RDF from Nosler

[Saltydog235]

The only bullet failure I have ever experienced was with a 168grn NBT on a small buck at 120yds. The bullet entered between two ribs and exited between two ribs, never expanding. I lost the trail in a swamp at night. Being 90 degrees out, recovery the next day was just going to be for peace of mind. I found the deer 400yds from the stand laid out on some cypress knees. I had to look for the entrance and exit, both perfect .308" holes. It was an anomaly as I've used the NBT in various caliber and weight with tremendous results.

I've seen 4 CorLoct "failures" in the last 3 years. All resulted in dead animals just not recovered for a harvest. All three had shed the jacket in the hide and fragmented lead beyond. They killed the animal, just not quickly, so, technically they still didn't fail.

 

[Powermwt]

I have had failures over the years, mostly due to jackets separating.

One I remember vividly was in 1965 with Remington 150gr bronze point ammunition (2900fps) at about 75 yards into a quartering front shoulder shot into a 200+/- feral hog (boar) in Monterey County, California. The bullet shattered against the hide, leaving a mark and made him flinch but he continued thru the brush running into two hunters on the same fire trail around the ridge. They killed him and we found the bullet had hit... just not penetrated. I stopped using that particular ammo that day and started using CorLokt.

I must admit I'm a little biased for Nosler as I built a manufacturing facility for them in Bend back in the early 1980s. I think I still have some 150 gr protected point partition bullets.

 

[AllenJ]

I've been lucky, I did not lose any of the 3 animals that I shot and deemed the bullet failed. For the purpose of this discussion though my definition of bullet failure is "the bullet did not act as the manufacture stated or in a way one would consider a normal bullet to react". Two of the three animals fell in place, the other required tracking and a followup shot. That one the bullet did the impossible, it enter the shoulder, struck and broke a bone, turned 90 degrees and exited the bottom of the same shoulder. There was no damage beyond the broken bone so the bullet did not break apart, it just somehow made a very sharp turn and exited. One of the others was not something I'd say is impossible, just so highly improbable one may think it could be, I've seen a Nosler Partition explode. The entry wound was the size of a softball (that is not an exaggeration, it was that big) and no exit wound. It is the only deer I've killed that lay there looking dead but when I touched my gun barrel to his eye he blinked.

 

[Roadkill2228]

Resurrect the thread!

Hey I know this is a long dead thread (that has a nice ring to it doesn’t it?) but I’m wondering if any of you people have tested the rdf bullets since, accuracy, easy to find an accurate load or not, realistic bc or not, but most of all terminal performance. Had anyone acquired any field data regarding terminal performance. They seem pretty affordable compared to some of their competitors (bergers,Sierras, scenars, eld m).

 

[std7mag]

I haven't shot any of the RDF yet. When they become more readily available in my area that will change.

As for "target" bullets use on game, all the manufacturers will say no.
But....
The Berger VLD Hunting line is the original bullet Walt Berger designed so many years ago as a target bullet.
Berger Bullets now claims that you get 3-5 inches of penetration then the bullet fragmentates. Causing a massive internal wound cavity.

Overseas loves the AMAX.
Haven't heard of many people using the MatchKing on deer sized game. Supposed to be good on varmints.

 

[Mobuck]

With so many excellent options for hunting bullets, WHY do folks have to ask this question?
I shoot stuff with Nosler 155 BTHP from a 308. Sometimes it works well=other times the stuff runs off requiring a difficult follow up. It's no biggie since most of the stuff isn't worth much with the fur prices so low. I tried this bullet on deer TWICE. Once was great. Second attempt was dismal failure. NO MORE. I have plenty of ammo designed to work well on game.

 

[Picher]

I had been loading Hornady GMX solid copper bullets with plastic tips for a few years and they'd worked well until last season, when my son shot a small buck through the lungs at about 50 yards with his 30-06 and it went over 90 yards with a lung shot. Cleaning it out proved that the bullet didn't expand well.

Like a lot of bullets, sometimes the manufacturer gets it wrong and makes them a bit too hard. That happened to a buddy who used some Winchester Fail-Safe bullets in his .30-06 Thompson Center on an Elk in Colorado. He shot it at about 70 yards and the elk showed no signs of being hit. They waited a while, then followed it and shot it again, and again, and again. They followed it and shot it a few more times then lost it for the day.

They went back the next day and found it and shot it for the 7th time and it died. None of the "Fail Safes" succeeded...just pencelled-through the elk.

I would NEVER deliberately use either target or varmint bullets on deer or larger game! We sometimes have problems enough with the "right" bullets for game. Military, target, or varmint bullets should NEVER be used for medium to large game. It's hard enough to get good game bullets to act right.

I had a problem with the early Nosler Ballistic Tips in my .270 Win, when frustrated after missing a running shot at a nice buck, the next deer was a small doe standing broadside. The bullet blew-up scattering chest parts and lung tissue in a cone at least 10 feet behind the deer...which went over sideways with four feet in the air, which quivered for a couple of seconds.
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This year, after accuracy testing, and some good comments from writers, I've purchased some new Winchester Deer Season ammo for both .243 Win and .270 Win and found them very accurate, the last time, making a 1/4" group with the .243 Win. They have a large plastic tip and, from what I've read, expand very well in deer-sized game.

JP

 

[hooligan1]

I have since loaded 140 grn Accubonds for my deer hunting, and some 130 grn Berger's for anything else,.
I believe the RDF bullets would be fine for predators, who knows for deer, and great for practice and plinking.

Before anybody jumps off a house, realize that I have never to this date shot at or hit any deer or game animal with a target bullet.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Only thing hampering a RDF use on Big Game. >State Law hunting {bullet} restrictions and someone's common sense.

 

[Picher]

There are no scoring rings on animals, so whether you hit within a half-inch of your aiming point or not, doesn't matter as much as having that bullet penetrate adequately, and preferably leaving a decent exit hole that will bleed, so you can find the animal in deep brush or woods.

A round/bullet that will group 2" at 100 yards doesn't sound like it would be accurate enough for you, but at that distance, the farthest away from aiming point that any round might be is only 1". Statistically, 66% of all bullets fired at that distance would be closer to 1/2" of the desired impact point.

If you can shoot an animal and tell whether it was hit within 1/2" of the aim point or not, you're either a better hunter/shooter than anyone in the world, or just a liar.

Bottom line: Use a darned bullet that is designed for the game you're after. A perfect lung shot that doesn't quickly kill and/or provide an adequate blood trail is NOT evidence of your skill as a hunter. It shows that you have little respect for the animal, or yourself as a hunter.

 

[Don Fischer]

I have been using Hornady Spire Point/Inter lock for about 50 yrs now. Have never had one fail me! So long as people keep chasing the latest and greatest, bullet maker's will keep putting them out. We must be getting close to the round lead ball again!