A friend gifted me with 50 rounds of the above ammo plus some empty brass and a jug of Win 748 powder.

I know some 55gr bullets out of the .223 are adequate for deer/antelope - is the ballistic tip a varmiints-only proposition?

czech1022;
Good afternoon or perhaps evening now to you sir, I trust the last day of February treated you acceptably.

While I've not shot the 55gr Ballistic Tips in a .223 yet, I've launched a good number into local coyotes from a .22-250AI at 3850fps. They were absolutely devastating on the coyotes for sure, but since I had a couple instances of them coming apart on sage brush in front of a coyote, I'd suggest that they wouldn't be my first choice for deer.

Reading a few folks who've shot deer with a 55gr bullet and a .223 or even a .22-250 for that matter, they say a 55gr Hornady Spire isn't a bad choice if one doesn't go with Partitions or monometals.

As far as 748 goes, I've used that a fair bit in the .223 as well as the .308 and .303 British. It's not the least temperature sensitive powder out there and is perhaps a tad dirtier burning than some of the newer ball powders, but there's worse things to be stuck with in my experience.

I'll say too that the newer lots of 748 produced faster speeds so presumably more pressure than the older lots did, so if possible a chronograph would tell you where you're at for sure.

Hopefully that was useful for you or someone out there. Good luck with the powder and .223 rounds regardless.

Dwayne

They will kill pigs quite well.

They are more of a varmint bullet. thin jacketed and designed to blow up on impact. If you did not hit shoulder bone or rib they would likely work but there are better choices for chices for deer and antelope. Shooting bullets designed for varmint hunting at larger game animals is what has given hunting with smaller calibers a bad name.

drover

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This exactly.

They are good for these

I would have to disagree with the negative posts above, having shot at least a couple of hundred pigs with them very successfully

Head or body?

This fellow and two of his compadres didn’t like the orange tip of death.
They are more a varmint bullet, pretty soft, but I wouldn’t stop deer hunting if they were all I had. They behave less violently at 223 speeds but get pretty explosive out of a 22-250.

Whatever is presented, have stopped plenty with a root of the tail shot long enough to finish them off

I have a small cache of Winchester 64gr PP - I believe I'll reserve those for deer and antelope. The ballistic tips will stay with smaller game.

I've never hunted pigs, but if I get the chance I will definitely give the ballistic tips a chance!

Thanks to all who responded!

I use to use them for coyotes, bobcats, ground squirrels, home protection if needed and target practice. I'm a lead-free guy now in California, (home of the fruits and nuts).

I've seen good results out of them on blacktails....

but first thing was that were started out with an MV at 2700 fps at the most...

100 yd deer with an MV of 2400, and good shot placement they will do a good job...

slowed down, they will start acting like a big game bullet...at least in my experiences with them...

What where you using?
A slingshot?
Disregard this nonsense

This is the main bullet I use in my long range PD rifle, a .220 Swift. They open quite violently on a PD; I would definitely not use them on a big game animal.

Funny how the people who have never tried it are always the ones who say it won’t work

Here's the deal about Nosler BT bullets....

NBT's in 55gr through a .223 do expand. But they are not violently explosive at .223 velocities. Same bullet fired through a Swift or 22-250 does get rapid violent expansion.

I quit using the NBT in .223 for coyotes years and years ago because they were not expanding like I wanted, and passed through coyotes with ease, and resulted in MANY runners and spinners. I switched to a 55gr VMax, and solved all that. The 55gr VMax has a much thinner jacket and will reliably expand and expend it's energy in a coyote, with much, much better terminal results.

Having shot many deer with 223 NBT's, as well as more than a few hogs, they are more solid, give much better penetration, and kill better than VMax on heavier game.

Every bullet design out there performs differently on different game at different velocities.

Caliber and bullet weight are important to remember as well.... Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets increase jacket thickness as the caliber, and bullet weight increases. The jacket of a .25 cal 115gr NBT is much thicker than a .22 caliber 55gr NBT bullet.

Velocity variation and bullet caliber and weight are big considerations with NBT bullets.

A NBT .223 55gr will probably kill deer just fine out of a .223. But the same bullet in a 22-250 may splash on deer, and cause the deer to run and possibly not be recovered.

That,s the only bullet I use in my AR and Remington, works for coyotes, pigs and most small game.. Marginal on larger game unless you have the perfect shot.

Good solid Info, thanks! I was thinking of using them on hogs...out of a .222 or .223 and that angered my questions about them

Win 748 has treated me well. I have some of those bullets, but with the availability of other heavier 22 bullets like the Partition, Nosler Bonded, Swift Scirocco, Sierra Game Kings, etc. I just wouldn't use those on deer or antelope.

I shot an Armadillo today, With one, and I am pretty sure that He is still dead. miles

Nosler 60 gr Partition in 223, will kill deer sized game,--- proper body shots

Not sure how milk jugs correlates to fur, but I did this little test with the 55 BT's last fall.

I set 5 jugs at 50 yards on a saw horse, and lined things up.






Velocity was 2707 fps, and the shot knocked two jugs off.




Impact was dead center, jug was not really blown apart, basically split, with the bullet coming apart, which you can see the exit in the 1st jug.

I taped it somewhat together to get an idea of the damage.

2nd jug caught the bullet base & a couple lead fragments. (laying in front of the 1st jug)

You can see the entrance in the back jug.





I was hoping that it would hold together a little better in meat & fur at that velocity, but never found a test subject.

Thanks for posting that actual test result. That's the kind of input that really helps in these discussions, along with actual retelling of real field experience.

Cheers,
Rex

I did a similar test years back, but in my case they didn't make it though the first gallon jug.
So, I put a quart jug in front of the gallon jugs. Bullet cut the quart jug in two, but failed to make it into the gallon jug behind it. There was a 10 grain base in the remaining of the quart jug along a few small fragments, and that as it.

Based on that test I'd classify them as not for medium game.

I have found the milk jug test the least reliable simulation for actual results on game. Its only advantage is being easy.

Have also published several articles and book chapters on what "simulations" most closely resemble actually shooting game in various places, from behind the shoulder to through reasonably heavy bone. The comparisons were made by recovering bullets from a BUNCH of big game animals. Milk jugs have never reliably matched any on-game results.

In a carbine, I’d say this bullet might be a good choice for 2 legged varmints.

Never said they wouldn’t work, just that I wouldn’t use them. Funny how some folks don’t read well. You can use what you like.

They just may work at .223 velocities on big game. I was part of quite a long search for an antelope shot by one with a 22-250 in which a couple bullets blew up on ribs, never made it to the vitals. They might work launched slower. If for whatever reason I felt compelled to hint big game with a .223, I would use a bullet I was sure would hold together.

That's my experience as well.

While milk jugs are fun to shoot, and I've shot a lot of them, they are for entertainment purposes only.

Where were all the experts when I asked this question last fall?

It would be better slower...2500-2600 fps

Moot point now.....cat season is past, and I won't see another tag for who knows how long......

]
"Funny how the people who have never tried it are always the ones who say it won’t work".

My father could outrun me after Antelope at the age of 70 when I was 39 (and I am a runner). Shortly thereafter, he decided the Ruger No. 1B was heavy, especially when he saw my Interarms Mini Mauser in .223 for I'd brought varmints. Dad was enthralled. Being a weapons instructor in the military, he had great experience with the cartridge. This was his answer. He bought one.

He hung up the No.1 .25-06 and never looked back (for the last 10 years of his life). I handloaded 55gr NBT's for him and they accounted for one-shot kills for somewhere between 10-20 big Montana Goats (120-150lbs) and at least one deer every year. Around the campfire, he'd bring it out and brag.

My buddy (brother in all respects but blood) who has chased goats with me (and Dad) for over 50 years every year has a daughter who was finally old enough to hunt legal. (12yo.). We found another Mini-Mauser, shortened the stock to fit her (her nickname is "Shorty": she is of small stature), loaded 55gr NBT's, and she could shoot that gun better than most guys with deer rifles at the range.

After a VERY long stalk/chase (we hunt primarily on foot: animals are calmer and we are busier than vehicle hunters), we got Shorty to 275yds on a beautiful 14 incher. She was calm, the animal was unaware, and Shorty got to take all the time in the world until she thought the shot from prone over a fanny pack would be perfect. It was.

The goat shuddered, circled, and was down and kicking.

Shorty went on to take 5 more goats with that gun and load, and a couple nice muley bucks.

As noted by some here, when not racehorsed (.223 velocities, and/or impact at greater range), the bullet seems to take on the performance of a big game bullet with purportedly greater "integrity". As I have observed with numerous Ballistic Tip bullets of various calibers, The tiny boattail disk that makes up the posterior of the bullet almost always finds a way to exit. It is very easy to examine an animal and be convinced the bullet never got out, only to find its avenue when skinning.

The 55gr Nosler Ballistic Tip is a GOOD choice for Antelope (and Deer), when the hunter carries skill and patience rather than the extra weight of a bigger gun.