New ballistic tips?

FinsnFur · July 11, 2009, 09:24:26 AM

Anyone seen or used the ballistic tips with shot inside them?
Thumbing through the Varmint Hunter this morning and seen an ad. I'll be SOB if I can find it now.

Hawks Feather · July 11, 2009, 12:26:23 PM

I haven't seen anything on them and just looked at the last Varmint Hunter and couldn't find a post.

Jerry

vvarmitr · July 11, 2009, 01:11:08 PM

Ya got me there?

Their new "lead free" bullets are the only things that I'm a where of.

FOsteology · July 11, 2009, 07:19:26 PM

John Barness's Article on Nosler's Latest Ballistic Tip

Nosler Lead-Free Ballistic Tips

"The "core" is made of tiny particles of iron, crunched together with tiny plastic particles so the core will remain stable while headed down the barrel and in flight. When the bullet expands the iron particles spray outward like tiny shrapnel."

FinsnFur · July 13, 2009, 05:35:34 AM

Thats the pic right there

Kind of an interesting little bullet.

Hawks Feather · July 13, 2009, 08:24:45 AM

Looks like something made for the Republic of (Bankrupt) California since they are the only state that I know have banned lead. I am sure there will be more.

If used, do you think this will contaminate the groundhogs that Glen has been putting on his grill? I guess as long as they are head shot and he would only eat the hind quarter he would be safe. Either that or he is going to just have to stock up on lead and buy a larger freezer.

Jerry

HaMeR · July 13, 2009, 12:38:18 PM

@ Hawk!!!! If I'm gonna eat em I'm gonna shoot em close range with the HaMeR in the head AND I'm gonna use REAL BOOLETS!!

Rich · July 14, 2009, 12:50:19 PM

I understand that lead bullets have been banned in some area's, and is the reason for a lot of folks going to the "Varmint Grenade" for coyotes. Why not the all copper bullets from Barnes instead? A Barnes X bullet or the new Triple shock sounds like a much better choice for coyotes than any highly frangible "varmint" bullet.

Hawks Feather · July 14, 2009, 07:41:35 PM

Rich,

I agree with you that if I were really interested in hitting and downing an animal and could not use lead then I would be shooting Barnes TSX bullets. I have only shot a couple of boxes of Barnes bullets and they were pretty accurate. I just checked their site and the 53 grain .224 TSX bullets were $27.22 per 50, they do have an MPG bullet in .224 that is $26.94 per 100 but they are listed as "green" and are not the solids. The Varmint Grenades in 50 gr. .224 are $23.42 but are recommended for a 1:10 twist barrel. At the same time Nosler Ballistic tip 50 gr. .224 bullets are $21.95. These were all retail prices but non-lead all cost more since they are not the only bullet allowed. My belief is that until there is a need to mass produce non-lead bullets, that the lead bullets will remain lower in price. A good example of the difference in price between lead and non-lead would be shotgun shells. The price of non-lead shells came down slightly when it became mandatory for ducks and geese - not good, but better.

Jerry

FinsnFur · July 14, 2009, 08:26:40 PM

I havent had a chance to read the article. What exactly are they trying to accomplish?

Hawks Feather · July 15, 2009, 09:11:21 AM

This is from the article:

The biggest difference between the Lead-Free and conventional Ballistic Tips is obviously what's inside. The "core" is made of tiny particles of iron, crunched together with tiny plastic particles so the core will remain stable while headed down the barrel and in flight. When the bullet expands the iron particles spray outward like tiny shrapnel.

There are other differences as well. The jacket is flat-based, unlike the traditional boattail of other Ballistic Tips, and very thin, without the heavy rear end of other Ballistic Tips. However, because the core is so stable the bullet can be driven to extremely high muzzle velocities without coming apart prematurely. The .223 ammunition we shot was loaded to over 4000 ft/sec, and the .22-250 ammo to 4400. All the bullets held together until impact, which sometimes isn't true of thin-jacketed, lead-cored bullets when driven to such high muzzle velocities.

One of the best things, however, about the new bullet is something that didn't change: The price will be exactly the same as that of conventional .224 Ballistic Tips, $18.99 per 100. This is not the price listed on the Nosler site.

I will give credit to Nosler if they continue to keep the price the same.

Jerry

Rich · July 15, 2009, 12:14:42 PM

Hawks Feather,
I know exactly what you mean about the non lead bullets being more expensive. I shoot some of that "hevi-shot fodder in my shotgun.

Then you have the problem of most leading bolt action rifle makers fitting their .223,.22.250 and .220 Swifts with barrels that have too slow of a twist rate for the Varmint grenade and other non lead bullets. Places the predator callers between a rock and a hard place don't it?

I wouldn't be surprised to see the same restriction placed on waterfowl hunting area's sometime in the near future either.

FinsnFur · July 15, 2009, 08:45:14 PM

I'm not completely sold. But I would like to try them out.

Ridge Runner · September 06, 2009, 08:26:12 PM

same purpose as the varmint grenades, complete expansion when hitting anything, they'll completely expand from passing through a grape. lighter than a lead bullet so can be driven to insane velocities, yet won't richochette (s).
RR

JohnP · September 16, 2009, 12:36:41 PM

I have a friend who has re-loaded some. He claims they are as accurate as his Sierra's and Nosler BT. He hasn't killed anything with them yet so I can't address that issue. I haven't been able to find any on the shelf or even through the internet. He has friends in the industry so he may have received them from them.