Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 115 grain Nosler Ballistic tip Saga Update

The cow elk season is over and the elk are still really high up in the back country. The pressure has been on big time. The unit I had the tag for has very little public access where the elk actually hang out and that makes it tough. Most of the canyon roads are gated off as well, before the season starts.

The snow usually pushes them down, but we haven't had enough to do much good. I am at 4,500 feet and the elk are hanging out at about 8,000 feet, straight up these steep mountains.

We finally got a skiff of snow and I found a canyon that had some elk down a bit lower in it. They were at about 6,500 feet early in the mornings at first light, then quickly move up to 8,000+ to bed. I figured if I was up on the mountain at first light, I could get a good cross canyon shot at them at about 500 yards before they headed up to the higher elevations.

After chaining up the Toyota Tundra (2 wheel drive), I headed up the steep rocky road that had about 3 inches of snow on it. After some churning and burning, I was in my "spot". I peeked up the bottom of the canyon and sure enough, the elk were about 600 yards away feeding and walking quickly in the opposite direction.

I quickly threw on my backpack and headed up a side ridge in hopes of popping out above them and having a 400 yard down hill shot.

I got to my predetermined spot and peeked over the ridge. The canyon bottom was empty and they were gone!!! It was snowing lightly and foggy. I glassed around up high on the adjacent ridge line and saw a couple of elk, just as they went over the ridge. They were, 700 yards away and moving fast. My heart sank, because there was no way for me to catch up to them, let alone get one out of where they were headed (lots of cliffs and THICK oak brush).

Suddenly a lone straggler cow walked out of the thick brush about 200 yards behind the rest of the string of elk. I ranged her and she was 477 yards and would be over the ridge in less than a minute.

I quickly threw off my backpack, laid the .25-284 across it, dug my boots into the snow, dialed in 400 yards on the turrets on my scope (compensating for the steep uphill), and sent a 115 grain Nosler ballistic tip on it's way. A loud "THWACK" echoed back across the canyon and she dropper her head and crow hopped down the hill a few yards and stopped with her head down. I let her have another one. Another loud "THWACK" echoed again. She staggered down hill a few feet then tipped over nose first.

Keep in mind this mountain is VERY steep. She began sliding, then rolling, then picked up speed. There was snow, brush and rocks flipping in the air as she blasted through them. She rolled and flipped over 400 yards before getting hung up in some brush. It was a heck of a sight and I am glad she didn't have antlers, or they would be ruined! I have NEVER seen an animal flip and rolls so far and so fast.

This all turned out well and was part of my plan, but I didn't think it would work out so well. The closer to the bottom of the canyon she got, the closer and easier the pack out would be, since my truck was at the mouth of the canyon.

I gathered up my gear and made the steep climb over to her. I clawed my way up the steep mountain, hanging on every bush I could grab onto. I arrived at her side about 40 minutes later. I got her untangled from the brush, gave her a kick and she made it to the bottom of the canyon quickly. I lost my balance at the same moment and found myself sliding down the mountain behind her. We both stopped in the bottom of the canyon...whew...what a ride! I checked to make sure I had all my body parts and gear..."check". All was well.

Upon inspection of the big cow, there were two bullet holes about 6 inches apart in her left armpit. I was in hopes that I could find one of the bullets during the cut up, since there was only one small exit hole.

I spent the next hour and a half boning her out. I found one of the 115 grain Nosler ballistic tips in her off side shoulder, between the ribs and scapula. Well, at least the jacket and some big pieces of lead. The bullet should have remained intact, because the jacket/cup was nearly half an inch long and was mushroomed nicely. It was like the lead squirted out.

I opened her up to peek inside at the trauma and vitals. WHAT A MESS! The entry holes on the inside of the rib cage were about quarter sized and the lungs were completely stirred up. One of the bullets had hit the front of the stomach and sliced it open. Her full stomach must have been pushed forward as she stood facing downhill on the steep mountain during the shot. The bullet should have completely missed the stomach and hit the lungs. The offside shoulder was in bad shape, due to the blood shot meat, fragments of ribs and gut juice leaking out of the wound. The gut juice had flowed out of the chest cavity and flowed between the ribs and meat layers.

I will still take a little meat loss any day to not getting an animal at all. Time was short and I was glad to have her with only one day left of the season. I had her boned out and back to the truck in two heavy loads, which took me 5 hours from start to finish, so not too bad for a one man show.

After using the 115 grain ballistic tip on 3 animals this year, there are things I like and don�t like about it. First of all, the accuracy is amazing. I am getting 4� groups at 600 yards shooting in field positions. Second, the bullet shoots super flat and the B.C. seems to be better than advertised.

The dislikes are pretty well outlined. I would like to see it hang together better. It still gets the job done in spades, but a shoulder shot on an elk would be a disaster. I am driving them at 3,250 fps. and that is a lot to ask of a cup and core bullet. In the smaller .25 calibers, it will do fine.

At close range on the buck earlier this year, the bullet completely MUSHED the front shoulder, bones and all, but still didn�t get to the vitals. That is a lot to ask of any bullet though. Any yes, the buck died.

On the longer range elk, the bullet should have stayed intact, but that is just my opinion. For the bean field deer hunters that like a lot of trauma and drop at the shot kills, this bullet rocks. I will try and get the pictures posted. Flinch

Flinch good story and interesting read. Thanks for posting that!

Congrats sounds like you earned that one! I'm running the 100nbt in my 2506ai at 3475. Its accounted for 5 critters this season from 80-460yds. I dug one bullet from the off shoulder of the closest shot and the rest exited. No complaints on my end. Though I am talking about whitetails and antelopes not elk.

Just for kicks, and no calculating, what angle were you compensating for when you dialed your dope?

35-38 degrees, give or take a degree . I have the pics on my camera of the angle and mountain. It is pretty interesting to see it all. I will post pics tomorrow. Flinch

Honest now, where did you get the angle from?

Good story. Glad you got her. Thanks for the information on the bullet performance. I'll have to ponder on this some.

So about 2,400 fps impact speed.

10.25 come ups?

What scope were you using again?


Good story, thanks!!

It really was! Sounds like it'll make for a pretty good long range coyote bullet. Got an XP-100 coming that shoulda' been a 25 SAUM--oh well, next time.

That's funny--gave her a kick, and she rolled the rest of the way down!

And then, you behind her. Must have been a rodeo!

Good job on your hunt...congrats.

Congrats on the kill, I was right there with you - good descriptions. My hunt was similar, 475yrd uphill shot, my ballistic tip lost its core as well, after hitting the hipjoint (thats the way I roll) of course it was a 200grn .338.
Moving to the AB or TTSX next year.

Al,

The front of the Wasatch Front, as we call it here in Utah, is VERY steep. The mountain Flinch took his cow is right behind my house. Years ago, in my younger days, I too took a cow but probably closer to his house and pretty much the same thing. Dropped a cow, sat on the cow and called my wife with my old Motorola "brick" cell phone while sittin on the cow and said "I'll be late for supper". Gave her (the cow, not my "ex" wife, though over the years I WISH ) a kick and the rodeo started. She hooked up a few times in some Maple brush but a solid 1000'+ she was on the jeep trail I took to hike up to her. Made for an easy recovery.

Alan

Thanks for the report Flinch.

Congrats on taking the cow elk. Great write-up! I'm a little jealous - and your description of the hunt sounded a lot like country I hunt here in Washington.

I took my .25-06 out for elk this year, but didn't get a shot. Was hoping for a fat cow. Rifle was loaded with 115 gr Nosler Partitions, maybe not quite as accurate as those 115 Ballistic Tips you're using, but they shoot well.

Regards, Guy

What a cow hide looks like after stliding down through rocks and cliffs.

SO where is it??

Thanks for the report Flinch

Congrats and a great story!

My .257 wthbys looove the 115gr NBT for accuracy and have devastated game. But once i go over the 300 lbs mark, i admit i move to the Barnes bullets.

ALWAYS wished my guns would shoot the 110gr accubond, but neither like them at all.

GREAT story again!
Enjoy the elk meat!

My elk was taken at 471 yds, qtr to me.... BUT i "cheated"...used the .300 wthby with 180gr TSX. Thats mighty good elk medicine!

Here is the mountain. I shot the cow from the dot on the bottom left. She was standing on the red dot on the top right. She slid to the bottom of the canyon. The black line is the pack out path.

This is what they look like after skipping across rocks and brush for 400 yards.


This is where she first stopped about 150 yards from the canyon bottom...four feet in the air.


This is how they end up in the bottom of the canyon.


The bullet picture didn't come through...it's coming. Flinch

Great pics!!!