.308 nos balistic tip 180 gr.

[Evan03]

im curious what everyones opion on this bullet is for use on elk. caliber is 3006 and bullets weigh 180grs.

the reason im curious is because ive been testing loads with them in the rifle and there shooting very good. ive shot nosler balistic tips in all my rifles from 22/250 to 3006 and i always find great acuracy.

velocity is in the 2700-2800fps area. range wont in most all circumastances be past 200yds.

nosler balistic tips are all designed difrent. in 308 calibers the 18o gr has heavir jacket than the 165. and is built tougher this is what ive found from research and hear say on the internet.

ive also had one good exsperince with the bt this last season when i took my mule deer buck with a 100gr 257 nos bt at about 150yds or so. this bullet fully penetrated and formed a picture perfect mushroom. the bullet weight 65grs on my scale. and was recoverd from just inside the hide on the far side.

this leads me to belive that bullet weighing 80grs heavier built tougher and shoots great for me should perform.

but that doesnt stop the lingering voice in the back of my head that says you might be better off with nos partition that doesnt shoot near as well. or posibly one of the new bonded plastic tipped bullets.

ive only ever killed an elk with partion so i have no exsperince useing plastic tip bullet on such a big critter.

thats why all your opions and exsperince me so much to me.

thanks
Evan

[royinidaho]

Howdy Evan,

Ya know, I would question the BT, but having said that, at the velocity you mention it may well just be the ticket.

I use BTs only for yotes and deer in a 270. I shot a deer quartering aware, the bullet went through almost 2 feet of deer from just in front of right ham into the off shoulder. It shed its core somewhere along the line. Was a bang-flop. Muzzle velocity was 3200 and distance was 110 yds.

The Nosler BT acts pretty much, in my experience, the same as the Sierra 130gr boattail. I shot a moose through both shoulder blades at about 70 yds with the sierra. Complete penetration. It did one heck of a job.

Shot another deer w/the Sierra at a really long distance. The bullet's path was the exact opposite of the one mentioned above. This one also shed its core, even at well over 500 yds. It mushroomed nicely back about half the bullet length. The BT at 110 yds mushroomed clear back to the front of the boat tail.

Having said all of that, I guess I wouldn't hesitate using the 180 BT in 30 cal on elk.

Also think of how many elk have been killed with the 150 grain sierra. The 180 BT has got to be better than that.

Try shooting between the ribs

[338shooter]

Just a thought here, but if the BT are shooting great, why not try the Accubonds? A bonded bullet that should hold together a little better on Elk. I had good luck with GameKings, but the bullet would "blow up," I like the Accubonds a lot better because of the fact that they will hold together, plus I like an Exit hole, but that is just me.

[Elkaholic]

Evan,
I shot 2 elk this year with the nosler bt with a 300 win. mag. In montana, you can buy a 2nd A-9 tag and take 2 elk. My buddy was next to me with a range finder, the first elk was shot at 260 yards, broadside right through the lungs, the rest of the elk ran off to 390 yards and stopped.

The 2nd shot, the elk was facing me. Neither elk staggered more than 20 yards after being hit, i didn't recover a bullet from either, both exited. I was happy with the results, although i would be a little more uncomfortable shooting an elk at less than 50 yards at 300 velocity. Now keep in mind these were 400 pound cow elk and not 700 pound bulls either. I would question how well the bullet would stay together at close yardage with some velocity behind it. I would think you would have not problem at 30-06 velocity.

John

[BILLY D.]

Originally posted by Elkaholic
Evan,
I shot 2 elk this year with the nosler bt with a 300 win. mag. In montana, you can buy a 2nd A-9 tag and take 2 elk. My buddy was next to me with a range finder, the first elk was shot at 260 yards, broadside right through the lungs, the rest of the elk ran off to 390 yards and stopped.

The 2nd shot, the elk was facing me. Neither elk staggered more than 20 yards after being hit, i didn't recover a bullet from either, both exited. I was happy with the results, although i would be a little more uncomfortable shooting an elk at less than 50 yards at 300 velocity. Now keep in mind these were 400 pound cow elk and not 700 pound bulls either. I would question how well the bullet would stay together at close yardage with some velocity behind it. I would think you would have not problem at 30-06 velocity.

John

john

as the old adage goes "the devil is in the details". performance of bt's specifically 150 and 165 are great as long as the shot is fairly long or you are not shooting over 2700fps. if you are shooting a high velocity round or are shooting super close with an '06 or 308 they are what is refered to as popcorn bullets. at least that is what i observed in my own experience and from game animals hunting partners have shot. the 150's at close range were the worst offenders. just my field notes. hornady interlocks, barnes, fail safes and partitions were much better bullets.

now if we are talking goats at 250 and beyond it's a good choice. i haven't shot a goat with an '06 or a 308, i use 6,5 caliber rounds and barnes x's. puts meat in the freezer.

just one mans opine.

[Evan03]

Billy

no mention of the 180gr bt, just the 150 and 165 that both have thinner jackets.

[BILLY D.]

Originally posted by Evan03
Billy

no mention of the 180gr bt, just the 150 and 165 that both have thinner jackets.

dad gum

you are right, i missed that devil in the details. re-read roys post and supposedly the 180's are beefier. reason i didn't say anything about them is because i don't have any experience using them except using 225gr bt's in the 35 whelen and thats comparing apples to oranges.

at 308 velocities you may be will find the bt will be perfectly suited to your needs. at elk yardages you should have a good round.

a lot of folks around here use frangible bullets thinking speed kills, well it does to a certain extent, but you also end up with bloodshot meat. most of the folks i hang out with are in the know shooters and use 165 partitions and hornady spire points, both are accurate and put meat on the table.

i would think, but here again i don't have any experience with, 180 bt's should work fine.

good luck and keep us posted on your results. sorry i screwed up in the first post.

[Elkaholic]

I noticed remington has dropped the 180 bt from their factory line, i'm not sure if this is due to their coming out with the accubond, but i was unable to find more factory loaded ammo in the 180 ballistic tip, are they still available to reloaders?

[Evan03]

remington probly just loaded nosler balistic tips in theyre ammo and called them the acutip. they load the nos bts in other ammo.