Moral of the story…yes that’s an effective round. Buy a bunch and have fun hunting 🤘

You learned the hard way like I did. The key to Ballistic Tips and just about any cup and core bullet is impact velocity. With impact velocities at or above 3000fps these bullets will let you down. They simply are not built for that kind of impact velocity. I like to keep impact velocities below 2800-2900fps if using Ballistic Tips or cup and cores. Anything faster than that I go with a Partition type bullet or bonded bullet.

Ballistic Tips are a tool developed mostly for longer range shooting. Use that tool correctly and it will serve you well. Ask it to do more than what it was designed to do and you are going to get burned.

And before anyone gets their panties in a wad like the last time this topic came up, keep in mind the velocities I listed are IMPACT velocities, NOT MUZZLE velocities. I am actually a fan of cup and cores and Ballistic Tips, you just have to know its limitations.

Ya think Old Thumper has really been using them since 1886?

Ballistic Tip was introduced in the mid to late 1980's (I think 1984). So Im sure he meant 1986.

I wasn't going to chime in, but I guess I will. While BTs aren't my favorite (Nosler Partitions are), they are a close second. Both the branded BT and the Trophy Tip are fantastic rounds that I will buy in a heartbeat for my 308 and 30-06. I prefer partitions and BT/TTs in a heavier 180gr loading though since that's what my guns like, plus it keeps impact velocity down a little

You are pretty much required by law to hunt with expanding bullets almost everywhere. A soft point in any common deer cartridge will get it done, and I would not think too much on it. Worry more about shot placement and use expanding bullets, ie any soft point bullet in a common deer cartridge

Serious question. What makes one choose the partition vs the accubond? The nosler website says there’s almost no performance difference.

At the risk of assumption that it was aimed at me, I choose the partition because of comfort level and past experience. There may be no difference, but I trust the partition because of what I have seen it do

That's a legit reason for sure. Partitions have been the gold standard of hunting bullet performance for 60 years now, and they are never a bad choice. I've killed loads of game with partitions and AB's, and have seen little difference in performance.

It wasn’t aimed at you. All I shot was partitions when I had a 257 wby. Now everyone is shooting accubonds. So I was just curious.

The partition was out at the same time as the ballistic tip and yes I would agree that performance on game is the same as an Accubond. I also shot BT's at the time they came out and have heard all of the stories, personally I never had a problem with them.

Next came the accubond, on the outside it looked like a BT but performed like a partition, but had the plastic tip. I have no proof and have never heard anything along these lines, but with the bad rap the BT's got, I think the Accubond was somewhat of a marketing attempt to introduce something that would get away from the BT stigma.

What nosler really needs to do is figure out how to get production up on all of these lines before they permanently lose their following to Hornady and whoever else.

Obviously lots of replies to this post already but I have used Winchester Ballistic Silvertips in 270WSM and 7mm-.08 for many years. Yes if I shoot shoulder shots, there is damage to meat on the exit side but 99% of all animals I have shot with these have dropped in their tracks. My only problem is that they have been almost impossible to find for the last few years.

First of all, Im not as smart on this stuff as many on here. From what I do know, I agree with those that say the "high" velocity at impact can cause issues. I guess 308 velocities would be fine, but why take the chance. Just go with partition or accubond and I dont think many would argue the performance will be great.
I loved the question about difference in partition and accubond cause I have wondered the same thing. I have used partitions for decades and thats why I stay with them but I would assume accubond would do the same if I had to switch.

The Ballistic Tips, per Nosler, have a max recommended MV of 3200 fps. I sent them out of my 270 at approx 3000, and about 2800 from the 260. Going on memory, I think the Accubond and Partition have an Unlimited max MV.

That said, I know two guys that do, or did, shoot the 125 gr BT in their 30-378, and loaded hot. They mule deer and elk hunt with that load. I wouldn’t…

I choose accubond for the same reason TLEW chose partitions. I bought some accubonds in probably the late 90's. I was very happy with the performance of them, so I never switched...until this year. Couldn't find any accubond, so I bought some BT (Couldn't find partitions either). I haven’t loaded the BT yet because I still have about 35 loaded rounds of the accubonds, but I will eventually.

Mindrop, first of all not all 'ballistic tip' bullet designs are the same - it's the jacket thickness design, and whether it's further improved by being crimped or better yet 'bonded', that makes a good med-size hunting bullet.
It's using 'thin jacketed' target-ammo ballistic tip ammo (V-Max) on a large buck or hog shoulder shot that can be an issue,
but several mfgr's make fine premium bonded ballistic tip rounds that are superior for all conditions.

That said, I've taken doe with close neckshots using V-Max rounds that I keep loaded in my 2nd rifle in the stand for in case coyotes show up (which they have and I've whacked them too!),
but these days my main rifle is loaded with premium bonded bt rounds in case that monster buck comes running across the field in the distance not getting close to the feeder.

I just don’t understand why you would lean toward partitions for whitetail deer. Can you even find partitions? I know some of y’all have some saved up for a rainy day or a anti-gun president but I have not had any luck searching for partitions. I did find some good Barnes TSX 180 grains for my 30-06, I guess that will work lol. But that’s for an elk hunt.

We’re talking about whitetails and who is going to send a new hunter on the search for partitions and accubonds that are pricey and hard to find? But you guys know any standard soft point bullet in a standard deer cartridge will work very well.

it's 50/50

some will go straight through with no expansion
some will create massive wound channel

Partition is the best choice for hunting

These days it’s more in line with what Bryan H just said about avails of Partitions. Good luck finding them. Unless someone has a stock of them, you buy what’s available. My neighbor was able to get some 129 gr Hornady interlocks for his 6.5 CM.

The last partitions I saw were at Runnings in some small town in South Dakota. Let me tell you, I get around too. I shop for ammo across 20 states lol.

I left them on the shelf because I had already spent some $60 a box on 2 boxes of Barnes TSX 180’s and by God that’s what I am gonna use!

I just bought 5 boxes of my favorite P308Es yesterday. There are 2 boxes left at $44.99 -- reach out to me if you want em and I'll point you in the right direction

I'm not picking on the size of deer. I know that size, weight, density, etc. directly impact how a bullet reacts and shooting a 308 Win, while it will easily get the job done on a very wide range of animals, having the right weight bullet for the job is key. I wouldn't take 180 grain ammo out to hunt deer and in reverse, I also wouldn't take 150 grain ammo out to take on an elk. I also wouldn't take anything but tipped ammo to take out an elk, but deer and elk are very different and deer vary widely in size, so I was wondering about the smaller deer and performance of "ballistic tips", specifically if they did what my friend's father claims.


Thanks for the info! I have to learn my shot placement for hogs and deer, so hearing experienced hunters like you tell me your experiences is very valuable to me. Nosler comes very highly recommended.


Yeah, hot rodding will do that at short ranges. A fast bullet isn't necessary and as you pointed out, can be a detriment for hunting. I think most of my hunting ranges will be 75-150 yards. I have to find what weights my rifle likes and then decided based on game, because I don't want to destroy the deer. Destroying the "target" is only for exploding targets and the military, not for hunting. (Exception can be made for hogs, but for many people that is extermination of their infested ranch. I used to know a bow hunter who had a hog problem, which hurt his deer population, and he leased his land to others for deer hunting.) So with trying to match all of those factors, that is where my friends advice was confusing me. I know they were not hot rodding, they don't reload, but I though their experience with plastic tipped ammo was dated.



I've tried to reply to everyone, but I think I missed some. I wanted to thank everyone for their info and advice. I appreciate it all. I want to learn the best, most efficient way to hunt, and y'all are certainly steering me in the right direction.

Edit: Whoops, didn't see page two!

Impact velocities above 2800 baffle me. That is a very hot cartridge going out of the muzzle if its impact is so high. Most 308 Win caps about 2900 for muzzle velocity and quickly slow after 100 yards. My reloading manual has very little max load data that pushes 308 Win over 3000fps. I can understand why tips at those impact speeds fail. The manufactures give us plenty of information on performance of the test bullets, its up to the shooter to make the right choice for the circumstance. That includes bonded vs cup and core.


Yep, I have a lot of work to do to improve my rifle accuracy, but I'll get that down so my shot goes exactly where it needs to be. What I meant by the expanding bullets are the ones that boast about extreme expansion, like 1.8-2 times the bullet diameter. You need expansion in order to get the job done and my friend hunts with soft points.


Wow, lots of great info about partition vs accubond. Thank you everyone! To Bryan directly, that's for explaining that. I do love Hornady, but my reloading has been for targets and pistols, and pistol rounds and self-defense rounds are very different in design than hunting bullets. I haven't gotten into the hunting side of reloading yet, but would not be surprised if I do. I'll be making sure I purchase bonded tipped ammo with a sufficient jacket. I plan to only use ammunition designed for hunting, which cuts out target rounds and varmint rounds.

LOL 1986 would be correct,

Not to derail the thread, but this interested me. I checked TPWD regs under General Rules as well as Means and Methods and came up empty. Can you point me to the regulation, please?

As to the OP's topic: ORIGINAL BTs were simply the old Nosler Solid Base cup-and-core with the additional of a plastic tip. As with all the old cup & core (unbonded) bullets, impact velocity was critical. I used to cuss the old 100 grain .257 BT out of a .25-06, but found that the selfsame bullet did yeoman service out of a .250 Savage. That was what earned the Partition such a wonderful early reputation; the fact that it could hang together in spite of the velocities of the "magnum craze" of the '60s. The current BTs are both accurate and lethal...use them with confidence.