Recovered Nosler Ballistic Tip

[Pred]

This is a recovered 7mm 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip from the deer I shot this year. With a 7mm Rem Mag from 60 yards, I hit the deer in the neck (head on shot) and the bullet stopped under the deer's right shoulder blade. The recovered bullet weighs 70 grains. Not much of the lead core is left. This is the first time I've been able to recover one of these bullets. All the other shots I've taken with this rifle have been broadside and they all exited.

From that distance, I guess this would be the expected performance from this bullet.

[Pinnacle]

That thing went off like a bomb I imagine.

I use a 130 NBT in my 270 clocking along at 3100 at the muzzle.

[cobb]

Wish I could find the 165 BT that I shot a deer with several years ago. Entered at the rear most rib area, high on the right side and stopped in the left front shoulder joint. It never mushroomed, so I would guess is still weighed close to 165 gr.

So the problem is, I don't think anyone here believes me, that is why I wish I could find it so that I could post a picture of it.

[farmerj]

I have lost only one bullet I have used on a deer. And that was a 12 ga slug at 100 yds.

I mostly have been using the fed classic ammo. This have held together just fine in the deer and weight retention appears to be good with good expansion. Would love to give you pictures, but after my divorce, I have yet to get anything from my ex.

[Pred]

Wish I could find the 165 BT that I shot a deer with several years ago. Entered at the rear most rib area, high on the right side and stopped in the left front shoulder joint. It never mushroomed, so I would guess is still weighed close to 165 gr.

So there is the problem, I don't think anyone here believes me, that is why I wish I could find it so that I could post a picture of it.

Well all I can say I guess, is that nothing is ever 100%. But I wouldn't go so far as calling it a problem... yet. I'd dare to bet that will never happen again to you in your lifetime with that bullet. If it does, then with those odds I think I'd change my mind and agree that there might be a design issue. I'm sure there are LOTS of cases of bullets that should have expanded but didn't. Not a specific problem with the bullets, it's just that stuff happens.

[cobb]

This happened about 15-20 years ago and a quick overview of what happened and what the bullet look liked might help. The deer was traveling up hill and I was shooting from an elevated stand, the bullet entered high, right rear of deer about the area where the ribs meet the spine, traveled through vitals and wedged itself in the left front leg socket. The deer went down like someone had hit it over the head with a hammer. My brother in law was the one cutting up this particular deer later and when doing so, pointed out how the left front shoulder was all bruised, at the time I assumed it from when he went down after the shot. As mentioned, the bullet was recovered from the left front shoulder socket, it basically fell out when cutting it up.

The bullet tip looked like someone had squeezed the plastic tip area with pliers and bent it over, breaking off the tip and folding the jacket tip over partially, now it looked like a FMJ with a tip folded over. Off course there was rifling and the bullet was no longer perfectly round, kinda looked like it had been put in a vise and squeezed.

My guess? As soon as the bullet hit the deer, it hit, glancing off a lobe of the spine or a rib, breaking the plastic tip off and folding the leading edge of the jacket over. I was not the one doing the cutting on this deer and after we found the bullet in the shoulder socket, it was way after the entry wound area had been carved up. The bullet traveled through vitals and the next solid area that it encountered was the shoulder socket where it neatly slipped into between the ball and socket. I think how it when into the socket is why the bullet had flats on it sides and out of round, it was wedged in between the socket and ball of the joint. This would also maybe explain why the shoulder meat was so massively bruised, maybe the shoulder joint expanded as the bullet wedged in.

Is this a problem, not even close. A design issue, again no. This is as rare as the guy in the metro area that fell out of a motel window, I think 13 floors and lived, not an everyday occurrence. The chances of the BT not expanding is probably less than me winning Power Ball, in fact, I would have sooner won a lottery then be explaining how a Nosler BT didn't expand.

So that's my story and I am sticking to it.

[Pred]

Sorry Cobb, after reading your post again I misunderstood what you were calling the problem. I understand now what you meant when you referred to 'the problem'.

Well, I certainly believe your story 100%.

[cobb]

Sorry Cobb, after reading your post again I misunderstood what you were calling the problem. I understand now what you meant when you referred to 'the problem'.

Well, I certainly believe your story 100%.

Wish I could find the bullet, a picture is worth a thousand words.

[Pred]

, but after my divorce, I have yet to get anything from my ex.

Been there FarmerJ... Although I got most of my stuff when I left, there are lots of little things that I had scattered around the house that I I'm now finding I didn't manage to remember to take with me....

[DeanC]

Ever notice how many "problem" bullets are recovered from dead animals?

[cobb]

Ever notice how many "problem" bullets are recovered from dead animals?

Ya, the "problem" bullets are just too hard to recover from a live animal, either they run like hell or have big teeth and a nasty attitude.

[rucker]

Ever notice how many "problem" bullets are recovered from dead animals?

But if the bullet worked the way it is supposed to they would be even deader!

[cobb]

Sorry Cobb, after reading your post again I misunderstood what you were calling the problem. I understand now what you meant when you referred to 'the problem'.

Well, I certainly believe your story 100%.

I reread again and see what you mean, so I fixed it.