I`ve heard of them opening too quick in the past, but never failing to open.

The BT should be an excellent choice for goats from your 7-30.

[muledeer]

You won't hear any complaints from me. I load 130gr ballistic tips for my 270 Weatherby Mag. Deadly on muledeer and lopes.
muledeeer

[gumpokc]

I've never used them in 7-30 waters, but i've used them in .243win, .300savage, .308win, 8mm mauser never had failure to open.

[Dan Morris]

They always have opened in my 270 and 06.
Dan

[Jack]

I've loaded them in 25-06, 6.5x55, 270, 7x57, 280, 308, and 30-06. Never seen a BT not open.
I consider it an outstanding whitetail bullet. I'm sure it would be on antelope, blacktails and mulies, too.
Nosler says the minimum velocity (at impact) for the BT should be 1600 FPS or more.

[bigkevmorgan]

thanks everyone for your help,got about 100 rns to fireform tommorrow then its reload time !bigkev

[Cossack]

If anything they tend to expand to much That's why I use em in my 14" hand cannon.

[Rev]

When I first started loading for my 6mm. AI, I found that Nosler 95 gr. Ballistic Tips shot best in my rifle. In my old 6mm. Rem bbl. the Nosler Solid Base bullets were what I used with outstanding success on central Texas whitetails (generally not really big deer). But the SB's were discontinued after the then new BT's arrived.

There were many reports of the new BT's blowing apart on the shoulders of various species of game with little penetration to the vitals. I was extremely concerned with these reports because I really did want to use that 95 gr. BT in my new 6mm. AI.

Nosler had a lot of $$$ invested in developing that new bullet which was getting all that bad press. As a result, Nosler fixed that problem quickly. I think it was a do or die situation for them.

It was with some trepidation that I fired my first deer killing shot out of my new rifle with that 95 gr. BT. Fortunately, Nosler had already fixed that problem. The bullet penetrated both shoulders with that broadside shot at 200? yds. on that 100 lb. whitetail with good expansion and good exit wound. I've been using that bullet ever since in that rifle and have never had the slightest problem with game performance or with accuracy either for that matter in dozens of deer kills.

BTW, this is my first post here and it is obvious that this is a great site with interesting and friendly folks here. Looking forward to visiting here often.

Rev

[Dan Morris]

Rev, welcome to Hunt Chat. Lot of good folks here. Stick around, I think you'll find a home!
Dan
:D

[bigkevmorgan]

welcome Rev this is yhe best site for info on just about anything you need in the way of hunting! big kev........

[Jack]

Rev, welcome to Huntchat !

[dakotah]

Most bullets are designed for a range of velocity and type of medium they are designed for. I suspect that BT's work best on big game "where penetration is important" at what I would call lower velocities similar to what your 7-30 would give. I have seen a write up in the 'Handloader' by Layne Simpson who I think agrees with this point of view.

I don't use ballistic tips on large game. But BT's usually are very accurate. My brother uses 100 gr BT in his 25-06 on crows and they blow a crow to a red powder or red blast similar to the effect of shooting a water balloon. He gets about 1/4 minute of angle out of his BT loads.

[BILLY D.]

Up here we call 'em popcorn bullets. Big game shot close at high velocities yields blood shot meat.

Used at longer ranges when the velocity has tamed a bit and they are fine.

I personally like Partitions,Hornadys and X Bullets because they work in a wider spectrum of uses.

Above 30 caliber the BT's work great because of thicker Jackets.

I'm like Keith, I like to be able to eat up to the hole with no wasted meat.

Blood Pudding doesn't really trip my trigger, no pun intended.

Best wishes, Bill

[Ridge Runner]

The BT's were quite tender when they were first marketed, especialy the 30 cal's at upper end velocities.
If you recall the BT's were first offered in 100 ct. boxes, when nosler addressed the problem they didn't realy discontinue the SB, what they did was changed it to a BT, Yes todays BT's are the same bullet as the SB with a polymer tip.
They also changed the packageing, the varmint BT's are packed in 100/250 ct boxes, the med big game bullets are 50 ct.
RR

BTW I shoot .284 140 BT's to 3550 fps in my 7 STW, most exit if you stay off the shoulder, when I shoot my bigger 7mm I move up to a 160 accubond.

[PJgunner]

I still have one box of 100 count 140 gr. Ballistic Tips in 7MM for my 7x57. It still sticks in my craw that Nosler cut the amount of bullets in half and raised the price to boot.
I shot one rather small Mule deer with one of those 140 gr. bullets and sadly lost it. :mad: The deer when hit turned down into a gully and when I went to get to where I could either get another shot of find it dead, the loose malpais shale did me in and I ruined my right knee. They were more concerned about getting me off that hill than trying to find the deer so I don't know what the bullet did.
That was six years ago and the knee is still a wreck. I didn't draw another tag until last year and we never saw a thing. I'm hoping that I draw for this year. otherwise, no hunting of big game for another year, and at 70 years old, there ain't too damn many years left.
Paul B.

[Larryjk]

When they first came out there was a statement that the Ballistic Tip was a "general purpose" bullet and the Partition was the premium bug game bullet. Most people ignored the companies advice.

[Rev]

Partitions aren't accurate enough for me for long range deer shots from my 6mm. AI in a custom Rem. 700. It's built like a varmint rifle with a HS Precision stock and a Hart Match bbl. We sometimes shoot deer (Texas whitetails - not really too big) where I hunt at what we consider long ranges.

With the 6mm AI, I need really good shot placement at 350-400 yds. for humane one shot kills. The 95 BT's deliver 1/2 MOA or better from my rifle with a fairly flat trajectory. I think the Partitions are good for about 1.5 MOA or something on that order. That's why I stick with the BT's and they do a great job in the terminal ballistics dept. with good expansion and good penetration along with that outstanding accuracy.

Rev

[Larryjk]

Rev, No argument from me. You might want to try some of the Accubond as I find them more consistent in weight, and on the paper than the standard Partition was.
Shooting beyond 200 yards should be the solution to the blow-up problem of the Ballistic Tip at short range. If all of your shooting is at long range there shouldn't be a problem. If the occasional close range shot causes a "bloody mess" you need to try controlled expansion bullets. That is what the industry has been trying to develop for as long as there have been jacketed bullets.
So far, they haven't been entirely successful, but they certainly are getting better.
I supposed I am going to stick my head in the meat grinder, but I might also mention that you might consider a larger caliber rifle for performance on white-tail deer at long range. I find even the 25-06 has some power problems at long range on mule-deer, and the .270 Winchester gives better results.
I hunted pigs (javelina) with some guys in Texas and they also hunted white-tails in the same area. They preferred the .270 Weatherby. I also guess the .257 Weatherby should be a gas on long range white-tails. They certainly work on long range coyotes in Wyoming.

[Rev]

Larryjk, I wasn't tryig to make any kind of argument. I agree that .243 caliber is marginal for whitetails. The long range shots that I mentioned are sort of contrived. We orchestrate these shots to add a little interest to the hum drum chore of thinning out does for popularion control. These does usually weigh 100 lbs. or less on the hoof.

Those 95 gr. BT's do work well also on larger (150 lb.?) bucks that I usually take at 150-200 yds. I strive to hit right in the shoulder if I can. Normaly there is complete penetration with a good exit wound. That may ruin some meat, but the animal will drop right on the spot or maybe run 50 yds. if I do my part.

I agree with you. If I was after larger deer, I would definitely want more gun.

Rev

[dakotah]

I have found that partitions to be accurate bullets. My favorite loads for the 30-06 I shoot about .75 moa with 180 grain bullets and < .25 moa on 150 grain bullets. (5 shot groups measured at 100 yards)

I think ballistic tips would be good only for crows and varmits and such. If they have improved the bullet then well I am wrong. But I don't have a desire to use bullets that I have have seen miserable failures.

[dakotah]

In my 338 I find that sub moa groups are also easily obtained with partitions. I only use 250 grain partitons in my 338 for elk and I have found that I am perfectly happy with this combination.