This may be a dumb question but who cares. I have been shooting the 150's NBT and was looking to move up in bullet weight. The NBT offer a 165 gn and 168 gn bullet. What is the difference in these rounds other than the weight? It just seemed odd to see such a low weight change from one to the other.

The 168 grain bullets typically are target bullets and the 165 grainers are typically game hunting bullets.....and there's a fair difference in the jacket thickness and penetration on game...
If you're hunting stay with the 165s

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The 168 grain bullets typically are target bullets and the 165 grainers are typically game hunting bullets.....and there's a fair difference in the jacket thickness and penetration on game...
If you're hunting stay with the 165s

+1 Can't say there are no 168 hunting bullets. But the ones I've owned have been target.

Here's a link to Nosler's press release on the 168 NBTs. To call it less than informative would be an understatement. It seems to suggest they are hunting bullets but only speaks of them in general and mixed terms. Hmmmm

LWD

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a link to Nosler's press release on the 168 NBTs

I think that one is a hunter new for 2008 however Nosler has several other 168s that they class as "Custom Competition" Long hollow point construction to increase the BC.

Berger is marketing their VLD 168 grainers as hunting bullets for large game.

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however Nosler has several other 168s that they class as "Custom Competition" Long hollow point construction to increase the BC.

The original post referred to and asked about Ballistic Tips, which was the point of the link. However, it doesn't address why they are producing 2 seemingly identical bullets weighing three grains different. Perhaps it has to with a different ogive shape as with the 180 Protected Point Partition and the 165 and 168 TSXs. But with such an "informative" news release and no information on their website we can only wonder.

As an aside, the Nosler Custom Competition and the Berger VLD both use J4 jackets.

LWD

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The original post referred to and asked about Ballistic Tips, which was the point of the link

I missed the reference to the Nosler BT. I read it as a question about the 168gr vs 165 in general.

They seem to suggest that you get better accuracy from the 168 with match loads. I am new to the reloading. What is "Match Load"

Thanks for the info

(MATCH) bullets used for shooting paper.
This is a target load used for shooting very small groups.

Safe to say 168 NBT for target, and 165 NBT for game in the field.

In the field I shoot Nosler partition's

With the match load you might use bench rest primers. Way-out your brass and speperate the closer ones used for match load. Way-out bullets and measure leanght again sperate.
Seat bullet and measure over all leanght seperate.
Check bullet rollout, make shure powder charge is right on in grn. weight
And so on. Daveo

THanks Daveo

The major difference will be performance on game,NBT being the clear winner, accuracy wise the difference won't be much. Nosler Ballistic Tips have been known to be accurate for a great deal of people. Your reloading practices will make a bigger change in group size. And BTW, the current issue of "Handloader" magazine has a great article on reloading the .308 win. It shows in great depth the changes in group size when changing componets.

Thanks Thumper I will see if I can find it and check it out. I am planning on using Varget powder any suggestions on charge to start out at? I am shooting a standard Ruger M77. I have been shooting 150's but wanted to move up in bullet weight.

Robe763

Perfect choice on powder! Thats the one the author ended up using. He tests all the available..,charge weight,primers,brass,bullets (1400ish rounds,all 165-168gr)all in a search for how much difference each componet made in accuracy. The results are very intersting,big differences in group size. I don't have the article in front of me, but I would certainly go out of my way to find a copy of it. I wonder if its on line, at their website?

Hmm... learn something new every day...
You can actually subscribe to all three of their magazines on line, for 20 bucks!
www.handloadermagazine.com

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Originally posted by Robe763:
This may be a dumb question but who cares. I have been shooting the 150's NBT and was looking to move up in bullet weight. The NBT offer a 165 gn and 168 gn bullet. What is the difference in these rounds other than the weight? It just seemed odd to see such a low weight change from one to the other.

The 168 is a hunting bullet. Nosler's first paragraph clearly states it:

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Bend, Oregon —Nosler, Inc. is pleased to introduce the new 30 caliber 168-grain Ballistic Tip®. The world’s leading manufacturer of premium grade hunting bullets added the 168-grain Ballistic Tip® to enhance the already highly versatile lineup for deer and antelope hunters.

The 168 TSX and TTSX are the preferred wts for me in my 30.06. I have a lot of 150 Btips for my 308, but plan on trying the new 168 with AA2520, Varget, and IMR4064.