Bullet penetration on moose

[nivek2506]

Just looking for some opinions.

What do you think the chances of a 180gr Ballistic Silver Tip out of a 30-06 would be in exiting a bull moose from a side profile shot?

The shot would takes both lungs out, and doesn't hit the closest leg or shoulder, and is under 100 yards.

[fatboyz]

At 100 yards it should go through. I've out to a couple hundred they usually go through. After that it's not uncommon to find the bullet against the hide on the opposite side from the shot.

[greybeard]

I shot a good large bull broadside, double lung, with a 303 soft lead tip from 35 feet. My brother , who skinned it, found the lead on the other side just inside the hide.

My brother-in-law went through and through with a broadhead at 8 yards on a cow moose.

[silver lab]

Pass through.

[simplify]

assuming store bought loads, guaranty through and through

the cow moose i shot 2 years ago, ~110 yards, quartering away so hit far shoulder was a through and through; using 180 ballistic tip. The amount of concussive force was massive, she dropped in her tracks

for moose, 180 grain ballistic tip is my bullet of choice. time and time again hits them hard. I would rather have to cut away jelly and a bit extra meat for a quick take down any day

oh and yes, i shot a 30-06

[Rockymtnx]

I would say that the chances of the bullet exiting are pretty good.
However I have see bullets some strange things after hitting bone.
Probably safe to say 8 times out of 10 it will exit.

[Speckle55]

I have had a pass through on my moose with a 30-06 silvertip took out both lungs and abit of rib on entry and a full rib on exit .. pass through could put my fist in on exit wound 125 yard shot broadside running.. now i use a Rem 7mm Mag 175 gr PP same big hole .. double lung this year 75 yd two ribs and bullet split looked like..Bull moose 45 3/4 Sept 28 2010.. all i shoot are factory loads

[leo]

Originally Posted by Rockymtnx

I would say that the chances of the bullet exiting are pretty good.
However I have see bullets some strange things after hitting bone.
Probably safe to say 8 times out of 10 it will exit.

X2 . Hit the edge of rib and that bullet may wind up in the neck(happened to me)or else where. Hit a larger bone and the same bullet may turn to shrapnel.

[Sooner]

I shoot a savage lever action 308. I only use store bought ammo, Nosler partition, 180 grain. I have had bullets go through most moose I shoot and almost all my deer. I only have 3 or 4 bullets saved that I have found over the years. I would guess a 30 06 would go right through if the shot you mention is presented.

[209x50]

180 grain silvertip was my brand many years ago when they were the rage in the 70's, and 80's. Based on I'll bet over a hundred moose shot in the family with that bullet the number of times that bullet exited was almost never. You could always count on it being on the far hide but it very, very seldom made it through.
Great bullet and perfect performance everytime.

[elkhunter11]

180 grain silvertip was my brand many years ago when they were the rage in the 70's, and 80's. Based on I'll bet over a hundred moose shot in the family with that bullet the number of times that bullet exited was almost never. You could always count on it being on the far hide but it very, very seldom made it through.
Great bullet and perfect performance everytime.

The OP specified the "Ballistic Silvertip" which is basically a Nosler Ballistic tip, with a silver tip, and a lubalox coating. This is a far different bullet than the original "Silvertip".

[Cal]

Originally Posted by 209x50

180 grain silvertip was my brand many years ago when they were the rage in the 70's, and 80's. Based on I'll bet over a hundred moose shot in the family with that bullet the number of times that bullet exited was almost never. You could always count on it being on the far hide but it very, very seldom made it through.
Great bullet and perfect performance everytime.

The original Silver Tips were excelent bullets, hard to find now at times or I'd still be shooting them. The newer Balistic Silvertips perform very differently from my experience. I've only used them out of a .270 on deer but based on what I saw they would be about my last choice for moose.

[Ormachek]

I'm with Cal, my experience on deer(130gr .270win) with ballistic silvertips was less than impressive, shallow penetration(4-6") and they virtually grenaded, shrapnel ripped through the diaphragm into the stomach. Not my first choice for anything, well maybe coyotes.

[Houndogn]

right through

[.270fan]

Originally Posted by Ormachek

I'm with Cal, my experience on deer(130gr .270win) with ballistic silvertips was less than impressive, shallow penetration(4-6") and they virtually grenaded, shrapnel ripped through the diaphragm into the stomach. Not my first choice for anything, well maybe coyotes.

x2 for sure. I actually never did shoot a deer with 130 gr ballistic tips. I did shoot a coyote at about 100 yards with one though and it basically shredded itself. Wouldnt be my choice for moose at all

[elkhunter11]

I'm with Cal, my experience on deer(130gr .270win) with ballistic silvertips was less than impressive, shallow penetration(4-6") and they virtually grenaded, shrapnel ripped through the diaphragm into the stomach. Not my first choice for anything, well maybe coyotes.

The 130gr .277" Ballistic Silvertip is a totally different bullet than the 180gr .308" Ballistic Silvertip. The 180gr .308"Ballistic Tip has a much thicker jacket than the .277" Ballistic Tips, and it performs much differently as a result. I have killed eight elk and two moose with the 180gr Ballistic Tip, launched out of my 300RUM at 3340fps, and they performed very well, in some cases penetrating both front shoulders of a mature bull elk.

[j3006]

I shoot the ballistics silvertips out of my 30-06 all the time. Used them on deer and a couple of elk. I did have one stop on the opposite side, just under the skin on my second elk. I questioned the bullet as well. My 3rd elk it was though and though at about 150 yards and lasts years cow moose was a through and through at about 130 yards. Shot a few deers over the 150 yard mark with pas throughs.

All my game have been pass through's except for one. Not sure of your rifle, but I get great groups with the silvertips and with that, I feel is most important.

I like to know where I am hitting. Like a lot of shooters, Putting a bullet in the right place is key.

Otherwise I love the Ballistic silvertips.


Cheers.

[savage shooter]

Based on my own experience, the ballistic tips EXPLODE with very little penetration. They're poor bullets.

Nosler partitions and nosler accubonds are both FAR superior. Hell, for me, even Sierra game kings hold together much better.

I find it unconscionable to use ballistic tips on moose...An accubond is basically a ballistic tip but with a bonded core to give it less separation and much better penetration.

Why the hell would you use such an inferior bullet on big game? To save 20 cents?

Sure, if you get a perfect ribcage shot every time it'll go through - just like any cheap bullet. Unfortunately, reality doesn't always work like that.

[elkhunter11]

Based on my own experience, the ballistic tips EXPLODE with very little penetration.

So how many 180gr .308" Ballistic Tips have you used on big game?

[savage shooter]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

So how many 180gr .308" Ballistic Tips have you used on big game?

I have used 168gr ballistic silver tips from a 30'06 (.308") on three animals with the same results 2 times. Explosion. Accubonds are the same bullet but with a bonded core. They're vastly superior and there's no excuse to use ballistic tips.

[ontario gunner]

I used to use 150 and 168 grain winchester ballistic silvertips in 3006 on deer. Always hit them in the ribs,, never had a pass thru! They explode as soon they hit flesh. As of last year I will no longer use them, on anything except coyotes.

[elkhunter11]

I have used 168gr ballistic silver tips from a 30'06 (.308") on three animals with the same results 2 times.

In other words, you haven't used the 180gr .308" Ballistic Tip on any big game animals. The 168gr .308" Ballistic Tip, has a significantly thinner jacket than the 180gr version, and as a result, it does not hold together nearly as well as the 180gr version. The two bullets share the same name, and the same poly tip, but they perform much differently on game, because of the difference in jacket thickness.

I used to use 150 and 168 grain winchester ballistic silvertips in 3006 on deer.

As was posted above, neither the 150gr Ballistic Tip, or the 168gr Ballistic Tip have the same thick jacket that the 180gr version does, so they don't perform the same on game.

The first 180gr .308"Ballistic Tips were soft, just like the 150gr, and 165/168gr versions, but based on customer feedback, Nosler increased the jacket thickness significantly on the 180gr version, which dramatically changed the bullets performance on game on game. Nosler did not increase the jacket thickness on the lighter Ballistic Tips, to the extent that they did on the 180gr versions, so they don't perform nearly as well on game as the 180gr versions.

[iceman99]

Here's one idea to consider:

Bullets designed for rapid expansion can be less predictable when their velocity is very high and they are terminating into a solid mass. If a number of experiments could be run it is likely that bullet performance on a moose would be more predictable once the bullet had slowed down from muzzle velocities.

Say for example, at 200yds with the bullet going slower (2300 fps) it would not expand as rapidly and there would be more penetration than compared with a 75 yard broadside shot (2900 fps). At the close range, bullet expansion is varied more dramatically by what materials it hits (ie. at the higher velocities).

[savage shooter]

Elkhunter, I believe you are correct about the ones weighing 180 grains or more but still, why suffer the inferior bullet when you could just get an accubond? Doesn't a sportsman want to be as humane as possible and give himself every edge in killing his game quickly? So the 180 grain ones are less crappy than the <180 grain ones. That's nice, they're still inferior to the bonded core polymer tipped bullets from the same company.

[elkhunter11]

Elkhunter, I believe you are correct about the ones weighing 180 grains or more but still, why suffer the inferior bullet when you could just get an accubond? Doesn't a sportsman want to be as humane as possible and give himself every edge in killing his game quickly? So the 180 grain ones are less crappy than the <180 grain ones. That's nice, they're still inferior to the bonded core polymer tipped bullets from the same company.

As I posted, I have killed eight elk and two moose with the 180gr Ballistic Tip, and the bullet performance was very good in all cases. Every one of those elk and moose was killed quickly, and cleanly. And according to your posts, you have ZERO experience using the 180gr Ballistic Tip on big game, yet you refer to is as a crappy bullet. How is it that you come to the conclusion that it is a crappy bullet, when you have never even used it on big game?

When I started using the 180gr Ballistic Tip, there was no Accubond yet available. Since then, Barnes has released the TSX, and the TTSX, and I now use the TTSX exclusively for my elk and moose hunting, as it out penetrates the Accubond, and expands quite reliably. However, if there were no Barnes TSX/TTSX or Accubond, I would have kept using the 180gr Ballistic Tip, and kept on killing elk and moose quickly and cleanly.

[Spennydubs]

Originally Posted by Rockymtnx

I would say that the chances of the bullet exiting are pretty good.
However I have see bullets some strange things after hitting bone.
Probably safe to say 8 times out of 10 it will exit.

X3 but if it does not exit no biggie if your in the boiler let it rattle around!

[buckman]

The passing through of a bullet depends on many factors.On a mature Moose the bullet should be strong enough to retain at least 60% of its weight.Given enough ft lbs of energy it will pass through unless it encounters bone on the entry side.The path of the bullet can change dramatically at this point and prevent it.

I have found that the best kills are often when the bullet is found under the hide on the opposite side of the animal(regardless of species) The more expansion and energy released in the chest cavety the faster the kill.

Many of us hunt with only one rifle,anything from a 270 up is fine for Moose.

[BallCoeff.435]

Originally Posted by nivek2506

Just looking for some opinions.

What do you think the chances of a 180gr Ballistic Silver Tip out of a 30-06 would be in exiting a bull moose from a side profile shot?

The shot would takes both lungs out, and doesn't hit the closest leg or shoulder, and is under 100 yards.

After going through 2 ribs I'd estimate that bullet, or the largest part of it, would be caught by the hide on the far side. No rib hits and for sure it'd go through.

I take it that the biggest worry is hitting two animals in a group with one shot. For sure that's one of the things on my mind when taking a shot if there's any possibility of another animal in the area.

[gitrdun]

Too funny. Technicalities about dropping a moose. I think I'm going to pee myself.

[gitrdun]

Originally Posted by nivek2506

Just looking for some opinions.

What do you think the chances of a 180gr Ballistic Silver Tip out of a 30-06 would be in exiting a bull moose from a side profile shot?

The shot would takes both lungs out, and doesn't hit the closest leg or shoulder, and is under 100 yards.

I couldn't help but to ask. WHAT THE F'... is so important about the bullet coming out on the other side. Did you read that on the internet.......fool?