Winchester Silver Tips vs Power Points

[J Miller]

OK, here is a question I know has been asked at least a million times, but not one I've been involved in.
I know of a batch of 150gr Winchester 30-30 Silver Tip bullets for sale for a very good price. I'm considering getting them.

But what I want to know is what's the difference in use parameters between the Silver Tips and the Power Points or standard soft point hunting bullets?

Joe

[Modoc ED]

All I can tell ya is this Joe. I have both Winchester .30-30 170gr Silver Tip factory ammon on hand as well as Winchester Super X .30-30 170gr Power Points factory ammon on hand. I've used both to kill deer (white tails and mulies), hogs, and the Power Points to kill elk. Both have worked well with no obvious advantage of the Silver Tips over the Power Points.

EDIT: Expansion of both the Silvre Tips and Power Points were good and so close that there was virtually no difference between the two.

If you have a great deal waiting on the sidelines for some Silver Tips, then by all means go for them but I wouldn't go out of my way to get them at regular prices.

For handloading, I use Remington .170gr .30-30 Core-Lokts.

[J Miller]

Thanks Ed. Normally I used Speer bullets, but they and Hornady and Sierra have priced themselves out of my price range. So I went to Winchesters PP. Now almost nobody has any. And the Remington Core-Lokt are also kinda hard to find.
So when I saw this batch of Silver Tips I said: Hmmmmmmm. Then since I still have the only box of them I've ever purchased I thought I'd ask about them.

I think I'll count my pennies and see if I have enough to get them. They would sure fill up a lot of empty cases.

Joe

[Hobie]

I just liked the old Silvertips. Is there a real difference? Ummmm, not if you place them correctly. I just like them. Maybe I just had better "luck" with them.

PS I wouldn't turn down any usable bullets at a good price right now...

[brucew44guns]

I was practically raised on SilverTips, shooting them in a 30-30, as well as using them exclusively in my model 71 for 40 years. I bought a BLR in .358 2 years ago, got a super deal on 20 boxes of S.T. .358's, 21.00 a box shipped, so I have a bunch of ST ammo, and have gotten a lot of game with them. The .358 ST dropped a nice buck deer this past season so fast you'd have thought he had a heart attack or something. I don't want or need anything else, they simply work. But I allow that there is probably better available if I want to pay money and use those instead. I would bet that the Power Points are just as lethal.

[Mike Rintoul]

The difference is in the technology used and the method by which expansion initiates. The PP used the exposed lead and tapered jacket combo. The exposed lead tip flattens and grabs the jacket, peeling it back. With the Silvertips, the "Tip" is driven back into the jacket and on top of the core upon impact, thereby initiating expansion. Both designs were made for the same size/weight game and for similar penetration and expansion on soft tissue hits. The jacketing process is slightly different so one may be more accurate than the other in a given rifle.

SILVERTIP ANATOMY


POWERPOINT ANATOMY


Mike Rintoul
Grizzly Cartridge Ammunition Company
Rainier, Oregon
(503) 556-3006

[J Miller]

Mike,

Thanks for the technical explanation. So, basically the two bullets are just a different method of accomplishing the same goal.

Still counting pennies.

Joe

[Lastmohecken]

I have always had really good luck with the silvertips, espacally in my .308 BLR.

In the 30/30 I don't know if it matters as much, but in the .308 Win using 180gr bullets I have never had bad luck regarding expansion, using silvertips, they are my favorite. I have has bad luck with corelocks of the same weight in my BLR and a Remington model 7, and my cousin had some failure to expand problems with the same bullet in a Browning BAR. So I have swore off of corelocks in the 180gr .308.

If the price was good I would definately buy the silvertips. If there are too many for you to buy by yourself, I am sure there are others on here that might be interested in spliting the cost with you.

[bee-weg]

My 1950 win '94 really, really likes the silvertips. Accuracy for some reason was much better than the power points in my gun. After replacing the front sight, I shot three 3-shot groups, tapping the sight between groups to get it sighted in. And all three groups were roughly the same size... 2 and a 1/4 inch tall, 1 inch wide (at 100 yards).

[victor]

Mr. Miller,

Silver Tips= Dead Werewolf
Power Points= Grumpy Werewolf
Sincerely...,Van Helsing

Joe, I'd buy them if they were a good price.I'd like to find some
in .32WS.

[J Miller]

I've been in contact with the seller. I'm in queue. There's another guy in front of me whos waiting till the end of the month for a pay check. If he don't come through I get 'em.

Joe