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Nosler ballistic tip
338magnut
Member Posts: 761 ✭✭✭
Has anyone got any pros or cons on using the Nosler 140 gr ballistic tip in a 7mm mag for deer size game. Thanks for any info Terrill.
Comments
I did buy some 130, 140, and 150 NBT the other day though, so we'll see.
I think the Ballistic Tip would open too fast in a 7 mag. I've read that anything much hotter than a factory 270 load will make them expand too fast, I don't have first hand experiance. I've had great results with the Accubond, shoots as straight as the Ballistic Tip, and works as good as the Partician, with a better price. I shoot Noslers in all my hunting rifles except the 45-70s. I live in the Cascade mountains in Washington state, Noslers are made in Bend Ore, so it's kind of a natural, been shooting them more than 40 years. Nosler made the first premium bullets I was aware of.
For what it's worth.
W.D.
None have gone more than a foot or so, and 99% of them just went down...
My .284 pushes them to close to 2700 FPS out of a 15 inch barrel, my 7 SAUM pushes them over 3100 fps, and usually find the bullet in the off side under the skin.
Just a note,..don't go expecting them to not come apart if you shoot at something that is only 30-50yds away,..of course they will make a mess at that point. But they still get it done[}:)]
My records show that the accuracy was great with sub MOA groups... when seated in frot of 63 grains of H4831.
I agree that the BT's would be pretty soft for the 7mm mag. Early production of this bullet was quick expanding even in a 7x57 at 2850 fps. Later production is tougher(so I've read) for more controlled expansion. I'm still using a stock of the originals in my 7x57. I'm sure it would put a deer down quick since I have used the Hornady 139 BTSP in the 7 mm mag years ago. It was quick but destructive on the meat. The advantage is flat trajectory and a good hit will down the deer quickly. With the Hornady bullet I've neck shot some deer that didn't give an exit. This gives you an idea of the type of expansion I'm talking about.
What you've read is accurate. Later production of the Ballistic Tip bullets have a thicker jacket wall giving the bullets a more controlled expansion at higher "magnum" velocities. These bullets still open fine at lower veolocities as well.
Is there any way to tell if the nosler ballistic tips are early production or later production? Thanks again Terrill.
yes, if you have the original box they came in, there is a date stamp on the box. It will be a letter and number code, you can call Nosler and give them that code and they will be able to tell you when those bullets were produced. It was somewhere around 98' or 99' when they started thickening up the jacket walls and the base.
The only concern among the hunters is that the round generally yields vary different wound cavities as close range with ballistic tips. However, this is not a close range gun and I don't use it as such.