Ballistic Tips

[bruce moulds]

you can use too much bullet or too little bullet.
knowing how to use the particular bullet can minimize problems.
the problem with many plastic pointed bullets is terminal imconsistency, so you can't really learn how to maximize potential.
bruce.

 

[Dr Ray]

I e shot deer at very long range and the ballistic tipped Nosler drilled through and I’ve shot that deer I posted with the totally pulverized shoulder at around 110 m.
I agree that the plastic tipped Bullets seem to have problems depending on velocity.
I must say though that the accuracy was very very good.
However I won’t use them again.
My friend Baz uses 100 grain plastic tipped Bullets in 257 Weatherby and the accuracy is competition level.
His comments were that the shots just dropped everything he shot. (Obviously not buffalo and the like).
The thing I have noticed with the plastic tipped Bullets, is that the hitting sound is so different to the sound from other Bullets.
I would like a 257 Weatherby but I really don’t know what I’d hunt with it as I have a good range of calibers already.
My favorite is the 270 but not for the big stuff.

 

[Neale]

I have used 150 gr ballistic tip 7mm in my 280AI on deer from 30m out to 580m. The ballistic tip is extremely accurate in my gun and works well at extended ranges. The bullet does not hold together when used at less than 150m. On all occasions ( 5 deer) that I have used this bullet at less than 150m the bullet has blown up and had poor penetration. I now only use it for longer shots.

 

[bruce moulds]

plastic tipped bullets are good varmint bullets if they have light jackets.
people buy them in the belief that they have a much higher b.c. than conventional soft points, which will allow them to shoot a much longer ranges.
this is in the real world a long way from the truth.
bruce.

 

[bruce moulds]

neale, herein lies the problem.
how do you know that a close shot will not appear.
and at long range sometimes they pencil through.
bruce.

 

[Dr Ray]

I have used 150 gr ballistic tip 7mm in my 280AI on deer from 30m out to 580m. The ballistic tip is extremely accurate in my gun and works well at extended ranges. The bullet does not hold together when used at less than 150m. On all occasions ( 5 deer) that I have used this bullet at less than 150m the bullet has blown up and had poor penetration. I now only use it for longer shots.

This is my concern too.

 

[Dr Ray]

plastic tipped bullets are good varmint bullets if they have light jackets.
people buy them in the belief that they have a much higher b.c. than conventional soft points, which will allow them to shoot a much longer ranges.
this is in the real world a long way from the truth.
bruce.

Well I think we’ve all experienced issues for medium sized game.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

@Mr Zorg
I got conned into buying some 25 cal 115grain nosler combined technology silver tips very accurate in my 25 0.8 inch groups at 200 yards. They come out of my barrel @ 3,360 fps so was hoping that they would be ok on fallow deer and pigs.
How did they let you down?
Bob Nelson

Bob,
See my posts on page 2 of this thread.

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/experience-with-nosler-accubonds.54877/page-2#post-638861

What I'm still a little lost on is whether the initial Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets that also had Solid Base on the label are the "early" ones that often produced bullet blow-up before some manufacturing change made by Nosler, or whether the first Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets without the words Solid Base also on the label were the ones noted for being excessively fragile on impact? That's where I hoped Ray Atkinson and yourself could maybe help put for someone like me who enjoys perusing new old stock bullets and ammunition.

 

[Neale]

Hey Bruce, during load development I tried a number of bullets and the Ballistic tip gave me sub MOA and I have complete confidence in the gun and load. I have confidence in taking a shot at a deer at 200 - 500m under good conditions with the Ballistic tip and it has proven good terminal performance at long range.

 

[Neale]

neale, herein lies the problem.
how do you know that a close shot will not appear.
and at long range sometimes they pencil through.
bruce.

Bruce, My 280 is usually loaded with Accubonds or Woodleighs but I will always carry a few Ballistic tip for those occassions when the target is across on the other ridge.

 

[bruce moulds]

neale,
wait for the time you think you missed clean.
then some time later the animal falls down.
a bit like the reaction to an arrow.
completely different to what usually happens.
this is a pencil through, and is only deadly with exact bullet placement.
there are those that have had it happen, and those that will have it happen.
there is no doubt about the accuracy of such bullets.
bruce.

 

[Neale]

Bruce, that is correct and the reason for the varmint bullet at longer range.
I have had some other bullets "pencil through"

 

[Dr Ray]

Bruce, that is correct and the reason for the varmint bullet at longer range.
I have had some other bullets "pencil through"

Me too which is why I won’t use again.

 

[bruce moulds]

neale,
I just noticed you have a 280.
obviously a man of good taste and great intelligence, as well as good looking.
like me.
one bullet for deer sized game I have found to be useful is the nosler partition.
they actually have a reasonable b.c., and group well.
for lung shots they open fast as required, and at longer ranges still open well.
shooting in the field trajectory and wind deflection cannot be distinguished from ballistic tips.
I will however say that the reason they work well on deer, is the same reason I will no longer abide them for really big stuff.
bruce.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

First name is Ray

And now I know.

In this area with the coriolis force providing spin in the opposite direction the typical convention among those with one or more such advanced education or medical certification the last name is given with the title.

It shouldn't be too difficult for me to keep @Dr Ray seperate from @RayAtkinson. In fact, Mr. Atkinson and I have done business in the past, but not with my username here.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob,
See my posts on page 2 of this thread.

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/experience-with-nosler-accubonds.54877/page-2#post-638861

What I'm still a little lost on is whether the initial Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets that also had Solid Base on the label are the "early" ones that often produced bullet blow-up before some manufacturing change made by Nosler, or whether the first Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets without the words Solid Base also on the label were the ones noted for being excessively fragile on impact? That's where I hoped Ray Atkinson and yourself could maybe help put for someone like me who enjoys perusing new old stock bullets and ammunition.

@Mr Zorg
The ones I bought years ago had solid base balistic tip on the box.
Bob

 

[Fastrig]

I have used 150 gr ballistic tip 7mm in my 280AI on deer from 30m out to 580m. The ballistic tip is extremely accurate in my gun and works well at extended ranges. The bullet does not hold together when used at less than 150m. On all occasions ( 5 deer) that I have used this bullet at less than 150m the bullet has blown up and had poor penetration. I now only use it for longer shots.

Have you tried the Barnes of Federal Trophy tipped copper rounds? I’ve been using those quite a bit lately and have been very impressed with the accuracy, even out of my AR 10. Field reports on game have been very good at all ranges on a variety of game, small to very large, at least the ones I’ve read. I’m supposed to be going hog hunting in the next few weeks and going to be using the Federals but taking a box of Barnes as well. Will report back on performance but am anticipating good results inside 100 yards with the coppers.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I’m supposed to be going hog hunting in the next few weeks and going to be using the Federals but taking a box of Barnes as well. Will report back on performance but am anticipating good results inside 100 yards with the coppers.

I’ll be anxiously waiting to read your results!

 

[Ray B]

About 35 years ago I attended the NRA convention in Seattle and while there met with the Nosler Reps. They had just introduced the ballistic Tip. I recall that the tip was intended to perform differently at different velocities/impacts. The idea was that the tip would either deform somewhat like lead and at other velocities it would shatter and the bullet would be more like a hollow-point. It's been several years, but it seems to me that I may have gotten it wrong, because it seems that it would shatter at high velocity, which is when you'd want it to hold together.

 

[tedthorn]

Not all plastic tip bullets are created equal