Ballistic tip Noslers

[Thayer]

Have you used them and what have been your results? At short yardages, they do blow up, either in or on the animal. I have not taken any shots longer that 100 yds with the BT's...how do they perform at longer ranges on animals? Oh...30-06 is the caliber I use for deer.

[AJ]

Re: Ballistic tip Noslers

I have used the BT in .22, .24, .25, .26, .30, and .33 caliber. They work rather well. Nosler makes two types of Ballistic Tip, the varmint and the hunting version. The varmint type frag very easily on small targets and make a small critter a cloud of red mist. The hunting versions do open up faster than the typical pointed soft point but do not frag like the varmint type.

How bullets react depends on how fast they are traveling and what they come in contact with. If you hit soft tissue as in a behind the shoulder shot they do turn the vitals into jello and usually exit the opposite side when shot from standard chamberings like the 243, 7-08, 308, 270, 280, 30-06, etc. When they hit the more solid mass like shoulder bones, they open up faster and create a lot of damage. The impact drives the polycarbonate tip back into the lead and forces the mushroom to expand. The Nosler Interbond was created to minimize the explosiveness of the BT when used in faster cartridges (magnums). It never fails, when I see deer at long range, I have my short range gun. When I carry my long range gun I get them at 30 yards.

When the same bullet is shot from a magnum or at closer distances with standard chamberings, the damage is increased. At long distances the BT is a great choice as it will still do enough damage even at a lower velocity where a normal bullet will just punch through with minimal expansion. This is at a long range when the bullet has slowed down significantly for a 30-06 is 600 yards or so.

If most of my shots were under 100 yards, I would not waste my time with them. If most shots were over 200 yards, I would be using them.

[Guest Xen]

Re: Ballistic tip Noslers

i use them in my 7mm mag - i'll never use anything different. - i've shot antelope at 100 and 200 yards, deer at 100, 300, 350, 375, and 400 yards with them. my dad has shot elk at 100 and 400 yards, and deer anywhere from 50 to 450 yards. the one deer i shot twice was at 300 yards and i made a double lung shot on the first shot, then it dropped into a ravine and was running right at me. i took a head on shot at 100 yards and it was lights out. the damage done by the first shot would definately have killed it, it was just a tough deer.