Moebedda

Are polymer tipped bullets like the SST considered a ballistic tip?

driftrider

No. The bullets being discussed here are The Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets specifically. The SST is made by Hornady and shares a similar polymer tip, but the Ballistic Tip is a Nosler trademark bullet. They are similar in general construction, but are different bullets made by different. Just because a bullet has a little pointed polymer tip does NOT make it a Ballistic Tip. Just about every bullet manufacturer makes one or more proprietary polymer tipped bullet now, only Nosler makes the Ballistic Tip.

Mike

Carpmaster

Cannot believe this is going!!! Well it will probably never end!

gdh

I just finished the 07 hunt with a new Tikka T3 300 WSM. I used 150 gr. ballistic silvertips. I have some info that is worth considering.
The first deer I shot was at 50 yards. He was roughly a 200 lb mature 5x5. I hit him right behind the heart with a double lung shot. Amazingly, he still walked 10 yards before just falling over. He acted like nothing hit him. Upon autopsy the entrance and especially the exit wounds were massive. Almost fist sized. There was blood everywhere. The lungs looked like red sponges that went throgh a blender. I learned two things with this shot. For a dead right there, stop in your tracks kill, better shot placement than a perfect double lung is necessary regardless of the caliber. Secondly, while shooting prone at a steep downward angle into a ravine, you need the best eye relief you can buy. Because this position required me to angle my forhead forward I now have a nice scar between my eyes from my scope.
The second deer shot was a mature doe at 75 yards. Double lung. The deer again walked about 10 yards before falling over. The autopsy looked the same as deer number one. Shot placement is everything for a dramatic kill.
The third deer shot was stalked for about 2 hours before I started to run out of daylight. There was no wind and the deer was standing broadside at 520 ranged yards. I held 12 inches high and the deer went down like it was hit with a lightning bolt. It was a perfect neck shot. Interestingly, there was no exit wound noted.
I feel I have no reason to not use ballistic silvertips. The flat got the job done, for me.

stubblejumper

And if you had been using a partition,he may have run 100 yards or more.My experience has been that most animals run a ways after being lung shot with a partition,but most fall on the spot,or within a few steps when lung shot with a ballistic tip out of a high velocity cartridge like the 257wby,7mmstw,or 300 ultramag.

sngehl01

wow

I don't believe that anyone said that BT's can't kill an animal, simply that they shouldn't be used for hunting, which may or may not be true.

The truly rediculous statements are ones such as :
"So are the 40 or so head of big game that I have taken with the Nosler ballistic tip not really dead? "

Of course they are, the only thing that was said is that they SHOULDN'T be used for hunting, not that they can't kill an animal. A .22LR can kill a deer, but you shouldn't use it for hunting deer either.

The argument being made isn't whether or not a BT has the capability to kill an animal, it is whether or not it SHOULD be used for hunting purposes.

Thank you.

stubblejumper

The point being,if a person has made 40 consecutive kills on big game with ballistic tips,without a bullet failure,they are oviously suitable for hunting big game.

sngehl01

I'm not arguing that point.

All I'm simply stating is that no one ever said they wouldn't kill big game. I agree that they will kill large gameand that they are very suitable for hunting, but many reponses early on had nothing to do with the original argument.

stubblejumper

The same person that posted that foolishness also posted the outright lies below.

The fact that they are lies can be confimed by reading page 4 of nosler loading manual number 3.It is plainly stated by Nolser,that the Nosler ballistic tip bullet was designed to eliminate bullet tip deformation in the magazines of heavy recoiling magnum cartridges.

smokems

I have been using Winchester Ballistic Silvertips for years in my 30-06. Mostly 168 gr, but for a while I was using 150gr. I have only used them on deer, and shot so many I quit counting. Every deer I have shot, from 3ft to 300 yards has had an exit wound. I have had 2 deer run about 70 yards after being hit (they were the longest runners). Most deer drop in their tracks or go no more than 10 yards. Part of this may be because I believe in taking out the shoulders (render the front legs useless and there is only one direction they can go). They are the only bullets I use in my 30-06. I bought a 300WSM this year, and have shot 2 deer with 180gr BTs. The 300WSM messed up a lot of meat. I am considering changing to an Accubond for next year with that gun.