Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 'Tough' Balistic Tips

Actually, what I said is that when Nosler started developing the AccuBonds, they began by bonding Ballistic Tips. Then they tested the unbonded and bonded versions to see if there was any difference in penetration. If there wasn't, they USUALLY didn't bother offering an AccuBond in that weight and diameter. Which is why there isn't a 100-grain, .25-caliber Accubond, but there is a 110 .25. It's also why they dropped the 225 .35, 250 9.3 and 260 .375 Ballistic Tips not long after they appeared--in fact, so soon some hunters never knew they existed. They all got turned into AccuBonds.

But they've eventually beefed up some Ballistic Tips more than others, mostly because hunters insisted on using them on larger game, especially elk. Which is why the 165 and 180-grain .30 caliber Ballistic Tips are among the very heavy-jacketed models, even though there are 165 and 180 AccuBonds.

There's also still a 200-grain .338 Ballistic Tip, the original truly heavy-jacketed BT, even though they also offer a 200 .338 AccuBond. Though as I mentioned earlier the Ballistic Tip is now only available as a Ballistic Silvertip.

Thanks MD for navigating the murky trail of NBTs for us.

+1

And when you think you understand it...



DF

I never will! Like many other bullet companies, they keep tweaking and introducing....

And this is generally a good thing for hunters & shooters!

Guy

I've run the .30 150 BT out of my 300 SAUM thru a pile of trophy whitetails at a variety of angles and ranges the last few years and haven't caught one yet. I don't know if they are "tough" but they sure work well for that application

Sounds good.

And, beats the heck out of early 150 NBT's. Years ago at my deer camp, they were blowing up, even out of .308's. In fact, it happened enough we banned them, got tired of chasing deer with gaping, superficial wounds.

Those were the days...

DF

I have read this thread with interest. The BT has,for many, proven a great Whitetail bullet. Me, not so much. I'm shooting a 6.5X55 that gives best accuracy with the 120 BT at about 3000fps. I have only an example of three kills. Each of which cause me to have some questions about "Tough Balistic Tips."

I shot three deer with them. No question about lethality. Three shots, three dead deer. Adult buck about 150lbs, two small does. My problem is there were no exits.

Each were shot broad side, in the pocket behind the front shoulder. Turned the internals to soup and caused major bruising on the offside internal rib cage. They each ran 70 yards or less. Where I hunt I want/need a blood trail. The undergrowth is so thick that they disappear after a couple of jumps and tracks are easily mixed with others and lost.

Fortunately each of these deer ran partially toward me, disappeared and I found them a few jumps from where they disappeared. Had they gone in the other direction without a blood trail I'm not sure I'd have found them.

I've been shooting Deer for over 60 years now and I know some weird things can happen when that bullet reaches the target and Deer are also capable of doing the unthinkable. If no pass through had happened once I'd have chalked it up to an anomaly. Twice and I'd think it to be strange, but three times, consecutively, and I'm wondering if the .264 Nosler BT 120gr at 3000fps should be something I should definitely stay away from.
Is that bullet just not up to that task?
Or, am I just missing something here?

Thanks
Jim

Jim-What were the ranges of your shots? If impact speeds were at 2750 fps or higher, it would not be uncommon to not have an exit. Did you recover any of the bullets? The elasticity of a deer's hide is pretty amazing, and I've seen numerous bullets that I'd have sworn would exit be stopped cold in its tracks.

A few years ago I watched a super-slow-motion video of a deer shot with a 165 grain Hornady SP from a .308 WCF. The hunter had 2 video cams set up, including one about 50 yards away from his location. The deer was facing directly away from this 2nd camera and nearly broadside to the hunter. At the shot, you could see the hide extend what seemed to be 8-12 inches away from the body as it "caught" the expanded projectile. If I can find the video, I'll post if. I've seen several similar to this, but this particular one caught my attention.

As to blood trails, even if a bullet exits won't guarantee one. As long as I get quick, clean kills, I am happy. And it sounds as if your excellent shot placement resulted in just that type of performance for you, too.

My range finder tells me it's about 90 to 115 yards from my tree stand to where each one were standing. Shot them last year. One the first week of season, second about mid season and third, the buck, last day, last hour. I know from my chronograph that 47 grains of H4350 is consistently producing just a tad over 3000fps about 15ft from the muzzle. THat's what I was shooting.

I have seen those under the hide captures but there has a been a notable hole through the off side ribs. Didn't happen with these. Found the bottom of a cup (bullet) when gutting the second one. Didn't keep it.

My son shoots 140's through a .284 Winchester - Dramatic results! Vastly different from what I got.

I'd really like to be wrong about my misgivings with these bullets. The 6.5X55 really likes them.

I've shot more animals including several elk with the 150 grain Nosler ballistic tip in my 7mm RM at around 3070 FPS than any other bullet. I think that they are the best deer bullet going and if you like watching deer drop on the spot they are what I recommend.

But tough isn't how I would describe them based on a bullet hitting a good sized bull elk in the ribs at 250 yards and blowing up creating a palm sized entry wound with shrapnel in the lungs doing the only damage and a 600 yard tracking job. In fairness it may have been from an earlier manufacturing run but that was enough for me to switch to Barnes TTSX as my hunting bullet in all calibers for elk. Now there are exit holes and broken bones if they are in the way at entry or exit on elk pigs and deer. The NBT is more spectacular as a killer in my experience but I'd rather know the bullet is going to stay together for some period while inside the animal.

Year? Old 100 count box?

Jim. (Rug3) I think that you are making the point I'm about to show. I use to read a lot of posts from a guy in England. He hunted shot deer commercially. Killing hundreds per year. Sometimes it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Anyway, he said the only way to drop a deer constantly was a CNS (central nervous system) shot. He said that a heart lung shot denied blood to the brain killing the deer, obviously. He said that it took about 9 seconds to do this. Therefore a deer might make a 9 second death run. Of course we all have made that behind the shoulder shot that drops them, but in my experience most do run. Those that drop, flop around for a while. Nine seconds, I haven't timed it, but I suspect. I suspect that the shot behind the shoulder, that drops them, acts something like a sucker punch. A shot through the shoulder, while not hitting the CNS, tends to shock causing the deer to fall and not get up before it bleeds to death. If you want to drop your deer, you should make a shoulder shot. I know some say that one looses to much meat but a friend figured out that he only lost a pound or so making shoulder shots. He uses a 7-08 with 140 cup&core. Captdavid

I'm in the same camp as Rug. I have shot several deer with the 95 gr Ballistic Tip out of a .243 and color me unimpressed. I've shot them both in the shoulder and behind the shoulder and they all have ran. There was no exit and no blood trail. I too hunt in thick cover and believe in 2 holes. I never had this problem with Core-Lokts.

Rug3, swap the 120 BT for the 125 Partition. Good chance it'll shoot the same and you're not likely to capture as many. I like the 120 BT in the Swede but I've yet to capture one either.

I can shoot either one interchangeably without changing any part of my load or touching my seating adjustments.

If one insists on a blood trail, maybe get within 30 yards and put a broad head through both lungs. Pretty much solves that....

I shot this cow elk through the shoulder with a 150 grain Ballistic Tip from a 308 Winchester. Range was 125 to 150 yards. The bullet smashed through the onside shoulder and the jacket was found under the offside hide. The cow made it about 30 yards and fell dead. I personally think the Ballistic Tips are an excellent hunting bullet.

Was that recovered from the rattlesnake, after shooting it in the shoulders?

It was just a matter of chance. The 95 grain BT is a stouter bullet than the 100 grain CL and always penetrates deeper & retains more weight in test medium given equal impact speeds. Plus, shots through or behind the shoulder can have runners no matter the cartridge or bullet. Only a CNS impact will guarantee a drop.

well said...and even THAT doesn't guarantee a generous blood trail. I've noticed, like you probably have as well, that the negatives views about the BTs here all involved dead deer or a very small sampling. If you hunt long enough and shoot enough animals, you'll find that there is nothing carved in stone and that no two situations are alike.