Has anyone had any actual experience with this bullet on deer?
I'll be pushing it at 3000-3100..

I have no doubts that it should do well on lung shots, but I'm a little concerned about its overall penetration abilities.

We do see a right smart of hogs in the 250-350# class also.

Sure wish Nosler made this weight in the partition bullet!
Will also be experimenting with TSX bullets in this weight.

it's a great match for the 7/08. i killed several deer last year with it in s. texas, with no problems. one very large bodied buck was 220 yds and was literally dead before he hit the ground. in my 7/08 i had it loaded to just a tad over 3000'


b h

I gutted out a 135 lb buck that had been shot in th liver with that bullet from a 7mm-08 at 60 yds. It ran about that distance again and fell and died after a while.

The bullet did not exit. I really don't like the bullet anymore.

Great caliber - Great bullet

I used it in a 7mm STW at 3600 fps on whitetail one year. It wouldn't have been my first choice by any means in this caliber, but as it happened I was having great difficulty in getting the gun to produce reasonable accuracy with heavier bullets, so I gave the little B.Tip a try. The one whitetail I shot with it is long-since dead and consumed. What else is there to say?

The bullet will expand more readily than some others, but will also penetrate (due to its solid base) more deeply than others with similar expansion. The bottom line is that it is about as dependable as any bullet on game the size of whitetails, despite the notion that today's hundred to two-hundred pound animals grow flack jackets just below the skin, or alternatively are so fashion and price conscious that they contemptuously refuse to die for "non-premium" bullets.

Hi there, I ve used 120Gn Noslers in the 7-08 and in a previously owned 7x57 on both Roe and Fallow. Excellent results on either. Loaded with N150 @ 3010fps. BUT I would use something heavier in a 7-08 for Pigs, I've had good results with factory Federal 150's.

Liver shot deer tend to run, no matter what you hit them with, so I wouldnt place the responsibility for that at Mr Noslers door! Surely better to wait for a 'Butchers Shot' ?

Rgds
T260

Bullet performance is rightly so a constant topic on the forums. Sure enough here I am, like others, complaining about a tiny 120 gr bullet that did not exit.

In this particular situation given the liver hit and the fact that no trailing or property boundries were involved perhaps the bullet was good considering the low recoil.

In the past I have stated that one has to know when to be happy about any particular situation. I hit a large buck at 183 yds a few years ago in the back just behind the diaphram with a 140 Ballsitic Tip from a 270 WSM. I was not aiming at the deers back. I have no idea how the bullet hit the deer there. Maybe it moved, maybe I fliched or maybe the bullet hit some grass as I shot prone with a pretty good rest. Later at the range the rifle was sighted in perfectly.

That BT did not exit either. However some tiny piece of it or it's impact stunned the buck and fell and then stood but could not take a step. It was so strange. It just stood there and the other deer ran some and stopped and waited for it. At that point I hit it again in the heart region and it died right there. So should I complain about the Ballistic Tip?

What would a X bullet have done? ?

I have no experence with this bullet , but you might consider the 130 grain speer, should give you a prety good light deer bullet. Speer designed it for deer hunting and hell its a whopping .07 inch fatter than a .270 130 grain and I think a few deer have been taken with that bullet over the years...tj3006

I have used the 130 Speer FB, 140 Sierra FB, 150 Corelokt, 140 BT and 140 AB all with good results. I did not like the expansion from a 160 Sierra BT thru the ribs of a big doe. I think that bullet is too hard for deer but thats just my opinion.

From a 7mm I favor the 140 AB these days but many bullets work just fine.

Here is a picture of an exit hole made by a 140 AB into a 140 lb buck deer at 150 yds from a 270 WSM. As you can see the bullet failed and the deer got away!

Don't get mad, but I think a 140 gr NBT @ 2800 fps is about as solid a deer combo as you're going to get. In my mind (and in my experience), the 7/08 may well be the best over-all country-wide deer cartridge we've got. It's handy in a tree stand and has the accuracy and energy for almost any reasonable bean field/plains situation. Not to mention, it'll do all of its killin' with inexpensive cup/core bullets.

Dxperiences with the ballistic tips tell me to keep the MV below 2700 fps...

when you get over that speed at closer ranges, it will do the job, but it destroys too much of the meat.. it reverts back to its varmint bullet heritage..

the higher you go over that speed, the more destructive and explosive it gets...

I don't need a bullet to exit at all... I prefer it to drop them where they stand, and a well placed ballistic tip has done that for me...

But when I hunt with them, the velocity is loaded down to under 2700 fps.. if I need to go over that for some reason, then I change to another bullet, usually the normal off the shelf stuff from one of the three main generic bullet makers..

cheers
seafire

I have had excellent results on pigs and deer with the 150gn PT in my 7x57 @2700fps. I can't emagine the 140PT a little faster would be much different. With hogs on the menue(pun), I think the Partition is the bullet. It opens fast on lung shots on deer yet penetrates on hogs, Priceless! capt david

imnsho
BT aren't game bullets, particularly LIGHT for caliber, at high velocities...The accubond bullet is 100% replacing all the HUNTING BTs, over time... and thank goodness for that. Even nosler recognizes that weight retention is a key measurement in a HUNTING bullet.

quote:

Fully tapered, heavy alloy jacket is bonded to the special lead alloy core through a proprietary process designed for controlled expansion, deep penetration and a 60-70% weight retention.

Let's face facts, EVERY BT shot at game has been a bullet failure, no one has ever shown a sub .375 BT with more than 50% weight retention in a SINGLE piece.

jeffe

Jeffoso,
I must dissagree with your assesment ofthe Balistic tip. I have a frend who abuluty loves them in his 300 win bar. He says he has killed 7 or 8 bull elk with them in a 180 grain and none has gone as far as 50 yards from the point of impact.
Nosler has changed them alot over the years, thicker jackets in the mid to heavy for caliber range , and although I would not choose the light for caliber versions , I would be all over them for deer.
In a 7mm08 a 140 or 150 grain Balistic tip would be Ideal.
The acubond in the same weights would be my choice if I was shooting a magnum...tj3006

TJ,
we can disagree, that works for everyone .. nosler making the accubonds specifically with massively heavier jackets and designed for weight retention agrees with me, though.

jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by Thomas Jones:
Jeffoso,
I must dissagree with your assesment ofthe Balistic tip. I have a frend who abuluty loves them in his 300 win bar. He says he has killed 7 or 8 bull elk with them in a 180 grain and none has gone as far as 50 yards from the point of impact.
Nosler has changed them alot over the years, thicker jackets in the mid to heavy for caliber range , and although I would not choose the light for caliber versions , I would be all over them for deer.
In a 7mm08 a 140 or 150 grain Balistic tip would be Ideal.
The acubond in the same weights would be my choice if I was shooting a magnum...tj3006

You prove Jeffe's point and not your own. Nosler made the 180 gr BT jacket thicker and that we all agree is the news. Therefore there must have been very fast expansion with the old 180 BT and very fast expansion along with it's short penetration possible with the BT's with thinner jackets today.

All in all I see the BT's as just another cup and core and even an ill wind blows good to someone. It's just that cup and cores have a narrow range of expansion/penetration and in particular when trying to make a small bullet do a big job.

I appreciate all the input!
Wish Nosler made a partition in 120 grains for the 7mm.
Thanks..

Savage, Ironically my friend who has a handicap, uses a BAR 300, based on a test with a Sako and preferred factory ammo, he uses WW premium 180 Ballistic silvertip, same bullet, knocked many deer flat, had one last year leave the scene that he felt he grazed the backbone and stunned.

I have faith in that bullet, very long, lots of sd/bc and it holds up well, before and on impact.

BTW, I 'believe' don't quote me Nosler is coming out with something new in 130 grain for either 6.5 or 7mm

Just as the 180 gr .308 BT has a thicker jacket and expands less and penetrates better than the other BTs so does the 120 BT in 7mm. I couldn't find them to post here but someone sectioned a few on another forum and thier jackets were thicker than most 140 gr 7mm bullets. The author shoots them from a 180Imp and takes elk with them when he's on mixed hunts. I'd give em a try.

I still can't find those pics but I found another 120 BT thread where he talks about the thick jackets. Apparently they are as thick as the 225 gr .338 BT jacket. Check out Dogzappers profile if you doubt his experiences.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?C...8&page=&fpart=1&vc=1

to specificly answer your question:
i have used the 120 nbt in 7/08, 280rem, and 7mm rem mag with good results on florida and georgia whitetails. i've also had good luck with 125gr nbt in my 308. the last deer i shot with it got 100% penetration and cut the heart in half. opinions vary on every subject; that's why there are fords and chevrolets and chocolate and vanilla!!

Big-foot,
Thanks for the thread over at the CampFire..
Just what I was after..

I have a lot of confidence in anything Timms has to say.

My Sako 75 7-08 just loves the 120BT, and it has been fine for deer. It was the 300+# hogs that were my main concern.

I'm going to purposely bust one or two directly in the shoulder and see what this bullet will do. And I'll report back this Fall..

Thanks!

Glad to see you heard what you wanted to hear.

I use the 120 Nosler BT in a Thompson Contender carbine, caliber 7-30 Waters. It has proven to be excellent at this cartridge's velocity on mule deer. Two grandsons have used it and like it...and a granddaughter has made me promise to take her deer hunting next year. Oh, by the way, this has one of those Brown fiberglass thumbhole stocks. Everyone who sees it and has children, wants it (but I really think they want it for themselves).

Have a fairly well informed reloader/hunter buddy who mentioned the 120 BT was beefed up recently and seems to work pretty good on big game. He had heard that Nosler beefed it up as it's the slug of choice for many 7mm shooting metallic sillhouette shooters.

FN in MT

I called Nosler this morning. They claim to have a 6.5 130 grain NBT in the works. They wouldn't give me a release date. I can't wait! And FWIW, they are still making the .358 225 grain NBT. Lou

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Lou:
I called Nosler this morning. They claim to have a 6.5 130 grain NBT in the works. They wouldn't give me a release date. I can't wait! And FWIW, they are still making the .358 225 grain NBT. Lou

Nosler have been talking about a 6.5mm Accubond for some time now. I'm a bit surprised that they are making a new BT. Did you ask about an Accubond?

Rumor has it that Hornady will offer a 130 6.5mm InterBond soon.

My mistake. I meant 6.5 130 gr. Accubond.

Having killed a pile of deer with Nosler BT's and I find this thread pretty interesting...

Since Jeffe says every BT ever shot at game has failed and no one has shown a pic of one that didnt..here is a picture of the ONLY Nosler bullet I have ever recovered...BT or otherwise...

This one is a 100gr .257 cal BT that was shot from my 257roberts at a M Vel of 2970fps. I shot a big whitetail doe with it...the deer was 60-70 yards from me, quartering to me..I hit the deer on the point of the left shoulder and bullet wrecked the shoulder, went thru the chest, paunch and was found under the skin on the back of the right ham. It weighs 71grains....not bad I would guess...



I have had good luck with Ballistic tips..especially 140gr 7mm BTs...sure is interesting how varied the results are when you look at everyones experience....

Zeeriverrat1

120BTs work gereat in my 7mm-08 up to 3000fps never shot them faster shot a deer last year at 8 feet with a load going 2950, deer jumped when shot bullet hit the knuckle at the bottom of the shoulder blade going in, through the chest and out the other shoulder blade. Knuckle was distroyed, .4 inch hole out the other shoulder blade with 2 inches of bloody meat around it. I consider that very good performance at that speed,,,2950 on impact that is.

My wife shot a nice large bodied doe last fall with her 7mm RM that I hand loaded with 120gr Btips at ~3400fps. The doe was about 50 yards away so impact velocity was still high. Bullet broke a rib on the way in, busted the spine and exited. The deer dropped like a sack of bricks. Never even flinched.
I had read about the 120's having thicker jackets and holding together much better. They also shoot flat and don't recoil much. My wife is using the exact same load this fall again. I'm not worried about the btips exploding etc. The passed the test of toughness in my books.

I use a lot of BTs in 6mm (90gr) and 6.5x55 (100gr) but found the 120gr BT too expansive in my 7x57 on small roe deer. I continued to use it on fallow and shot a big fallow buck at 300yards. The bullet was a little back hitting the liver and a lung. At the shot the buck wobbled for about 5 seconds then fell over dead. Allthough there was no exit (mushroom under the skin) I would rate this as pretty good performance. Had I moved to a tougher heavier bullet I have no doubt that that buck would have run quite a long way.

Bullet choice is a compromise - I don't think a 120gr BT is a good choice for the out of state trophy hunter but for a local who is slightly selective it's probably allright allthough the 140gr BT is IMHO a better compromise.