Are ballistic tips leagal for Deer in England?

[Cushat]

Suspect this might be a grey area, and currently don't have any particular desire to use them but a couple of mates do. The DSC notes state that (in England) it is illegal to shoot deer with anything other than "a soft-nosed or hollow-nose bullet", but in Scotland the wording is "a bullet designed to deform in a predictable manner".

 

I'm aware of the school of thought that what could be more predictable than the way a ballistic tip deforms, but according to the above wording this argument is only applicable to Scotland. Does that mean it is illegal to shoot deer with ballistic tips in the England or are the DSC notes a simplification of the wording of the deer act?

Edited December 21, 2008 by Cushat

[Bazooka Joe]

Nosler do Hunting Ballistic Tips, depends what Caliber,

 

BJ.

[straightshooter1]

In short yes as long as you are using the right caliber and weight.

 

They consist of a fairly normal hollow-point bullet, with the frontal cavity filled in by hard plastic, which is molded into a streamlined shape mimicking the shape of a full metal jacket bullet. Upon impact, the plastic fragments into small pieces and the bullet performs like a regular hollow-point, expanding ("mushrooming") to a larger diameter or fragmenting. Some claim that the plastic actually improves or accelerates the mushrooming, but this is not easily demonstrable. The end result is a bullet with the streamlined characteristics of FMJ bullets and the increased terminal efficacy of JHPs. These bullets possess the aerodynamics for long, accurate flights, and the in-target performance to ensure high lethality.

 

Traditionally, these bullets are intended for use in rifles, as pistols are not used at the great distances where the streamlined ballistic tip is advantageous. However, a few companies produce handgun ammunition with plastic-tipped hollowpoints where the plastic is molded into a more rounded tip. These designs are not designed to increase the streamlining of the bullet, but rather to improve ammunition feeding in semi-automatic pistols that are prone to jams with regular hollowpoint ammunition. Examples of such handgun ammunition include Cor-Bon's "Powrball" line, and Extreme Shock's "NyTrilium Air Freedom" ammunition ("NyTrilium Air Freedom" cartridge also mimics the performance of Glaser Safety Slug cartridges, it uses hollow bullets full of powdered metal designed to fragment rapidly on hitting a target).

 

Ballistic Tip is a registered trademark of Nosler, but numerous other companies produce similar projectiles, including Hornady and Sierra. Nosler uses primarily green plastic for the bullet tips, to make them easily distinguishable from Hornady's almost universally red plastic tips (Hornady has produced .224" projectiles with blue plastic tips for use in civilian loads of FNH's proprietary 5.7x28mm cartridge). Swift uses black tips for their "Sirocco" ballistic tip bullets.

Edited December 21, 2008 by straightshooter1

[Dunkield]

IIRC the law says 'expands in a predictable manner' if they do that they are OK, if they explode they aren't.

[Baldrick]

Yes, absolutely legal, although the merits of using them are open to debate. Deer-specific ballistic tips have a much thicker copper jacket, so the expansion isn't quite so violent. Even so they do make a big mess. I still have some 95gr Noslers for my .243, which cause significantly more meat damage than a standard soft-nose head.

[Cushat]

In short yes as long as you are using the right caliber and weight.

 

They consist of a fairly normal hollow-point bullet, with the frontal cavity filled in by hard plastic, which is molded into a streamlined shape mimicking the shape of a full metal jacket bullet. Upon impact, the plastic fragments into small pieces and the bullet performs like a regular hollow-point, expanding ("mushrooming") to a larger diameter or fragmenting. Some claim that the plastic actually improves or accelerates the mushrooming, but this is not easily demonstrable. The end result is a bullet with the streamlined characteristics of FMJ bullets and the increased terminal efficacy of JHPs. These bullets possess the aerodynamics for long, accurate flights, and the in-target performance to ensure high lethality.

 

Traditionally, these bullets are intended for use in rifles, as pistols are not used at the great distances where the streamlined ballistic tip is advantageous. However, a few companies produce handgun ammunition with plastic-tipped hollowpoints where the plastic is molded into a more rounded tip. These designs are not designed to increase the streamlining of the bullet, but rather to improve ammunition feeding in semi-automatic pistols that are prone to jams with regular hollowpoint ammunition. Examples of such handgun ammunition include Cor-Bon's "Powrball" line, and Extreme Shock's "NyTrilium Air Freedom" ammunition ("NyTrilium Air Freedom" cartridge also mimics the performance of Glaser Safety Slug cartridges, it uses hollow bullets full of powdered metal designed to fragment rapidly on hitting a target).

 

Ballistic Tip is a registered trademark of Nosler, but numerous other companies produce similar projectiles, including Hornady and Sierra. Nosler uses primarily green plastic for the bullet tips, to make them easily distinguishable from Hornady's almost universally red plastic tips (Hornady has produced .224" projectiles with blue plastic tips for use in civilian loads of FNH's proprietary 5.7x28mm cartridge). Swift uses black tips for their "Sirocco" ballistic tip bullets.

 

straightshooter - have you thought of submitting that post to Wikipedia? Looks like a good summary!

 

*coughs* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_tip_bullet *coughs*

 

 

 

Appreciate how they work and the princples behind them, but does that mean that my DSC manual is incorrect where it states:

 

"it is illegal to shoot deer with anything other than a soft-nosed or hollow-nose bullet [in England]"

 

The Deer Act 1991 also states the same under Schedule 2. What superseded this that allows ballistic tips to be used?

[CharlieT]

Cushat

 

As you know the Deer Act 1991 is the definitive legal document relating to the taking of deer and this act specifically states that only soft nosed or hollow nose bullets are legal. The availability of ballistic tips and their like has come into common use since this act was published and therefore the act did not include them. However what I find interesting is that the Deer RRO 2007 which makes amendments to the Deer Act 1991 ie .22cf for small deer, shooting from vehicles etc did not address the use of ballistic tips and qualify their use.

Nowhere to my knowledge is it written that the use of hunting ballistic tips are legal, although I must admit I use them and I rather feel that in terms of the letter of the law I am breaking it.

[Cushat]

CharlieT - thanks - that's pretty much as I thought.

[casts_by_fly]

a ballistic tip is a hollow point bullet by design. It is designed to expand predictably (either very explosively for varmint bullets or controlled for non varmint styles).

 

Having used the 165 gr 30 cal ballistic tip since they were brought out, they are very appropriate for deer.

 

Thanks

Rick

[straightshooter1]

mate I used the wiki explanation to clarify ballistic tip to you the explanation is clear they are hollow point/nose with hard plastic filling the cavity which is molded into a streamlined shape mimicking the shape of a full metal jacket bullet. Upon impact, the plastic fragments into small pieces and the bullet performs like a regular hollow-point, expanding ("mushrooming") to a larger diameter or fragmenting which means they are legal and thats what it states in dsc

Edited December 27, 2008 by straightshooter1