why nosler and which one?

[Nsghunter]

I hear a lot of people loading nosler bullets and I was wondering why?

Also, which nosler bullet will have the best performance from a 30-06 within 100-300 yards on east tn deer?

I'm new at this so please no flaming. Also if you leave feedback can you please explain why. I need To learn more

 

[Hardwoodmaterials]

I haven't been doing it very long myself but I quickly found out that the Nosler BT's are reasonably priced but the Accubonds cost a small fortune if you plan on shooting much at all. The best I can tell most all brand name bonded bullets are going to run around $30 per 50. Right now I'm liking the Sierra bullets. They are cheap enough, around $25 per 100, to shoot without breaking the bank and are the most consistent from bullet to bullet that I have tried so far.

 

[TNRifleman]

I do not handload but I buy Nosler Trophy Grade Ammo for my 30-06's. I shoot both 180 gr and 165 gr accu-bonds depending on the rifle. The accuracy on them is great and the end result on a deer is fantastic. Most deer I have shot drop where they are but I did have to trail one for 30 yards one time

 

[Jcalder]

Personally I like Sierra but I did get some ballistic tips in a trade. They didn't shoot as well as I had hoped. I would try the accubonds but as stated they are pricey


Big or small, kill em all

 

[Snowwolfe]

I been using Nosler partitions since Nosler used to create them one at a time on a lathe. They hold together and can shoot better than MOA. That's good enough for me.
Save your money and visit Noslers web site and stock up on seconds when they are in stock. I never found a defect on a "second" and been using them for about 10 years.

 

[Sniper]

Too me Nosler was somewhat of the pioneer of a bonded bullet with the partition. The way they are designed the front core is soft and will expand and keep going until it stops expanding or disappears but the shank remains and continues to penetrate. I don't see where you could ever go wrong with a partition for everything in North America with the exception of a grizzly bear or something comparable in size. Every gun is different but I think the 165 is about right for deer sized game. If you want to go with a Ballistic Tip I wouldn't go less than the 180 grain as they are very soft and tend to separate when driven at higher velocities. If you stay below 3000 fps the Ballistic Tip should be ok but again with the 180 grain. These are just my opinions and everyone has one!

 

[MUP]

I've been loading NAB's, 150 gr pills, in my 30-06. I have yet to use them hunting, but as far as accuracy goes they are very good, at least for what I can do. I took my Mod 710 Rem, and went from shooting factory ammo with 1+ MOA to using the NAB's and getting .75" MOA. Can't wait to use them on a whitetail this season if I get a chance.

 

[280longshot]

I buy my blemished nosler bullets from here. They sell quick so check every couple days.
http://www.shootersproshop.com/


Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[280longshot]

Nosler BT are a bit fragile at close ranges with high velocities but perfect for longer ranges where velocity tapers off. You can find great prices on the Nosler Accubond at above website. Accubond is what I use most of the time, they are the best of both worlds.
A 150 gr in 30-06 works great for me, nothing survives head shots.


Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[EastTNHunter]

You can shoot blem BTs for practice, then hunt with ABs. ABs are designed to fly like a BT but perform on game like a partition. My experience with ABs is that every deer that I have shot with them is a bang-flop DRT, but also gives me a full pass through. This is the best of both worlds, IMO. This has been with 140gr .270 and 165 .30-06, and has included at least 6 deer of all sizes. I plan to add the 180gr .30-06 this coming season.

 

[Nsghunter]

You can shoot blem BTs for practice, then hunt with ABs. ABs are designed to fly like a BT but perform on game like a partition. My experience with ABs is that every deer that I have shot with them is a bang-flop DRT, but also gives me a full pass through. This is the best of both worlds, IMO. This has been with 140gr .270 and 165 .30-06, and has included at least 6 deer of all sizes. I plan to add the 180gr .30-06 this coming season.

I have 150gr ab for 30-06 now.
What is the benefit of the 165r and 180 over the 150? It seems they would loose velocity faster and decrease the risk of hydraulic/hydrostatic shock at longer distances. There are a lot of variables I don't understand about terminal ballistics.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Actually, quite the opposite. Lighter bullets lose their energy faster, have lower BC for long range trajectory, are more susceptible to wind drift, and hit with less authority. All of this means very little for shots on deer at under 200yd, though, but some guns like the heavier bullets more in the accuracy department. My .30-06 Savage 116 loves the 180gr ABs over IMR4350, and consistently groups them at between.5-.75 MOA.

 

[7mminatree]

165 gr Nosler BTs loaded with a starting charge of 54 grs of IMR 4350 @ approximately 2660 FPS. Will not come apart (blow up) in deer and are like hammers. I push them at 2780 fps. in my .308 with 100% success.

 

[DaveB]

I buy Nosler because experience in the field tells me they work very well. 10 deer, 10 Accubond shots, not a single round recovered, from 12 steps to 135.

I used NBT's to punch paper, develop loads, and then cut over to Partitions. The NBTs are also effective as can be on prarie dogs and coyotes.

Few years back I tried some AccuBonds. The results were so clear cut I immediately started moving from Partitions to Accubonds.

Sierra's, some Bergers, some Barnes, Hornady's, these are fine bullets and will also do the job.

 

[Zulu]

I used to exclusively use NBTs in my 7mm-08s and 243, and had 100% success -- never lost a deer, never had one run more that 50 yds. HOWEVER, I did have two cases (once with the 7mm and another with the 243) where the core and jacket separated, and didn't get an exit wound (was able to recover both the core and jacket in both cases). I've sinced switched to ABs for hunting rounds, and have yet to have a failure to exit. Since the BTs and ABs are ballistically identical, I use BTs on the range because they're so much cheaper.

FWIW, one rainy day I was bored and wanted to see if there was any real difference between the BTs and ABs (besides tip color and price). I cut the base off of each bullet and put them in the vise and started hammering away with a 5 lbs sledgehammer. The BT core came out pretty quickly, while I pounded the AB almost flat and the jacket and core stayed together. When Nosler says they're bonded, they're not kidding.

 

[BobTail]

Too me Nosler was somewhat of the pioneer of a bonded bullet with the partition.

The Partition is NOT a bonded bullet. It is a cup and core manufactured bullet.

To the original question: Nosler is popular because they make a premium bullet. But that doesn't make them the best nor the most accurate, depending on the proposed use. Sierra Pro Hunters loaded properly will kill any deer that walks. So will most any other bullet for that matter. The facts are that deer are thin skinned animals and are not very hard to kill. Shot placement is far more important than bullet type or even bullet weight.

If you are reloading, I would suggest that you buy a box of Nosler Partitions, Nosler Accubonds, and Sierra Pro Hunters in your choice of weight and see which one your rifle likes the best. Accuracy is far more important in SE deer hunting than bullet construction will ever be. You will likely find that flat based bullets like the Partition and Pro Hunter will be more accurate at ranges up to 200 yards than the boat tailed Accubond. Boat tailed bullets shine at longer ranges because they are less prone to wind drift. In a 30 caliber rifle a 150 grain bullet is plenty heavy for your intended use. No need to shoot heavier bullets and be subjected to the increased recoil for no reason. Now, if you plan on running up on a bear while you're deer hunting, then you might need to load heavier.

 

[MUP]

I've actually found the opposite to be the case in one 06 of mine. I've been a fan of factory corlokts for years, then I started getting into loading my own. I got a good deal on a qty of 150 gr corlokts a while back and have been trying to work up a load with them. So far I haven't been able to reach under 2 moa with them, but have worked 150 gr NAB's to .750" groups with the same rifle. I'm not giving up yet on the corlokts, but really try to consolidate powder and bullet usage so not keen on having to buy yet another powder for them.

 

[BobTail]

No offense, but if your rifle won't shoot under 2 MOA with most any bullet there's more wrong than your bullet choice. What rifle are you shooting and what bullet/powder combination?

 

[MUP]

I believe it's the powder I'm using in conjunction with the corlokts. Factory corlokt ammo shoots about moa, but I haven't been able to get that with the corlokts bullets and AA4350 I've been using. It's good with the NAB's tho, getting sub moa with a couple of different gr loads.

 

[BobTail]

Did you do a ladder test or otherwise check the accuracy with different powder charges starting at 10% below published max loads and working up in .3 grain increases?

And bear in mind that not every bullet / powder combination works well together. Also, some guns just don't "like" some bullets or powders. And if you do some research you'll find there are some calibers that powders just seem to work in no matter the individual rifle in question. As an example, most any .243 will shoot extremely well with IMR4064 and 85 grain bullets. Same with the .308 and IMR4064. The preferred powder for the 30-06 is usually IMR4064 with bullets weighing 165 and under. The Creedmoors thrive on H4350 and to a lesser extent RL17.

If the Accubonds shoot under MOA in your hunting rifle, you should be very pleased with that. The majority of pencil barreled hunting rifles with factory triggers will not do much better.

If you are looking for a less expensive hunting bullet for our local deer population don't be afraid to try Sierra Pro Hunters. They are a very accurate bullet that do a good job on deer sized game and feral pigs.

Don't be afraid to experiment a bit with different powders, but be certain to load by known book recipes. Finding the loads that your individual rifle likes is part of the fun!