180 gr. ballistic tip adequate for black bear?

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

jmr40, he expressly stated Nosler Ballistic Tip which in fact has not changed their design in many years. They are designed for Thin Skinned game such as white tail deer. As are 90% of the other ballistic tip bullets. Then you have ballistic tip controlled expansion. Now THOSE would be absolutely fine for black bear. And no Black Bear aren't hard to kill or bullet proof. But you have to take into account the time of year that he is going to be seeing them to hunt. They will have their winter coat, hibernation fat layer working up and all around be just flat out heavier. These all account for the need of a better penetrating bullet than what a NBT would deliver.

Lloyd, I think you know I don't stand with the bonded bullet crowd and if you had actually read what I stated you would have noticed I said that standard cup and core bullets have been killing bears successfully for many years. The NOSLER ballistic tip, at the speeds of a 300wm is a failure waiting to happen. I've personally seen them blow up on DEER which, if you have ever skinned a bear you will know, is MUCH thinner and lighter than a black bear. Never said it wouldn't kill a bear. Just said if you come upon a chance to shoot a black bear and thats what you have, choose your shot carefully and AVOID the shoulder.

I've seen Hornady SST's (much tougher bullet than a Nosler ballistic tip) at 7mm.08 speeds blow up on DEER shoulder at close range so no I would not recommend a Nosler BT for a shoulder shot on a Black Bear. Matter of fact, most of the Black bears I have taken were with Rem Coreloct bullets. I haven't hunted them in several years because quite frankly I don't really care for bear meat. A lot of my Uncles and other kin folk liked it so I took some for them and for the pelts for me. (I like bear skin rugs and wall hangings). Since most of my older generation of family is dead I don't hunt bear anymore.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

Im not much on bear meat myself and allways gave them away. Anymore i dont even apply for tags. To much work for what it is. Ill say one more thing about bts in a 300 mag though. Ive been using my sps 300 win mag every year for about 5 years now to shoot at least a half a dozen deer a year. Ive used nothing in that gun since day one but the 165 ballistic tip. Now i know its not a bear but Ive found just the oposite of some. For me they done no more damage then comparable corelocks, power points, interlocks, or game kings. Ive shot deer at 450 with that load and ive shot them at 50. Pick your shots wisely and you wont tear up eatable meat and like i said earlier. Hit them right in the shoulder with a 270 using even bonded bullets or partitions and your going to ruin that shoulder and the other side too. I guess maybe they would tear up more meat if your idea of killing deer is hitting them anywhere in a 12 inch circle. I mostly use cup and core bullets like bts because there more accurate and that allows me even at long range to place my shots correctly. One more thing ill add to this is i dont know if i agree with you on the fact that bts werent changed along the way. First couple deer i shot with them was with the 2506 and they tore !!! on those deer. Ive used them since with much better results. Nosler even claims the bullet was redesigned to be less fragile. I guess alot of this comes down to using what your confident in. Me ive shot enough game with bts to have my opinion on them and i doubt anyone has killed a whole lot more with them on here so changing that opinion is about like teaching that old dog______.

 

[Skyshot]

Wombat, change from the ballistic tip to an accubond and you'll be good to go.

 

[hogshead]

So Lloyd by your own words you have never used or saw a 300 mag bt on bear but your sure its enough . You sound like a internet expert to me. I know of 3 bears that died from a 22lr. I still wouldn't recomend shooting a bear in the shoulder with a 300 mag bt.

 

[Art Eatman]

Several folks oughta go back and read through the thread as puredee punishment! More noise than useful help...