I loaned y son in law my Tikka 25-06 as he didn't trust his rifle to be sighted correctly. The last weekend of rifle season he shot a coyote. It folded up right there and upon inspection, there was no exit wound, and no blood. After searching where he was aiming he found the entrance wound. Right in the middle just behind the front leg. Said it was exactly where he aimed. I am a little disturbed that a 120gr Nosler ballistic tip bullet didn't exit. Wasn't hot loaded, chrono'ed around 3050 fps, just shot well, so I didn't go any faster, but I had room. He didn't open it up, but I would assume it was a mess in the chest cavity. My best friend hunted for years with one, and every deer I saw that he shot had a large exit wound. He always used Hornady interlocks. I had an issue with losing a pig last year using ttsx bullets. This is making me think I need to stay with partitions. And I am the guy who always says you don't need anything but soft point cup and core bullets for deer with almost any center fire.

I have dead centered a yote in the chest facing straight at me and I could not find the entrance wound but I would be willing to bet his insides looking like jello. Typically these are my results with my 257 Wby Mag 100gr Nosler BT 3600ish FPS, the first was low in the chest at 150ish yards and the next was in the throat at a little over 200 yards

I’m

Where I hunt if the deer run it is hard to find them without a blood trail. Exits make much better blood trails than entrances.

Im a big fan of partitions for hunting.

I have never lost a deer with them, but I have had many less than desirable performances from a traditional cup and core soft point. Most of them being Hornady interlocks. I have had a few 150 grain interlocks from a modest load in a 270 not go through a vitals shot on deer/hogs. I have had sierra 100 grain prohunters in a 243 do the same on deer, small hogs, and even javalina. I didn't loose any of the ones the bullet didn't go through, but some of them were found by what I would consider luck, I just so happened to stumble upon them in 3 foot tall grass/brush.

Is it possible that it penciled, and you just didn't find the exit because it was small?

If you prefer an exit you may want to try the Accubonds.

I shoot 140 gr. BT out of my Rem .280. I don't always get an exit must I do most of the time. I use them on everything from small w/t to big elk. I don't normally get an exit on bigger bull elk but I have on some good size cows.

Sounds like what I’d expect from a BT.

Nosler doesn't make a 120 grain Ballistic Tip in 25 caliber.

My son shot his first buck with a 95 nosler BT this year. 6BR, suppressed, somewhere around 2850-2900, deer was around 150 yards away. took out the bottom half of it's heart. It was the most devastating exit I've seen in some time, and the blood trail was thick for the 10 yards that he ran into the brush. He has also dropped two does in their tracks, both with beautiful exits.

I love that bullet...but it just goes to show that the caliber and bullet arguments on the internet are worthless. Shot placement matters, followed by bullet...headstamps are last on the list for me.

Also, Nosler doesn't even make a 120 BT in .257...just saying.

Edited to add - Scott beat me to it.

It's all about preparation. If the critters know you're playing "just the tip", it doesn't matter which kind of bullet you use. They'll just lay down and take it.

I wish Nosler made a 120gr .257, but it's 115gr. I use it in a 25 WSSM. That thing is a blood trail machine.

I've had good penetration with Nosler BTs in other calibers. My 308 165 BT generally punches all the way through deer and pigs. I can't understand why it wouldn't penetrate a Coyote. Are you sure its wasn't a light weight varmint bullet?

I used the old Nosler BTs when the first came out and penetration was not good, almost explosive, but they have improved since then.

as long as the animal died on the spot I see it as a good kill.


I would rather have no exit and the deer hit the deck than punch a hole thru him and have to trail him 50 yards thru thick brush

You are right guys, I loaded 115 gr. ballistic tips. Realized today that I also loaded some TTSX bullets also. Took one round that I had sent with him, cut it in half with a Dremel, and these are TTSX bullets. Didn't have any here to visually compare, they are in storage at the moment.

So, I suspect the bullet exited, and he didn't find the exit wound. Kind of how I expect this bullet to perform in a coyote. Had me worried, but I think when I am able to hunt again(hopefully this fall), I want to use the ballistic tips for deer. Thought, man if I can't even get one through a deer, not the bullet for me. I really want deer to drop right there, but if they run, I really want an exit wound and a blood trail. So I most likely to use the ballistic tip, cause in the Tikka, it is incredibly accurate, and hope it is just as accurate in the weatherby Mk V ultralite I got last summer. Soon as the neurosurgeon lets me shoot again, I will find out. Two tumor removal surgeries in 3 yrs will prevent me from shooting big kickers, so I want the 25-06 to be my go to gun(s). The Tikka was shooting 5 shot groups into one ragged hole at 100 yds, and I have witnessed the weatherby shoot pretty impressive groups by my best friend when he owned it. He got in a real tight spot last summer and sold it to me at a cost low enough I couldn't refuse. I will have to check my handloading notes, and continue to work this load, as I know it will go faster, and the faster it went, the tighter the groups. And since I couldn't remember the ballistic tips were 115's I dang sure wouldn't trust what powder and charge weight it was. My advice to all is don't have 4 major surgeries in 3 years, the drugs used can really mess with your memory. Have not forgot anything, just can't remember it right now.

I have used Hornady interlock bullets on deer in .243, 7mm mag, and .300 winmag. With the .243 and the 7 mag, every deer shot (at least 15) were within 10 feet of where the bullet hit. And this doesn't sound right, but every deer shot (5) with the .300 winmag, every single one ran. None further than 100 yds though. Probably should have just stuck with the interlock for 25-06, but we will see.

So, rant somewhat over.

Don’t worry about Nosler Ballistic Tips. I’ve used them since they were marketed, replacing the much loved Solid Base Boattails. I had no problem even with the supposedly explosive generation 1 of the bullet. I killed a 400ish pound boar at 60 yards with a gen 1 130 gr BT in my 270, and the bullet almost exited (we did an autopsy). As for whitetail, I can only guess how many I’ve killed with the 130 grainers in the 270 and 100 gr and 120 gr BTs in my 260. Probably about 150 to 200 deer. Got an exit most times when lung shooting them, even with the 100 gr BTs in the 260.

Just to say it, I try to avoid shooting through heavy bones, and I try to avoid quartering shots. As to accuracy the BTs are pretty much the gold standard for hunting rifle accuracy.

As for deer or hogs running after being shot, a heart or lung shot won’t usually drop them on the spot. They won’t run far. The only exception to that I can remember was a 275 pound old 9 point back in the Louisiana lowlands. I blew his heart up and he still ran 75 or 80 yards across a slough and into a huge briar patch. A big tough old warrior buck.

Current Nosler BTs are great in .308 size. I use the 150 grain pill extensively in culling whitetails. A lot of DRTs and never a problem. I guided 2 elk hunters this past fall and both used a 30/06 and coincidentally both used 168 grain BTs. The 168 exited on both elk and neither elk went 50 yards.

SST is a little tougher than BT in my experience. SST will break a bone and keep trucking if you need to break down a buck. I used it a lot in .300WM. .300WM is fast and will blow through deer not transferring as much energy at close range as you'd think. Never had one go more than 75 yards with the rear lung shots I prefer with a big gun. Always good blood trail though. I don't really mind blood trailing, though I know people are getting out of practice these days. Same weight BT made better blood trails.

I wouldn't put BT on heavy bone, but it'll penetrate a shoulder blade or blow up a vertebra. It will dump a smaller deer on tight heart/lung, but a fifty-yard dash painting the ground red is more common. It makes bug holes in my 25 WSSM, too.

Yeah, I think the ballistic tip is what I am going with. Can't wait til the neuro lets me shoot a gun that has recoil. Gonna retire the 7mag. A friend was looking to buy it, but his wife won't let him. probably give it to one of my grandkids when one gets old enough. have to look at how many of the TTSX I have left. I have about 15loaded rounds for sure, not sure about bullets left. Got to get this house remodel done and get it sold. Get into a new place and get my reloading room set up.