What other bullets to look into?
 

I have heard aguy who use ballistic tips say that he's shot and killed alot of deer with ballistic tips, and he said that recently, he's has lots of problems with ballistic tips, he said they haven't done enough damage in order to maintaina good blood trail.

He said one time his son shot a doe right behind the shoulder in the lung, perfect shot, and said that his son had made the shot in the afternoon, and while they were tracking it, they had continued on where they thought the blood trail might have headed, and he said they found no more sign so they decided to backtrack, and search for another route the doe might've traveled, and by this point it had been almost 2-3 hours since the deer was hit, and they were backtracking, and the doe had actually bedded down, and they had passed it, but when they turned around , they jumped it, and it started running away, and they were able to shoot it again, and it died.

The problem, he said, was that there was no exit wound, and the bullet (270) had hit the lungs, but sorta' fragmented, and it hit the lungs, but not bad enough, so it took a second shot, even though his son had made an excellent shot.

Another time, he said thatthey had shot another doe, and from the film replay, it was a good hit, butthe blood trailgave out after 2 miles or so! And they never were able to find a body!

I just want to get a more solid bullet for hunting, I was thinking of a Nosler accubond, or a Remington Core-Lokt.

Any other suggestions orthoughts you might have?

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

My whole family uses corelokts and we've had years of success with them.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I suggest the Accubond. They are essentially the same bullet as the NBT, but have the core bonded to the jacket so they penetrate better. Since they are otherwise identical to like-weight BT's, they have the same ballistics-supposedly.

Otherwise, try a Nosler Partition bullet! In almost 50 years of using these, I have only found 2 of them inside the animal. And after these had busted up a lot of bone. All the rest went through, and let blood out both sides of the critter! Not only that, but the front half usually actually blows up in the middle of an animal, doing MAX damage to the machinery in there.....

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I would never listen to the advice of someone who made this comment.

If you follow a 2 MILE bloodtrail then it would have prob bled out.
or
A good hit doesnt let a deer run 2 MILES.

For deer you dont need a bonded bullet. I personally think that a 130grn Nos Bt out of a 270 is the perfectwhitetail round.I have used them for years in my 270Win and WSM and have never had a deer run more then about 20 yards. Some folks like a bonded bullet so you get a pass thru and a blood trail. IMO when you watch the deer fall shortly after turning its organs to mush you dont need a blood trail.

I do however think more deer are killed with Rem coreloks then any other bullet and dont think you really need to pay the extra for BT's if you're buying factory rounds. The coreloks will do the job.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I have shot a lot of deer with the Nosler BT. Never had a problem and I doubt that there is a better deer bullet. However, If I had to bet my last dollar on a bullet performing, I would bet on the Nosler Partition. To work well on a wide variety of game a bullet must have a nose soft enough to expand but retain enough weight to drive through to the vitals and beyond. Thats why the Partition works. The lead in front of the partition is soft and will expand even a long range when velocity has dropped off. The lead behind the partition is harder and retains the weight it needs to get the job done. No One has really ever improved the design of the partition. Old John was ahead of his time and made a great product. The Barnes TXS bullet is probably the best penetrate and a quality bullet as well.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I use ballistic tips and corelocs and they work great if placed right. No deer period will bleed for 2 miles and have any blood left and I seriously doubt any wounded deer would ever move over 1/4 mile before bedding down. I've never had a deer that was fatally wounded go over 200 yards and 98% don't go 50. PRACTICE, and place your shots carefully and quit believeing every story you hear.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

This past season both of my sons harvested small bucks using core-lokts in a .243. Both shots dropped the animals on the spot, both left a large exit wound. My friends son shot twice with ballistic tips in .243, one deer was lost, the other was found 75 yards away, no blood, no exit wound. Shot placement is everything whether using a .243 or a .300 win mag. The difference though, if you don't make that "perfect" shot with the smaller gun, you better be using a bullet that will leave a trail.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I think those Nosler Partitions sound like they oughta' do the job dandily.

I just don't like tracking deer through thick brush, so I want to have more damage.

I might also try those Core-Lokts.

BTW, who makes the Nosler Partitions? Does Hornady? Or is there an actual company with the name "Nosler"? I would think there is, since Nosler makes rifles.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I read your description, a couple of time,of what happens after the shot, the problem wasn't the bullet rather it was poor bullet placement. Even if the bullet did not exit, if the shot had been a true lung hit, as claimed,the doe would have died from enternal bleeding well before the 2-3 hours claimed in this story. The guys story is just that, a story...to make up for poor shooting.

I've been shooting the BT for deer hunting for so long now, I don't remember when I first started using them, never had one fail. Not saying they can't, it's just never happened to me or anyone that I know.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I have had similar experiences with the Ballistic Tip bullet. Lots of good success. But I do have a few misgivings about it.

First of all, I shoot the vast majority of my deer with a 7mm08. The 7-08 is a fantastic deer round, but its not the fastest rabbit in the race. I have NEVER not had a Ballistic Tip bullet out of a 7-08 exit a deer. NEVER! However, I have had one fired out of a .243 not pass through. This leads me to believe a few things. The Ballistic Tip bullet will stay together better at lower speeds. This makes it a great bullet for slower rounds, and longer distances, which is, in fact, exactly what it was designed to do. That or at higher speeds, be a very explosive varmint bullet. I have also had very reputable sources, in the forms of my hunting buddies (the few I have that I trust) report not having pass throughs with, ironically, .270s and ballistic tip bullets. So do I believe that at higher speeds and closer ranges a ballistic tip will crater and not go through a deer....absolutely, I have seen it happen.

With regards to a better bullet for the job; where I hunt in the south, most of my shots are inside 100 yards. There are a few as far as 200, but the average is about 75. I am now shooting the Barnes TSXB exclusively in every caliber I shoot. I am really sold on it. It shoots great with my handloads, expands reliably, passes through cleanly, and leaves an excellent blood trail (although I have learned to shoot through the scapula and take out the spine, which eliminates the problem of tracking.... they just pile up where they stood).

A Nosler Ballistic tip is little more than a hollow point bullet, with a plastic cone on top to help its accuracy and aerodynamics. Its thinnly jacketed, so at higher speeds (like out of a .270, .30-06, .243, or any other light grain bullet at higher speeds) itmay/will crater. It is best left for varmint shooters, or folks who are taking longer shots. For those shots out to and beyond 250 yards, its bad medicine for just about anything. But in close, it will crater and/or cause excessive damage.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I have never seen a well hit deer go more than a 100 yds. Most go less than that. I will say that some well hit deer, particularly those with no exit or hit well but high don't always bleed so well and tracking can't take some effort, even its just 50-60 yds. I have helped track a few "well hit" deer, both mine and others, that went more than 100yds and we found after recovering the deer that the bullets point ofimpact had moved to a less desirable location. I suspect thats the case if someone trailed a deer two miles.

I prefer a bullet that will expand well but exit on most broadside or decent quartering shots. There are lots of bullets that meet my criteria as regards to deer. I think in the 30 cal, 7mm and 270 calmost cup and core bullets of reasonable weights do well. As caliber shrinks I think its wise to either use a heavy for calibercup and core or a premium bullet. Also I would add that bullet construction becomes more important as velocity rises. My rule of thumb is use a premium buletif impact velocities are likely to exceed 2700 fps.

The Nosler BT and the hornady SSTs have a reputation for opening quickly and doing a fair amount of damage. Often times this results in Bang flops and other spectacular kills. However the down side to this is that they may come apart and not exit and this coupled with poor shot placment(mostly the shot placement) can make a deer difficult to recover.

As an example in 308 I use 150 grainers with mostly good results (SST last few years and 150 Accubonds next year). If I were going to use a 243 I would choose a 100g ( which is heavy for caliber)Hornady interlock or speer hotcor or better yet a accubond/interbond/partition/tsx

Frankly except for cost there is little down side to using a premium bullet, its often not needed but them again maybe the time it will help is the next time you go hunting.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I use a .308 150 grain, and I do have Hornady SST's, and I was wondering what brands sell good,factory ammo, since I don't handload.

It has to, of course, be pertinent to what I am searching for.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

You think that Winchester Supreme ammo would be good?

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

The winchester supreme with the accubond sounds like a great choice.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

Never had a problem with BT's/deer sized game and still my favored deer bullet. I push them at over 3200 fps from my 7mm rm and never not got an exit!! Furthest track job I had was 100 or so yards but usually they are down within 50 yardsand the blood trails have all been blind man worthy. Thestories toldwith regards to this bullet has never reared its head in my experiencewith many deer sized animals harvested.

I see absolutley no reason not to use a 150 bt in 308 for deer, atthe velocity most 308 win factory ammo is loaded well inside the design limits for which nosler intended the BT to perform. Yes other will work but I wouldn't sell the BT short on the account of hersay or internet stories which all to frequently don't tell the whole story.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

THe Nosler Ballistic tip bullet is what is used in the Win Supreme Silver tip ammo. Nosler is a company. The make Partitions bullets which are a great design(a little pricey though) The Accubonds which look like a ballistic tip but are a bonded bullet and ballistic tips. The Hornady SST are also plastic tipped bullets that look and perform alot like the ballistic tip.

The Winchester Supreme Silver tips are pretty much the Nosler Ballistic tip with a Lubralox coating(the black on the bullet) that works sorta but not really like Moly coating.

www.nosler.comgo here and check out the differences.

Honestly though if I didnt reload and the Regular Rem Core-lokts or Win PSP stuff shot good out of my gun I prob wouldnt feel the need to go with the more expensive stuff(for whitetails). If you want a good quality factory ammo check out Black Hills ammo. They make some great stuff and unless itsa premium bullet load they arent that expensive but you usually have to order it. Their 223 ammo is all I use out of my 223 because it shoots so good.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

The supreme line of ammo uses a bunch of different bullets. BTs, CT partitions, balistic silver tips and accubonds.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

All of which are manufactured by Nosler for Winchester. (Partition Gold and Failsafe are no more, depeleting stock of these 2 CT bullets)

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I just looked at the design of the Gold Partition, and I thought "MAN!!!!! What kind of IDIOT took that thing off the market?!?!"

That Gold Partition bullet looked awesome. Remington makes Premier A-Frame, which isvery similar,but not in .308.

RE: What other bullets to look into?
 

I have been doing bullet/ammo research myself since my son and I are both changing calibers for 2007. I just bought a 308 barrel for my Blaser R-93 and have set my son up with his own R-93 in 30-06. I have never hunted with either caliber, so I am having to do my homework.

I am a big fan of Winchester Supreme ammo and am probably going with the 150 gr fail safe or xp3 in both calibers. For east Texas whitetails for sure and even the larger NW Oklahoma deer, I don't see a need for a larger bullet than 150 grs in either caliber.

If I were to go with Federal Premium ammo, which I am not opposed to, I would definitely use the 150 gr Nosler Partitions in both calibers.

In my 25 years experience and well over 100 deer, shot placement is a bigger deal than caliber or bullet weight. I want to shoot a well made bullet that will hold together and pass through. I can and have killed many deer with a 100 gr 243, so I feel very confident that, if I do my part, I can surely take a deer down with a 308 150 gr.