I used the 160 grain CT's out of a 7mm rem mag on a caribou in canada this fall. I'm not sure the reason but canada will not allow you to bring in hand loaded ammo, so I saw the factory winchester with the CT's. Accuracy at the range was as good as any other factory ammo I've shot, if not better. Now we make a stalk to what I ranged at 217 yards on a caribou, woodland type. Shot him three times, if I was a little more on the ball I might have been able to get a fourth off. All three shots were at the same side of the caribou. These results are what I determined from the shot angles, my aiming, ect. The first shot, completely broadside, hit about 1" from the point of the shoulder. He ran about 30 yards to my left. I wasn't sure if I had hit him until he started holding his one leg off the ground. The second shot, quartering towards, hit at about the diaphragm line and went throught the front of the guts. The third shot, quartering towards still, hit in shoulder. After this shot he turned and ran about 100-125 yards with blood spewing out the back side before crashing down. I should have got a picture of the bullet holes after we got him caped, but I have never shoot at or hit one animal this many times and had it run like that. All three bullets passed through. The experience left me thinking these may be a little too much for smaller game. FWIW

In all the NBT vs Accubond vs SST vs Partition ect. I very rarely see anything written here about the Nosler Combined Technology Fail Safes?

Any reports on them? What niche do they fill?

Fail Safes have been around for a while. Winchester developed them. They are a deep penatrator by reports I've read. Sean

I am kinda wondering if they come in between the NBT and the Accubond? As the Accubond isn't available in lighter weights for 30 cal - like 165 or 150 like the CTFS is - may be the way to go.

Hey Teal, I wondered the same thing. Check out this thread--Ray Atkinson obviously has a lot of real world experience with various bullets on game. John Charlie Noak and DJ also know their business-- I think their opinions are worth a lot.



http://www.accuratereloading.com/ubbthreads/favlinker.php?Cat=&Entry=5969&F_Board=UBB6&Thread=787689&partnumber=&postmarker=

I have only seen the results on game from the 140gr 7mm failsafe.Penetration was as good or better than with any 175gr bullet that I have seen including the partition.I would use them in my own rifles but they don't shoot well in my guns.I know of several other guns with the same story so it appears that they are finicky as far as accuracy is concerned.Performance on game however is great and I would even consider them for a dangerous game bullet in my own rifles where ranges are shorter and accuracy is not as important.

stubblejumper,
Give the Barnes Triple Shock a try. I took two deer this week with a Ruger#1 in 25-06 and the 100gr Triple shocks, I am impressed. Not only that is the most accurate hunting bullet I have fired in any gun. I tried them in two 25 cal rifles with super accuracy. And man do they kill.

Of course two deer do not tell you much. I got one more tag to try for a frontal shot and hope to recover a bullet. A broad side shot won't stop the bullet. They have a high BC, do not foul like the old ones, have highter velocity, and are super accurate. I Moly plate mine. Fred M.

I have considered trying the barnes tsx but since my present bullets are working so well and I have a large supply,I haven't gotten around to it yet.I may do some experimenting next summer.

You will find out that some folks love the monolithics and others have had poor performance with them...I have come to the conclusion, right or wrong, that when a Barnes X, Failsafe, Barnes Triple X, works it is and outstanding bullet, but when it fails, it fails miserably...It is my belief that on ocassion the hollow point nose pinches shut on entry and causes an ocassional bullet failure....

What I have observed with most monolithics is that they work all the time on big animals like Buffalo and fail on ocassion on the smaller stuff, I have to say in my case the GS Customs have been the exception and I never heard of a failure with them..

We have to keep in mind that any bullet built by man can fail, bad lots of copper and lead show up from time to time and many other defects can take place, and sometimes the most popular bullets are in such demand that quality control becomes secondary to production schedules...

However, I will say that most all of todays bullets are less prone to failure than the bullets of yesteryear, and that says kudos for our bulletmakers.

I have chosen for the most part to use the bonded lead core bullets and partitions over the monolithics, again with the exception of GS Customs and the cup point and flatnose solids by Northfork....

Thats what makes a horse race, dog fight or shoot'en match, choices.

Doc - I have used the CT Silvertips (basicaly molied BTs) and they did very well - complete pass thru on a double shoulder shot DRT. 30-06. The 06 is the fasted gun I own so I am looking at those velocites. NBT or TSX? That is the question. My smith is gonna cut the chamber to the bullet and OAL I send him. So I am trying to come up with a bullet I will be able to use 99% of the time. I hunt deer 99% of the time but a future at Trinidad for gunsmith school means a possibility of elk. I was thinking 168 gr TSX or the 180 NBTs - I'm gonna moly either one.

Any advice? I think the Failsafes may be a bit to tough for the deer I plan to hunt the most.

Well, your statements on the Barnes is why I always aim for bone when possible. I can see where if they were to fail, they'd do it miserably. I also tell everyone that asks me about the TSX to also aim for bone.

I think my brother works with a neurosurgeon that hunts with you.

The Failsafe will often just sail on through deer especially if you don't tag a bone on the way in.

My daughter's 270 just loves them. They turn her rifle into a very reliable Elk killer.

Rifles are finicky with them. Seems to be love or hate. I have culled some bison with the 270 grain Failsafes out of a 376 Steyr. Oh baby, right here, right now.

For your purposes I would just grab a handful of Partitions and never look back. Leave the moly for the high power shooters. They need it sometimes, you won't for hunting.

Good luck in school. That is an awesome area for skiing, flyfishing and hunting.

JCN

trying those other mulie pics again:

I'll have to agree w/ Ray, the FailSafe is great for the Big animals but performs terribly on the smaller critters.

I've seen them fail (make tiny hole in and out or "pencil") on several good size Whitetails but, I've seen them do great on a Good size Bull Elk.

If you look on the side of Winchesters Factory Loaded FailSafe box, it says they are intended for very Large Dangerous game, IMO thats what they should be used for.

Good Luck!

Reloader