Ballistic or
 

I've been shooting 180 gr Federal Premium Accubonds for the past two years. For this years deer season, I'm considering swiching to 150gr. What are your thoughts on the Winchester Ballistic tips in .300 WSM (or any magnum caliber)

I've also considered the 150 Remington Corelocks

RE: Ballistic or
 

Ballistic tips are deadly and work well, as I have used the winchesters for the past 7 years. I am changing though for lack of a blood trail. They expand so fast that blood is sparse and you are better off on a marginal shot with a corelock. I may also be trying the Fusion, cant remember who makes those right off hand though.;)

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Bonded bullets only for me. I don't like the ballistic tips.

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i hate any rapid expansion bullet. barnes and tbbc and even a corelokt, particurally the round nose corelokts. i supose for stand hunting they would be fine but here in maine we kill our deer by tracking and seldom get a good shot. i want a bullet that will hold together and go the legnth of the deer and get into the vitals if i have to shoot at him ruinning away

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In a 30-06 I have used Hornady 150gr SST's on quite a few deer and all of them have done the job well....come to think of it all of them were pass throughs also. These should be quite similar to the Winchester Ballistic Tips.
Once again in a 30-06 I have used the Remington Core-Lokts, and they worked great also.
I imagine that for deer either would work well for you. Shot placement will be the key.

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I shoot 180 gr ballistic silvertips in my 30-06 and have not had a deer travel more than 30 yds after being hit, in fact that majority drop on the spot. I also shoot 140 gr accubonds and sst's from my 270 WSM with the same result. Location of the shot I feel is the determining factor. If your concerned about it go with a heavy for caliber bullet and it will provide what your looking for.

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[:o]That is exactly what I was going to say! I've used em for the past 2 years, either winchester silver tips or accubonds in my .270. I've shot 4 deer with em, but not a single one left a blood trail. Although none of them went more than 30 yards, its hard to find them in heavy brush and dogfennel (what a night).

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Just my personal opinion. I don't like Ballistic Tips I've heard to many bad stories. Also on the nosler website it states they have a maximum expantion velocity of 3000fps. Many rifles clear this for the first 100 yards easily which will make the close shots risky.

http://www.nosler.com/index.php?p=3

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Same here!

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What have been the results of the deer you have killed with the 180gr Accubonds??? I can't imagine a deer walking very far after having one of those missles hitting it, I kill them all the time with 85 and 100gr bullets out of a .243...

The Accubonds are a "harder" bullet than the original ballistic tips which came out a few years ago, my cousin has had good success with his .270 WSM and the 140gr Accubonds loaded by Federal...

As far as the softer balistic tips, one of my brothers has killed a few dozen deer with his 7mm-08 and ballistic tips...I think in a 7mm-08 or a .308 where max velocity runs about 2800 fps the ballistic tips shine...

If you want to try the 150 for flatter trajectory then they should be fine, it's just beyond me why a 180gr .30 caliber bullet won't do all that needs to be done to a whitetail...

RE: Ballistic or
 

Federal manufactures the Fusions. Has anybody else used the Fusion bullet for deer? Last year they were a good buy compared to other "premium bullets", however this year they seem to be much closer in price. How would anybody rate these vs. something like a BT or barnes triple X, or other "premium bullets"?

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nchawkeye - I've shot 3 whitetails and 1 mule deer with the 180 federal accubonds (with my .300 WSM). Twodropped on the spot,and two ran about 50 yards. What was interesting was the two that dropped on the spot were further away (The mule deer was @ 225 yards and dropped like a rock). The two that ran 50 yards were shot at less than 100 yards.

My theory is:
Because the 180gr accubonds are rated for elk / moosed sized gameand its moving at 3000fps, it penetrates a deer without transferring all its engery to the animal if shot from less than 100 yards. When shot from 200+ yards the energy fully transfers resulting in deer dropping instantly. My thinking in switching to a smaller softer bullet is it would provide better energy transfer at shorter ranges on deer, not to mention a flatter trajectory.

In the end, the accubonds are working well, I'm just always striving for perfection.

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I say you are on the right track, too many hunters think that because you use a heavier bullet that you deposit more energy into the deer, there is more to it than that...

You are correct in what is happening, an elk bullet will exit, but after it does, it's through killing...I don't know where you hit the deer you dropped, I'd guess either a high shoulder or high lung shot...I'd bet the construction of the bullet had little to do with how they reacted and would also bet that if you hit them with, say a 130gr Sierra GameKing from a .270 they would have done the same...

I've tried about 10 different bullets on deer with my .243, bullet construction makes a big difference in both wound channel and penetration...

I've got a buddy that insists on using 150gr Nosler Partitions out of his .270, what's funny is that his exit holes are smaller than those out of my .243 and 100gr CoreLokts, his lung shot deer also tend to run further...

With a 300 Mag and 150gr bullets you are going to need to find a bullet that doesn't destroy too much meat at the ranges you tend to shoot them at...

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I am "old school" and seldom stray from what has worked. I have used the BT in several loads. Mostly 30 cal. loads (308 Win., 30.06 Spr. , 300 WSM, etc.) I abandoned this bullet as soon as I had used up the supply for reasons already mentioned ..... too rapid an expansion and often a sparse blood trail, even on well placed "boiler room" shot placement. But I will admit, I never lost a single animal and all went down within 200 yards or so. Some right on the spot. But I prefer either the old standby Nosler Partition or the Sierra Game King. I have had some jacket separation with the Game King, but always at very close range. For white tail deer, in my opinion, whatever bullet groups well, as long as it is a mushrooming bullet suitable for medium game it's good to go. I am going to be interested in reading about experiences with these new "bonded" bullets, especially the designs that incorporate a polymer tip.

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I've shot all my deer and hogs with either Remington CorLokts, Speer Grand Slams, and Swift Scirroco's

EXCEPT FOR ONE.....

I shot a buck hot on the trail of a doe a few years ago with a 130gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip out of my .270 at about 60 yards. He was quartering towards me. The FIRST shot entered breaking his right shoulder and took out the lungs. That stopped him from running, but he was still standing. The SECOND shot was broadside right behind the shoulder exiting on the oposite side in the same spot. He jumped and started trying to run away after that.

Needless to say I was already slack-jawed since he had not dropped yet.

The THIRD shot was quartering away. Caught him at the back of the ribs and traveled forward to break the oposite shoulder. That finally made him go down since he had no shoulders left to run with.....but he still had his back legs pushing him forward on the ground. He FINALLY expired while I was trying to reload.

Every other deer or hog shot with the first 3 mentioned bullets has either dropped in their tracks or ran less than 40 yards.

Maybe just coinsidence that it took so much to put this one buck down since he was rilled up going after that doe.....but it turned me away from Ballistic Tips. All three bullets DID NOT exit.

The guy that skinned the buck out just gave me this funny look when he got the hide off of the chest area. He said...."damn.....what did you shoot this sucker with!!!!!!"

The heart, lungs, and shoulders were completely destroyed....but you would never have known it by the deers reaction to the shots.

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Ever thought of using the 150 gr. Seirra Game Kings (boat tails). Not expensive to shoot and has always done the job for me when used them in my 7 mm mag. As stated , not an expensive thought to try. Best of luck finding the right combinatiion.

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I love seirra game kings in my .243 and .30-06, but I don't know of a manufacture that loads them in .300 WSM.

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I don't care for ballistic tips for hunting.. But I would go with the 150 grain bullet in another bullet type.. I like the flatter/faster rounds..

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exactly man,thats why i wouldnt use them.thats way to far to carry a bullet in my book. i like fairly larger bores, medium velocity and heavy for cal bullets

i use corelokts in my 350 mag and barnes triple shocks and they drop dead

i use fed tbbc in my whelen and they drop on the spot

my 30-06's i use corelokt 180 round nose and the furthes one has ever went was about 15 yards if that.

if i hit a deer that carried lead 200yds ide be some upset

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Hmmmm. I seem to be be the lone wolf on this subject. I have been using Nosler BT's in my -06 for the past 6 years. I prefer the 168 Grains but have shot the 150's as well. Virtually all of the deer shot have been postholed (Dead and dropped where they stood). Only one moved from the place where it was shot and it staggered 10 yards and toppled. Never needed a second shot.

As my Pop's said if it aint broke dont fix it. I have shot many deer with other bullets - both factory stuff and handloads. Others have touched on the subject before but shot placement is paramount. Remember - all factory hunting loads (labelled for deer)are more than adequate for harvesting deer. My Ruger loves the Winchester Ballistic silvertips - so much so that my handloads dont perform any better.

I think were splitting hairs here over which bullet is best. If YOU are more comfortable using something else and it makes you a more confident and ethical hunter than by all means use it. I have walloped deer with 12 guage slugs and 50cal muzzleloader sabots. Now were talking tremendous delivered energies. Put it in the right place and they all work!

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My view is any .300 magnum is 180gr+ bullet, otherwise why have a 300 magnum?

I'd probably leave the .300 at home for deer though, break it out for elk/bigger game, and just use a .270

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I tried 165 grain Fusions last fall in my 3006 and I shot a doe and a buck with complete pass through on both. Both were around 150 to 175 yards quartering away and dropped instantly. Would have been easy to track them if needed. I was impressed and will use them again this season.

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Its strange, butive been handloading Nosler bt for over 20 years in 30-06, 25-06 and 7mm remington magnum. I have killed many deer with themas well, from both very short and very long ranges.All have performed as expected, small entrance holes with large exit wounds, and the blood trails wereprolific.Nosler bt are some of the most accurate bullets that i have found. For the last 4 years ive been handloading the Nosler accubond 165gr in the .300 win mag and to date have killed 9 deer with it. All performed as good as one could wish for.I chose the accubond because of its tougher construction, since the velocities are increased over the 30-06. Lungs shots are what i strive for,very few drop in their tracks, but most were found within 100 yards.I do think that i will continue to load the Nosler bt and accubonds, why change ona good thing

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I personally love my Winchester 150 grain Accubond .270 WSM bullets. You wont have to track if you hit in the right spot. And if you hit bone. OMG... I leaves a nasty hole.

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The 165 GR Accubond is the perfect bullet for the big 30 cal's, You get speed and down range energy.

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Sorry, I can only answer 1/2 your question...

When I first bought my Rem 700 Mtn. rifle in .270 cal., I first used the Winchester 140 gr. Silver Tip Boat Tail.
After watching this bullet split into 4 or 5 pieces after hitting the shoulder of a deer on an Alabama Deer hunt
and the inconsistant accuracy (3-4" groups), I decided to switch bullets the following season.

I switched to the Federal 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip and love the accuracy (less than 1 1/2"), along with the "non-breaking apart" ability of this bullet/load.

Click to select "bullet/shot" and select Nosler Ballistic Tip to see your choices, if this works.
http://www.federalpremium.com/ballistics/Ammo_Search.aspx

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ballistics are good but i rather regular lead tips my use with a ballistic was in medium brush and it was kicked off track with a lead tip i have shot through tick thick timber and killed my deer with out it getting kicked off track

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Ballistic tips will work well on deer sized game but I would not recommend them for anything larger.

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I have killed over 300 deer and now shot only BT's.I have tried many other but all I have shot with BT's were DRT.Of the 100 or so killed with BT's only 2 went any distance,one was bad shot placement that only went 20 yards and the other was a perfect hit behind the shoulder,took out both lungs and heart but still went over 100 yards but Ray Charles could have followed the blood trail.Shot placement is more important that bullet type IMO, and the BT's are very accurate in both my 06 and 270.

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Based on the overall negative thoughts on BT, I believe I'll stick with the 180 accubonds.