belly-deep
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Did you find the first bull?
Nosler BT for Elk?
- Thread starter kbhillhunter
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Did you find the first bull?
No never found him. He was quartering away slightly downhill aimed for far shoulder and he went down and stayed down for about 10 seconds. Thought he was dead. Then he got up and started running I was 15 and was shaking so bad I couldn't get back on him. 5 of us looked for two days only found 5-10 drops of blood he dropped off the bench into a rough canyon never saw him again.
So now I'm dumb? I leave that to the ones who disregard what engineers and chemists say about their products.
Because they have no legal obligation to put it on the box.
HSi-ESi
Well-known member
The BT's did have a bad reputation early on in it's life cycle. I remember hearing stories on poor performance on game.
When I was 13 or 14, I shot a cow with my Dad's. 270. It was loaded with BT's, I don't remember the bullet weight. The first shot was directly on the shoulder (broadside). She stumbled, and I put another round through the ribs that did bring her down. This was in the late eighties, before Nosler did some revamping of that bullet line.
I know many guys who echo the good performance of the BT since the revamp, but I personally haven't shot game with them since that experience. I have loaded strictly Partitions, until this fall where I have worked up some Accubonds.
My choice would be Partitions. If the gun doesn't like those, then I would try Accubonds. BT's would be way down my list because of my personal experience.
When I was 13 or 14, I shot a cow with my Dad's. 270. It was loaded with BT's, I don't remember the bullet weight. The first shot was directly on the shoulder (broadside). She stumbled, and I put another round through the ribs that did bring her down. This was in the late eighties, before Nosler did some revamping of that bullet line.
I know many guys who echo the good performance of the BT since the revamp, but I personally haven't shot game with them since that experience. I have loaded strictly Partitions, until this fall where I have worked up some Accubonds.
My choice would be Partitions. If the gun doesn't like those, then I would try Accubonds. BT's would be way down my list because of my personal experience.
Dougfirtree
Well-known member
I had to chuckle when, last night, I went from reading this thread to my nighttime reading: "Elk Tactics" by Don Laubach and Mark Henckel. I was moderately surprised to read one of the authors specifically mention ballistic tips as a bullet he's had good luck with. While I'd much rather have an accubond, or partition for elk, I can't help but think the following: Think about how many elk have been killed by 180 grain Core Lokts, or Power Points from a .30-06.... Looking at the construction of the bullets, I have to believe that a 180 BT is every bit as good as a Core Lokt.
noharleyyet
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This might be a first...twin contentious bullet threads. Urine aroma squared.
beginnerhunter
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You know who else used BTs on elk?? Hitler!!
grandejuan
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The animals presentation and range also come in to play. If it presents a broadside shot to the lungs and heart at 100+ yds the BT will most likely work just fine. It doesn't have a lot of resistance to overcome and it can expand as designed to take out the lungs and major vessels. If what you get is a rear quartering shot at 300 yds, the bullet must penetrate the hip and pelvis and penetrate 2-3 feet ft of paunch filled with soggy browse to get to the heart lung area. The BT will not do that job and the elk will be wounded. If its at last shooting light, it will most likely not be found till the next day (you hope). There is an excellent chance the meat will be spoiled. A Partition or bonded core or mono metal will do the job. O.K. so would you have the presence of mind to turn down that shot? Especially if its the last day of an expensive guided hunt. Only the hunter can answer that one. Load the the bullet that will do the job under worse case situations not just when its perfect. GJ
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belly-deep
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Ok, that goes down in the "maybe" category. You can't fault a bullet without an autopsy.
belly-deep
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Okey dokey.
How many elk have you shot with BT's?
How many elk have you shot at all?
What bullets do you like for elk hunting?
There's a common theme that runs through elk threads. They guys that say you shouldn't use a .243 or BT or whatever are usually the guys who have not killed many, if any elk, and certainly have never used the item in controversy.
Let's see since I already answered this question it's still 0 with ballistic tips since I don't use them same as a 243.
You can use a tack hammer and build a house but why would you when there's a lot better options? The tack hammer is cheaper and a guy down the road does it. You can use a 243 with ballistic tips take an elk and pack it out in grocery bags with tennis shoes on wearing nothing but your underwear I really don't care. I'll pay the little to actually buy the tools for the job.
Btw you haven't given any kind of reason to why you should use anything you mentioned. How many elk anyone has taken has nothing to do with the tools you use to do it. A lot of people haven't done a lot of things but that doesn't mean that they don't know what tools it takes
Nosler probably didn't deem it necessary to put warning don't use on elk since it says on the box what it's intended purpose is. Budweiser doesn't put warning if you drink to much and drive you may crash or end up in jail.
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belly-deep
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I'm not asking about experience to get into a pecker measuring contest. I'm asking because there is a perception out there that elk have some magical ability to survive hits by XYZ type bullets or ABC caliber rifles. After shooting a few, that perception starts to fade and reality sets in. I killed my first half dozen elk with magnum rifles in a variety of bullet diameters. Now, I've come to realize that kind of stuff isn't necessary, and even good old fashioned BT's will kill elk as dead as anything.
As I said, it's usually the most experienced elk hunters who will agree that a 243 will kill elk all day long and the guys that none or only a few under their belt that argue you have to have a 300 mag and super premium bullets.
grandejuan
Active member
I've lived and hunted in No. AZ for 40 years and have known and hunted with many of the best elk hunters around, hunting some of the biggest elk in the US. None of the locals that I know use or would recommend .243s for elk, ever. In fact most would say that you can "kill elk all day long" using .300 mags and premium bullets too. If you look around some folks will say the same for about any big game cal you wish. My point is to use or load bullets in cartridges that will kill elk under the worst scenarios not just the ideal. We owe the animal that respect. GJ
I have a 308 and use accubond long range because of ballistic coefficient. I called nosler about the ballistic tips and I never said that it won't kill an elk lots of stuff will kill an elk. I said it's not recommend.
D
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Recommendations are based on a myriad of factors, including the lowest common denominator. A person's skill as a hunter, proficiency with their weapon, and willingness to pass up poor shot angles all come into play.
