Ballistic Tips

[j1musser]

Just bought a new .270 last year and have been shooting core lokts. Wondered what ballistic tips are designed for. I hunt whitetails and average shots are about 100 yards. Some possible up to 250. Is this something i should consider or stick with what i got. Thanks in advance:dizzy:

[Captain]

My Dad shoots 130gr Ballistic Tips out of his 270 with an average shot of about 80yds and he blows some huge holes. I shoot 150 grain BTs out of my 7mmag at about 40 yds with very little damage. Don't get me wrong, they drop in their tracks but I don't get the big exit holes like my Dads 270. Probably because of the speed and short shot distances.

[Swamp Monster]

Personaly, I'm not a fan of them for use in Michigan at close range. They can kill like lightning, but man can they destroy some meat in the process! They are designed for thin skinned game at longer ranges.....in that environment, they work great. I wouldn't want to take a shoulder shot on a big whitetail buck at 40 yards with them though....probably be succesfull but at that range, with a .270 the bullet is moving very fast and the bullet may not penetrate much. If your field hunting and are fairly certain your shots are going to be longer it's not a bad choice.
Whitetails are certainly not big tough animals but I prefer more bullet for Michigan deer hunting.

[Matt V]

I shot 2 deer with them at less than 100 yards, using the 165 grain out of my 30-06. Both pretty much exploded inside the deer with out leaving an exit hole. There was no blood trail at all. I went back to the core-lokt after that.

[bigsablemike]

i shot one a few years ago with my 7mm.150gr winchester supreme ballistic tip at about 25yds, everything in its chest was mush. he flopped over backwards and twitched a couple times.the bullet lodged in the hide on the opposite side.i for one loved it, thats my bullet from now on. as far as exit holes are concerned. why would you want bullet energy being deposited in the dirt or a tree?if the bullet stays inside all of the energy is expended in the animal.

[deepwoods]

Stick with what you have. I have shot a few deer with the 130 gr. BT out of my .270 and had very mixed results. Some would look like they were hit with a spade shovel and others would just have a "pencil poke" going in and coming out. I did not loose any of the animals but wanted better, more reliable, performance. I have since switched to a 140 grain bonded bear claw and they have performed very well for me.

The BT's out west on antelope were the ticket but like already mentioned on much longer range shots. A shame because my gun just loved them and nothing else has shot as well out of it

Best of luck.

[GrtWhtHntr]

I've been using 150 grain BT's out of my .308 for the past few years. I've had great luck with them on shots ranging from 30-180 yards. All shots have been shoulder shots, and all have passed through.

[kingfishcam]

I use 130's in my .270, and 95's in my .243. Both have done well on deer.

[Swamp Monster]

i shot one a few years ago with my 7mm.150gr winchester supreme ballistic tip at about 25yds, everything in its chest was mush. he flopped over backwards and twitched a couple times.the bullet lodged in the hide on the opposite side.i for one loved it, thats my bullet from now on. as far as exit holes are concerned. why would you want bullet energy being deposited in the dirt or a tree?if the bullet stays inside all of the energy is expended in the animal.


Because there are bullets that will do the same to the inside of a deer and still exit every time. Why not use something that gives you the best of both worlds? I'll take an exit wound and a blood trail everytime. Like I said, those BT can kill like lightning but I have seen deer with insides turned to mush still run for some distance....amazing what they can do at times. I want an exit wound every time, from any angle, and BT's cannot guarantee that.
Energy doesn't kill deer, nor does it "knock it down". Massive tissue damage and shock to the central nervous system kill the animal and lots of bullets do just that while still exiting the animal.

[superposed20ga]

I use 165gr BT in my .308 and have had nothing but great success with them on whitetails from 30 to 150 yds. I've always had broadside shots on deer and have always had an exit wound and ample blood trail. Does do a lot of damage so lung shots behind the shoulder are what I try for. My dad does prefer to use Barnes bullets in his .270 though.

[walleyeguy22]

8 deer and a bear with my .270 winchester supreme BT not a problem with one hammered them all good. Shot placement play a big role so take all the different views as you will. Three guys where I hunt use them now with a total of about 16 or 17 deer taken no problems with them at all all shots for 85-120 yards. So iI dont see how you could go wrong the choice is on you either will work fine if you ask me.

[M1Garand]

Personaly, I'm not a fan of them for use in Michigan at close range. They can kill like lightning, but man can they destroy some meat in the process! They are designed for thin skinned game at longer ranges.....in that environment, they work great. I wouldn't want to take a shoulder shot on a big whitetail buck at 40 yards with them though....probably be succesfull but at that range, with a .270 the bullet is moving very fast and the bullet may not penetrate much. If your field hunting and are fairly certain your shots are going to be longer it's not a bad choice. Whitetails are certainly not big tough animals but I prefer more bullet for Michigan deer hunting.

Well said and reflects my thoughts as well.

[j1musser]

TY for quick replies. I hunt the edge of a field and some shots are 10 yards but some critters are deep. Thinks ill stick with the core lokts, used them in my 7mm mag before and seemed good. Thanks for everyones 2 cents:)

[s2a0d0i5e]

I have a Remington 300 Ultra Mag. I shot a buck using the 180 gr. ballistic tip @ 80 yards. there was a pencil diameter hole going in and coming out. Because of that I switched over to the 180 gr. core lock ultra and it made a big difference.

[trailsend]

In my .270 the 130 grain BT's shoot extremely well, wich gives me great confidence in my shots. Does it not more depend on shot placement? For that reason i will shoot nothing else ot of my .270. The .270 BT's are all purpose for me, the 30 to 60 yd shot while on stand or the 80 to 150 yd shot down a old logging road. Extremely accurate and has'nt failed me yet.3 mature bucks and at least 6 does and not one has gone more than 15 yards. Good luck in whatever you choose.

[bigsablemike]

sorry swamp but the energy of the bullet causes the damage you speak of.

[Captain]

All of my Ballistic tips have been handloaded and matched to my gun. I have around 100 right now. A lot of time at the range and at the press were put into those loads. I'll keep shooting them, because like I said they drop in their tracks with massive internal damage. Heading to Quebec in 2009 and plan on taking my 7mmag with my 150 grain BT to see what they can do on a Caribou. Of course I'll have my bow as well...;)

[Swamp Monster]

sorry swamp but the energy of the bullet causes the damage you speak of.


If only it were that simple......
What, you don't think bullet construction has anything to do with it? Energy doesn't kill. It's an equation plain and simple. Last I checked, equations weren't very painful unless one couldn't figure them out. If your ballistic tip really dumped 2500# of "energy" inside a deer, what do you think the whole animal would look like? What do you think will do more damage, a 130 grain full metal jacket bullet at 2600fps or a 130 grain balistic tip at 2600fps? The answer is obvious.
Trust me, a Nosler Partition or even a Rem Core Lokt that expands quickly on impact and continues to penetrate and exit the animal kills the same way the Balistic tip bullet does yet it passes thru. If "energy" was the key, how do you explain it? Massive tissue damage and immediate shock to the central nervous system is what kills the deer, and bullet performance, not energy is the key to making this happen.

[DANIEL MARK ZAPOLSKI]

put a pin hole in a 8 point and never exited----NOT A DROP OF BLOOD---- :rant:my core-lok 30-06 blew a gapping hole in bambi :evil:and put him dowm for the count. :evil:i learned that day i'll never use a ballistic tip deer hunting and so did my buddy he was pi******** :rant::rant:to say the least i got that buck mounted. 300 win mag shoots bear claw only, both loads put em down on the ground for me:evilsmile