nosler ballistic tips- good or bad

[contender hunter]

I have always loved nosler bt  , they are always one  the most accurate bullets that i test for a load , also i can't think of a better varmit bullet or a long range big game bullet , BUT I've been loading the 7-30 waters for deer and after considering that if I am going to be hunting real thick woods with hardly a shot over 25 -75 yds that maybe my choice of 140 gr. nosler bt might not be the best bet. wouldn't a bullet design like the hornaday 139 gr. spire pt buck brush a little better than the ballistic tip. has anybody had any experience with ballistic tips in a brushy woods would they  be more likey to blow up after hitting  a small twig ? whats the vote out there ?? or what about the partition ??

[Encore28]

In my opinion leave the ballistic tips for varmints and use the partitions for big game. I have had bad results with BT's on big game BUT have only had great results with partitions!!!
JMHO
Encore28

[Redhawk1]

I got a nice fallow deer with my 30-06 with 150gr. ballistic tips. Exit hole was large and shot was at 70 yards. Now I have switch to Barnes bullets in all my other rifles but have a bunch of 30 cal ballistic tips to use up in my 30-06. Them I will be shooting barnes it it also.  

[blacksmith425]

I  use  a  7mm/08 with   Nosler  BT 140 grain bullets  only in My  Encore.I hunt in the  brushy hills  here in Ky  where  100  yards is a really long shot. I've never  lost a  deer yet  and the  most any have  ever  run is about  30 yards. My  best   deer  ever  was taken  at   about   15 yards  from My  tree stand  wiht    the  same  bullet. Been useing them for   5 years now.. Just my  .02 cents

Blacksmith

[Yoda]

Run the Ballistic Tips,  in that 7-30 I wouldn't hesitate to run the 120 BT for Whitetails, I was shooting the 140 BT's in my 7mag before I bought my 25-06, The 140's will shoot almost the full length of a deer inside 70 yds, and will always leave a exit hole on one shot behind the shoulders :eek:

[Will_C]

I think the Ballistic Tips would be a good choice out of a 7-30. I have shot 8-10 deer using the 140's out a 7mm-08 Remington Model 7. That gun has an 18.5" barrel, not much longer than the Contender, with close to the same muzzle velocity. I figure that I am around 2600 fps.  It seems that the people that have problems with BT's are loading them at over 3000fps, and in a light weight bullet for the caliber of the gun.
Will

[MickinColo]

I guess the original question was “is the Nosler BT a good brush busting bullet design for the 7-30 waters”. I would say no. I personally like the BT and have used them to take elk and antelope for a number of years now. They don’t fair well in tight bush situations. Although I shoot in open country for the most part (80% of the time), I have taken a few  “brush” shoots and they don’t cut it. At the distances you’re shooting game I would pick a round noise design and step up the weight a little to give the bullet more momentum in case you do hit some twigs or a small branch.

My :money:

[MickinColo]

Deflection of a bullet depends on were the deflection starts. If we’re talking about 10 feet out from the muzzle on a 100 yard shoot, it’s possible that it's not going to make it to target. If we’re talking about deflection 10 feet from the target, than that’s a different story.

  My:money:

[tripper]

Liveing in Northern MN I have few shots that aren't in brush country and have very good success with the N 140 gr balistic tip in my 14" tc. But then I have had good results with 120 grainers and 139 gr. also. I have hunted brush country all my life and learned at a young age that you pick and opening infront of the deer and wait for it to get there. That opening might only be 6" to a foot but is better to take a clean shot  or let the anemial walk then to try and plow through brush. As was mentioned there is no bullet or slug made to cut throgh brush and they will not with out deflecting. How much they deflect from point of aim depends on how fare behind the brush the target is.

[contender hunter]

Tripper are you using the 7-30 waters or another 7mm wildcat -if you are using the waters what kind of penetration and performance are you getting from the N 140 BT, does it have enough umph [power] for big heavy deer like you have in Minn. or do you feel under gunned . sometimes when I look at that little 30-30 case it  just doesn't seem like enough.

[Flyrod444]

The last deer that I shot with a BT was a med. size 8 point at around 35 yards with a 140 grain BT in 270. I waited about ten minutes for him to take a step into what looked to be a open broad side shot. He dropped dead where he was standing. While capping him out  I made a very bad discovery. The bullet had hit something before hitting the buck and broke into two pieces. There where two small entrance wounds on his shoulder and no exit on the other side. Luckily one of the bullet fragments had some how deflected off the shoulder blade and ended up in the spine of the lower neck which put his lights out. I have taken my last 20 are so deer using Nosler Partion in 130 grain to 150 grain. None of these went more than 30 yds. after being shot. All had one hole in and an exit hole out. Around 40 % dropped in their tracks. I personally don't think the BT are as good as the partion in brushy places. You can not always see all the small limbs that may come into play. I had to shot through a bush to kill the biggest buck of my life. He was standing just on the other side and headed out of site. The Partion did its job well and he dropped about 20 yds from where he was standing. One hole in and one hole out. I don't like depending on luck of how a bullet will perform when the opportunity comes to take a DEER.
  My Encore shoots groups just over 1/2" at hundred yards with Partion bullets. I don't think one can ask any more from a hunting bullet.

[tripper]

I am shooting a 14 " 7x30 waters. The only 140 gr bt I have recovered was  about a 50 to 60  yard shot on about 160 to 180 lb. deer. It started as a good shot turned bad . He was standing broad side and just at the point of no return on the trigger pull he jumped ahead and spun went about 30 yards and laid down. I could just make out the movement of him lifting his head a couple times so stayed put for a good 45 min.When I did aproach him he lifted his head again and I put one through his neck. When I skun him out I found my first shot had hit him in the left hind guarter and well butchering I found the slug in the right front shoulder minus the tip but perfectly mushroomed. I would say that is pretty good penetration even for a lot of rifles. No I do not feel under guned, the only time I carry my 06 rifle is when I set a power line or a slash where shots could get over 150 yrds. or I feel I wont be able to get the proper bracing to shoot the tc. The partion bullets very well may be a better choice, I don't know. I have never felt the need to check them out and see if they will perform at handgun vel. Now the guys have got me thinking I will have to check into it.
As I said, the real trick is waiting for the small opening to put the bullet through. Any time you hunt brush country you are going to hit a small brach, sappling or something and have bullet deflection sooner or later.

[robk]

i got me some loads in the 150 grain nosler ballistic tips and will definately use them for deer and could use them for a couple of other animals as well. the ballistic tips i really like are the coated tips as they don't leave all the residue the brass leaves when shooting a uncoated bullet but both will work just fine. i am shooting a 308 and it groups exceptionally for me
rob k