Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Nosler Ballistic Tips

Just wondering what your experience is with BT's on elk? Looking for info on 30-06 and the 168 or maybe 180.
Aren't some of them a little tougher than others

The 180s will work well for you. They have gone through a few changes since their introduction, heavier jacket, more controlled expansion etc. Basically its hard to tell the difference between them and the Accubond, performance wise.

I've seen the 180 used several times, with excellent results, in loads I put together in both 308 and 30-06 for guys I've hunted with. Exits on quartering and broadside shots. Haven't personally seen a recovered one, but I recall one getting lost in the guts. Busted bones and very wide wound channels. I think they are an impressive elk bullet. If they shoot well in your rifle, I can't imagine a need for another bullet for both deer and elk.

I've not had any experience with the 168's on critters.

Thanks for the replies. I figured the 180's would probably work well.

Anybody use the 168?

My brother used the 168 out of his .30-06 (my handloads) to kill a 330-class bull a few years ago. Killed him right now.




P

My youngest son shot a cow elk with 168 BT (my handload) with his 308. DRT

the ABs should fly just like the AB's of similar weight, at a very marginal cost premium.

My buddy uses 180 AB's with good luck. no experience on BT's on elk.

If the ballistic tips didn't open so wide there would be no need for Partitions! The newest Ballistic Tips that I have used most are the 180 gr. .308 and the 150 grain .284 versions. I consider them excellent bullets plenty tough for elk. That said I don't go around ruining good elk meat by blasting shoulders either.

A good friend shot a cow elk that was standing looking at him at 200 yards in the middle of the chest with a 180 Ballistic Tip from a .300 Weatherby. Found the expanded bullet under the hide of a hindquarter.

Thats some serious penetration.

It's a failure if they don't exit right?

I loaded them at 3k for my buds 300win mag. 180 grain. Never an issue on elk. From under 100 to 400

You like heavy for caliber Ballistic Tips but not heavy for caliber Berger VLDs? Ok...

I'd run a few tests....

To whom are you referring to?

I have killed quite a few elk with them out of my .300.. Friends have killed a bunch using 7mm Mags..

Nobody in particular. But if you like Nosler BTs and not Bergers there's an experience or bias issue based on my experiences from deer through elk...

And Bergers have a higher BC and on average for me are more accurate.....

Buddy of mine who lives in Billings, has a son who is now a Montana State Trooper...

but when he was just a 12 year old kid with his first rifle, a 30/06 that dad wanted him to grow into.

he used some ammo I had loaded up for his to use deer hunting, and he ended up taking it elk hunting..

165 grain Ballistic Tip, exiting the muzzle at about 2250s fps...

he shot a running 650 pound 11 yr old cow elk at 175 yds...

bullet went thru the lungs and the liver, and was bulged on the off side just underneath the hide...

cow ran about 50 yds his dad said and piled up.. dead....

was taken just outside of Yellowstone there around Gardner....

his son is 28 now, so that would have been about 16 years ago, so 2004 or so..

the load was 30 grains of 4198 & the 165 gr Ballistic Tip...

Yesterday, I opened a shipping box containing an 8 pound jug of powder that I have had for a while. Along with the Jug of powder was 7 boxes of Nosler Ballistic tips that I had forgotten about. 5-50 count, 7mm and 2-250 count boxes of .22 caliber. I have killed several deer, and some hogs with the 7mm-120 ballistic tips, with mostly pass throughs. Only thing with the .22's are some crows. miles

I've shot BT's and Grand Slams on elk and could not tell the difference... they both worked fine.

I've shot elk with Hornady Interlocks, Speer Hot Core's, Barnes TSX & TTSX's, Nosler Partitions, Ballistic Tips, and Accubonds. My current load is a 165 Sierra Game King... they all work.

Elk are no harder to kill than anything else if you hit them correctly.

If I were trying to decide between a 180 NBT and 168 NBT, and they shot equally well, I'd go with the 168 because it recoils less.