At one time they made a .243 70 gr match bullet. very accurate. The company changed hands.The blistic tips won't shoot for me. I now shoot bergers bullets.
Posts: 1295 | Location: USA | Registered: 21 May 2001
No, you are not the only one who is still missing the old Nosler Solid Base bullets.
I have a friend who shoots a what he calls a Super 7 (7 X 300 WBY) and he still claims the 162 solid base was THE very best bullet he ever used in that gun. Another fellow had one of those guns and used that bullet to kill more wild hogs here in CA than any one would believe. The same guy also just loved the 120 solid base for use on wild hogs with his 25-06.
I was really fond of the neat little 52 grain sold base spitzer they used to make in .224 caliber. It shot great in my 22-250 and was great on gound squirrels, jackrabbits, coyotes, etc.
Nosler certainly does not care what we think, they are so busy taking their money to the bank from the sale of the Ballistic Tips.
I think the biggest problem with the Ballistic Tips versus the old Solid Base is consistancy. The old Solid Base bullets worked, ALWAYS. The Ballistic Tips might work fine then blow up for no apparent reason. Just my opinion.
R Flowers
Posts: 1220 | Location: Hanford, CA, USA | Registered: 12 November 2000
GSF1200 - They were superb bullets. I have a carefully hoarded batch of 7mm/140's and 162's that I got from Nickudu, as well as 308/150's. Magnificent deer bullets, much better than the B-Tips, in my opinion.
R-WEST
Posts: 1483 | Location: Windber, PA | Registered: 24 January 2001
Is is possible they were too close in performance to the partition that it was hurting the sale of the latter? They were great hunting bullets. I still have a couple of boxes of the 7mm 162g that I am hoarding. Sambubba
Posts: 314 | Location: Abilene,Tx. USA | Registered: 21 October 2000
I agree the solid base was a far better game bullet than the ballistic tip. The ballistic tip was a varmint design that erringly made it into the hunting bullet world. They shoot well though and I use only the BT's designed for varmints.
Nosler will tell you that both the Solid Base and the Ballistic Tip are identical in construction. The only difference is the plastic tip which was added to the Solid Base.
Still, I had extreme accuracy in on gun with the Solid Bases and never could duplicate it with the Ballistic Tip.
Posts: 1261 | Location: Placerville, CA, US of A | Registered: 07 January 2001
I loved them, and still have a supply for my .243 (100's) and .270 (130's) and 7mm (150's and 162's). I ran out of the .22/55gr and haven't been able to find anyting that shoots as well in my .222 magnum.
Haven't had a chance to hunt with the 7mm's, but the .243's and .270's have never made anything but a one-shot kill for me.
In my penetration tests in dry paper (good only for comparisons), the Solid Base would usually penetrate within 90% of the Partition.
I don't find the hunting Ballistic Tips as fragile as some people say, but the only advantage they have over the Solid Base is that the noses don't get deformed (big deal). As mentioned, dropping the Solid Base line in favor of the Ballistic Tip allowed Nosler to charge more for its lowest priced bullets.
Posts: 13263 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
The Solid base bullets made a lot of sense. Centre of gravity further forward than normal, light for length, dependable, good BC figures and very consistently manufactured. They always gave me good results.
I miss 'em too. Was very impressed with them. Possibly the best deer bullet of that day, and I'd much rather use the SB than a BT for medium game any day of the week. Nosler'd get more of my business if they reintroduced them. Maybe if they lose enough business to the Hornady SST, they will.