120 Nosler BT effective on deer?

[firstshot425]

I've read a lot of post on various forums about the effectiveness of the 7mm 120 Ballistic Tip on deer. I've never hunted with these but just tried them out in my new custom 7mm-08 and the accuracy was incredible (groups 1/4" ctc @100 Yds).

In the post that I have read, folks either love or hate them. Most folks citing bullet "failure" included jacket separation, lack of complete pass through, or excessive expansion/minimal or no penetration. I also noticed that most of these "failures" seemed to result from excessive impact velocities. Other "failures" were from the time frame before Nosler toughened up the 120gr BT.

I'm considering using these for deer and hogs here in central Texas. The vast majority of my shots will be right at 100 Yds. I haven't checked velocity on my chronograph yet, but am using a max book load of 50.5 gr H414 in a 24" barrel. Nosler's manual, using a 26" barrel list velocity at aprox 3,180 FPS. I figure that should put me in the 3,100+- FPS MV range and aprox 2,865 FPS @ 100 Yds. So I should be well within the operating parameters of this bullet.

So, my question to all of you that have experience with the 120 BT is how has this bullet performed for you in the past on deer and hogs?

 

[J E Custom]

I've read a lot of post on various forums about the effectiveness of the 7mm 120 Ballistic Tip on deer. I've never hunted with these but just tried them out in my new custom 7mm-08 and the accuracy was incredible (groups 1/4" ctc @100 Yds).

In the post that I have read, folks either love or hate them. Most folks citing bullet "failure" included jacket separation, lack of complete pass through, or excessive expansion/minimal or no penetration. I also noticed that most of these "failures" seemed to result from excessive impact velocities. Other "failures" were from the time frame before Nosler toughened up the 120gr BT.

I'm considering using these for deer and hogs here in central Texas. The vast majority of my shots will be right at 100 Yds. I haven't checked velocity on my chronograph yet, but am using a max book load of 50.5 gr H414 in a 24" barrel. Nosler's manual, using a 26" barrel list velocity at aprox 3,180 FPS. I figure that should put me in the 3,100+- FPS MV range and aprox 2,865 FPS @ 100 Yds. So I should be well within the operating parameters of this bullet.

So, my question to all of you that have experience with the 120 BT is how has this bullet performed for you in the past on deer and hogs?

At 7/08 impact velocities, the 120s are perfect.

I tried the 140s and they were just to slow in the 7/08 at 200+yards.

I don't understand why someone would get jacket separation unless they were pushing the Ballistic
over 3500 ft/sec in a fast twist barrel. I have never seen this happen with the ballistic tips unless
the were exceeding its recommended velocity range.

I don't use the 120s in any of my other 7mms but in the 7/08 there is nothing like them.

Try them, and you wont look any further.

They drop deer in there tracks and 300+ pound hogs within 20 or 30 yards.

Just my experience with the 7/08 loaded with 120 grain ballistic tips.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Canvsbk]

I have used both 120 and 140 BT in 7/08 for whitetails with perfect results every time.

 

[firstshot425]

Thanks so much for your input. The 120 BT's are so accurate in my rifle I've just got to try them in the field. Since I have never hunted with them before, all of your input here has made me feel a lot better about doing so.

I also plan to work up a load for the 140 Accubonds. Assuming they are as accurate as the 120 BT's, I will pretty much have all bases covered.

I've got a Zeiss HD-5 5-25x50 with target knobs sitting on top which I plan to keep set up for the 120 BT's and then just dial in for the 140 accubonds when ever I feel the need.

 

[280 Man]

The 120 BT is a good choice for the 7/08.....It has a thicker jacket than a 140 or 150 gr BT.....The thicker jacket was derived from silhouette shooters complaining about the thin jacket on the original version 120 BT would not knock the "steel" over at longer ranges due to fragmenting....This bullet has a heavy jacket for it's weight class....If you stay within the design window of this bullet, it will fill your freezer and cause your taxidermy bill to increase.....Good luck....

 

[DanMan]

I apologize for getting a little off course and maybe should get a different thread
but I loaded some 120 NBT for my rem 280 for my daughter to use antelope hunting. Worked great at 200 yds.

 

[J E Custom]

The 120 BT is a good choice for the 7/08.....It has a thicker jacket than a 140 or 150 gr BT.....The thicker jacket was derived from silhouette shooters complaining about the thin jacket on the original version 120 BT would not knock the "steel" over at longer ranges due to fragmenting....This bullet has a heavy jacket for it's weight class....If you stay within the design window of this bullet, it will fill your freezer and cause your taxidermy bill to increase.....Good luck....

+1

A while ago, I was trying to figure out why the 120 BT performed so much better than the 140 BT
even when shot at the same velocity. and was told by Nosler that between the pelt hunters and the silhouette shooters wanting a heaver jacket (They were the bulk of the sales for the 120s)they changed the wall thickness of the jacket.

Not wanting to leave it at that , I decided to mount a 120 and a 140 ballistic tip side by side in epoxy and machine the bullets half way through the bullet and measure the wall thickness my self.

The 120 had a .010 thousandths thicker jacket than the 140.

I use the 120 grain ballistic tip exclusively in the 7/08 and have never been disappointed.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Dgd6mm]

Great results with the 120 Nosler BT out of my 7-08.

 

[280 Man]

+1

A while ago, I was trying to figure out why the 120 BT performed so much better than the 140 BT
even when shot at the same velocity. and was told by Nosler that between the pelt hunters and the silhouette shooters wanting a heaver jacket (They were the bulk of the sales for the 120s)they changed the wall thickness of the jacket.

Not wanting to leave it at that , I decided to mount a 120 and a 140 ballistic tip side by side in epoxy and machine the bullets half way through the bullet and measure the wall thickness my self.

The 120 had a .010 thousandths thicker jacket than the 140.

I use the 120 grain ballistic tip exclusively in the 7/08 and have never been disappointed.

J E CUSTOM

The 120 gr Ballistic Tip is a formidable killer due to this thicker jacket for sure....Steve Timms has some awesome experiences with these bullets...It would behoove anoyone to do a search on what kind of success he had with the 120 gr BT if thinking about using these bullets...