Nosler ballistic tip question

BLS700 · November 2, 2008, 05:23 PM

Hi I'm about to start coyote hunting and my problem is that the smallest effective caliber at my disposal currently is a .308. I'll be using my shotgun but I would like to have the option of a rifle without buying one specifically for the job yet. So my question is have any of you tried a 125 grain ballistic tip on a coyote (or something comparable)? If so how did it perform. I don't want a giant hole coming out and would like to know if this is possible with a .308. Shot distances for this would be beyond 100 yards and probably 150 to 250. Anything inside 100 I would try to get into shotgun range to prevent over penetration. Sorry for the long explanation.

rickdavis81 · November 2, 2008, 06:04 PM

I'd go for a .308 fmj. It shouldn't expand and just leave a little hole going in and out. The ballistic tip is going to leave some nasty holes.

Alleykat · November 2, 2008, 06:14 PM

Friend of mine shot a 150# buck just behind the shoulder, with a .223, 55gr. ballistic tip. Blew a fist-sized hole out the other side. I'd have to think that the .308 would be equally devastating, however, there's a difference in a Ballistic Tip varmint round and a Ballistic Tip hunting round. The hunting rounds don't expand as much as the varmint rounds.

CypertJ · November 2, 2008, 08:15 PM

here is the exit wound from a 25-06 with 117gr hornady SST interlock, shot was just a bit over 200 yds

mrawesome22 · November 2, 2008, 09:09 PM

I'd try a 110gr VMAX. With my 50gr .224" VMAX's, I get no exit. Sure makes a mess inside however. The 30cal might be a different story however.

butta9999 · November 2, 2008, 11:00 PM

My mate shot 125gr ballistic tips from his .300 win mag at roos. in the bigger ones they did not exit. The mess under the hide was unbelieveable huge transfer of energy.

Double J · November 3, 2008, 10:19 AM

Most people load light ballistic tips to get a high velocity. Which will definatly get your coyote. However, I can visualize a saucer size hole. You might want to consider a heavier jacketed bullet. As was mentioned, a FMJ or a match HP.
I use the little 40 grain Nosler Ballistic tip in my .223's. Usually no exit, but once in a while it still gets nasty. Coyotes here bring up to $2.00 when there's a buyer, so fur isn't a consideration.

BLS700 · November 3, 2008, 09:52 PM

Nice coyote pic. I assume you aren't keeping the fur there. My main priority here is really making sure their dead but I'd like to keep the hide if possible. The reason I was looking at this particular bullet was because of the accuracy I've heard guys are getting. Would 110 grains be too light with a 1 in 12 twist rate to stabilize?

butta9999 · November 3, 2008, 11:08 PM

No that would be fine. You need a faster twist in the barrel to stabalize the longer heavier bullets. Your 1 in 12 will be fine for the 110gr bullet.

ForneyRider · November 4, 2008, 06:02 PM

I shoot 120gr Ballistic Tips and V-max bullets, as well as 120gr Pro Hunter for varmint hunting and plinking. I get great accuracy with them in my 7mm Mag.

I don't disagree that there is an optimum bullet weight for a given caliber and barrel twist. But my loads are as accurate as any of my others.

I use Nosler data for the 120gr, except for the Pro-Hunter's, I purposely loaded them down to 3000fps with IMR 4064.

There's plenty of load data for .308 Win on Nosler site. If you lose any accuracy, you gain in flatter trajectory.

TFL4L · November 5, 2008, 12:38 PM

Hornady TAP in 110-grain .308 uses V-max bullets--and they are super accurate. 1:12 is supposed to shoot them great.

I'm about to start loading some 110 V-max for prarie dog shooting out of a .308
Higher velocities should help the thin-jacketed 110 V-max bullet break apart, where lower velocities may leave a large exit.

BLS700 · November 5, 2008, 11:09 PM

I know this is off from the original post but since we're talking about 110 grain bullets would the Sierra 110 grain varminters be a decent option? Anybody tried them out there? I'm not opposed to working up a load with the V Max but I thought about giving the Sierra's a try since I have a Sierra manual now. Yeah that's a little cheap but I've gotten good results with the other Sierra bullets I load so I figure I'll try 'em. They aren't too bad pricewise either (yes again kinda cheap

). I can't imagine Sierra making a bullet that isn't competitive as far as accuracy but I'd like to hear some real world stories from hunters.

dmproske · November 6, 2008, 12:00 AM

I have been told the new 168 grain ballastic tips are very accurate out of a .308 and these have the heavier jacket of the 180 grain BT. They would not do as much damage to the hide as the lighter ones.

BLS700 · November 6, 2008, 12:08 AM

That's interesting. I've heard arguments both ways as far as weight. Do you think the 168 grain ballistic tips would stay together then and leave a small exit hole the way a FMJ would? Most people seem to think the 110 would leave a smaller hole. I would tend to agree with you that if it isn't going to expand enough to stop inside a coyote (which I think we all agree is not going to happen here) then it would probably leave a big exit wound. Do you know anyone who has tried a 168 grain ballistic tip on game this small?

TFL4L · November 6, 2008, 12:59 PM

My understanding is that the Hornady SST 165-grain bullets are designed with thicker jackets, so despite having a polymer tip, it isn't designed to "explode" on impact like the lighter varmint bullets. It is designed for good expansion without necessarily blodshotting the entire path of large game like deer and elk.

ForneyRider · November 7, 2008, 10:39 AM

There's 2 kinds of ballistic tips, regular ones and the varmint ones. Not sure if both types are both offered for a single caliber. I imagine the varmint calibers as having the varmint.

For the non-varmint BT's, just the front is gonna fragment, the rest should drive through.

November 2, 2008, 05:23 PM	#1
BLS700 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 229	Nosler ballistic tip question Hi I'm about to start coyote hunting and my problem is that the smallest effective caliber at my disposal currently is a .308. I'll be using my shotgun but I would like to have the option of a rifle without buying one specifically for the job yet. So my question is have any of you tried a 125 grain ballistic tip on a coyote (or something comparable)? If so how did it perform. I don't want a giant hole coming out and would like to know if this is possible with a .308. Shot distances for this would be beyond 100 yards and probably 150 to 250. Anything inside 100 I would try to get into shotgun range to prevent over penetration. Sorry for the long explanation.

November 2, 2008, 11:00 PM	#6
butta9999 Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2008 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Posts: 692	My mate shot 125gr ballistic tips from his .300 win mag at roos. in the bigger ones they did not exit. The mess under the hide was unbelieveable huge transfer of energy. __________________ Knowledge is Power!

November 3, 2008, 11:08 PM	#9
butta9999 Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2008 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Posts: 692	No that would be fine. You need a faster twist in the barrel to stabalize the longer heavier bullets. Your 1 in 12 will be fine for the 110gr bullet. __________________ Knowledge is Power!

November 4, 2008, 06:02 PM	#10
ForneyRider Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2007 Location: Forney, TX Posts: 725	I shoot 120gr Ballistic Tips and V-max bullets, as well as 120gr Pro Hunter for varmint hunting and plinking. I get great accuracy with them in my 7mm Mag. I don't disagree that there is an optimum bullet weight for a given caliber and barrel twist. But my loads are as accurate as any of my others. I use Nosler data for the 120gr, except for the Pro-Hunter's, I purposely loaded them down to 3000fps with IMR 4064. There's plenty of load data for .308 Win on Nosler site. If you lose any accuracy, you gain in flatter trajectory. __________________ When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done.

November 5, 2008, 11:09 PM	#12
BLS700 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 229	I know this is off from the original post but since we're talking about 110 grain bullets would the Sierra 110 grain varminters be a decent option? Anybody tried them out there? I'm not opposed to working up a load with the V Max but I thought about giving the Sierra's a try since I have a Sierra manual now. Yeah that's a little cheap but I've gotten good results with the other Sierra bullets I load so I figure I'll try 'em. They aren't too bad pricewise either (yes again kinda cheap). I can't imagine Sierra making a bullet that isn't competitive as far as accuracy but I'd like to hear some real world stories from hunters.

November 2, 2008, 06:04 PM	#2
rickdavis81 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2006 Location: Missouri Posts: 398	I'd go for a .308 fmj. It shouldn't expand and just leave a little hole going in and out. The ballistic tip is going to leave some nasty holes.

November 2, 2008, 06:14 PM	#3
Alleykat Junior member Join Date: July 26, 2007 Posts: 3,668	Friend of mine shot a 150# buck just behind the shoulder, with a .223, 55gr. ballistic tip. Blew a fist-sized hole out the other side. I'd have to think that the .308 would be equally devastating, however, there's a difference in a Ballistic Tip varmint round and a Ballistic Tip hunting round. The hunting rounds don't expand as much as the varmint rounds.

November 2, 2008, 08:15 PM	#4
CypertJ Junior Member Join Date: October 22, 2008 Location: Canton, Tx Posts: 2	here is the exit wound from a 25-06 with 117gr hornady SST interlock, shot was just a bit over 200 yds

November 2, 2008, 09:09 PM	#5
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	I'd try a 110gr VMAX. With my 50gr .224" VMAX's, I get no exit. Sure makes a mess inside however. The 30cal might be a different story however.

November 3, 2008, 10:19 AM	#7
Double J Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2007 Location: So. Illinois Posts: 547	Most people load light ballistic tips to get a high velocity. Which will definatly get your coyote. However, I can visualize a saucer size hole. You might want to consider a heavier jacketed bullet. As was mentioned, a FMJ or a match HP. I use the little 40 grain Nosler Ballistic tip in my .223's. Usually no exit, but once in a while it still gets nasty. Coyotes here bring up to $2.00 when there's a buyer, so fur isn't a consideration.

November 3, 2008, 09:52 PM	#8
BLS700 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 229	Nice coyote pic. I assume you aren't keeping the fur there. My main priority here is really making sure their dead but I'd like to keep the hide if possible. The reason I was looking at this particular bullet was because of the accuracy I've heard guys are getting. Would 110 grains be too light with a 1 in 12 twist rate to stabilize?

November 5, 2008, 12:38 PM	#11
TFL4L Member Join Date: October 8, 2004 Posts: 45	Hornady TAP in 110-grain .308 uses V-max bullets--and they are super accurate. 1:12 is supposed to shoot them great. I'm about to start loading some 110 V-max for prarie dog shooting out of a .308 Higher velocities should help the thin-jacketed 110 V-max bullet break apart, where lower velocities may leave a large exit.

November 6, 2008, 12:00 AM	#13
dmproske Junior Member Join Date: August 18, 2008 Posts: 6	I have been told the new 168 grain ballastic tips are very accurate out of a .308 and these have the heavier jacket of the 180 grain BT. They would not do as much damage to the hide as the lighter ones.

November 6, 2008, 12:08 AM	#14
BLS700 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 229	That's interesting. I've heard arguments both ways as far as weight. Do you think the 168 grain ballistic tips would stay together then and leave a small exit hole the way a FMJ would? Most people seem to think the 110 would leave a smaller hole. I would tend to agree with you that if it isn't going to expand enough to stop inside a coyote (which I think we all agree is not going to happen here) then it would probably leave a big exit wound. Do you know anyone who has tried a 168 grain ballistic tip on game this small?

November 6, 2008, 12:59 PM	#15
TFL4L Member Join Date: October 8, 2004 Posts: 45	My understanding is that the Hornady SST 165-grain bullets are designed with thicker jackets, so despite having a polymer tip, it isn't designed to "explode" on impact like the lighter varmint bullets. It is designed for good expansion without necessarily blodshotting the entire path of large game like deer and elk.

November 7, 2008, 10:39 AM	#16
ForneyRider Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2007 Location: Forney, TX Posts: 725	There's 2 kinds of ballistic tips, regular ones and the varmint ones. Not sure if both types are both offered for a single caliber. I imagine the varmint calibers as having the varmint. For the non-varmint BT's, just the front is gonna fragment, the rest should drive through. __________________ When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done.