they don't leave an exit wound on about half the animals I have shot and therefor they don't leave a good blood trail. Some of the game had exit wounds, others have dropped in their tracks. But, I shot an axis doe several days ago that I know I hit because I found pin drops of blood and that's all. We looked for hours and didn't find anything else. My dog couldn't even pick up on the trail.

My BIL shot an axis several years ago and never took a step. When we went to load it up, not a drop of blood, couldn't even find the entrance wound. We thought it must of had a heart attack or something. When we cleaned it, it looked like a bomb went off inside. So, I know they work well, when they work.

But, I am still thinking about getting away from ballistic tips. Is this an issue for anyone else?

i shot a hog in the head with winchester bst 115gr in 25-06 at about 30 yards about 3 inches behind the ear. no exit. i usually get exits with wt deer. i havent gun hunted deer in about 5 years though.

edited to add - there are stronger tipped bullet designs. the swift scirocco II, is stronger than regular nosler ballistic tips.

Re: Stronger tipped bullet designs than Nosler BallisticTip...

Nosler makes in most of the same calibers and bullets weights, a heavier duty tipped bullet aka the Accubond. Same kinda pricipal as the Partition with thin walls up front for easy expansion at slow impcat speed, a chemically Bonded lead core to keep the core and copper shell intact, and much thicker walls further back in the body of the bullet like a Partition has, but using the same basic design as a BT for better aerodynamics and usually the same exact Ballistic Cofficient as the BT's. Sounds like the best of both worlds to me so far...I'll try and get 'em on fur asap.

BT's also have a designation in some calibers as Varmint Bullets or Hunting Bullets if you look at the Nosler Pro Shop website, umm with some caliber overlap as I recall in the mid range calibers, just not in the same weight in the same caliber. Apparently addressing a need for thicker bullet walls especialy in larger calibers from 27/30 cal? 338 for sure and up.

I keep hearing about BT bullet failures over the years, had one myself loooong time ago with a 1st Generation 270 130 gr BT where I hit a West Texas Muley at a way too close and way too fast impact speed with a way over max MV and haven't used any BT's on game since, but I would/am not hesitating to use some left over 30 cal 180 BT's at less than max 300Wmg speeds where I know the hits will be ouuuut there some with impacts of less than 3000fps...unlike the 270 hit was with the Muley on my wall. If nothing else I'll burn up these 30cal 180gr BT's as practice bullets too and switch over to AB's if I feel the need or run out of the 5-700?? (really dunno how many) Sierra 180 gr's in storage...but I bought 130gr AB's for the much slower Swede with plans for under 50 yards impacts at max MV's of about 28-2900 fps & 150 PT's for the 270 last time I bought boolitz from Nosler.

Last year I also found some discontinued 9.3 250gr BT's that'll get up to about +/- 2600 fps MV's for Elk bullets, that should be interesting to test on some serious sized hog tough critters...but Nosler has brought that bullet back out as an AccuBond for use on the BIGGER/Tougher critters across the Pond that a 9.3x62 Mauser is frequently used for...and is functional even in the faster 9.3 Brenneke's according to what I am reading.

Don't forget about Hornady's new lineup of tipped Bonded bullets either...they seem to be a little harder bullets with a 4% antimony/lead core mix instead of the 3% antimony mix Sierra and some others use.
Ron

I had the exact same performance out of my b tips. Especially on axis. I went to the accubonds, basically look the same but with much better results so far. For some reason I got better accuracy as well. Try the accubonds

I have had mixed results with them. The 115 Gr out of the 25-06 on an average deer usually leaves a good exit wound. One I shot this year blowed lung tissue on the ground. Deer went 15 feet. The 150 grain ones out of the 7mm-08 does not usually leave an exit, but the deer usually wilt where they stand.

my experience with them is big entrance, massive damage inside and extreme exit hole every single time. It's to the point that for deer I will aim mid body(lungs) so I don't destroy too much meat. For pigs even head shots are nasty. Once I am done with my reloads I'll switch, but that'll be a while. It's a shame too cause I really like the ballistics/performance of them.

I have never had a problem. I just aim behind the shoulder instead of at it. My wife shot a buck with .30-06 B-tips at 200 yds and hit the shoulder. It left no blood at all. It only ran about 50 yds but layed down in a crack in the side of the creek bed. We thought she had missed. We found it because I was trying to show her how to read tracks and I saw the white tail sticking up.

When I shoot them behind the shoulder it always exits, but it is also a 150 grain .30-06. I use the Hornady A-max now, which is almost the same. I haven't had either bullet not exit as long as it hit behind the shoulder.

Try the Swift Scirocco or the Accubond. Those are both good bullets.

What caliber are you shooting DCS?

My best friend had hell with them in his 270wsm. He swithced to tropybonded his year, he is extremely happy.

Just got some 110 grain AB's for my 25-06.. I was out of TSX's so while I'm having some reloaded.. I let you guys know how the accubonds do on hogs and axis.

i had the same problem at short range, but at 200 to 250 yards have not had one fail to exit? i went to partitions they always exit!

I have found that if you must have a blood trail you should use something else, although if you shoot behind the actual shoulder meat you should have an exit. But if you MUST have a blood trail, using something with less expansion. If you don't need the blood trail, they would be fine.

I know plenty of people who use them and love the heck out of them.

The biggest complaint I have heard about them is always "No exit wound."

I shot a WT deer at appx 25 yds from my 7mag, hot loaded with a ballistic tip...and hit in the shoulder. Not like it was an accident mind you-I was kind of new with that bullet and had aimed for the shoulder just like I had done with the ol' corelokts prior to that. I learned that high MV + way short ranges + a hit on bone = BAD MOJO!

I have seen MANY a pig die to ballistic tips. Ear shots mean DRT, body cavity shots may mean some trailing, but many times if you hit them right they're spewing so much blood out with every breath that you just look for the pink foam.. Looks like they swallowed a cuisinart when you open 'em up!

That's why nosler came up with the accubond bullet! Hunters having the same problems with ballistic tips. I have even seen them blow up on hogs with the larger calibers! I would rather use hornady's sst's! Those are hornady's ballistic tips, but hold up way better! Those are what noslers ballistic tips should of been!

I used ballistic tips when they were new. Mostly because I was concerned about the deformation of the tip in the magazine. Once I learned that the shape of the back of the bullet plays a larger role than the front, I went back to SP and the like, and never use BT's any more. They cost more, often don't perform as well (although some do), and if you limit yourself to BT's (like my BIL) you kind of paint yourself into a box from the start.

Try some other bullets, even other BT's, you might be surprised at the results you get.

Personally, I will not hunt eatable game with a bullet in which I'm not confident of it's exiting ability, just for the reason you describe. But that's me.

Jay

yep i never liked them for that reason plus they're expensive.

psycho i knew we had something in common!

I luv the BC's of Ballistic Tips. I have had some issues but not many. I am now shooting Accubonds in my 257 Weatherby. I like these better than the TBBC. Accubonds for me from now on.

Try sierras soft point boattail gamekings. Now those shoot like ballistic tips, but hold up pretty well and are extremely accurate. The soft point tip is not too round, more pointed like a ballistic tip. Look at sierras boattail shape, alot more taper than ballistic tips! Way more downrange energy!

I've always been partial to the GameKings myself. Seems like they're always one of the most accurate bullets for my loading style. They are economical. And they perform well on medium size game.


Jay

.243 has been the minium caliber we have been allowing on our hunts.

Recently there have been two occurances that have left me to thinking again about bullet design and caliber choice.

The latest instance was with a .243 shooting a Nosler Ballistic Tip on a Axis doe and a small pig(sow about 50 lbs.) The doe was heart shot at 40 yds and it ran 85 from there. The bullet passed thru the right leg and lodged just between the hide and the ribs on the opposite side.
No blood trail whatsoever.

The little pig was shot and the hit was in the lungs/liver. The pig was 92 yds away and ran 170 yds before falling dead. NO blood trail whatsoever.
This pig and the previous mentioned axis doe were taken by the same gun and same ammunition. The entry wound on the axis looke more like an exit wound but still no blood until you got about 10' from the doe.

Before this there was a axis doe taken at 135 yds with a Remington Management Recoil for a 270 that left no blood trail at all. The hit was where it was supposed to be and the bullet didn't exit. It was over 70 yds before we found the first blood and nearly 3 hours before finding the doe.

This managed recoil ammunition I'm pretty sure I'm not going to allow back on the hunts again. The jury is still out on the ballistic tips bullets. I think I would just like to see a heavier bullet for the hunts in the future. Something like 120-150gr minimum I think.

I haven't loaded any nosler ballistic tip bullets for my 7mm-08 that I love to shoot because my Sierra GameKings 140 gr have yet to fail me since 2001 when I got that rifle and started loading that bulet for it. It's performed too well for me to change for deer size game out to 200 yds.

I don't mind shooting the ballistic tips in some calibers.. shooting the 180gr in the 300wm I have always gotten an exit wound and haven't had one go over about 20 yards. (no shoulder shooting). Smaller calibers I keep away from them. Prefer the accubonds and the tsx.....and in the 270 & -06 prefer the old school silvertips. Been a while since I've shot a deer with something other than the 300wm or 257wby though.

Hmmm. Maybe the perfomance is better for the Nosler ballistic tips in heavier bullets.