Here is my opinion, ballistic tips were designed as varmit bullets, that is still what they are best used for. hunters liked the name and wanted to use them on deer, (amazing what a catchy name will do for marketing) Hornady made some changes to the basic design and produced them in larger calibers for bigger game.
I hate to break the news to you,but Nosler makes the ballistic tip not Hornady.And if you are calling all bullets with a poly tip ballistic tips,you must include the nosler e-tip and accubond,barnes mrx and ttsx,swift scirocco,hornady interbond,and some others.So are you going to tell us that bullets like the mrx,ttsx,e-tip,accubond,scirocco and interbond were designed to be varmint bullets?