Old Hunter
Banned
E-Tip looks pretty good, but my heart is with the Partition. I've used it since I started hunting with no failures.
Nosler Ballistic Tip Bullets
- Thread starter Colorado Cowboy
- Start date
6mm Remington
Very Active Member
I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I like them all. Becoming a big fan of the Accubond though. Now my son Jeff uses the E-tip in his 6mm Remington and two years ago he got a nice big cow elk with one shot at 350 yards with it. The bullet did a really good job. Hard to go wrong with those three Noslers.
David
David
sjsmallfield
Veteran member
Congrats on your succesful hunt CC. I shot a blacktail here in CA about ten years ago with my 30-06 at 80yds. He was quartering to me and I hit him just in front of his right shoulder with a BT. The bullet exited on his left shoulder. I could have stuck a softball in the exit hole. It was the most dammage I have ever had on a buck. Pretty much lost the whole front end.
Yep. These BT's were with the .257 Wby when I bought it and they shot really good groups in my .25-06, so I decided to use them. Mistake. I am going to pull all the bullets and set up my regular Sierras instead.
Sawfish
Very Active Member
I had the same result on a Colorado Muley some twenty years ago. I was using the 165 gr BT in a 30/06. The buck was moving away fast, and my only option was a Texas Heart Shot. The hind quarters looked like you stuck a stick of dynamite up his butt, and touched it off. I vowed never to use another BT on game. However, Nosler re-engineered the BT line shortly after my experience, due to the many complaints about destructive performance on game. The new crop of BT bullets offer a more conservative expansion profile, but IMHO they are still pretty soft for high velocity shooting. Hard to beat the Partition or the old Speer Grand Slam for game bullets.
Old Hunter
Banned
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
While in Alaska, I shot my bull three times with a 7mm Remington Magnum and 160 grain accubonds over Retumbo. The first shot center punched the lungs broadside. The second shot was a high-shoulder shot that broke both scapulas. The third shot was a double-lung shot mildy quartering. All three bullets penetrated to the off-side hide, where they were recovered.
I collected the bullets and cleaned them the best I could of hide, fat, meat and debris. These are the results:
The three bullets:
The first broadside shot retained the most weight (63.5%):
The second shot encountered the most resistance by penetrating both scapulas, and not surprisingly retained the least amount (55.6%):
The last shot was very similar to the first (61.4%):
Overall, I think the 7mm Accubonds performed as designed, and performed very well. The internal damage to the lung tissue was extensive. I am confident that shot #1 was all that was needed, but I have always been a "shoot em 'til they're down" guy.
I have recovered quite a few different accubonds from different critters, and the consistency of performance is very good.
I collected the bullets and cleaned them the best I could of hide, fat, meat and debris. These are the results:
The three bullets:
The first broadside shot retained the most weight (63.5%):
The second shot encountered the most resistance by penetrating both scapulas, and not surprisingly retained the least amount (55.6%):
The last shot was very similar to the first (61.4%):
Overall, I think the 7mm Accubonds performed as designed, and performed very well. The internal damage to the lung tissue was extensive. I am confident that shot #1 was all that was needed, but I have always been a "shoot em 'til they're down" guy.
I have recovered quite a few different accubonds from different critters, and the consistency of performance is very good.
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6mm Remington
Very Active Member
Nice job BB. Looks to me the Accubonds performed superbly. A huge bull moose is a lot of animal to go through so the penetration, weight retention, and overall performance look superb to me. Congratulations on the moose by the way.
Muleys 24/7
Veteran member
Ton of good info on this thread, I was going to start loading the nosler BT, but I think I'm going to go the E-tip or AB now
Sawfish
Very Active Member
Old Hunter
Banned
One of the biggest buck I have ever seen only presented only an azz shot as after I jumped him out of his bed. I passed on the shot as I would have ruined a lot of premium eating. He was 30"+ and I am sure would have scored close to 200. He lived to pass on his genes as I just couldn't do it!
Shane13
Active Member
In defense of Texans..... I've lived and hunted in Texas all of my life. I never heard of the "Texas heart shot" until the internet allowed me to interact with folks from faraway lands. Everybody I know passes when a butt is all they have to shoot at. Seems like it should be named "Yankee heart shot" or "California heart shot" or something more descriptive of the locale of its use and origin. 
dying to kill
Active Member
good call on that one . Im my younger days i thought my bullets and arrows were deadly no matter were they entered the body at, needless to say i lost several animals, now days i only take good vital shots and havent lost a animal in over 3 years
1100 Remington Man
New Member
Well another Mule Deer fell to Noslers BT. I have nothing but good things to say about them Quality bullet just use them at the recommend velocity on there web site. I'm pushing a 264 Win Mag 120 gr.BT at 3225 FPS like I said before one shot one Deer again this fall shot between 200 & 250 just a point and shoot no rangeing. I had complete passthrough on a quarting away shot about 22 inches plus penetration and still going.
Kevin Root
Very Active Member
I think I may need to check into new bullets instead of the over the counter Hornady IB. Your brother told me you liked Nosler, 1100 Remington Man. Wish I could have hunted with you all this past season. I had a good time last year hunting with you all. Sounds like you all had a good time this year.
colorado cowboy
the 22 cal like you said make a mess out of everything in its path
the 30 cal acubonds worked awsome in deer and elk while i have only shot out to the 100 -125 range with them
i think when they are super sonic speeds they tend to expand way to much for hunting pourpous
i guess my point is i like them in either situation exploding varmits or pile driving elk
hope to run into you out in the feild some time and we can swap stories
mike
i have used the bt in light 22 cal as well as heavier 30 cal i think the the 30 cal were acubond
the 22 cal like you said make a mess out of everything in its path
the 30 cal acubonds worked awsome in deer and elk while i have only shot out to the 100 -125 range with them
i think when they are super sonic speeds they tend to expand way to much for hunting pourpous
i guess my point is i like them in either situation exploding varmits or pile driving elk
hope to run into you out in the feild some time and we can swap stories
mike
I started using the ballistic tip bullets in my 270wsm because they were available and I found they really shot great. I have taken a number of mule deer, whitetails and antelope with them, but I suspected that a blow up caused me to lose a big whitetail 2 years ago. I switched to accubond for an elk hunt last year and continued to use them this year for whitetails. Problem was that they shot through without leaving much of an exit hole. This makes me think they might not expand enough on the small deer we have in the South. I think I will go back to the ballistic tip for deer.
ThreeTikkas
Member
- Mar 24, 2012
- 141
- 0
Hey C.C. Congrats on a successful lope hunt buddy. Sorry to hear the B-Tips let you down. I didn't read every word of this thread,so I apologize for any redundancy. If those were old stock Ballistic Tips I would expect just that sort of performance. I've been curious about them of late,after hearing there were some jacket taper changes made to them. So,I cut a couple in half a year or so ago. A 150gr .284,and a 180gr .30. The .30 cal came from a box that actually denoted them as being "Hunting" variety bullets. I must say the jacket profile looks pretty good for say 30/06 velocity. Which is where I think the B-Tip excels. Now the .284 150gr was from a box not specifying them as being "Hunting" bullets. There was not nearly as much taper to the jacket. Little if any. I bought these for whitetails via a 7 Remmy mag. The only deer I shot with one was shot in the neck at a little over 250 yds,and not a good representative of bullet performance. Having cut one down I can ssy I wouldn't recommend them for magnum velocities and shoulder or body shots on anything north of varmints. The 180gr .30,at 06 velocities seems to be working just fine here on deer size critters. I wouldn't have any reservations about taking them for elk or such either. Just my observations,and your experience leads me to believe the .257 isn't one of the updated jacket designs.