Yeah. I used the 125BTs in my MLR 308 many years ago and they were a varmint bullet. The 165BTs (30cal) and 150BTs (7mm) I use now are a different beast.
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Yeah I even gave mine a quick sand with 120 grit paper on a block, after draw filingQuote:
I thought I'd done a great job with just a bastard file until I took a photo. Maybe a bit more with a 2nd cut file will look better for another go
165gr 30 cal SST Attachment 134619
As I mentioned earlier, I said the old 30cal 150BT was shocking, too soft. Interesting to see your photo of the current bullet sectioned compared to the one's I used in the 1990's. Nosler obviously did their homework on improvements 30 years down the track.
Attachment 134661
I can't see too much variation over the last 30 years in those two 150NBT. Your sectioning is a lot cleaner than mine but overall they look the same. Maybe need to grab my glasses?
I shot a Sika stag not long before the L4 and it was a poor shot (to far back) but the animal expired relatively quickly and the bullet left an exit. So from a sample set of one it worked as required.
I used 150gr 30cal NBT (308 Win) not long after they came out,1 box of 50. Stopped using them as they were too fragile. Jacket separated from core nearly every time on deer, pigs and sometimes on goats.Pain in the arse to find jacket with knuckles when punching skin off deer. Went back to Speer SP and Remington Corelokt, no more dramas. Might give NBT another try though after reading this post.
Those early day 150 gr NBT's were ok on smaller deer and animals but on bigger framed animals I had trouble putting them down. I used them in a 3006. In recent years they ( 180 gr NBT ) work very well in my current 30 06. Not a good comparison but I think they are a bit tougher than the old days.
Used the 165/168 gn NBTs in 30-06 during the 80s.
Found them to be ok.
Accurate.
Mind you a step up from reloading .303 with hard Norma projectiles that were not too effective.
Knew I had this screenshot saved somewhere- just tracked it down
https://i.vgy.me/ZR5Apb.jpg
if you look at rear of NBT jacket walls you will notice its tapered now and WAS pretty even before...to my eyes its half as fat again now right at base.... you still need to match weight of projectile to animal...... the 130s are pretty good in poohseventy at slower speeds .havent had one blow up yet but I m not pushing the pace on them....there are better projectiles for up close deerzies. they do shoot accurately .
Has any one cut a nosler accubond in half? would be a interesting comaprison to the rest of these bullets.