"Are Ballistic Tips good for deer?"

YES, They are very good for deer. The Best deer bullets I have ever used.

I have shot them from several standard cals and Magnums too. They have always performed great for me and contrary to what some say they exit 99% of the time even when fired @ Magnum velocities.

Now, for your situation (300 WSM at close range) I believe that you should definitely go w/ the 180s there is no need for the fast&flat 150 at ranges less than 100. The 150 NBT @ 300 mag velocities up close is going to do alot of damage so, if you do use them, you should definitely go for the ribs/lungs shots. They will definitely work. I use the 150 NBTs in my 7mm RM @ 3100+ and they work extremely well at close range and long range. I have taken a pile of animals w/ that rifle and none have ever made it more than 25 yards (mostly dead at impact). I am not sure but I think that 300 WSM factory load is going quite abit faster than my 7 RM and I don't think the SD of that bullet is near as good as the 7mm 150.

If you don't want to mess w/ the 180s, I wouldn't hesitate using the 150s just go for the "behind the shoulder" shots.

Good Luck, I hope you get a big one.

Reloader

Last season I took a sika doe at ~7yds right by the stand with a 125gr NBT over 55gr N140 from a 30-06 (small Sectional density) and that bullet hit dead center in the front chest and was recovered at the rear quarter. DRT!!



I took a whitetail 3 yrs ago with a 150gr at ~3200fps from my 7mm mag at ~50 yds through the shoulder,..that bullet exited. DRT!!



2 yrs ago I took a whtetail button buck at ~15yds from the same 7mm mag and left peices of his heart in the rye field. DRT!!



These are several of many many BT experiences I have while hunting deer sized game.



Bullet failure to me means not finding the deer or not killing it. Of the several hundred different animals of all sizes,..I have yet to lose an animal. This of course doesn't mean other bullets don't work,..but I have no need to change the accuracy and killing power I have with the NBT in leiu of another projectile. Even though I have recovered many jackets with the base but no core,..that is of little importance as it has traversed almost the entire length of the deer which had fallen in it's tracks or within a few steps. That for all but the toughest game is more than enough data for me. I still get exit wounds at 500yds on whitetail,..from 0-500 I see no need for any other pill. I am also not enthused by the X bullet not being able to be seated close to the lands and the amount of copper solvent needed to get the excrement (read fouling) left in my match tubes by such overpriced pills.



Your mileage may vary, but I'll stick with polymer tips or MATCHKINGS go ahead and flame away boys,..I can't feel your fire,..I'm busy sweating from dragging all these deer out of the soybean fields of Delmarva

NBT are big Whitetail medicine. I hunt public ground and need a bang-flop, big holes and a little meat loss is better than losing the whole deer, so I shoot 140s in 7mm and 100s in 25-06 pushed hard. I reload for a friend with 180s in 30-06 and another buddy uses the 165s in 300Win Mag the 165s leave a trench so he only uses it for beanfields. 180s at 06 speeds act more like a Partition. I would go with the 180s over the 150s in 30 cal, especailly with pork on the menu. Until I see otherwise NBTs are all I use from 22-30 cal.

Ditto what hornetfan said. I have harvested many many deer on the crop permits with NBT's from 20yds to 450+ yds. These were 150gr pills launched at well over 3100fps,..closer to 3200fps. Never had a failure and don't need to track them very far if at all.

here's the deal
(i wont start bad)

a 300 wsm will make a BARNES X open up... it's GREAT with hornady or parts...

bt's blow the f* up... period..

guys that support them say they always expand... granted... so does an m203 round

guys that know that not all shots are perfect behind the sholder from a deer stand know better

bt's are for paper


try the accubond, if you HAVE to have a plastic "bullet"

jeffe

Stubbie here is using the Ballistic tips on Large Game and did not indicate the distances these are taken at.

However I have come to respect him on the forum as a man who knows what he is talking about.

IN my experience as others have said on deer they work, period.

I do find too much meat damage for my satisfaction the smaller the deer are. However, when MV is kept below 2700 or so, that bullet is a different animal. It still opens up quite well, and does so without exploding excessively and causing meat damage.

OUT of a Short Mag, I'd handload it down to the lower velocity, such as the 308 speeds. If you are in deep woods, the distance is not going to be an issue. The slower velocities also penetrates a lot more since the bullet is not blowing up.

I have loaded up a batch of 243s for this season for beginning hunters using the 95 grain Ballistic Tip with an MV of 2600 fps. It is a good solid 250 yd load and that is more than enough range for about anyone but the seasoned hunter who practices a lot.

Good luck with your choice and your hunt.
Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

NBT's work on deer yada yada yada. If you want a bullet that works...shoot barnes x. They dont have to be loaded to reduced velocities...there is no question about what if it hits a major bone...no will it blow up. NBT's are good paper punching bullets and fine for the occasional crow or yote. But God forbid I should ever take another species of large game with one. It just aint gonna happen. I refuse to hunt with them. Period...end of discussion. When i Buy a rifle, I want all i can get out of it. Heck with reducing the load. If you gonna do that why didnt ya just buy the damn 308 to begin with? Leave the plastic crap alone...unless you shoot accubonds...and shoot a real bullet. Something you can get your rifles full potential with and not have to worry about how its gonna perform once it hits the animal. I do like the accubonds...but i AM a barnes x slut.

Used within their design parameters Ballistic Tips are great bullets, accurate and reliable. At the best velocities that are attainable in short action rifles such as the .260Rem 7mm08Rem and .308 they are hard to beat on medium game, the stuff that they were designed to hunt.

Of course, if you choose to ignore the advice of the manufacturer and hit large game at close range and very high velocity, you will probably experience bullet failure. Even Nosler tell you that, and to choose another bullet.

What is so hard to understand about that??

This fall I used a 150gr NBT in my 7mmRM for Reindeer. The range was about 200m and it was a lungshot.
The exit wound was about 4cm in diameter and there was no extensive meat damage.

Regards