Nosler Ballistics Tip Performace?

[timberelk]

Hello all,

Wanted to see if anyone has pictures of how a nosler BT performed?

I'm shooting a 140 grain BT out of my gun and the gun seems to like a mid range powder charge so I'm in the ball park of 2550 FPS when it leaves my 20" barrel with 39 grains of varget.

That equates to 1800 FPS and 1000 ft lbs at 575 yards (min velocity for expansion per nosler is 1800 FPS) I was hoping to develop a 500 yard deer/antelope round and with the load I have now it is around 1850 FPS and 1080 ft lbs at 500 yards.


Wanted to see if anyone could comment (possibly post pictures) of how the BT does at various ranges. If possible please include, the caliber, the range in yard when the impact occurred and approx FPS and energy when the bullet impacted.

Much appreciated!

 

[codyadams]

Hello all,

Wanted to see if anyone has pictures of how a nosler BT performed?

I'm shooting a 140 grain BT out of my gun and the gun seems to like a mid range powder charge so I'm in the ball park of 2550 FPS when it leaves my 20" barrel with 39 grains of varget.

That equates to 1800 FPS and 1000 ft lbs at 575 yards (min velocity for expansion per nosler is 1800 FPS) I was hoping to develop a 500 yard deer/antelope round and with the load I have now it is around 1850 FPS and 1080 ft lbs at 500 yards.


Wanted to see if anyone could comment (possibly post pictures) of how the BT does at various ranges. If possible please include, the caliber, the range in yard when the impact occurred and approx FPS and energy when the bullet impacted.

Much appreciated!

I used a 168 grain in a 20" .308 at 2675 fps for a season, seemed to work well, I took a cow elk and a bull moose with. The moose was hit right through the shoulder mid level, and was a pass through at 150 yards. It took 3 stepd and went down, but still had its head up and was quartering towards me. I put another round through it's neck, chest cavity, and found the jacket under the hide on the far shoulder. Not sure where the core went.

The elk I shot was in the timber, 75-80 yards, straight throuvh behind the shoulder, complete pass through. Exit was racket ball sized. Elk died within 10 feet of where I shot it. I have pictures, just of the animals though, and on my facebook.

 

[Canhunter35]

I've shot a number of deer with the 25cal 115bt. I don't have pics, but the ballistic tip is an emphatic killer

 

[timberelk]

Thanks for the comments guys. How does the bullet do at long distance, low velocity (1800 FPS) and low is energy (around 1000 ft lbs)

 

[Capt RB]

My longest deer shot was about 310 with the bt. 270win/130 @ 3150ish. It's close to 3200 in the summer and I've seen 3080 in near 0 temps for that same load. It has killed everything I've hit rather dramatically. Used it for crop depredation permits for a bunch of years. 25ish doing that 150 to the 310ish yard range. Dad has piled up a bunch with that same load mostly inside of 100yds though.
If your velocity is within the envelope you will be fine. Push it too hard and it can unravel. Standard cases are very hard pressed to do that though. Not having enough velocity means less hydrostatic shock transfer. In a smaller bullet that's an issue due to tiny bullet holes equating minimal blood trail.
If your going to regularly shoot to 500 and beyond you need more energy on target than your current set-up will provide. If you can manipulate that with a powder change for more velocity with the same accuracy great. If not 1,limit the shot distance and presentation or 2 move to a more powerful cartridge

 

[Canhunter35]

No idea, I shot mine out of a 257, low velocity wasn't really an issue, but when ur dealing on the limits of rifles capability, shot placement become crucial. From my experience with the ballistic tip I would be more worried about penetration than expansion at the outer limit. Example, striking a shoulder blade and failing to penetrate. Just my thoughts

 

[timberelk]

My longest deer shot was about 310 with the bt. 270win/130 @ 3150ish. It's close to 3200 in the summer and I've seen 3080 in near 0 temps for that same load. It has killed everything I've hit rather dramatically. Used it for crop depredation permits for a bunch of years. 25ish doing that 150 to the 310ish yard range. Dad has piled up a bunch with that same load mostly inside of 100yds though.
If your velocity is within the envelope you will be fine. Push it too hard and it can unravel. Standard cases are very hard pressed to do that though. Not having enough velocity means less hydrostatic shock transfer. In a smaller bullet that's an issue due to tiny bullet holes equating minimal blood trail.
If your going to regularly shoot to 500 and beyond you need more energy on target than your current set-up will provide. If you can manipulate that with a powder change for more velocity with the same accuracy great. If not 1,limit the shot distance and presentation or 2 move to a more powerful cartridge

Would it be better to go with a 120 grain BT and push it closer to 2900-2950? Velocity may be higher but not sure ft lbs would be higher. Or I could step up to 150 grain... velocity lower by foot lbs up

 

[Plinker147]

Shot just about everything in the lower 48 with BT. You can expect about 50% retention and bullets rarely exit, usually under off side hide. Bullets seems to expand at lower velocities, around 500-600yds is the further I've taken an animal with them. Great all around bullet. I've harvested 30+ animals with them over the years and have never had a bullet fail.

 

[Riflehunter1776]

the ballistic tip is an accurate bullet and it actually does better at distance, which makes it good for you guys who hunt long range in open terrain out west. Here in the thick eastern woods the BT has problems - at close range and high velocity, they explode almost like a varmint bullet. And, although hitting brush is very bad for any bullet, the BT actually starts to disintegrate before it gets to the deer if it encounters anything on the way.

I -and some friends- have had bullets fail from hitting light brush; since switching over, I've never had a barnes fail in identical situations afterwards. It's not a wives tale, I'm not repeating internet gossip. I used the BT exclusively for about 15 years and shot dozens of deer with them. And I've seen many examples of the failures in thick cover.

 

[timberelk]

Would you guys recommend dropping down to a 120 grain BT for more velocity or up to a 150 grain BT for more energy?

I have a 1-9.5 twist 20" barrel

 

[KRL1116]

I shoot a 257 weatherby 100 grain bst @ avg 3675fps and it is Devastating on deer sized game. Killed dozens of deer from 50yds-750yds most didn't even take a step! My hunting buddies call my gun the hammer of Thor! Never lost an animal with that rifle! Closer shots do cause a lot of meat loss! Speed kills! Sorry no pics

 

[Canhunter35]

Would you guys recommend dropping down to a 120 grain BT for more velocity or up to a 150 grain BT for more energy?

I have a 1-9.5 twist 20" barrel

Use noslers load data and run the numbers. I doubt the 120 will have any advantage as the lower bc, less weight bullet will shed velocity and energy faster. The 150 will eat up case capacity in the 7mm-08 hampering velocity.
For what you're doing the 140s will probably be just fine.

 

[26Reload]

I finished off an elk this year with a 284 168gr lrab....7rum..muzzle velocity 2950....elk at 570 yards and going...
They say to use the bullet for long range....obviously this wasn't long enough because the damage was beyond my belief....
Shot behind shoulder when animal walked around a sage on side of hill...found bullet remains just in front of offside shoulder...
.4" of it....
The impact showed from the bloodshot meat stretched from behind ribs up into the neck....that bullet left a semi-circle of devastation...probably lost 20-30# of the elk do to the extreme bloodshot muscles.....I was going to post them on here but they were too graphic for me to do that....then someone posted the armadillo pictures.....
I think the better all round bullets from nosler are the accubonds...
None of the animals I have used them on have ever had horrific meat losses.....BT....I would think better at longer ranges and still better than the lrab because of more solid lead.....

 

[codyadams]

Would you guys recommend dropping down to a 120 grain BT for more velocity or up to a 150 grain BT for more energy?

I have a 1-9.5 twist 20" barrel

I reccomend getting a different load with the 140, is it a 7mm-08? 2550 is way slow, evei
N with a 20" barrel...I have a remington model 7 7mm-08 with an 18 inch barrel and with 140's I'm getting over 2700, using varget. If a higher end load isn't shooting well, try a different powder. 2750 vs 2550 will make it to where your not pushing it so close at the 500 yard mark