Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles How "tough" are the old Nosler Solid Base bullets???

I have an old box of .277 130-grain Solid Bases on the shelf waiting for me to develop a load. I'm curious, though, as to their stoutness: Are they in the neighborhood of a comparable Hornady InterLock??? Tougher? Softer?

Any input is appreciated.

RSY

They are not tough at all. More like grenades! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I don't think we're talking about the same thing, here.

I mean the lead-tipped Solid Base bullets that were the precursor to the Ballistic Tips.

RSY

I wouldn't use them for anything I wouldn't use a ballistic tip on.
I've got one on the shelf that I pulled out of a broadside 100# whitetail and it weighs about 40 grains. It started out at 130 out of a 270.

My experience has been very good with them. They are again becoming available. My experience was that they out performed similar Sierra/ Hornady/ Speer bullets.Rick.

We are talking about the same bullet.



They do not hold together well at all! Behave more like a varmint bullet. I stopped using them as they have very poor penetration on big game.

Had a 130 grain out of a 270 Winchester go to pieces on the neck of a reasonable mule deer buck @ 30 yds. Dropped him like a sack of potatoes, but jacket and core separating cured me of using it again. Too bad, shot well out of that gun, but then most others also do!
Pat

Well, yeah, I can definitely see that happening. At thirty yards, the impact velocity is likely up toward 3,000 fps. No surprise, there. Any non-bonded bullet (except for a Partition, perhaps) would do the same thing. Sounds like you need a .30-30.



Thanks for all the responses. Maybe I'll just use them for foulers.



RSY

Three years ago my boy shot his first mule deer with a solid base 100 grain 243 at less than 50 yards. It took the deer's lower jaw off. The damage was impressive. I don't see why a solid base in 270 wouldn't take care of a deer. I bagged a medium size muley buck with a 140 grain interlock 270 at approx 100 yds. It pretty much severed it's spine. The deer hit with the 243 was dead when my boy got to it. The 270 deer took a couple of minutes to die. Both deer ended up in the freezer and both bullets did their job as far as I'm concerned.

I would love to buy those 277 caliber, 130 grain, solid base, lead tipped Nosler bullets from you if you would consider selling them. If so, please private mail me with the details and we may be able to work something out. I could use a box or two of them.

Funny how all these "failures" are with .270's. Perhaps that should tell you .270 sluts something about your caliber of choice <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Step up to a real caliber for big game (tongue fully in cheek here). Of coure, every elk I have had to track for other people has been shot with a .270 as well. It kind of makes me wonder <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Flinch

Rolly:



I think I'm gonna hang on to them. However, Shooters Pro Shop has been known to have them, on occasion, as Nosler 2nd's. Check here: http://www.shootersproshop.com/nosler1stsheader.html



RSY

Hey, I'm not a slut, I'm just "easy".

Rolly:

you have a PM....Jim

I used to shoot the 75 grain solid base in the 243. I loved them, bug hole groups and they worked well on the whitetails. Wish I could find a thousand, I have about 15 stashed away for all the good 15 of them will do me.

Funny, I have never, not one time, had to track an animal shot with 130 gr partitions: moose, bear, mountain caribou (which are about the size of mature elk) sheep. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have some .30 caliber 150 gr. Solid Base Noslers, and they group under an inch in my .308 Winnie. 49.5 grs of H380 gives 2750 fps....a nice speed, but these can be cranked up to nearly 2900 using Win. 748. I thought the solid copper boat tail with flat base inside was supposed to keep the jacket from peeling. I also shoot 55 gr. Solid Base Noslers in my .223 and they work quite well on skunk sized animals.

I've been using the 140g 7mm in several 280s & AIs for years (and have a big stash) and have had good results. FWIW these act much better than BTs and seem at least as tough as interlocks and I personally prefer them over the interlocks. They do shed weight but these are deer I have been shooting...in about 30 animals they have provided quick kills and on end to end shots they nearly exited--being under the hide or close to it. I had one Kansas deer where the bullet acted like it didn't open up or at least very little--not a quick kill.
If anyone knows Wild Bill from the hunting information systems board, I owe him a box.

I suspect the original Solid Bases varied in toughness from lot to lot, and perhaps in design, just as the Ballistic Tips have over the years.

Personally, I found the early Solid Bases a little on the tough side when started at velocities around 2800 fps. Once shot a muley buck through both lungs, right behind the shoulder, with the 120 from a .257 Roberts, range only 100 yards. It barely opened, and the buck went 200 yards before keeling over.

On the other hand, the 100-grain in the .243 worked about perfectly at 3000 fps.

MD

MD:

These are in the old red Nosler box. Would that make them "early," or later???

RSY