April - June VHA page 173 Nosler Ballistic tips

[dogfox1]

Hi,

 

Just noticed an articule in the April - June edition of the VHA MAG on page 172 & 173, too busy foxing to read it from cover to cover these days. The guy shot variously bullets at water filled balloons with a target 5 feet behind to check out fragmentation.

 

One of the bullets he checked out was the 224 40 grn Nosler Ballistic tip bullet and he found no fragmentation just 22 holes in the target behind even with a coyote sized water filled balloon.

 

This is a little worrying as I have experienced quite a lot of full penetration shots on foxes with good heart lung shots using this bullet out of a 222.

 

I thought it was just the solid base existing or is it the whole bullet just not expanding sometimes, having not found any of the through and through's, has any one else any experience of this happening.

 

Locally everyone I have spoken to says they never get an exist with these 40 grn BT's ?

 

Dogfox1

[dogfox1]

I am surprised no one has commented, I like the Nosler Ballistic tip bullets and use other types as well.

 

Wondered if I have just got a bad batch of .224 40grn BT's - had them for a while - or perhaps I am the only one who uses them in the country.

 

Dogfox1

[TonyH]

I am surprised no one has commented, I like the Nosler Ballistic tip bullets and use other types as well.

 

Wondered if I have just got a bad batch of .224 40grn BT's - had them for a while - or perhaps I am the only one who uses them in the country.

 

Dogfox1

Although my standard .223 load used the 40gr V-Max I never tried the Nosler BT in that weight. However, with several other rifles in .222 and 22-250 I shot a lot of Noslers in 50 & 55gr; they are an excellent bullet, and although I subsequently standardised on V-Max because I thought there was a marginally superior performance, I recently got some 20-cal Ballistic Tips in 40gr to try in my 20Tac - I've only tried these on paper so far, will report back about their performance on live quarry.

What I found in the past was that the Nosler BT varmint-grade bullets didn't fragment quite so explosively or totally as either V-Max or Sierra BKs; the solid base zips straight through leaving a very small exit wound, or sometimes more fragments exit also. But I'd be very surprised if I shot a water-filled balloon and failed to get near-total fragmentation from the NBT! We all know that water can be a remarkably solid material if something hits it very fast or the wrong way, which is how people kill themselves by diving into the sea from high up and landing badly... In general, Nosler's quality control is very high and some say the Nosler product is actually more consistent than Hornady's. So I'm perplexed by your report of full-penetration - have you opened any of these foxes to assess the degree of fragmentation? The first fox I shot, many years ago, was with a 50gr Ballistic Tip out of a .222, and I can recall distinctly that bullet mostly fragmented, with a moderate exit wound where some fragments had left; I could tell there was massive internal damage, with bits of organ visible in the wound.

Tony

[dogfox1]

Quote "What I found in the past was that the Nosler BT varmint-grade bullets didn't fragment quite so explosively or totally as either V-Max or Sierra BKs; the solid base zips straight through leaving a very small exit wound, or sometimes more fragments exit also. But I'd be very surprised if I shot a water-filled balloon and failed to get near-total fragmentation from the NBT! We all know that water can be a remarkably solid material if something hits it very fast or the wrong way, which is how people kill themselves by diving into the sea from high up and landing badly... In general, Nosler's quality control is very high and some say the Nosler product is actually more consistent than Hornady's. So I'm perplexed by your report of full-penetration - have you opened any of these foxes to assess the degree of fragmentation? The first fox I shot, many years ago, was with a 50gr Ballistic Tip out of a .222, and I can recall distinctly that bullet mostly fragmented, with a moderate exit wound where some fragments had left; I could tell there was massive internal damage, with bits of organ visible in the wound."

 

Hi Tony,

 

I use the 40 grn BT's and have done for a few years now and Most always I get full-penetrations through the chest even out to nearly 200 yds out of a long barrelled 222 rem started out at around 3500 fps. Most close in shots one show signs of expansion and others are just like an FMJ if you know what I mean. I have not opened any up but from the exist I would say some of them, must not of opened up too much.

 

What really surprises me that others on this forum I have spoken to local to me say they rarely get an exist with these bullet? I just wonder about the batch I am using.

 

Dogfox1