Well I have a savage 116FSS in 7mm-08 . I've been shootin 140gr factory loads in it and it shoots great . I had a bunch of 120gr Hornaday SSP bullets and loaded them with 43.7 grs of H4895 .These things shot about a 2" group which kind of strung up vertically . I have seen nothing like this with the 140gr bullets . I should say I neck sized this once fired brass (from my gun) with a Lee collet die .Anybody having problems getting 120gr bullets to shoot ? I am going to try a lighter powder charge next .
My son just used the 120 BT with I think 45-RL-15 in his mountain rifle on an antelope hunt. The rifle was used by more than one member of the group and accounted for 4 different goats at ranges from 175-350 yards. The 120 BT has a thicker jacket that the 140 BT and it sure worked well on those antelope.
Posts: 339 | Location: SE Kansas | Registered: 05 March 2003
.Anybody having problems getting 120gr bullets to shoot ? I am going to try a lighter powder charge next .
Yes! In three 7mm rifles. THE 120gr. Honry sigle shot pistol.1 1/2" to 2 1/2" groups at 50 yds. Don't know why, but they won't shoot. Other 120gr. bullets worked fine. roger
Old age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone..
Posts: 10226 | Location: Temple City CA | Registered: 29 April 2003
Originally posted by ole_270: My son just used the 120 BT with I think 45-RL-15 in his mountain rifle on an antelope hunt. The rifle was used by more than one member of the group and accounted for 4 different goats at ranges from 175-350 yards. The 120 BT has a thicker jacket that the 140 BT and it sure worked well on those antelope.
I'm a great fan of BTs but I must admit that I found the 120s very very expansive indeed. Out of my 7x57 at 200yards they failed to exit a roe deer (live weight 75lbs or so)!
The 120 BT has a thicker jacket that the 140 BT and it sure worked well on those antelope.
I think you might have that back to front. On all occasions the 140 and 150 grain balistic tips have held together better and penetrated further than any 120 grain balistic tip fired from my 7mm-08.
Personally, I dont bother with the 120 grainers any more and prefer the 150 grain balistic tips or 162 hornady SST's in my 7-08.
Posts: 318 | Location: Australia | Registered: 24 November 2002
I've not tried the Hornady SSP Bullets in my rifles. Can't think of a reason they shouldn't perform well at handgun impact velocities. Just gotta find th eright Load for your rifle. -----
Both 1894mk2 and Tumbo could be correct.
Nosler has changed Ballistic Tip designs at least 4-times that I'm aware of. So the difference could be as simple as when the Lots of each Bullet was made. -----
I used a good many 120gr B-Tips from the first two generations in a 7mm-08. "Normally" got Exits when started through the Ribs and angled to go through the off-side shoulder, but not 100% of the time.
Don't believe I've tried a few through both shoulders, but the very last one made an Exit that way on a 160-170# Deer.
Only problem is the higher velocity of the lighter weight tend to create a good bit of Blood-shot meat. And it can happen completely away from where the Bullet makes Impact.
Posts: 9920 | Location: Carolinas, USA | Registered: 22 April 2001
I load the 120 Hornady HP with 40.3grs H4895 in my Remington 708, they shoot 3/4" avg. for the most part. You maybe a little hot with your load, though I see now your at max in the hodgdon manual. Ive noticed when using this powder it pays to back off a grain or so to get best accuracy, try the 40.3 grs,(give or take), and see if your accuracy improves, im thinking it will. I also used RE15 just to see how it would work, and while I cant recall the load it performed very well also. Jay
Posts: 1745 | Location: WI. | Registered: 19 May 2003
l'm using 120 V-Max at the moment over 46grns of VV N140, if l do my part they shoot under .2's (24" border 5R barrel) but as you can guess they've V explosive (fox's turn to soup) l've got hold of nearly 300 of the old 120 Nosler solid base bt's but have yet to try them. l'm moving up to 130's for a deer load as Roe deer suffer (1894mk2's right in his comment) too much if you punch them too hard with the light stuff.
roger
