Win. Ballistic Silvertip?

Boston James

Boston James

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Anybody ever use Winchester Ballistic Silvertip for moose. If so what was the performance?
I've always just used the 180gr Federal blue box but this summer I was doing some shooting with the 168gr ballistic silvertip in one of my .308 and they shot really well. I'll be using these for deer but was also wondering if they'd penetrate enough on an Ontario moose.
Thx
 
The last two moose that I shot were with Silvertips. 180gr in 308 and they performed very well. Lots of penetration, broke shoulders and very little meat loss. They performed much better than Powerpoints or Core-Lokt's and they shot much better in my BLR. Silvertip is a very good inexpensive hunting bullet. Cheers,

Patrick
 
phinton81 said:
The last two moose that I shot were with Silvertips. 180gr in 308 and they performed very well. Lots of penetration, broke shoulders and very little meat loss. They performed much better than Powerpoints or Core-Lokt's and they shot much better in my BLR. Silvertip is a very good inexpensive hunting bullet. Cheers,

Patrick
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I think there is confusion between the silvertips .

I believe the ballistic Silvertip is a Nosler Ballistic Tip covered with Winchesters proprietary black coating. This is a high expansion bullet designed for deer sized game or smaller. I would not recommend this bullet for moose. It has been around for about 12 or 13 years.

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The good old silvertip has been in Winchesters lineup for decades and is well proven on moose. This is a copper jacketed lead bullet with an alunimum cap.

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Confusing I know
 
I've shot silvertips in 30-30, 308 and 30-06. Don't own the 308 or 30-06 anymore but still use 170grain silvertips in 30-30. Shoot great in all 3 i've tried. Took a black bear a few years ago with the 30-30 skull shot bang flop, no bullet recovered and nice exit hole. Took a huge whitetail after that broadside bang flop little meat damage, no bullet recovered and nice exit hole.
 
Slugo is "dead-on" with his response to the original post.

The "Ballistic Silvertip" (black box, nickel plated brass cartridge case, black moly-coated bullet with a silver-gray tip) is generally considered a rapid expansion-type bullet for use on thin-skinned game like deer and antelope.

Winchester's basic "SilverTip" (silver box, brass cartridge case, copper jacketed bullet with a shiney tin-coloured alloy tip) which has been around for years, offers more penetration and more controlled expansion than the "Ballistic SilverTips" or equivalent "Power Points"

Within the Winchester line, you should find the modern premium Accubonds or XP3's
to offer better performance on bigger game like moose.

Will the Ballistic Silvertips work ? Yes, but they will deliver less optimum penetration and controlled expansion. Will the old-style Silvertips work ? Yes, better than the Ballistic Silvertips, but generally not as well as the premium line of bullets.

A rapid tour through the numerous posts within this forum would seem to indicate a lot of hunter favour for the Barnes "X" bullets and Noslers "Partitions" and "Accubonds".
 
X2 for slugo. I would use the old style Silvertips any day on moose.

But I'd rather use the federal blue box cheapies over the black Ballistic Silvertips if those were my only two choices...You don't want an explosive expansion for moose...

A friend of mine used the BT on moose one year, at close range. They got the moose, but he said you could put your fist in the hole. He went back to Partitions...
 
x3 for slugo. Ballistic Silvertips i are just ballistic tips with a coating.

Lighter weight ballistic tips disintegrate on deer size animals. Some of the heavier ones had thicker jackets like the ones they made for 338's.

If you are into that type of bullet, try the the Accubond. Much thicker jackets.

Or you cans switch to Barnes TSX....
 
I've used ballistic silvertips in my 308 BLR, and found the expansion to be explosive causing blood shot meat in an 8" radius around the entry wound. I've used the old silvertips on mule deer with good results. I'm currently using the XP3's. Better penetration, controlled expansion, same accuracy.
 
The current 30 calibre 180 grain Ballistic Tip is a very tough bullet with a jacket designed to take large critters like moose and elk.
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I personally used the 180gr ballistic tip in my 300ultramags to take eight elk and two moose.That particular bullet will penetrate both shoulders of a mature elk.The jackets on the later 180gr .308" ballistic tips are much thicker than those used on the early versions.
 
The ballistic silvertips are fine for moose.

Here's Winchester's description of them...

Description: Rapid controlled expansion, Massive knockdown, moderate penetration.

They're no Failsafe in terms of penetration, but fine for probably anything short of your really big bears (in North America).
 
i was thinkin of using the 180grain bst on deer i heard they workreally well i seen what happens with 150grain out of a 308 on deer awful mess but the 180's should do well right
 
i was able to buy a box of the 180 gr silvertips for 30-06 for 1/2 the price of my rural alberta store.

I got them at bass pro. 45-70 were 32.00 a box for 300gr.

If Im lucky I will give a report of how the 180 winnies perform.


how are the remington core-loc 180gr bullets?
 
Winchester is only listing a 180 grain Silvertip in .308. Crying shame that it is. The Silvertip is a fabulous bullet. Like Slugo says, it's an SP with an Al cap.
BT's will do nicely too though.
 
Will they work...Yes. But IMO I'd leave the BST's for smaller game like deer and predators and go with the Accubonds.especially in larger calibers.. But thats me !

I reload the BST's in my 22-250 and 243 for my predator rifles and Accubonds in my larger rifles.
 
I have seen the results of smaller diameter Ballistic Tips on game, particularly at high impact velocities. However, starting at the later version of the .308/180 they have much tougher jackets and are pretty good penetrators. I have shot a big Black Bear and a Moose with the 8mm [.323] 180 Ballistic Tips, and in both cases, the bullet exited, and the area around the wound channel was not heavily bloodshot. I would use them with caution, regardless. There are better choices if you want guaranteed penetration from heavy angles, or where breaking bone is needed. Eagleye.
 
Eagleye said:
I have seen the results of smaller diameter Ballistic Tips on game, particularly at high impact velocities. However, starting at the later version of the .308/180 they have much tougher jackets and are pretty good penetrators. I have shot a big Black Bear and a Moose with the 8mm [.323] 180 Ballistic Tips, and in both cases, the bullet exited, and the area around the wound channel was not heavily bloodshot. I would use them with caution, regardless. There are better choices if you want guaranteed penetration from heavy angles, or where breaking bone is needed. Eagleye.
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As mentioned above, the 8mm Ballistic tip is a different (much tougher) design than the 168gr 30 cal mentioned in the original post.

At 308 size/velocity I'd be looking to:

1. Nosler Accubond
2. Nosler Partition
3. Barnes TTSX

With a preference towards the Accubond.

I'd take a 180gr. Federal blue box 308 round for moose before I chose a 168gr ballistic tip.

FWIW, I loaded about 250 ballistic tips last year for various calibers and various applications. They have their place and in 30cal, moose hunting isn't one of them. For many other applications, they can't be beat. It is one of the most accuarate hunting bullets available.
 
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The Trophy Bonded Bearclaw is also an excellent moose round and gave me excellent pentration and expansion on this fellow. However, it was 35cal and travelling at about 2700fps when it hit him.:D

2005BullMoose-2.jpg
 
powder burner said:
i was able to buy a box of the 180 gr silvertips for 30-06 for 1/2 the price of my rural alberta store.

I got them at bass pro. 45-70 were 32.00 a box for 300gr.

If Im lucky I will give a report of how the 180 winnies perform.


how are the remington core-loc 180gr bullets?
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All my family ever uses for moose is remington core lokts works excellent we never had any problems with them always have excellent penetration alot of pass threws and good internal damage!!i wouldnt buy anything else for moose!
 
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