ballistic tip v soft point

[interlock]

hi guys,
this video is really good for explaining the differences

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&feature=iv&src_vid=OsvmBI9iGVk&v=2TDMxDcGEGc

the swede talks a lot about meat vs trophy hunter. to be fair in the uk we tend to do chest shots or neck shots dependent on range etc

watch the video through to where he shoots the small stag and does a post mortem on it.

interlock

 

[Centurian22]

Very interesting video. Longest my attention has been held by one video by you tube ever I believe. Also makes me much more confident than I already was about my .308 150gr soft point choice for white tail this year.

Thanks for posting.

 

[jmr40]

Nothing new really. Ballistic tips are going to be more aerodynamic making long range hits easier. A soft point will be less aerodynamic, but give deeper penetration with less expansion when it hits.

I think they understated the plastic tipped bullets effectiveness however. When used on game they are designed for, they kill them quite dead. They tend to give less penetration, but more explosive expansion. European hunters tend to shoot at closer ranges than American hunters and place more faith in deeper penetration while giving up some expansion.

A hunter could get into trouble using lightweight fast ballistic tip on larger tougher game that it isn't designed for. But used on game it was dsigned for, they work just fine.

Both methods work, but that is only 2 bullet types. There are several others that will give both expansion, deep penetration, have plastic tips and are very aerodynamic.

 

[threefortyduster]

That is really interesting. Looks like I don't have to spend all that money on the fancy ballistic tips that I've never used

 

[MCgunner]

Depends on velocity. haven't qued up the vid, yet, but I love 150 BTs in both a .30-30 12" handgun at 2150 fps and in .308 at 2780 fps. All the penetration I'll ever need for up to large hogs and quite effective expansion even at the low velocities. I don't think the bullet would work too well at 50 yards from a .300 Win Mag, but it works GREAT, better than most in the .30-30 and works fine in the .308, fine enough that I never load that rifle with Barnes bullets anymore.

 

[interlock]

Mc Gunner, i agree with your lower velocity observations. In the UK our deer rifles have to produce over 2400fps.

JMR I think they understated the plastic tipped bullets effectiveness however. When used on game they are designed for, they kill them quite dead. They tend to give less penetration, but more explosive expansion. European hunters tend to shoot at closer ranges than American hunters and place more faith in deeper penetration while giving up some expansion.

JMR i agree with this. It is one of my hobby horses... using the right bullet on the right game.

personally i shoot soft points. but i know a lot of guys who swear by ballistic tips

 

[interlock]

Mc Gunner, i agree with your lower velocity observations. In the UK our deer rifles have to produce over 2400fps.

JMR I think they understated the plastic tipped bullets effectiveness however. When used on game they are designed for, they kill them quite dead. They tend to give less penetration, but more explosive expansion. European hunters tend to shoot at closer ranges than American hunters and place more faith in deeper penetration while giving up some expansion.

JMR i agree with this. It is one of my hobby horses... using the right bullet on the right game.

personally i shoot soft points. but i know a lot of guys who swear by ballistic tips. one of the good things about the ballistic tip is that on a front on chest shot they rarely penetrate past the diaphragm (not sure if there is a g).

but in the uk, where we shoot bottle neck cased cartridges, the tests are pretty informative.

 

[stalkingbear]

Why not Nosler Accubonds? They tend to be just as accurate and good ballistic coefficent while providing controlled expansion.

 

[interlock]

probably because the film was by norma

Why not Nosler Accubonds? They tend to be just as accurate and good ballistic coefficent while providing controlled expansion.

 

[tikka-guy]

I've never used Norma. Their "ballistic tip" seems to compare to the varmint ammunition I've seen. I've never had a Hornady SST disintegrate like that. Nosler Ballistic Tips made for medium/large game shouldn't either.

 

[Kachok]

Used ballistic tips and SSTs with great success, they expand quickly and penetrate enough for deer hunting, but the fact of the matter is that quality soft points still work plenty well enough, always have always will. I would not hesitate for a second to use my 150gr Speers in my 308, they group better then any poly tip in that rifle.

 

[saturno_v]

I think the term ballistic tip is too generic to make a general statement about its ideal use.

It can be applied both to some varmin bullets designed for rapid expansion or fragmentation to controlled expansion tough game bullets like the Nosler Accubond.

It is just a way to make a more aerodynamic bullet than a regular soft point or hollow point, there are different ballistic tips for different uses.

Jacket thickness and contour and tip design determine the rate of expansion for different uses.

 

[interlock]

the ballistic tip that they use in the video is a norma loaded. 308 win with a green tipped 150 gr Nosler ballistic tip. i would suggest that the video is worth a view, in the correct context.

 

[tikka-guy]

the ballistic tip that they use in the video is a norma loaded. 308 win with a green tipped 150 gr Nosler ballistic tip

I must've missed that from the video (I admit I didn't pay attention the whole way through ). I just assumed it was a Norma bullet, since it showed raw bullet components several times. I didn't know they loaded other folks' bullets.

I still don't see how it completely disintegrated though. From looking at pictures of an expanded Nosler Ballistic Tip, I don't think it should've. Note that the green-tipped is their hunting bullet, not the varmint bullet.

 

[interlock]

tikka,
the range was pretty close. the velocity is pretty high at 20 yards.

 

[41 Mag]

I have shot the BT since they hit the market in several calibers and tested them on plenty enough of deer and hogs in the most popular weights per caliber to know for a fact that MCgunner, has it down pat. Keep the muzzle velocity down below 2800fps and the BT work VERY well, bump it up to 2900+ and you get soup when you open the hide.

I have found that most of the standard C&C bullets will preform well even when jacked up to top end velocities in most medium weight for caliber bullets, but there again if you drop the weight and bump up the velocity your just asking for a Jello shot.

The plastic tipped bullets DO have a place however if your punching them out to extreme ranges, but for the modest once or half dozen times a year hunters, a 200yd poke is a long one, much less stringing out one past 350+ yards to actually take advantage of the higher BC and SD afforded to the plastic tipped bullets.

 

[wyohome]

Note that the green-tipped is their hunting bullet, not the varmint bullet.

The color coding is by caliber. .30 cal is green