Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles old nosler solid base red box

Ran across my old mans stash of these from back in the 70s how do they perform

I bought a bunch of them cheap in 6mm 85gr and 7mm 150gr a couple of years ago. I've got a load worked up with them in my 7Mag and they are extremely accurate in that particular rifle but I haven't taken any game with them yet. I'm assuming they will work fine. I haven't shot any of the 6mm yet but I plan to use them for workup in a 243 for the fall.

They were a great bullet. Had loads worked up for a 243, 257, 25-06, 264 and 270. Still mad at Nosler for dropping them!!

What do you have?

Penciled through a Texas whitetail with their .284 in 140-grain. (Gotta hit something important?) Anyhow, they preceded the plastic-tipped offering. Better with larger/thicker-skinned game.

I think you will like the 85 6MM's

I had a 243 AI built back in the 80's and had 5 family members kill 5 antelope with 5 shots in one day with them. Between about 250 to just a shade over 400 yards. They were always pretty easy to get to shoot well too.

I have a 243 that is very picky. I tried lots of different combos without success, until I tried the 100gr Solid Base with IMR 4320. And now she drives tacks! Still have a few boxes of those and a couple of 130gr 270 which have worked great in several rifles.

Crossbreed between a Sierra Gameking and a Nosler Partition.

Used 180 grain in '06 for elk and deer and never had a problem and I still have a box or 2 left.

I am still shooting them in half a dozen guns.
Load same grain partitions with 1/2 grain less powder for similar velocity and poi.

I shoot them in a 270 win,300 savage and a few others.

In the 270 they do a bang up job on whitetails.The longest was 250 yards.

The ones i really wished i had more of was their Zippy-do's.

They were made before the solid base.

I traded into some 277 150 gr bullets and am excited to try them out, nice looking bullet.

Don't shoot them.. Send then to me and I will dispose of them.
The .277 cal 130 gr are tack drivers in my .270 as well as my daughter's and son's rifles. 54 gr of IMR 4350 lit by a Fed 210M primer shoot lights out for me. I have 1200 on hand but am always looking for more. My favorite cup and core bullet for whitetail deer. I load 130 gr Hornady Interlocks for plinking and save the Solid Base's for Hunting Rounds only. I should have enough to last my family for many years. I wish Nosler still had them in their lineup!! I am sure there are other bullets just as good but i will continue to enjoy them until they run out.

The earliest ones were like the Zipedo and first generation ballistic tip (varmint) in that they had a fairly thin only slightly tapered jacket then the solid base.

I think the later ones had the hunting ballistic tip jacket but no tip. That's why you see reports of them being both bombs and penciling through. I would section one or shoot some type of test medium before using them on anything larger than deer. The ones with the heavier jacket I liked better than the BT until those were perfected too.