Nosler 168grain Ballistic Tip Section/Experience?

Joined
Nov 7, 2018
Messages
1,102
Have done a lot of searching and have found a few threads where the 168grain 30 cal ballistic tip did very well at holding together. People were commenting how thick the jacked on the 168BT was since nosler updated them some time around 2010/2012.

However all of these threads were from 5+ years ago and the pictures were not available.

Does anyone have pictures of a 168 BT sectioned/cut so I can see the jacket thickness? Or does anyone have experience with the 168 BTs and how they hold together on game?

I’m considering them for my longer range shots (300-500 yards) on elk and deer from my 20” 308. Velocities will be 2300-2000 FPS at those ranges so I anticipate them holding together well even if they hit the shoulder. For shots under 200 yards I will be shooting 180 grain nosler partition


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

rayporter

WKR
Joined
Jul 3, 2014
Messages
4,272
Location
arkansas or ohio
personally i would not use it for elk. now that dont mean it wont work but i would rather have a better bullet, for those times when things were not optimal.
 
OP
T
Joined
Nov 7, 2018
Messages
1,102
personally i would not use it for elk. now that dont mean it wont work but i would rather have a better bullet, for those times when things were not optimal.

I was of a similar mind set until I started thinking that at 2000-2300 FPS, I’m not sure that a good elk bullet like an accubond would open much because of how tough it is. Now if I was shooting a 300 mag, that would be a different story I’m thinking


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Boondox

FNG
Joined
Dec 25, 2023
Messages
7
I registered to this forum just to see the picture of the 168 grain cutaway 🤣 will they give make exit holes on deer out of a 308 reliably?
 

bnsafe

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
597
I blow thru deer and leave massive holes with them in my 308. Overkill would be my thought at this time. Matter fact if hadnt bought several boxes when I found them on clearance I would go to the trophy grade 125 grain BT.
 

Boondox

FNG
Joined
Dec 25, 2023
Messages
7
I blow thru deer and leave massive holes with them in my 308. Overkill would be my thought at this time. Matter fact if hadnt bought several boxes when I found them on clearance I would go to the trophy grade 125 grain BT.
Massive holes you say? How massive we talkin? I'm a dogger/tracker so the majority of my shots are less than ideal, or clear for that matter. I recently had to buy a 7400 barrel and covert it to a 7600 barrel cause I wore out my poor old girls 30-06 barrel; best I could find was a 308 so I'm goin down some grains to the 165-168 grains to get back to 180 grain speed I used in my 30-06
 

bnsafe

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
597
Ive deer hunted for 45 years, biggest holes I have seen. I hunt very thick public ground and want my deer down before they run down a huge hill. That was my thought process.
I dont have any pics of holes or deer, but I havnt had one run more than 20 yds, tho none have been DRT. I really think my 308 with 125 grain BT are the answer, but I have 5 boxes of the 165s. I will prob just buy some of the 125s and go that route. I think if I ever go pronghorn they will be awesome.
 
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
1,002
Location
Harrisburg, Oregon
My brother killed a 330 class bull from a 30-06 using my handloads, 168 BT with Hunter powder.

Great bullets, well constructed.

In the 24hourcampfire thread the 168 BT outperformed several bullets in terms of penetration and weight retention.





P
 

Thegman

WKR
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Messages
320
I don't recall if I shot anything else with them, but I did shoot a good size grizzly with one from a 30-06. No exit, but it killed very quickly. If I go back to using the 30-06, I may switch back to those from the 150 ETip. I think they may act more like a deep penetrating TMK and do more damage and kill faster than the ETip.

To add: Of all the different 30 Cal bullets I have, and that's a lot, I'm thinking the 168 BT may be one of the best all around bullets for the 30-06. Don't have a lot of experience with them, but from their construction and the results I have seen, I'm guessing they do very well. I'm sure they'd do well in the 308 as well.
 

Boondox

FNG
Joined
Dec 25, 2023
Messages
7
They kill whitetails out of my 30-06
Get outta town! I shot a small 6 point with 150 grain accubond out of my 308 this year, the entire entrance side was jello. Never seen a mess like that before. Mind you it was a pretty spicy load and he was all of 50 yards away. Plowed through a awful pile of scrub in a straight line on the way to his ribs though. No way I'd fire that light a bullet outta a 30-06. Exit hole weren't much bigger than the entrance.
 

Boondox

FNG
Joined
Dec 25, 2023
Messages
7
I don't recall if I shot anything else with them, but I did shoot a good size grizzly with one from a 30-06. No exit, but it killed very quickly. If I go back to using the 30-06, I may switch back to those from the 150 ETip. I think they may act more like a deep penetrating TMK and do more damage and kill faster than the ETip.

To add: Of all the different 30 Cal bullets I have, and that's a lot, I'm thinking the 168 BT may be one of the best all around bullets for the 30-06. Don't have a lot of experience with them, but from their construction and the results I have seen, I'm guessing they do very well. I'm sure they'd do well in the 308 as well.
That's the results I'm lookin for, guess if they take down a grizzle bar that fast a deer will be chump change
 

idahodave

WKR
Joined
Jan 2, 2019
Messages
356
Location
Boise, ID
The 168s are killers near and far, from the .308 Winny up to .300 Weatherbys in my experience. Their BCs aren't much to write home about, but if that doesn't factor in for you they flat work.

This includes WTs, muleys, moose, and elk. I lean towards Bergers and higher BCs these days, but I could suffer 168s the rest of my life and be just fine.

Dave
 

Boondox

FNG
Joined
Dec 25, 2023
Messages
7
The 168s are killers near and far, from the .308 Winny up to .300 Weatherbys in my experience. Their BCs aren't much to write home about, but if that doesn't factor in for you they flat work.

This includes WTs, muleys, moose, and elk. I lean towards Bergers and higher BCs these days, but I could suffer 168s the rest of my life and be just fine.

Dave
I'm pretty much convinced at this point I'll get 2 holes to bleed from with them. Like I said in a previous post with my style of huntin (doggin and snow trackin)y farthest shot would be 100 yards and that's very few and far between. 99% of my shots on the 30+ deer I've shot have been between 10 feet and 50 yards
 
Top