ballistic silver tip bullets?
ballistic silver tip bullets?
02-12-2010, 08:29 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,519
Well, I was going to use them in my 30-06 BAR but I couldn't get a decent group with them. I ended up figuring out my gun much preferred soft points so I stuck to them. I ended up selling a buddy my box and and partial box I had left. He normally used the classic Winchester Silvertips in his but not he ballistic ones. He said these shot about 1.5" high so he hunted with them. However, he never got a shot with them. He also has a 300WSM he uses them in and really seems to like them. A few guys I hunt with also use them. One for 25-06 and a couple for .270's. I think they all like them to. Another bullet other than soft points that seem to be popular with the guys I hunt with are the Hornady SST's.
Last edited by hometheaterman; 02-12-2010 at 08:42 PM.
02-13-2010, 03:08 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Paducah, Kentucky
Posts: 146
The Ballistic Silvertip bullet is nothing more than a mixture of Nosler and Winchester technology. It is a Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet with a silver tip and a Winchester Lubalox coating on it. So construction wise, it is really no difference between it and the normal Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet. With my experience shooting them, and hunting partners I have seen that use them, they are a fast expanding bullet that maintains about 50% of their weight by design, the fragmentation inside the body causes multiple secondary wounds to incapacitate the animal faster. I would not shoot a whitetail deer directly through the shoulders with one of these bullets, I consider them more to be a bullet designed to placed right behind the shoulder, much like an archery shot. The bullet will expand rapidly and destroy the lungs and possibly heart area without having any super hard bones in the way. A whitetail deer shot in this manner will normally fall over dead right there because you just turned their internal organs to mush. First let me say that I have never hunted a hog before, but I read that they can be somewhat of a tough animal to bring down. I know their size can vary a lot too. Since I wouldn't try to put one of these bullets through a whitetail deer's shoulder, or take a steep quartering shot with these bullets, and I consider the hog to be a tougher animal, the same would go for the hog. I have read that the heavier weight the bullet is for the caliber, the thicker the jacket construction is for the Ballistic Tip bullets. So on that note, maybe shooting the heaviest bullet you can for your caliber would be a wise choice with this ammo selection.
I personally much prefer a bullet designed to retain at least 70% of its weight to ensure expansion. A good all around bullet that is really popular out there is the Nosler Accubond. It is what I like to think of as a new and improved Ballistic Tip bullet. It still expands pretty dang fast but because of the redesigned jacket and bonding process, it retains more weight and allows it to penetrate deeper. It is just as sleek as the Ballistic Tip which makes it retain energy at longer ranges better. And if you are just a Winchester ammunition fan, they even happen to load the Accubond with the same Lubalox coating that is on the Ballistic Silvertips.
I personally much prefer a bullet designed to retain at least 70% of its weight to ensure expansion. A good all around bullet that is really popular out there is the Nosler Accubond. It is what I like to think of as a new and improved Ballistic Tip bullet. It still expands pretty dang fast but because of the redesigned jacket and bonding process, it retains more weight and allows it to penetrate deeper. It is just as sleek as the Ballistic Tip which makes it retain energy at longer ranges better. And if you are just a Winchester ammunition fan, they even happen to load the Accubond with the same Lubalox coating that is on the Ballistic Silvertips.
02-13-2010, 03:41 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 476
I shoot them in my 308. I have never shot a hog either so can't speak there, but the whitetails shot with them dropped quickly, no recovered bullet...all pass throughs, nice exit hole. Distances were less than 75 on all animals shot. I think its a good bullet, but again, for hogs, I am really not sure how they react.
02-13-2010, 07:57 AM
#6
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: pensacola fl
Posts: 7
i Do not have an explanation on why i want to shoot Silver Tips, just looking on nosler.com and seen them. i shoot all hand loads for the accuracy & was thinking it might be a good target and hunting bullet
02-13-2010, 08:03 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: central and east texas
Posts: 4,894
plenty of through and throughs here....baseball size exit wounds and quarter size entries. hogs never take a 2nd step, i had a deer run 40 yards one time. recovered in 20 minutes.. everytime.
02-13-2010, 07:23 PM
#8
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location:
Posts: 22
Have used the Ballistic Silvertips for years and have great success on deer using my Ruger M77 Ultra Light. Never hunted hogs. If you like to hand load your bullets the casings on the Silvertips are NOT a good choice. The silver looking case is mighty pretty and looks real sexy, but not a good choice for reloads.
02-14-2010, 06:17 AM
#9
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
I just prefer a good bonded bullet like the Hornady BTSP. Good for all round, anything that walks out shooting. I gave a 150 pound hog two new ear holes (pass thru) yesterday with one. Several of us tried the ballistic tips when they started to become popular and there were a lot of deer lost without good reasoning.