Nosler Bullet Choice - Deer Hunting

[USAF Retired]

I am finally loading for my Grendel. PSA Upper and Stag lower. This is for deer hunting. I have in stock - 120 grain Ballistic Tip, 120 grain E-Tip and 125 grain Partition. Looking at expansion, the Ballistic Tip wins out. However, I would like a pass through for tracking, and that leaves the Partition and the E-Tip. Thinking the Partition is maybe the good go between? Use the Ballistic Tip for Coyotes and maybe save the E-Tip for the Creedmoor?

Any real world experience out there? Expert opinion?

[Happy2Shoot]

I found no fault in anything you said, or want. Happy hunting.

[grayfox]

What barrel length will you use?

You will likely find the greatest possible MV with the ballistic tips, they should not have any trouble creating a pass through, dependent on the MV, target distance and hit location.
a) the partitions load more like a mono, causing slower MV's due to the copper partition restricting bullet engraving.
b) the e-tips being mono, tend to be longer length so will intrude into the powder capacity more.

[USAF Retired]

It is a 20" barrel.
I appreciate the input. I plan on keeping shots withing 200, but it is at those further distances I am concerned about passthrough. I have one spot that reaches out to about 250, but I will probably take the Creedmoor if I hunt that spot.

[EastTNHunter]

Just kinda echoing what has already been said:

125 Partitions WILL give you an exit unless it’s a hard quartering shot, and they should open up rapidly. As has been mentioned, velocity will not be the best for them.

NBTs SHOULD give you an exit on a broadside shot, and will open readily at Grendel velocity.

E-tips MAY not get enough velocity to expand, so I’d personally rule them out unless it was close shots.

[USAF Retired]

Much appreciated. I loaded some Partitions up last night. I have enough brass left doe testing, so plan on loading the rest with BT and H335. The E-Tips should be a devastating deer round in my 6.5 Creedmoor.

Much appreciated. I loaded some Partitions up last night. I have enough brass left do testing, so plan on loading the rest with BT and H335. The E-Tips should be a devastating deer round in my 6.5 Creedmoor.

[LRRPF52]

I am finally loading for my Grendel. PSA Upper and Stag lower. This is for deer hunting. I have in stock - 120 grain Ballistic Tip, 120 grain E-Tip and 125 grain Partition. Looking at expansion, the Ballistic Tip wins out. However, I would like a pass through for tracking, and that leaves the Partition and the E-Tip. Thinking the Partition is maybe the good go between? Use the Ballistic Tip for Coyotes and maybe save the E-Tip for the Creedmoor?

Any real world experience out there? Expert opinion?

You nailed exactly what I would do with those choices.

E-Tip likes faster impact velocities to get expansion performance.

120gr Ballistic Tip has been successfully used in a lot of deer harvesting. JD Jones used that as his preferred deer bullet in 6.5 Grendel.

[natebonebusta]

I’m like you and tend to think my 6.5 Grendel will be my short range rig (under 250) and let my 6.5 creedmoor do the longer range work. For the Grendel I’ve loaded 123sst’s with h335, and the 120 Nosler BT’s with Tac. I get about 100fps less velocity with the Tac/BT load at 2,363fps. I have no in field experience with them, yet.

For the creedmoor I went with 129gr interlock for that poor man’s partition route. Getting about 2,800fps with a stout dose of h4350. NC won’t be able to handle either from all the reading I’ve done. You should have success with the above mentioned combinations.

[natebonebusta]

I'm like you and tend to think my 6.5 Grendel will be my short range rig (under 250) and let my 6.5 creedmoor do the longer range work.
For the Grendel I've loaded 123sst's with h335, and the 120 Noser BT's with Tac. I get about 100fps less velocity with the Tac/BT load at
2,363fps. I have no in field experience with them, yet.
For the creedmoor I went with 129gr interlock for that poor man's partition route. Getting about 2,800fps with a stout dose of h4350. NC deer won't be able to handle either from all the reading l've done. You should have success with the above mentioned combinations.

[USAF Retired]

I'm like you and tend to think my 6.5 Grendel will be my short range rig (under 250) and let my 6.5 creedmoor do the longer range work.
For the Grendel I've loaded 123sst's with h335, and the 120 Noser BT's with Tac. I get about 100fps less velocity with the Tac/BT load at
2,363fps. I have no in field experience with them, yet.
For the creedmoor I went with 129gr interlock for that poor man's partition route. Getting about 2,800fps with a stout dose of h4350. NC deer won't be able to handle either from all the reading l've done. You should have success with the above mentioned combinations.

NC deer is what I am after as well. Hunting Moore County. Appreciate the input. I am going to shoot both the Partitions and the BTs and see what accuracy I get. Expecting the BTs to be more accurate with the tip and boat tail.

[USAF Retired]

Just picked up a couple hundred 129 grain ABLRs. I need to get some TAC powder, though. Only one I have listed is Varget and it is way slow. I think this will give me what I am looking for.

[natebonebusta]

NC deer is what I am after as well. Hunting Moore County. Appreciate the input. I am going to shoot both the Partitions and the BTs and see what accuracy I get. Expecting the BTs to be more accurate with the tip and boat tail.

You’ve got a great supplier just down the road, Ed’s in Vass, but I’m betting you know that. I’ve have good luck with partitions in the 243. Always done will with Accubonds in 25-06. I’m looking forward to hearing your findings as well as having some season success so I can share some data points.

[USAF Retired]

You’ve got a great supplier just down the road, Ed’s in Vass, but I’m betting you know that. I’ve have good luck with partitions in the 243. Always done will with Accubonds in 25-06. I’m looking forward to hearing your findings as well as having some season success so I can share some data points.

I actually get powder from Defender Ammo in Raeford. They are always stocked up. I have not been by Ed's, but heard good stuff. I am over in Harnett County. Hunt in Moore.

[trubulator]

Pay close attention to impact velocity. SSTs and BTs open up pretty low, ABLRs even lower.

With 123 grain SSTs I got 2400FPS and high accuracy with 335 in a 20" barrel, 2350FPS with TAC. Last fall I shot a big doe at 325 yards with the 335 load and I did not get an exit, but every last bit of energy from that bullet dumped into the vitals. That doe went straight down and did not move. Make a good shot and you should have no issues with the BT. I normally avoid the SST and BT soft bullets in higher power cartridges because they tend to fragment and can grenade if they hit hard bones, but they seem ideally suited for the Grendel.

If you use the partitions, I would be really interested in hearing how they do. They are my favorite bullet in 30-06, but I wonder how well they open with Grendel

[muvef]

I shot a dozen deer with the 120 BT's and 8208 at 2400 fps. Broad side shots don't always get a pass through. It really depends on the size of the deer.

Every gun is different, but the BT's will probably be more accurate than the others.

I'm thinking about changing to a soft point later on just because of the cost of the BT. Besides that, I don't have any complaints using them.

[USAF Retired]

I shot a dozen deer with the 120 BT's and 8208 at 2400 fps. Broad side shots don't always get a pass through. It really depends on the size of the deer.

Every gun is different, but the BT's will probably be more accurate than the others.

I'm thinking about changing to a soft point later on just because of the cost of the BT. Besides that, I don't have any complaints using them.

Thank you!

[USAF Retired]

Pay close attention to impact velocity. SSTs and BTs open up pretty low, ABLRs even lower.

With 123 grain SSTs I got 2400FPS and high accuracy with 335 in a 20" barrel, 2350FPS with TAC. Last fall I shot a big doe at 325 yards with the 335 load and I did not get an exit, but every last bit of energy from that bullet dumped into the vitals. That doe went straight down and did not move. Make a good shot and you should have no issues with the BT. I normally avoid the SST and BT soft bullets in higher power cartridges because they tend to fragment and can grenade if they hit hard bones, but they seem ideally suited for the Grendel.

If you use the partitions, I would be really interested in hearing how they do. They are my favorite bullet in 30-06, but I wonder how well they open with Grendel

Thank you!

[gldprimr]

See if you can get Shooters World Match Rifle powder. I have had excellent success both accuracy and velocity with that powder and 129 gr. ABLR. It both expands rapidly and holds together well at Grendel velocities.

[USAF Retired]

Anyone got any recipes for Leverevolution and Nosler BTs?

[VASCAR2]

A good Friend was loading 31.2 grains of LeveRevolution with 123 grain SST as his go to load. I bet you find a sweet spot between 30.5 and 31.5 for good accuracy. Maybe someone else will chime in with their load. Another Friend loaded 31.0 grains of CFE223 with 120 grain Nosler Ballistic tips and got good accuracy. CFE223 and LeveRevolution powder are very similar in burn rate and loading data.