Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting thoughts on ballistic tips and other nonMKs

What is the opinion on the nosler ballistic tips for long range accuracy? I realize most of you use MKs and I don't want to open that can of worms. I myself will not be shooting at as long a range as most of you and will also not be using MKs.
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<br>How about any other non MKs that are used for long range that might be more universally accepted for hunting?

KI....I know a few people around here that use them for LR work.And out to 600 or 700 yard's they will probably work very well.But I don't think they are as accurate at the longer range's...........I personaly never seen someone shooting BT's at 1000 yard matches...And if they were as accurate as the MK alot of people would be using them......Just my .02.......... And the only other bullet I use for LR is the Hornady A-MAX......

KI,
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<br>Believe it or not the SMK is constructed better than the Nosler. I WILL NOT let any of the hunters I guide use noslers for hunting Mule Deer or Elk. In my expierience they simply o not work well. The jackets are very thin and they tend to explode when hitting bone.. They tend to be accurate but in my expirience do not perform very well in hunting situations...

I'm over a hundred deer and still counting on the BT. I try to put it right behind the shoulder bone. So far it's worked great. The only one that "blew up" was a close spine shot. There was a good 4 inches of spine missing. Of course the deer was dead instantly.
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<br>Caribou results have been the same. Not up to 100 yet, so verdicts still out.

<br>I have found that the 338cal/200gr Ballistic Tip is the best deer bullet I have ever used. Every deer has dropped at the shot and every BT has exited,regardless of the angle,regardless of shot placement and regardless of bone. Hard not to like that.

<br>I'm only to 94 Deer,so I defer to Kodiakisland's experience.

I like balistic tips for deer. I use the 130 gr. .270 cal, 100 gr. .25 cal, and the 95 gr. .243 cal. My sons and I have killed a LOT of deer and only one bullet did not exit. And every deer shot with it fell where it stood. Even the few times when my young son did not make perfect shot placement. However I have not shot any deer with it past 500 yards so I can't coment on that.

Littlebit
<br>Not an exact count but it should be over 100. Only been shooting deer for 20 years. Some were very good years. Culled many a deer out of the family garden. Mom loved those deer dearly, but set one foot in her garden and she would pay me to shoot them! She is the most law abiding person I know, but deer season ran year round in her garden.

The reason I posted this topic was not to debate whether a bullet works on game or not. I think that is a pointless discussion. If you don't think that, go back and read what was said about the MKs.
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<br>I just want to know the down range aspects of bullets other than MKs. When you say the MK works, I believe you. I just prefer to stick with what I know and am comfortable with. I know full well you can't beat a match bullet for accuracy at long ranges. I limit myself to 600yds on rare occasions, only if I can't get closer. So less than 1000yds is my focus.
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All you can do is shoot them at paper up to your personal limit and see how they work.....I know a guy who shoot's them out of a long barreled 30-378 at some ungodly velocity and they work well for him....Let us know how you make out.......

My question to the long range guys is have any of you used a VLD ie Berger match bullet to any extent? What have you found regarding long range accuracy and performance.

AS far as ballistics tips. I have heard of 2 bad experiences with them. Both this year. A close friend of mine happened to be the guide on both. One with and Elk the was shot 4 times and took us 2 days to finally kill. 2 shots hit ribs on the way in and fragmented terribly. The hunter was using a 270 with Bal. Tips. This Elk was shot at just over 300 yards. THe second time was a 30.06 using Bal. Tips first bullet hit a rib and exploded.. second bullet hit the dee just behind the rib cage and the deer suffered to many hours until they finally caught up with it. THis deer was shot at just under 400 yards.
<br>I am not saying they are not good bullets. All I am saying is that after a guy on accurate reloading cut many bullets in half and you could actually SEE that the walls were very thin , thinner than that of a match grade bullet, combined with these 2 experiences.. Thats all the proof I needed.
<br>If you guys have good experiences with them more power to ya. Stick with what works for ya.
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<br>As far as vld'sI think Dave King and maybe DC, have triend them, Not sure .. I do believe the wals of these bullets are very thin too.
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<br>Back to the question. In my experience they are very accurate and I would not hessitate to use them on whitetail. Maybe not the larger whitetail of Canada. Definitly the smaller bodied whitetail of the east, south east. Even ski resort whitetail umm I mean texas ( that was a joke guys you can laugh ) I had a custom 243 that shot bal tips very very well and Coyotes and PD's

Ric
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<br>As far as accuracy, the Nosler BT with the small Boat tail did not do very well in 1000 yard matches compaired to other bullets such as JLK, Berger, Sierra MK and others.
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<br>As far as the Bergers on game, I have found along with other LRH reports, that the jackets are very thin and they tend to blow up on game at the velocity we drive them. Some have used them with success when you slow them down, however.
<br>I talked to Walt Berger some years ago and those were his replies to me also. He said the jackets on his bullets were very thin compared to others available.
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<br>For those having success (KI) with the bullets you are using and at the range you are shooting, may want to stay with them. You can't beat success, if you have enjoyed it over the years. If you want to reach out further, I have had success with the 135 Gr MK in my 270 but. you don't want to use them.
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<br>I can't get accuracy out of the Partitions but, have been working with the Barnes bullets a bit. That company sent me some new 30 Cals to test and that test is not complete yet. I know the 200 gr flat base bullets they sent me died on the way to the target at 1350 yards compared to the Match Kings I was using on the same day. They were coming out of the Tomahawk Barrel at the same speed as the 200 Gr MK was. This was expected because of the flat base design.
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<br>I agree 100% with PD and others that, you can't beat the higher BC bullets for the flattest trajectory possible unless your inside of 500 yards then the speed will overcome that high BC, "in most cases". After 500 yards though, the high BC will take over in almost EVERY case.
<br>The high BC bullet will arrive at it's intended target with better accuracy and more energy most everytime past 500 yards.
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<br>Just my 2 cents worth and what I have experianced.
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<br>Darryl

Darryl. I am very interested in your opinion of the Barnes bullets when you complete your testing. Please keep us informed. E

Kodiak,
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<br>For the past 4 years I have been using the 180gr Ballistic Tip out of my 300 win mag. I practice out to 650 yards and the bullets have held up well and accuracy is more then good enough to kill deer to 650 yards. I did extend that range to 750 yards last year. I have no doubt that the gun/bullet will shoot plenty accurate enough to 750 yards - I personally did not feel comfortable enough with my abilities out to 750 yards. My self imposed limt, as of now, is 650 yards.
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<br>Although my longest kills over the past 4 years has been 420 yards (3 dead deer) I am confident that if and when a deer steps out at the 650 yard mark that I can kill it - under favorable conditions - using the 180gr ballistic tip. Of the deer I have killed using the 180gr ballistic tip I have yet to see the bullet "blow up" on the surface. I have had them "blow up" inside of deer at closer ranges (less then 200 yards) and to me that's a good thing as they dropped on the spot, never to get up.
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<br>Don

How about the lapua scenar bullets?
<br>I see a 123gr 6.5mm with a BC of .547 that looks interesting.

Kodiakisland,
<br>Ive used the 7mm 140g Ballistic tip on whitetails from 30 yards to 475 yards.Probley got somewhere over 30 deer with just this bullet alone.No problems.The bullet failures I have seen (2) were all at close range and allthough I may have lost a little extra meat these deer were dead before they hit the ground.
<br> Years ago I had a shoot off between Ballistic Tips and Sierra game kings in the 140g bullet weights.As far as accuracy goes out to 500 yards.I could get good solid MOA performance or better out of both.The reason I went with the Ballistic tip was because it shot flatter by about 1.5 at 400 yards vs.the Sierra.I did try other hunting bullets.
<br>Speer hot cores,etc.But Sierra and the BT always were the most accurate.The only reason I stuck with the BT was beacuse it was a tiny bit flatter.
<br>Now we have match kings to think about
<br>dave
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KI
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<br>I do like the 6.5 bore diameters very much and own a few of them.
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<br>Have not tried the bullet and weight you mentioned but, it may be a good one.
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<br>Darryl

E
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<br>I'll certainly let you folks know.
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<br>I have some 30 Cals and some 338, 250 Gr to try at present.
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<br>Later
<br>Darryl