I have an accurate load worked out for my .30-06 with 150 grain Ballistic Tips that I plan to shoot a mulie with. Has anyone used them on black bear with what results? I like to take the offside shoulder via the vitals, generally. Am I asking too much?
Nosler Ballistic Tips on Black Bears???
- Thread starter Curt
- Start date
I have seen one break the on side shoulder of a black bear but not penetrate well afterward.A friend of mine made the shot with at 30-06 and we had to track the bear and shoot it again.On the other hand,I have driven the .308" 180gr ballistic tip through both shoulders of a mature bull elk.The only problem with ballistic tips that each particular size and weight often perform very differently.
I am carrying the 150's for deer. I liked the loads and so does my 700. There are bear all over the place where I hunt. The piles are thick with salmon berries. I also have a bear tag, so a nice sized blackie could go in the freezer.
SC, do you carry both with you on one trip? Do you then quickly load the appropriate ammo after finding a game animal? How is the POI between the two?
I have a nice 180 grain Accubond load for my .30-06. The POI is different than the Ballistic Tips for sure.
I could just go buy the cheap 180 grain Federal Power Shok, or Hi-Shok, whatever they are called now. They always kill stuff really dead. But that wouldn't be any fun.........
Good question. Our hunting seasons for deer and moose don't overlap, so if I was so fortunate to have a moose tag in hand, I wouldn't be carrying any "deer" loads.
About 2" difference between the two. Not good enough to use w/o re-sighting.
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IMOP shots under 75 yards they behave like grenades 130gr/.270 + 100gr /.257 on deer wouldn't trust them on anything that bites back.Have seen surface woulds with no penetration and some broadside exit wounds you could stick your head in and not get your ears wet! They are very accurate but I don't care for them.Hornady interlocks worked on everything from antelope to moose and one large grizzly.No failures ever..............brand loyalty I guess.................Harold
I have tested the 150 BT (out of a 308) in ballistic gelatin. It is a quick expanding bullet.
A bear is fat and heavy muscled. My bullet of choice would be a180gr.
If you expect to shoot deer at less than 100 yards, why not make the 180 your standard bullet. then you woudl be well armed for anything. In fact, the 180 would spoil less meat that the 150.
A bear is fat and heavy muscled. My bullet of choice would be a180gr.
If you expect to shoot deer at less than 100 yards, why not make the 180 your standard bullet. then you woudl be well armed for anything. In fact, the 180 would spoil less meat that the 150.
Yet at under 75 yards,using lung shots the 140 gr .284" ballistic tip will exit on a 300+lb deer when fired at 3500fps from a 7mmstw.And at under 100 yards the 180gr .308" ballistic tip will penetrate both shoulders of a mature bull elk when launched at 3340fps from a 300 ultramag.
I have shot a couple of deer with them one about 6-7 years back, they worked well for the situation. One was a 120 grain 6.5 from a 264 and it exited behind the shoulder, however one was a head shot from the same gun I guess this one put the fear into me because at 3300 ft per second it did not exit the head! I shot a small buck in the ear and it stayed in the scull on the other side.
But I see no reason not to lung shoot anything with them.
But I see no reason not to lung shoot anything with them.
leveractionjunkie
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I believe these bullets get a bad rap from the older versions. When first introduced they were highly frangible but have aparently been toughened up lately.. That being said I haven't shot any of them for a long time so can't say one way or the other.
I just use a tougher bullet in a lighter weight.
Since your gun likes the 150gr ballistic tip,it will probably like the tougher 150 gr accubond as well.
If you want extra insurance,the 150gr tsx will penetrate just as good or better than most 180gr bullets,and they work well on smaller game like deer as well.
I have used the 180 Ballistic Tip in my 8x57 to shoot a couple of bears. In 8mm, these bullets have a pretty heavy jacket midsection and back, and they both exited the bears without leaving a huge hole. Seemed very good. I have had some different experiences with the 140/7mm BT from an STW, and the 150 BT from a 30-338 Mag. They were basically bombs, but in all fairness, this was when they were first released, not any of recent manufacture. Regards, Eagleye.
x2
I would shoot a bear broadside wiht a BT, if that is what I had in my rifle at the time. Which never happens.
Many people are not aware that there have been many changes to the ballistic tip line over the years.There have been up to four versions of some particular bullets,which each version being tougher than the previous one.
I have been using the 140gr ballistic out of my 7mmstws since 1990,and the changes in that bullet have been significant.The early versions in the green and red box of 100 were very soft and although they provided dramatic kills,they did not penetrate well if bone was struck.The jackets were thickened considerably soon after,and the following version/versions usually exits deer even at close range when driven at 3500fps.
The 180gr .308" ballistic tip has undergone even more significant change.The first reason was very soft,but the latest version that has been out for about six or seven years,is actually quite tough.I have sectioned both,and the jackets are much thicker towards the base.I have personally taken eight elk and two moose with the latest version,with great results.Driven at 3340fps out of my 300 ultramag,the latest version has penetrated both shoulders of a mature bull elk,and most have exited.
I have loaded the 165gr .308" version for friends ,and it is much softer than the 180gr version.It works well in the 308win and 30-06,but I wouldn't use it for large game at higher velocities.
The particular bullet that I hear the most complaints about is the 130gr .277" ballistic tip.For some reason,Nosler elected not to toughen that bullet up nearly as much as many others.
I have also used the 100gr .257" version out of my 257wby at 3500 fps and it works well for lung shots but makes a mess when a shoulder is struck.
