ORIGINAL: The Rifleman
JMO
But an educated person a long time ago set me down and told me that Ballistic Tip Bullets are not intended for hunting.
Their main design was to be used for target practice only.
Most educated people would agree with me on this one.
The lead on the tip of the bullet, usually burns off while it travels through the air after it leaves the barrel.
Now the lead inside of the bullet is what is the greater part of the mass which makes up the main part of the weight of the bullet. The construction of the bullet - determines how much lead it can hold.
By knowing that, it would be determined that a bullet of the proper construction - made for the harvest of big game would be proportionally better than a bullet designed for target practice.
We did tests on Sierra boat tails in 150 / 165 / 180 gr in 30 caliber / .308 and found that they were poor compared to a 150 gr Hornady PSP bullet.
The weight retention of the boat tail bullet was not consistent compared to a spire point bullet - because the spire point bullet held the lead better and retained more of it's weight. Where as a lot of the Boat tail bullets fell apart when it struck a hard object - such as bone / trees / twigs etc...
Ballistic Tip Bullets should NOT be used for hunting purposes.
Classic example of the blind leading the blind[:'(]!
I am with stubblejumper, I have harvested to many animals with BT's to believe they aren't a hunting bullet.I mightadd a number of those animals were the larger subspecies we have here in canada, whitetails upwards of 300 lbs and mulies above 300lbs on the hoof are common. I can think of only one buck that I didn't get a passthruwhich wasan up closeflushdouble shoulder shot -shooter error. Never tracked a deer 100 yards with one yet, majority have been down on the spot orwithin sight. Always had vitals soup. I have never used a bullet that put the spins on our big body deer faster then a BT and thus it continues to my deer bullet.
JMO
