Deer hunter checking in.....
Sitting on my desk right now is a brand new box of Nosler Ballistic Tips, 165 grain 30 caliber. On one end of the box it says "Game Recommendations: Deer, Antelope" and for folks who can't read there is a picture of a mule deer.
So from that we can surmise that they are designed for deer and similar LIGHT big game. The SST is the functionally equivalent competitor. Both are as good as it gets for deer hunting based on my experiences and that of friends. They may have sucked back in the day but as far as I am concerned they sure don't suck now. I expect they would take out an elk, especially with a lung shot. But, that is not what they are DESIGNED for, although I think they are at least as good as the traditional core-lokts, power points, etc which people have used on everything for decades.
I would use a bullet designed for "controlled expansion", probably a partition if I ever get to go elk hunting, although if you like the SST, you could try the Hornady gilding metal bullet or Interbond that would probably shoot to the same point....check on range to be sure. Why try to fit a square peg in a round hole, especially when you are hunting something you don't get to all the time?
