If I can get my new Savage to shoot I was looking at starting to reload and shoot more.

I liked the Nosler old regular lead tipped bullets back in the 80's and still feel I had a lot better bullet damage than the Nosler ballistic tips of today with 50 to the box for 20.50$

Wondering who shoots the Hornaday 139 interlock lead tipped spirepoints 100 for 23.79$ or the SST (Ballastic Tips) 100 for 27.44.

Just wondering if these shoot as well or better than the Nolser 140s? and I have been a Nosler fan since 1982.

I was looking at the Horaday 139's and ran a little program on their basic led tipped bullet with BC of .392 Interlock spirepoint and one of the high end interlock SST BC .492. I ran this at 2750 velocity and looked at the results.

Basically from 0 to 300 yards the difference in bullet drop was -5.4 for the .492 and -5.8 for the .392 BC. There is a little difference in ft-lbs energy but... 1497.5 vs 1340.2.. and the travel time difference of .01 of a second.

A whole lot depends on which 7mm your loading for, the 7 mag., 280, 7x57 or 7-08..

Lets say the 7 mag or the .280 in which case I would ordinarily shoot the 160 gr. or 175 gr. Nosler partition or Accubond

The 7-08, probably the 140 gr. Nosler Partition or Accubond on everything.

The 7x57, my all time favorite caliber prett well tied for first place with the 30-06 and my 338 Win. For it I would shoot the 130 and 145 gr. Speer for deer, 150 gr. grs Rem corelokt, WW power point, or the Noslers for deer and elk, 175 for Moose and brown bear..

So many good bullets in .284 caliber out there the world is your oyster..

If forced to pick one to fit all, it would be the original 175 gr. bullet as fast as the 7 mm I was using could push them, that would be 2500 to 2800 FPS except the 7 mag would get me 3000 wit a max loading, All of these are about ideal for anything that walks.

I have 270/ 7 mag/ 280 all of which shoot H4831 well with 150 BT and remmington 150 ammo in under an inch group but I plan to start shooting and hand loading again after 20 years on a regular basis.

I looking for bullets and powder for the two 7mm - 08s that I own. Found a can of Varget in the cabinet that was never opened. Back when I bought the son's 7mm-08 in early 2006 Seemed two of the more popular powders were RL 15 and Varget and 139/140 here on the board.

Now 10-12 years later and there are more (types) bullets on the market than you can compare. Hornaday now has 4 or 5 types of 139 gr 7 mm buellets alone.

I want a fun Texas farm/ ranch gun that will shoot well to out around 325 yards. I am wondering how the old Hornaday 139 Interlock spire point Accuracy holds up against the BT's for most people?

They Look very similar to the old Nolser lead tips which for me were deadly with great performance at all ranges. Besides the price difference between Nosler and Hornaday. Even the base Hornaday 139 SST / 100 per box is half the cost of the Hornaday BT at 50 per box. Are they as accurate in most rifles?

No one seems to shoot it.

I did that little analysis for myself that "do you really need then newest and highest BC bullet on the market" like most people shoot.

It did not appear that magic high BC makes that much difference till you get out past 350 yards or so and it Texas for me that is a long shot.

The other thing is I am Not sure my Nosler BT's now do as well as the old Nosler lead bullets Pre ballastic tips on game. I am wondering since I no longer hunt much but deer ( under 225 lbs), hogs or coyotes if there is one 139/140 that all my 7 mags guns will shoot as well as the 150s?

I still have the old 160 and 175 Nosler partations if I go back out west for bigger game. They both load and shoot well in the 7 mag.

What is your opinion for Texas?


Side note I found 3 old boxes of the old machined Nolser Partions in the yellow /white box 1 6mm and 2 of the 30 cal. Is there any market for these old boxes probably from the 70's? Noticed on one of the 30's the price was 3.40 scratched to 5.34 dollars. You can barely read the lot numbers. Dropped a note to Nosler but heard nothing back.

Thanks for the help. Sorry if I ramble a little in the early am.

Jim I have used the plain old 139 gr Hornady spire pts for years mostly in the 280 Rem. Just about the perfect combo for deer sized game. It works just as good in the 7mm08 and the 7x57. As Ray has already mentioned it wouldn't be as good in a 7mm Mag.

quote:

I have used the plain old 139 gr Hornady spire pts for years

+1

The lead tipped Horn. is what we use. Nothing fancy just does the job. Pretty wide spread of calibers;in 338 to 223.
Mike

7MM-08
mostly,, either 140 sierra gameking or 139 hornady spbt My rem. 700 CDL will lock holes on a good day with 139 hornady with 42 grs. imr4064 cci200 win. brass 100 meters.. my other go to power is RL-15 42 grs also..

I've had good results with the 154 gr. Hornandy Interlock. just a cup & core bullet but has shot good and performed well on deer and hogs for me.

quote:

Originally posted by JimTx:
I want a fun Texas farm/ ranch gun that will shoot well to out around 325 yards.

I think just about any 7mm bullet that's accurate in your rifle would fill that bill, so I think you're on the right track. Look for some inexpensive bullets to try out and if you find an accurate load stick with that.

Welcome back to hand loading and have fun!

I started out shooting the 139 SP before laser rangefinders existed, then moved to the 160 SBT, then moved to the 150 gr Nosler BT (believe it or not, I shot a ton of game with that bullet and never had any issues).

Today I would shoot a 175 gr bullet, but then again, I tend to shoot heavy for caliber bullets for the most part...must come with age.

My "go to" hunting bullet for my Rem 700 7mm RM is the Nosler 160 grain Accubond.

For practice, I shoot the Sierra 160 grain HPBT bullets, but I also like ringing the 300 and 430 yard gongs at our range with the 160 gr Accubonds.

I've used the Hornady 139 BTSP for 25+ years in my 280 Rem 700 MR. Has always given 1/2-3/4 MOA with IMR4350 and excellent results on game from 10-370yds. I don't think I've had a deer go more than 30yds. I am also using it in the two M7 7-08s for the kids with reduced load of 35gr H4895. Even with the reduced starting velocity, the buck she hit last year at 125yds flipped forward and never took a step. Did much better than the 120 BT we used the year before on a doe. I've tried several other bullets but nothing shot better and I don't see a need for expensive bonded bullets for deer.

139gr interlock up 2900 fps. MV

unless you want mush jobs and damaged meat and maybe not an exit then the sst or interbond [bonded sst] are fine.

I shoot the Hornady 139 Interlokt in my 7mm08 . I also use the Rem 150 PSPCL & TSX 140 & 150 gr in this rifle.

I use Nosler Accubond 160 gr & TSX 150 in my 280 Ack Imp

I’ve been having great luck with the 175 grain Honady ELDX. I think 175 is about perfect for th 7mm mag

At 7mm-08 Mv, a 140gr Nosler Ballistic Tip is had to beat for deer sized animals.

I've tried the Hornady 139 gr .284 SST in 2 different 7mm-08 rifle and neither would group nearly as well as the Noslers.

My 280 Remington loves 140gr AccuBonds and 145gr Speer Hot-Cores. Hard to say which performs better.

My 7mm RM has been harder to dial in but I haven't spent much time working up loads for it as I have others. It shoots more than adequate with 175 gr Nosler Partitions which is what I prefer. It really likes 150gr Nolser Ballistic Tips but I hate those bullets.

If you find that Nosler bullets work well for you, you should consider contacting the Shooters Pro Shop portion of the Nosler Bullet website. You can mailorder bullets, basically direct from the factory and there are sales for blemished (which I can't find differences from first run) and also over-runs. Great bullets at reasonable prices.

I use 139-140 grain bullets in my 7X57.

Have used the orginal Barnes x bullet and the rifle likes them.
I use Hornadays for deer and if i need it i have partitions.
The ballistic tips get used for everything smaller because they do explode more better.

I use 150gr Scirocco's in my 7mm-08 for deer. About the only reason I use those over the accubonds is for the slight increase in accuracy. In the past, I have tried out several bullets with good results. As long as you match velocity to bullet, you cant go wrong with most of offerings available today.

So, living in the wilds of Southern Oregon and relatively near Bend, I use a lot of Noslers because I can buy seconds for the price of "cheap" cup and core...AND...watch Midway for sales. '08 size cases 120-140 gr, '06 size cases another 10-15 gr and mag an additional 10-15 gr...I also shoot lots of gas checked, cast lead Rn's because of the short distances in among the trees, PLUS always carry a few pointy ones just in case of a long shot.

This is basically an oxymoron and living in my mind, as I don't take game shots past 250-300 yds with the lighter bullets because there is too much chance of a wounded animal and those long shots aren't all that available in the woods anyway. A Rn of ~140-160 gr at ~24-2800 fs is plenty good, jacketed or cast, for deer/goats/or goats, but just right for sundowners and campfires.

Don't limit yourself online or in the field...lots of very good bullets/powders/etc available in today's world, and bullets are the least costly considering the cost of the rest of the hunt.

Accuracy is my overriding concern and I hunt with whatever bullet shoots best/most accurate in whatever rifle I chose to use at that time, I also shoot sageratz and other varmints with the same combination to keep my eye/perspective in the off season. Works for me...you might try it to see if it works for you.

LUCK

Well, I've used 154gr Hornady flat bases in my 7x57R at 2650 fps for several years with great success on deer, elk and bear. Any bullets seem to shoot well in my combination gun but the 154's will group with Bernanke slugs out to 100 yds. and the scope lines up true with shot loads. I use the shotgun more than the rifle actually but the scope mount is not readily removable.

I load for a friend that shoots a 7mm-08 and he loves 140gr Nosler Accubonds. I've seen him take cow elk at near 500 yds. with one shot and he's had no complaints about the bullets performance on dozens of deer, elk and antelope.

Debating these issues is all fun, but at the end of the day, I have never lost a deer because of bullet failure. I can think of a sable and brown bear I both hit solidly (first was a Hornady 225 SP frontal shot and the later a 225 Barnes) that I lost, but deer are pretty fragile...any of the above bullets work in 7mm, don't you think?

150gr Nosler Ballistic Tip is what I run in my 7mag.Another great choice is the 160gr Nosler Accubond.

Let me add some more info on the Hornady 139 gr bullet in my Kimber Montana 7mm08.

I load it with Varget at around 2800 fps. (I know I can get 2900 fps but this is VERY accurate)

I use a Leupold VX3 2.5-8X with B&C reticle.

I have set it up for about 2" high at 100 meters, about zero at 200 meters, first line on B&C reticle for 300 meters & second line at 400 meters.

I was shocked to see how accurate it was out to 400 meters with the 2800 fps load! I am sure I will not be able to repeat the 3" group!!

After 20+ years of reloading and hunting with about 10 calibers I have come to a few very simple thumb rules
1. For deer with 6.5mm, 7mm, 308 caliber at 2400 fps to 2900 fps, a good cup & core 140 gr or 150 gr bullet is fine 100% of the time. BTW 225 gr for the 358 cal
2. For higher velocity - 2900 fps to 3200 fps I prefer TSX & 160gr Accubond
3. Accuracy in the rifle is MOST critical
4. First shot out of a cold barrel is the real thing that matters in the end

160 accubond in a 7MM Rem Mag @ + 3000 FPS

For me it depends on what the rifle likes.

My 7mm-08 likes Hornady 139 grain SST

My 7x57 likes 140 grain Nosler Partitions

I’ve had good luck with the Speer 160 grain Grand Slam in a 7mm-06. I load a little warmer than 280 rem book loads H4831 and 160’s, but I get no pressure signs. It drills big holes through deer.

I looked in the shop today and found 2 boxes of the 154 grain round nose as well as a box of 170 grain round nose,i think i was saving them for one of those once in a lifetime trips i have not taken yet.

In my experience the 140 NP at 3,300-3,400 fps is a death ray in 7 MM Remington Mag on animals up through caribou size.

Mark

I'll buy the two boxes of horn 154gr RN bullets if you'd like to free sup some cabinet space.

For heavier game I load the 150gn Scirocco or the 160 A-Frame.

Fro everything else the Speer 115 HP.

My 7mm STW really likes 160 grain Northfork bullets first then Nosler Partitions or Barnes TSX. H-1000 powder with Fed 215M primers. good Shooting.

Looking back at my old Hornaday book from about 1980-82 they did not have 5 bullets in 139 gr and surely did not have any of the newer powders that people use not.

I will look at the seconds but still looking for the 139 lead tip interlock in straight .392 bc or boat tail 453. Has anyone seen a lot of different when shooting either in group performance?

I bought a box of the Hornaday Deerhunter shells which are the the 139 interlock SP to try when the rifle gets back.

I want a hole thru the deer that I shoot at. I like the Nosler 150 BT but Two last year and not a good blood trail with lung shots and they both ran 30-50+ yards and almost no blood trail. I killed 4 the other day between 125 and 150 culling and they all dropped but the bullet on the axis buck completely debonded sitting of the far side of the animal. I fig the old lead tipped Nosler 150 or a partition 150 would have kept on going and I would have had a good blood trail not a drop here and there.

7-08: 140 gr tsx by Barnes and 140 gr Solid Base by Nosler

7 WSM: 160 gr Failsafe.

Two of the three bullets are no longer in production. If your search brings you to a bullet you really like, buy large quantities of them. There is no guarantee the bullet will remain in production. A case in point was the robin egg blue coated bullets Barnes made for a time. I have a 25-06 that loved them. Barnes ceased production, I did not have the foresight to buy a bunch. Other bullets work with the rifle, the blue bullets were sub MOA all day, every day. I have not found an adequate replacement...

I found the 140 interlocks accurate in both my 7 x 57 and 280AI. They are just too soft for the speed of the 280 ! Dead deer, no exits. Tough tracking lung shot deer in the thick brush.I really prefer 160s in the 7s.

I like the 139 SSTs in my 7mm-08 and 7x57s

In the 7-08 I would opt for the130 or 145 Speer for Texas hill country deer..Big So. Texas deer or West Texas Mule deer deserve a 145 gr speer or 140 gr. nos. accubond..

Perfect but in reality a 140 gr. Nosler Accubond will work on the smallest of deer and the largest of elk.

I generally use heavier for caliber bullets. I also believe the 160 grain bullet is the perfect combo for the 7mm Rem Mag. So I use the Nosler 160 grain AccuBond now and the Partitions before that.

quote:

I liked the Nosler old regular lead tipped bullets back in the 80's

Yes, the Nosler Solid Base was an excellent bullet. They still make a run of them now and then to supply ammunition manufacturers. I was lucky enough to catch some on their seconds website a few years ago and hoarded up a few. The 150 grain 7mm Solid Base is what I use in my .280 Rem with outstanding results, both in accuracy and terminal performance.

But there are really few if any "poor" bullets -- just some bullets that shoot better in particular rifles than others. The conventional Hornady spire point has rarely ranked at the top of the heap in terms of accuracy, but sometimes you'll find a rifle that shoots that bullet very accurately. However, the Hornady spire point does have a very good reputation for terminal performance, so if your rifle shoots it accurately enough to satisfy you it's a good (and fairly economical) bullet to use.