PsRpOiGrRiAtM
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165s out of a .308 at that distance should definitely hold together. Somehow the bonding process didn't take with these.
Recovered Nosler AB 308 doesn’t look right...
- Thread starter ErictheRed
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ErictheRed
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Okay - I admit it - I'm stupid! But.....
The bullets are Ballistic Tip and not ABs. I went down and got the box to call Nosler. Then realized looking at the box the bullets are ballistic tip. Midway USA sent me the wrong bullets! They shipped Ballistic Tips instead of ABs and I didn't double check the box when received. Sorry all!. And MT Muley - you still haven't seen an AB do that!
The bullets are Ballistic Tip and not ABs. I went down and got the box to call Nosler. Then realized looking at the box the bullets are ballistic tip. Midway USA sent me the wrong bullets! They shipped Ballistic Tips instead of ABs and I didn't double check the box when received. Sorry all!. And MT Muley - you still haven't seen an AB do that!
PsRpOiGrRiAtM
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"...and that, is the rest of the story. I'm Paul Harvey. Good day!"
Pondera
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Interesting thread. I'm still learning about bullet construction so glad you posted. Sounds like it did what they are supposed to do. Here is what I found on Nosler's site:
Externally, they look the same except for the tip colors, Ballistic Tip® bullets are color-coded by caliber while all AccuBond® bullets have white tips. Internally the Ballistic Tip® is not bonded and is designed for controlled expansion on medium game with approximately 50-60% weight retention. Conversely, the lead alloy core of the AccuBond® is bonded to the jacket. This bonding increases weight retention (65-70%) and slows expansion resulting in deeper penetration and enhanced bone-breaking potential in larger animals.
Externally, they look the same except for the tip colors, Ballistic Tip® bullets are color-coded by caliber while all AccuBond® bullets have white tips. Internally the Ballistic Tip® is not bonded and is designed for controlled expansion on medium game with approximately 50-60% weight retention. Conversely, the lead alloy core of the AccuBond® is bonded to the jacket. This bonding increases weight retention (65-70%) and slows expansion resulting in deeper penetration and enhanced bone-breaking potential in larger animals.
cahunter805
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Well that explains a lot! The NBT is still a great bullet also.
Well, I’m likely in the minority here, but, I call that “total bullet failure”. If that was from a high velocity magnum .30, I could be a bit more sympathetic, but, it’s would still be a failure. If that were classified as a “varmint” bullet.....I’d be “pleased as punch”! memtb
Yep. Saw a bull smacked with the 168 from a .300 RSAM last week. Good bullets. mtmuley
Where's the failure? mtmuley
A picture is worth a thousand words. If an empty jacket is found (AB or Ballistic Tip), this represents bullet separation, bullet separation equates to loss of mass, loss of mass equates to loss of penetration, loss of penetration equates to potential vitals “not” encountered by the projectile! For anything other than a broadside hit in the chest/lung area this is “not” a reliable bullet for large, thick skinned, heavy boned, big game! memtb
And sometimes, the “dead” animal runs off with the “empty” jacket! I often hear about how the “failed” bullet was found in the dead animal...with a retort something like....”at what point did the bullet fail, I recovered the animal”! They rarely mention the shots that should’ve killed the animal, but failed. A whole list of excuses can be made for the loss...but a “failed” bullet isn’t mentioned. So,if the animal slowly dies later from it’s injuries , even though it was a well placed shot, did the bullet still perform to satisfaction! After all, the animal died! memtb
The jacket on nosler BT and AB's is very thick and is a high percentage of the bullets weight. Those bullets performed just fine.
I've put 180 gr ballistic tips with a muzzle velocity of 3400 fps right into the shoulder joint of elk and found them on the fare side looking identical to the ones pictured. Killed pronto too.
I've put 180 gr ballistic tips with a muzzle velocity of 3400 fps right into the shoulder joint of elk and found them on the fare side looking identical to the ones pictured. Killed pronto too.
Dead is Dead Like previously said looks like the bonding process didn't work properly. I have seen Ballistic tips do this many times. All accubonds I ever recovered were intact and looked like a perfect or almost perfect mushroom
Walkathon
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In post #22 the OP figured out that they were in fact ballistic tips and not Accubonds. No failure in the bonding process.
speed reading kills
Walkathon
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I've been there too.
I find this thread disturbing, if the BT’s pictured performed as designed, which it seems they did, then maybe they weren’t designed to use on elk? I’m just getting trying to learn something. I wonder what Nosler reps would have to say about using these on elk?
mrjashu
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Might be a good idea to go back and edit your original post, for posterity's sake
matt0550
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I've had jacket separation in this same projectile...in both cases, the round did its job (killed) and in one case I did recover an appreciable amount of lead from 4" or so away from the jacket. I switched to the AB long range which has a more progressive jacket gage and have never looked back - terminal ballistics have been awesome on the ABLR. side note here is that when utilizing high-recoil calibers (338 Lapua in my instance) the polymer tips of rounds in the magazine will become flattened when smashed against the magazine wall upon recoil from the round in the chamber being fired - this changes the BC of the bullet in the mag you load next. Perhaps this does not occur in friendlier calibers, but it is a problem for certain in heavy recoil calibers.
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