30-06 and Nosler 165bt damage?

[redclay33]

I've been working up a load for this bullet and it seems to be looking good. My question is, will it be two much bullet for medium sized whitetail? I'm primarily a meat hunter and go for lung shots, but occasionally will take quartering shots. Am I over thinking the situation or can I expect blood shot meat? Thanks for any info or experience with this bullet.

[fgw_in_fla]

I believe if you do a little research / reading on the Nosler BT's, you'll find there was a time no one liked them due to the lack of expansion. From what I've read, they were redesigned some time back and although, not necessarily the "preferred" hunting bullet, there are guys that use nothing but. (Like me)
They make a heckuva mess out of 4x4 pine at 200 yds....
I've used them on hogs with excellent results. I have no stories of chasing down or following blood trails. Two hits - I hit the trigger, animal hits the ground.
I'm sure some of the more experienced hunters will chime in....

[big honkin jeep]

I have had very good results with the ballistic tip. Very quick clean kills on Georgia white tails with a 30-06 and no tracking involved. They do make quite an exit in my experience with about a 4" exit hole. Lots of trauma to the soft tissue but never had any "bloodshot" meat. Just be conscious of what's on the off side when you shoot, heck I do this even with cup and core bullets. If you hit em broadside then no worries. I never had any problems with lack of expansion and if I remember correctly the problems were with over expansion. I believe the redesign was to a thicker tapered jacket. I have been using the Accubonds for a couple of years now not because of any problem with the ballistic tips, but because I guess I fell into the bonded bullet hype. That and I got a smoking deal and bought a bunch of 2nds from shooters pro shop a couple of years ago.
Nosler ballistic tips are very good hunting bullets.

[keith1]

Last year I had real good performance from a 130 grain BT out of a 270 but I wouldn't say that what I experienced would be average because the shot was 403 yards and in that distance the bullet had slowed down a lot. Don't know what would happen up close.

Regards, Keith

[DanSavage]

I think that would be a great bullet for the job, I used that 165 NBT on wood chucks a couple years ago and they were leaving good exit holes, so I know that they were expanding. Nosler's are my favorite hunting bullet's, my all time favorite is the 168 ballistic silver tip.

[BillPa]

I believe if you do a little research / reading on the Nosler BT's, you'll find there was a time no one liked them due to the lack of expansion.


Actually, it was the opposite, the early examples were varmint bullets masquerading as medium/big game bullets, why in some circles they were referred to as the "Blowup Tips". We didn't have to do any research, we had some the initial run of 7/140s, 30/150s/165s and 180s courtesy of poppa John(RIP). Retained weight and Ballistic Tip was a contradiction in terms.

Bill

[fgw_in_fla]

I finally recall where I read the info on the BT's. The Lyman manual has a tid bit of info in the bullet section. Apparently they were originally designed for smaller critters. When used on bigger critters, they turned to dust. According to the brief article, they have since been revamped.
I must've read it backwards or read it forward & remembered it backward...
Still, I think there's guys that love them & guys that love to hate them.

[kelbro]

Up close, they will destroy a bunch of good meat. If they were all that I had and the shot was closer than 100yds, I'd neck shoot the deer.