# Nosler Ballistic Silver Tip: How Much Penetration?



## 147 Grain

Looking for success stories from hunters using Nosler's Ballistic Silver Tip round. I've heard this bullet blows things up pretty well, but how much penetration will it give on deer sized animals?

I plan on hunting deer with a 30-06 and wonder if a heavier Ballistic Tipped bullet is needed to get the required penetration after the front half of the round blows up.


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## Burly1

My experience with the ballistic silvertip is limited to the 130 grain .277 and the 95 grain .243. I see either one as a credible deer bullet. However, if you are looking for a bullet that will hold together well, and reliably penetrate shoulders, something more substantial, like the accubond might be a better choice. In truth, every deer I have taken in the last seven years has been with either a BST, or standard BT. I find that they perform very well on broadside shots, but on a raking, or steeply quartering angle, they won't hold together well enough for reliable penetration. Again my experience has been with smaller bullets and a heavier bullet in .30 may perform differently. Good shooting. Burl


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## DustinS

Hey 147, I have been using BST's in my 7mm Rem. Mag for the past 3 years and have had nothing but success. I either shoot them in 140 or 150 grain and they both do wonders. I basically hunt muley and so far each one has passed completely through and they have all dropped right in their tracks. However, i do have to give a lot of credit to the 7 mag as in my opinion is a great rifle.


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## RogerK

I shot a full grown doe with a 180 ST out of a 300 WSM two years ago. About 2900 FPS MV. Hit her at the back rib left side. Shot angled forward. It took out both lungs and heart, angled forward, penetrated the lenght of her neck. I found the bullet just behing her tight ear when I skinned her. The bullet looked used, but it did the job.


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## Plainsman

I have been using the Ballistic Tips since they came out. Currently I shoot 165 gr out of my 300 Winchester mag. I get full penetration with those bullets at 3340 to 3380 fps (depending on temperature). My 300 WSM doesn't shoot them as well as some others so I don't use them in it. I use 130 gr in my 270, have used 95 gr in 243, and currently use 50 gr in a 22-250 and 223. I had a few blow ups in the early years, but nothing since 1995. I don't know if they made some changes or why the reason the early failures. I guess I shouldn't call them failures every deer died, and quickly.


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## Sasha and Abby

I think they are one of the best bullets made for deer. I have had some frags, but most have made a nice exit wound also.

These bullets were made for medium to long rang shooting. That is where they shine... 250-500+ yards (if you can do your part). If you will be shooting relatively short range, any bullet will do.


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## 147 Grain

Got an e-mail from a Nosler rep than Ballistic Tips get anywhere from 8" - 12" penetration on _average_.

*Ballistic Tip Overview*










Ballistic Tips (BT's) were designed by Nosler for violent expansion / explosion and medium penetration on light skin type animals like deer.

For most calibers shooting fragile BT's, you're better off using _heavier_ projectiles with bigger Sectional Density's (SD's) than you would normally use for a regularly constructed bullet.

Why?

1. Heavier bullets for caliber are better in a BT because they tone down the violent expansion a bit and still have enough weight leftover for a complete pass-through.

2. The shock-value with the heavier BT will still be more than lighter _standard_ bullets and you get more energy on target.

3. Short range shots also suit the larger round with a higher SD versus lighter weight BT'd bullets with less mass.

4. Raking quartering-away shots obviously benefit from a _heavier_ round for adequate penetration.

5. A larger BT'd bullet is also more forgiving if you shoot accidently into the shoulder.

FYI:

Nosler says that beginning with the 30 caliber 180-gr. Ballistic Tips (and larger), the jacket's profile is changed or upgraded to a much stronger contour similar to the AccuBond (shown below). The lead core is also hardened over the 165-gr. and below bullets.










Lighter weight bullets like 165-gr. 30 caliber and lower (shown below) do not have the thicker contour which starts in the middle of the shell and goes down to the base.










In summary, one might suggest that the 180-gr. Ballistic Tip is simply a non-bonded AccuBond.










*Caution*:

* Standard bullets generally perform better on deer in lighter to mid-weight sizes.

* Ballistic Tipped rounds are the _exception_ to the rule as outlined in the opening post. Reported problems of a BT blowing up too quickly are generally associated with too light of a bullet.

Steve

P.S.

I like a bullet to perform two things in my 30-06:

1. Violent expansion / shock. 
2. Plenty of penetration for a pass-through.

Nosler makes 4 great rounds to accomplish any North American task - listed in order of toughness:

1. Ballistic Tip
2. Solid Base
3. AccuBond
4. Partition

* Light skinned / boned deer: 180-gr. Ballistic Tip / Solid Base / AccuBond
* Heavy skinned / boned elk: 180-gr. Partition / AccuBond


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## tmonster

I shot a doe last year with a Federal Premium Vital Shok* nostler ballistic tip 95 grain .243. First time using this load because it interested me. The entrance hole was HUGE. It actually sucked her insides out the entrance hole. Also, The exit hole was not as big, but bigger than i've ever seen out of a boat-tail, which is what i used to shoot. She was moving pretty good before I shot, but not after. 
My hunting buddy, who used a hand loaded nosler ballistic tip 30-06, shot a spiked buck moving left to right and away. He was also movin pretty good. It went through ribs on both sides and absolutely tore up the thing, exiting the away-side shoulder, underneath the armpit area. Everything north of the guts was a puddle, literally. I was amazed. He ran for less than a count to three before i lost him in the binocks, which meant he was down pretty quick. After only a couple minutes he was really easy to find in tall grass since it looked like someone took a red paint roller from place of impact to where we found him. Hope this helps


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## 147 Grain

The advantage of a BT is that well-hit animals don't run at all, where-as with other bullets, you may need to track the animal and more game is lost (than with a BT bullet).


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## Whelen35

I use the BT's for all my handgun hunting with rounds such as the 7mm-TCU, 309jdj, a custom 250 savage (85gr @ 2650fps). When shooting them in a rifle, I usally tend to go up a step in weight. I have shot more deer with BT's than any other bullet, and if used correctly, they work very well. Just like most things, there is no universal tool that fits all situations. The BT's get bad press when used in a situation that it may not be best suited for. People complain about failures, but seldom rant and rave about somethng working as we think it should. For me, they have been a greas source of bullest for the contender and other longer range handgun hunting.


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## 147 Grain

I agree with you about the BT's getting bad press, mostly due to hunter error; i.e. not selecting the heavier for caliber bullet for their caliber which Nosler recommends for hunting.

That is why my #1 deer bullet in 30-06 is 180-gr. BT's, which have a heavier profiled jacket than 165-gr. and below bullets.

This gives me the best of both worlds - judicious expansion and enough mass leftover for complete penetration.


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## 147 Grain

P.S.:

As far as penetration with a 180-gr. Ballistic Tip at 2,750 fps MV in a 24" barreled 30-06, Nosler estimates 10" - 13".

A comparable 180-gr. Solid Base bullet will penetrate about 11"-14".

A comparable 180-gr. Accubond at 2,750 fps MV will be about 15"-19".


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## Whelen35

The most dead I ever shot a deew was when I was targeting a very large nontypical deer and I thought I had him down. I was thinking my only chance was to have a long range shot, so I took out my 300WBY and a good rest and set up for the shot I was shure would come. Needless to say, I never saw the big guy again, but on the last day on my way home I had a nice heavy 8-point walk up to me on the way back to the truck, and shot him facing me at 20ft with a 150gr nosler BT @ 3410fps. Very dead deer, but very little meat not bloodshot in the frount half of deer. Deer died, but a differant bullet would have left more meat for the winter. Right tool and bullet for the 400+ yard shot expected, but when used at 20ft, still dead deer, but not the best tool for the job.


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## berniemac2006

I just recently started hunting with a rifle. I have shot 3 deer so far, all were about 175-200 yds away. i use 180gr winchester BST in a 300 win. mag. one was shot in the shoulder, this bullet passed through both shoulders and had a surprisingly small exit wound, way less then 1". one other i shot in one shoulder passed through and came out behind the other shoulder, exit wound maybe 1/2". the other was shot in the neck, almost couldnt find a hole in her. all 3 dropped on the spot.


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## sendero

I was wondering what everyone thinks about shooting nosler silver tip long distance for whitetails. I was shooting a sierra bullet last year and was not happy with the amount of blood I was finding even though it was a good placed shot. Please let me know if this bullet would be a good choice for long distance hunting. Thanks


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## hunt4P&amp;Y

I have shot alot of deer with BST's In 270 WSM, 300WSM, .338 Rem mag, 25-06, and I shoot them in my 22-250

I must say all of the deer had quick humane deaths. I think they are awsome.


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## sendero

Should I worry about the twist rate for these bullets?


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## clampdaddy

I put a 130gr ballistic silver tip out of my 270wsm completely thru a broadside 235 pound hog at 245yds. I think that if the shot were closer it may have failed to pass thru, but once it got out there and slowed down a bit it managed to hang together and plow thru about 15 inches worth of tough hog.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y

Dude sight it in at 200 yards point and shoot. They are goo bullets and will do the job. Very good Ballistics.


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## sendero

Has anyone compared this bullet to the hornady 208 A-Max?


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