BB Outdoors

Looking at switching from Remington Core lokt to a ballistic tip and wanted everyones opinion on which ones they like best for hunting deer. Thanks in advance everyone, much appriciated

Topgun 3006

Is there a particular reason you want to change? I reload Hornady Interlocks in .243, 25-06, and 30-06 and will stay with them because of their performance for any game that I've used them on. I always go with the old saying if it ain't broke why fix it!

super_hunt54

BB, what is your typical range of shot? I ask because ballistic tips have a tendency to bloodshot a pretty fair amount of meat at short ranges at .270 velocities. Like Top, I too load up interlocks in 7mm.08 and .30-06 and have found them exemplary at both shorter and longer ranges on hogs and whitetail. If your core locts aren't performing well or you can't get them to shoot well from your particular firearm, I would suggest you try loading up some of the interlocks. They hold together very well, I've found them to shoot well from almost every one of my firearms (I do have a couple of VERY finicky barrels) and their terminal performance has yet to leave me wanting anything better.

If you are dead set on a ballistic tip, Noslers are pretty hard to beat. Hornady SST's come in a pretty close second but again, I've found ballistic tipped bullets tend to destroy a pretty fair amount of meat and sometimes just absolutely blow up on a hard short range shoulder hit from a speedy caliber like the .270.

flags

Why? Core-Lokts have been killing lots of deer for a very long time. I'm not a fan of BTs for most things because they tend to ruin a lot of meat especially when a bone is hit. The only thing I shoot them out of is a T/C Contender in 7mmTCU and that is because at the velocities the round generates in a handgun I need a bullet that opens up quickly in 7mm.

bronko22000

When I had a .270 (for about 30 years) I shot Nosler 130 gr Ballistic Tips. These were loaded over 54 gr of IMR4350. I shot a lot of game with this combo from distances literally at point blank to over 400 yards. This included whitetails, muleys and antelope.
That rifle could put 5 shots into 1/2" group regularly with well under 1" being the norm. But being the idiot I am I went and traded it in.

Ridge Runner

ballistic tips have gotten a bum rap for a lot of years, todays ballistic tips are a far cry from the BT's of old.
When introduced, they were a thin jacketed varmint type bullet, and they were tender, would violently expand when impacting heavy bone. after a bunch of complaints, nosler worked on a fix.
the heavier weights of ballistic tips in most calibers were changed to the exact makeup of the nosler solid base boat tail with a polymer tip instead of lead, and to know which was for what use, the medium game bullets are now packaged 50 to the box, those that were unchanged are packaged 100 or 250 to the box. today I shoot them in mainly a 25 wssm (115 gr at 3000 fps) a 250 savage ( 100 gr at 2750 fps) 6mmppc (55 gr at 3100 fps) 7MM STW (140 gr at 3550 fps) I have never saw better bullet performance on whitetails than the 115 gr BT at 3000 fps, have never recovered one out of around 15-20 deer shot with that load, even the 140's at 3550 will exit as long as I stay off the shoulder till the range is beyond 100 yards. I also have a lot of faith in the 55 gr in the 6mm PPC to crop does on damage permits. they get my vote, for a polymer tipped hollow point so to speak.
My 2 cents worth of experience of shooting them since their introduction.
RR

TN Lone Wolf

My experience with Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets is rather limited, just two deer and a coyote. I've also taken the same number of game with Core-Lokts. Honestly, I don't notice much difference in terminal performance. One deer ran about the same distance when shot with the Core-Lokt at nearly 300 yards as another hit with a Ballistic tip at about 100. Both coyotes hit the ground dead almost immediately. That's not to say that any of them ran that far, just that they ran about the same distance of about 20-30 yards or so. Although I have even less experience with them, I've noticed Winchester Power Points performed a bit better out of my 270. I've got a few boxes of 130 grain SST's, but I haven't had the opportunity to try one on a deer yet.

The one deer I've shot that went down almost immediately (barring a spine shot muzzleloader buck) was my first handgun buck, which I shot with a 155 grain A-Max at 98 yards out of my 300 Win Mag Encore - roughly equivalent in power to my 270 rifle. I hit that deer perfectly broadside, and it took two steps before it fell over dead. Now, while the A-Max is technically a match bullet and not designed for game, it performs about like a Nosler Ballistic Tip on game. I don't always pay that much attention to meat damage, but I know that A-Max ruined a lot of meat. Not that I shot a 4 1/2 year old buck for the meat, of course, but it's something to consider.

If you want a ballistic tip that might do less meat damage, you might try a bonded bullet like the Hornady Interbond or Nosler Accubond. Or maybe even a ballistic tipped copper bullet like a Hornady GMX or Barnes TTSX.

BB Outdoors

I hunt anything from wide open fields and swamp land and somewhat dense woods here in Wisconsin. I also the wide open prairies in south Dakota and hils of Wyoming. Looking for something to perform in all three places. I just cannot get the core-lokts to perform to my standards. I also hunt bear with my .270 so just looking for an all around bullet