Nosler BT for Elk?

Does any have experience using Nosler Ballistic Tip (30-06, 180gr) on elk? This is not the trophy grade ammo, just regular ballistic tip. Nosler recommends the ammo for deer, pronghorn and hogs so I'm a little concerned the penetration of this bullet means I should not be using this round on an elk.

Not all Ballistic Tips are created equally. IIRC, the 180gr is one of the "tough" ones. At 30-06 speeds I think it'd be fine for elk. I know the 200gr BT out of a 338 Win Mag will easily kill an elk.

If you're worried about it, I find that Accubonds hit the same or pretty dang close to BTs of the same weight.

I've used Hornady SST 180 gr. which are basically the same bullet on several elk with no problems, as many on this site will agree shot placement is always key. Hopefully will see how they treat a wolf next month in MT.

The only BT I have ever recovered was a .308 180BT. It went completely lengthwise through the biggest whitetail I've ever killed and probably hit at around 2300fps. Expansion wasn't a big classic mushroom, but it did open up some around the forward portion of the bullet. (Not one bone touched along the way)

As long as you don't try to smash through some heavy bone I don't think you'll have a problem with it at 30/06 speeds. I certainly wouldn't think twice about using it in my 308 Win.....if I were still hunting with a 308 Win.

If you have any doubts whatsoever, do your sight in/ load development/ practice with the BT's and hunt with AB's. Just check the impact for any change.

Nosler says ballistic tips are not for elk.

Jasher said:

Nosler says ballistic tips are not for elk.

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This.

If a reputable company like Nosler doesn't recommend their product for elk I'd consider that the bottom line.

The ballistic tip was Nosler's 2nd bullet design after the partition. It was designed for deer sized game. Why take a chance and lose an elk? Believe them. GJ

I have seen one elk shot with a nosler BT. It was 6.5 caliber and performed terribly. First shot stopped in the shoulder. Maybe 3-4" penetration. 2nd shot right in the boiler room. Bullet exploded in the first lung. Did not make it to the 2nd lung. Granted, these were a lot lighter, faster bullet but i would not shoot an elk with one. Plenty of great options out there

Jasher said:

Nosler says ballistic tips are not for elk.

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I'm sure Nosler has done lots of testing and know why they are not recommended for elk.

Do some research. The 180 Ballistic Tip in the .06 will hammer an elk. Like 1_pointer said, the .30 caliber 180 isn't the typical Ballistic Tip. mtmuley

Jasher said:

Nosler says ballistic tips are not for elk.

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There's a lot of dead elk out there that would be surprised at that statement, if they were still able to be surprised..

I am no expert, but this seems to fall into one of those, "will it work" vs. "is it preferred" areas. Seems like no doubt a well placed BT will do the job on an elk - so if that's all you have sounds like you can fire away. But if the manufacturer suggests not your best choice and you have other options why not follow their advice and go Accubond or Partition or Interbond?

I wouldn't hunt big game with any Nosler bullet. Just never have got much to shoot well out of my rifles. Got be me because people brag on their accuracy all the time. Then too, the early BT's had absolutely terrible story's about their failing on animals, to many different bullet's around to fool with that. If I was to choose a premium bullet it would be a bonded core. Talking about the Nosler bonded bullet when they first came out, people were wondering how much weight they were designed to retain. Nosler is a local call for me so I called them up about it. Exact words were they are designed to maintain 70%, same as the Partition! Well if they both maintain the same weight why the need for both of them? Because they can sell them, every bullet company does that. Hornady claim's something like 90% + retained wt on their monolithic bullet and 90% on the bonded core. What is the need for both? Some people like Ford's and some like Chevy's! I have been using Hornay spire point/interlock for all my hunting for years, have never had one fail and never had one stay in the animal. Generally unless the bullet blows up, they all penetrate clear thrugh, I've never found a bullet in an animal I've shot. The only other bullet's I've shot game with were Sierra and Speer. Back then the Sierra's did just way to much distruction for me. Shot a bear with a 240gr out of a 7mm mag and it only made a wound about 3" into the fron chest of the bear, no bullet was found. Speer were my choice in that 7mm mag finally because they were most accurate in it, the 160gr Hot Core that is, out shot the Hornady. I should say that the Sierra out shot both but came apart to easy. I tried the 140 gr Sierry in a 7x57 and and damage inside was tremendous again. The deer ddied right there but I don't care for a bullet that does that, no bullet was found in that deer either.

The premium bullet's obviously work well but the are just to expensive for me and I can find no reason for the monolithic or partition. Proper wt cup and core's always have got the job done without tearing up every thing inside. But lightly constructed cup and core are the pits, especially when driven to fast. With all the good new's I've heard about the upgraded BT, I might consider trying them except for the fact that I already use bullet's that don't fail me and the BT's have never shot that well for me. If they shoot well in your 30-06, give them a try. They don't work for you, next time try a different bullet. A 30-06 will not make a 180gr bullet do much screaming!

They should be fine. While Nosler does say they are a deer bullet, a lot of elk fall to that and the 165 BT. They've got to label them for something or else people wouldn't buy their other bullets. If you were reloading I'd suggest the Accubond but as long as they shoot accurately and you hit the mark they should be fine. GOOD LUCK HUNTING!!!

I am guessing you could probably kill an elk with one, but at this point you have already sunk a significant amount of resources into this elk hunt, why mince around about jumping up to a heavier constructed bullet intended for bigger game. It seems to me like 5-10 more bucks a box, and another trip to the range is a small price to pay for a little extra insurance.

I personally don't like to be thinking about whether or not my bullet is going to perform at the moment of truth.

If it were me I would spend a little more on a bullet that WILL work instead of a bullet that MIGHT work.

Typically an BT bullet is designed to expand rapidly and dump it's energy quickly possibly yielding less penetration. Doesn't mean it won't kill an elk. As stated earlier, I'd go with an Accubond. The thicker jacket and bonding will most likely yield more penetration and weight retention on an elk. Partition or Barnes would be other good choices imo

The Bt was originally designed as a varmint bullet. The heavy versions are better now, similar to a Berger. Go heavy for caliber and you should be fine.

Thanks everyone for providing some great responses. Lots of different perspectives on this topic but I really appreciate getting some real world feedback from folk's who have experience in the field.

As a follow up question, would it be advisable to sight in with the BT and switch to the Accubond for the hunt? I understand the importance of sticking with the same cartridge once you're sighted in, just wondering if the BT's are similar enough to the AB's to practice with.