Nosler BT 40g VS 50g VS 55g for on game performance.

243ME

243ME

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I'm working on a Coon, fox, and coyote load for my one in nine twist 223 Rem 700 with a 20" barrel. My average shot will be from extremely close range to 150 yards. One ce in a while I have a 300 plus yard shot where I call. I wanted to pick from one of these rounds and was wondering if one VS the other is going to give more or less knock down performance and if I will receive more pelt damage with the heavier grain bullet. I'm assuming with the faster lighter bullet, if I can get it to fly, is more likely to go in, explode and not come oout the other side. Where the heavier, slower moving bullet is going to go completely though. I want to start with the 40 grainers but need to see if I'm going to get a good group from the lighter bullets. Which bullet will give less pelt damage with the possiblity of a one hole shot without exiting. Also which of the three is going to anchor them in their tracks the best?
 
One of the best loads I have for my 223 is with a 55gr vmax. It seems like the heavier slower bullet does not exit. Ihave shot several fox and bobcat with this bullet and had no exits from about 40yds-150yds or so. The ballistic tip is a little tougher bullet but not much.
 
I had a lot of trouble with bullet splash in my 22-250 and the 40gr. Nosler BT. If I hit a shoulder, it looked like a grenade had hit it. It was even blowing up on ribs. Of course you will be shooting a slower velocity so they may work. With a 1-9" twist I would shoot 50 gr.+ bullets.
 
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I shot three coyotes and a wolf with the 55 gr Nosler BT in my 223 (1:12 22") and in all four instances the bullet exited, although not a large hole.

yote #1 - 250 yard heart/lung shot, ran 50 yards and skidded to a stop

yote #2 - 125 yard heart/lung shot, spun 3 times then flopped

yote #3 - 150 yard heart/lung shot, spun a few times then ran 50 yards spun a few more times then flopped

wolf - 80 yard heart/lung shot, spun few times then flopped over dead
 
I would not use a 40gr bullet in my .223 for predators. They seem to have some trouble. BT's seem to have a heaiver jacket than the others. I have shot bobcats and yotes with 55gr V-Max's at 3450 out of my 22-68 wildcat and not tore them up. Figure you will just have to see what works for you. There is no magic bullet or load for fur-saving that is 100%.
 
I shot coyotes with all three of the Nosler bullets you mentioned. I was shooting the 40 grainer over 4000 fps, the 50 grainers at about 3700 fps and the 55 Noslers around 3550 fps from my 22-250. Here were my observations.

The 40 grain bullets at that speed created a large entrance wounds but did not exit. Golf ball to tennis ball in diameter, the larger holes were in the area of the shoulder or shoulder bone. The coyotes shot behind the shoulder did not exit and had a small entrance hole.

The 50 grain bullet entrance wound on one of the coyotes was huge...but the coyote was quartering toward me and I hit bone. Some of the other coyotes were hit broadside and I got a small entrance wound and no exit.

The 55 grain bullet was pretty much the same as the 50 grain observations with maybe better penetration.

The long and short of this matter is this, if you hit bone on the way in or out with an explosive bullet you will have to break out the sewing kit. The most explosive bullets are the #1)Blitz Kings, #2)V-Maxs and then #3)Noslers.

The match grade bullets by Sierra and Berger work well in the fur department, or as good as you will find. (Not always the Bang-Flop kills you get with the plastic tips)

I would like to see the results of someone shooting coyotes with the 52 grain Barnes TSX at 22-250 or .223 velocities. Paint
 
I've shot a couple of coyotes with the 40gr NBT. All were "perfect" broadside shots. All dropped within 5 feet. I never hit any bone, the entrances were tiny, and I never had any exits. I've had the same experience with 40gr Vmax bullets.
 
What is going to be the on game perfomance between the NBT VS the Vmax both being 40g. Is one going to give better knock down or less pelt damage?
 
The 40 Nosler at 22-250 velocities will penetrate a little more than the 40 grain V-Max, based on articles that I read about the terminal performance using the 40 grain Blitz King, Vmax and Nosler. I chose the 40 Nosler for my testing because of these penetration tests. As a general rule, the higher the velocity, the more explosive these little bullets become and the less they penetrate. If my memory is correct the 40 grain Nosler penetrated almost twice as deep as the BK and Vmax at 22-250 velocities.

243ME, If you are worried about fur damage you maybe better served with the Berger 52 Match bullet. IMHO

For me, I would rather sew two small holes then one large ragged hole. paint
 
243ME,

Like coyotesmoke, when I'm using my .223, I'm using 55grs., and they're usually VMax's.
I use the same bullet and weight in my .22-250. To be honest with you, out of the choices with the polymer tipped bullets, I like the Hornady's because I just get better accuracy with them across the range of calibers I load for. Their accuracy and performance on game has been superb, and in comparison to the Nosler BT's, I've had a little better luck with them overall.....and they're just cheaper to boot.

I've gone the route and tried the Sierra's BK's, and although I've been a lifelong Sierra fan, the only thing I can get decent accuracy with them in, is my 15" .243 Encore. I know this has a lot to do with my particular guns, but, be that as it may, I've leaned heavier on the VMax's of late.

I can't speak for anyone else, but my results have been mostly bang-flops on coyotes and fox using the .223 combo. My velocities have been 3200-3300fps with the 55gr'rs, and exits are rare. Most anything hit within 100yds will get a pass through, except maybe a big coyote, and with the .22-250, that extends out a little bit.
Most of the shots I take are (guessingly) at 200+yds. and at those ranges I've never had a pass through. The closest shot I had at a fox was 50ft., and as luck would have it, I had the .22-250. That outcome wasn't pretty, and a grenade would've been less destructive.

One caliber that will do it all hasn't been invented yet, but I think that the .223 is pretty close to the "one size fits all" when it comes to calibers.

To complete a total answer to your question, the only thing I use the 40gr'rs in is my custom .22 Super Jet, and yes, those are VMax's as well. That cartridge only lacks about 150-200fps from matching the .223 with the same weight bullet, and does it all on about half the powder charge. With a 20" fluted bull barrel, it's a dream to carry in heavy woods, and doesn't destroy coyotes (or fox for that matter) when hunting in thick cover.

Good luck,
Bob
 
50 Gr.V-max.

Coyote #1-Bang flop
Coyote#2-Bang flop,half a tail shake
coyote#3-bang flop,one yipe
coyote#4-bang flop,wouldn't die but was imobile due to bad shot placement and moving target.Ended up being a gang land style execution,lol.
Coyote#5-bang flop
coyote#6.........
............
..........

Seriously, if you hit a yote with a 50 grainer or lighter at max load with a 24"bbl, they are dead as squat right there.Works for me anyways. The 45 grainers from wally world work well too.You may loose 1 out of 5 furs but those odds are good for me.I want the bullet to totally blow up inside.

jerryboy
 
I'm going to head to the range in the next couple of days with some 40 and 50g CT's that I worked up and down in .5 grain increments with benchmark.
 
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