40 Grain NBT's out of a .223?

cornstalker

cornstalker

Active member
Been running 55's on coyotes for a while and was thinking of going with 40's for fox and bobcat.

I am looking for opinions and experiences you guys have had with the 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips on fox and bobcat. I figure they oughta be running 3600 to 3700 fps.

Next question: If a coyotes crashes the party, what kind of performance can I expect on them with the same load?
 
40s are great on coyotes, I prefer the 40 Vmax but I have also used the 40 NBT.

40 Vmaxs are too fast and too explosive for foxes and will blow holes more often than not.

Bobcats will sometimes have big holes too, especially if the fragmenting bullet hits a shoulder or leg even on the off side- the bones sometimes turn into shrapnel and get pushed through the fur. Frontal chest shots don't exit, broadside shots sometimes result in a small exit (rib shrapnel?) sometimes no exit. The smaller cats 12-15 lb will usually have an exit wound, 15+ usually not.

40 NBT will be similar with more exit damage due to the "solid" base that will penetrate further.

223 is too much gun if you want to save fox fur. But the 40s will definitely DRT them.
 
Originally Posted By: cornstalkerBeen running 55's on coyotes for a while and was thinking of going with 40's for fox and bobcat.

I am looking for opinions and experiences you guys have had with the 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips on fox and bobcat. I figure they oughta be running 3600 to 3700 fps.

Next question: If a coyotes crashes the party, what kind of performance can I expect on them with the same load?



If you just want to kill 'em, then the 40 NBTs will do it.

But they do not explode into small fragments. Their tapered jacket and solid base can punch through and make a messy exit.

If you want pelts, the 40 V-Max or 40 BlitzKing would be a better choice.

 
Of the 40gr bullets I have tried the sierra BlitzKing has been the most consistent as far as least exits and DRT on all the above. I am only running them 3450fps from a Fireball though. Fox are the tough part of the equation.

At the tail end of last calling season I loaded some 33gr Speers just for a grey fox hunt one week-end. Got a .221 Furball load going about 3000 and I shot 11-12 IIRC and only one was pretty bad and I was able to sell them all on the cob and got what I thought was good money.
 
Originally Posted By: venatic
At the tail end of last calling season I loaded some 33gr Speers just for a grey fox hunt one week-end. Got a .221 Furball load going about 3000 and I shot 11-12 IIRC and only one was pretty bad and I was able to sell them all on the cob and got what I thought was good money.

How'd you like the 33 Speer TNT's. Were they reasonably accurate?

I bought a box to load for a .218 Bee lever rifle (Winchester/Browning M-65), but I haven't had a chance to work up loads yet.
 
The box I have says Plinkers on top and says 33gr Hornet on the box sides.
Not sure if they are different than the TNT or the same ones... anyway to your question. Reasonably accurate would be a very good description. Groups at 100 were 1 to 1.5 inches.I knew that I would be shooting inside 75-100 yards so they were fine for that. Should be good for what you have in mind.
 
Originally Posted By: venaticThe box I have says Plinkers on top and says 33gr Hornet on the box sides.
Not sure if they are different than the TNT or the same ones... anyway to your question. Reasonably accurate would be a very good description. Groups at 100 were 1 to 1.5 inches.I knew that I would be shooting inside 75-100 yards so they were fine for that. Should be good for what you have in mind.

Nope...

These are what you have.

http://www.speer-bullets.com/products/rifle/plinker/jacketed.aspx

This is what I bought.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/472742/...=ProductFinding
 
Originally Posted By: CatShooterOriginally Posted By: venaticThe box I have says Plinkers on top and says 33gr Hornet on the box sides.
Not sure if they are different than the TNT or the same ones... anyway to your question. Reasonably accurate would be a very good description. Groups at 100 were 1 to 1.5 inches.I knew that I would be shooting inside 75-100 yards so they were fine for that. Should be good for what you have in mind.

Nope...

These are what you have.

http://www.speer-bullets.com/products/rifle/plinker/jacketed.aspx

This is what I bought.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/472742/...=ProductFinding





If you notice both of those links show the #1014's as the model but they look different in the pictures. The bullet in the link to Midway looks just like my bullets?
 
Originally Posted By: venaticOriginally Posted By: CatShooterOriginally Posted By: venaticThe box I have says Plinkers on top and says 33gr Hornet on the box sides.
Not sure if they are different than the TNT or the same ones... anyway to your question. Reasonably accurate would be a very good description. Groups at 100 were 1 to 1.5 inches.I knew that I would be shooting inside 75-100 yards so they were fine for that. Should be good for what you have in mind.

Nope...

These are what you have.

http://www.speer-bullets.com/products/rifle/plinker/jacketed.aspx

This is what I bought.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/472742/...=ProductFinding





If you notice both of those links show the #1014's as the model but they look different in the pictures. The bullet in the link to Midway looks just like my bullets?

The Midway bullets are what I have - I don't know if I'll get them loaded until next spring...
 
Originally Posted By: cornstalkerBeen running 55's on coyotes for a while and was thinking of going with 40's for fox and bobcat.

I am looking for opinions and experiences you guys have had with the 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips on fox and bobcat. I figure they oughta be running 3600 to 3700 fps.

Next question: If a coyotes crashes the party, what kind of performance can I expect on them with the same load?



The one coyote I've killed with a 40BT was with a .221 doing 3450 at the muzzle....killed it just fine. With 40's in a .223 coyotes will be no problem. You can be getting about 3900 with a 20" barrel (VV133) and 4,000 with a 26" barrel (AA2015). That's where best accuracy is in those two guns......14" twist, 0 freebore, IMI brass.
 
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