Any experience with a Nosler 120 Ballistic tip (.284")

Supertrucker

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Pushed around 3300 fps from a 280 Ackley to be specific.

What is this bullet capable of? Max range on deer/antelope/black bear/elk?

I've never cross sectioned one myself, but have heard on many occasions it has a thicker jacket than the 140 Ballistic tip.

This bullet is scary accurate in my 280AI..........all groups with this bullet and H4831sc are in the .156"-.210" range. For comparisons, the 140's (Ballistics and Accubonds) are a consistant 1/2" group. I know I'm probably being a little anal in the accuracy department, but with those 120's I feel I could "shoot a hummingbird in the lips".
 
would be ok on deer/antelope, stay off the shoulder on shots with impact above 2900 fps, would go to a heavier better constructed bullet for elk/bear, 140 at the least and I would use an accubond.
RR
 
I would want a little more bullet weight for deer sized game but the bullets are typical nosler quality.

I ran them right at 3600 in a 7RM sendero and wanted them to be crow detonaters like my friends 6mm with 70 grain nbt at 3700.

While they killed the crows very dead I did not get the explosiveness I wanted, however on armadillos they were quite impressive.

I would think in your 280ai they would be THE! coyote bullet and like ridge runner said you prob would not have any trouble as long as you stay off the shoulder on deer and antelope. 308
 
Pushed around 3300 fps from a 280 Ackley to be specific.

What is this bullet capable of? Max range on deer/antelope/black bear/elk?

I've never cross sectioned one myself, but have heard on many occasions it has a thicker jacket than the 140 Ballistic tip.

This bullet is scary accurate in my 280AI..........all groups with this bullet and H4831sc are in the .156"-.210" range. For comparisons, the 140's (Ballistics and Accubonds) are a consistant 1/2" group. I know I'm probably being a little anal in the accuracy department, but with those 120's I feel I could "shoot a hummingbird in the lips".

They will surprise you how well they work.

There best operating velocity is 1800 to 3000 ft/sec and guess what your velocity @ 100 yrds
is 3061 and at 700 yrds it is 1857 ft/sec. (perfect) !!

I use the 120gr Ballistic tip in my 7/08 and performance is outstanding.

They are at there best with soft tissue shot placement (Behind the sholder) especially at longer
distances.

I did not have as good a result using the 140 gr ballistic tip ,But I was not able to get the
velocity that you can in the 280.

Most of the guys I know that have a 280 use the 160gr accubond and love it.

I use the 120 on everthing from a turkeys head to 300+ pound hogs and have never been
anything but amazed at what it will do .

If you like high shoulder shots then I would recomend the Accubond to minimize meat damage.

J E CUSTOM
 
The jacket is not any "thicker" on the 120g vs. 140g. The jacket from the 140g is used for the 120g, so they are essentially the same jacket.

I dont know why, but the 7mm 120g bullet just doesn't seem to intrigue me for big game purposes. I think the 140g is the cats butt for 7mm and deer/lope, you'll never get me to switch to the 120g

With that said, the 120g NBT "should" be every bit as good as the 140g NBT. You should be good to deer and lope to around 800 yards.

I wouldn't even THINK about using this bullet for bear or elk. Thats just asking for trouble and one of the very reasons why you have so many people hating ballistic tips, because of this very reason, people using the wrong bullet, for the wrong job....Where do you see anyone using a 7mm 120g bullet for elk, let alone a ballistic tip???? Is this a trick question or what??

If you want to use NBT's for bigger game (elk/bear,) you at least owe it to the animal to use the heaviest one available for the caliber which would be the 150g NBT, not the lightest 120g NBT, to perform to the best of its ability. This way you reduce the risk of hitting the animal and watching it run away from a surface wound because you used a varmint bullet on a big game animal, then you get pised and swear off nosler NBT's and start bad mouthing them all over the place because you didn't use common sense, or the correct bullet for the task at hand.

Not saying your one of these people, but there are many many out there who use the wrong weight of NBT for the task at hand, then go bad mouthing them all over town and internet how bad they suck, bloodshot meat, yadda yadda, when it was there own fault in the first place.
 
From the 24hr Campfire board. Steve Timm, retired gunwriter, on the 7mm 120 grain ballistic tip:

(24hourcampfire: Steve Dogzapper Question on 120 BT)

This has been covered many times in the past at the Campfire. A search will give you lots of info.

To summarize: I started using the Nosler .284" 120-grain Ballistic Tip several years ago. A friend of mine who worked at Nosler at the time told me that the bullet was a total flop with varmint hunters (duhhhhh ), but that the rifle metal silhouette shooters used a zillion of them.

Nosler got complaints from the rifle silhouette shooters because the bullet was too frangible to consistently tip over the 500 meter ram. Because the rifle silhouette use was seemingly the only market for the 7-120, Nosler made the jacket considerably heavier than the original design.

This change was intended to satisfy the silhouette shooters complaints, but an inintended consequence was that they unwittingly made one heck of a big game bullet.

The first I heard of it was my friend at Nosler was shooting California wild boars through both shoulders (both gristle plates) with the 120 in a 7-08. Full penetration and very dead pigs!!!

Please bear in mind that the silhouette story above is purely legend, but if you will split a 7-120, you will find the jacket is waaaay heavy. Actually, it resembles the .338 BTs, which are heavy and are sure killers on larger critters.

Down to your question, "What has Dogzapper shot with the 120s?" Answer: A bit of stuff.

I've killed a couple of 6X6 bull elk. Not big ones, but around 290 B&C and decent bodies for five year olds. One was shot from above, looking away at 375 yards, the bullet entered the spine behind the shoulder and was found under the hide of the chest. Expanded to .75" or so and the recovered bullet weighs about 100 grains (it's around here someplace and it's a big lead and copper ball.

Second bull was 400ish. Not to be fancy, I shot the bull through the center of the shoulder. The bullet broke both shouders and was recovered under the far hide. The bullet is identical to the first bull's bullet.

Both of these were killed with the 7-08 Ackley.

Other kills with the gun and bullet were a large Montana mule buck at way too close, peeking though a juniper tree at first light. Horns were big and so was he and I had to hit the only open thing I could see ... an eyeball. And I did.

Bullet went clear through the head and didn't break the skull. Exited leaving a one-inch hole.

Another Montana mulie was probably the largest-bodied mule I've ever shot in Montana. He was aged at 9 1/2 years in Great Falls game stop (by a PhD professor of big game). I knew the buck intimately and had not been able to kill him the three previous years. I caught him in a herd of over 100 does, with head low and his dick hanging out. Saw him at over 400 yards in the dusk and made a running open field stalk ... closed to 205 yards and shot him a little too high behind the shoulder. Spined him, dead right there, bullet fully penetrated leaving a 2" exit.

There's a few more deer with the 7-08 and some antelope, but the tale is always the same.

I've also used the 120 in the .280 Ackley @ 3,370 fps.

Shot a moose one morning with it. Range was 91 yards and the three year old dumbly stood in the middle of a farm two-track. I shot him under the chin, slightly to my right, trying to break the spine upon exit. One or both carotids were broken, C-2 vertabrae was totally missing and the bullet exited leaving a two-inch hole. For all I know, it may still be in low orbit of the earth.

Mickey Moose died right there.

I've shot many antelope with the bullet in the .280 Ackley. Ranges from 100 to over 500 yards. Nver missed a got with it and never shot twice. Total penetration from most any angle, except for one old and large buck that I shot fully in the chest and recovered the bullet (deadliest mushroom in the woods) right next to his bunghole. I guess you'd call it full-penetration of a goat, minus one-eighth inch.

Lotsa mule deer and whitetails. Normally full penetration. Don't remember ever recovering a bullet from a deer. Exits usually rin one to two inches.

You ask about maximum recommended impact velocity on deer and elk. Heck I don't know, I just go out there and kill stuff.

I don't know that I'd recommend it on elk of moose. I have a habit of hunting deer with the tags for big critters also in my pocket. I carry 120s and sometimes magic happens. If I was purposely hunting elk or mooses only, I'd probably up-bullet to a 139 Hornady Interlocked in both the 7SGLC and the .280 Ackely.

Or for really big stuff, like the Asian water buffalo I killed a couple of years ago, I used the 154 Hornady Interlocked in my .280. I severed both carotids and created a buffalo blood fountain that was quite beautiful.

Anyway, I've written way too much. Use it or don't, it's not a matter of honor or pride. I use the 120 and am not prejudiced and find it kills the schit out of stuff without ruining a lot of meat.

In truth, the 120 Ballistic is considerably "harder" and in my experience will out-penetrate the 140 Ballistic Tip.

I also find the 139 Hornady Interlocked (plain, cheap cup-n-core) to be one heck of a great bullet.

Those of us who love medium sized 7mm cartridges are truly blessed with a plethora of excellent big game bullets.



Steve
 
After reading buzzguns post I had to settle this issue for my self.

I am and allways have been suprised by the performance of the 120gr ballistic tip so
I decided to prove it once and for all.

This is the way I did the test.

First I cut a piece of 1 and 1/2" stainless pipe 1 inch long.
Then after sand blasting a 120gr and a 140gr NBT I placed them on a piece of granite
protected by release agent .

Then I placed the piece of stainless pipe over the two bullets.

Next I mixed up some devcon and carefully poured the devcon in the pipe and coverd
the bullets.

After cureing I placed the specimen in my lathe and started facing it off .005" of an inch
at a time to keep it cool and not disturb the bullet or the core.

After cutting almost half way through I took demensions using a 6x magnifier and a electronic
vernier.

I had expected to find a thicker base on the 120 but they were the same(0.152 avg).

Next the wall thickness in 3 different locations. the readings for the 120 was 0.053avg and
the 140 was 0.041 avg.

After getting these readings I faced the test specimen down to the center line of the both
bullets for my finial readings.

The 120 wall deminsions were 0.043 avg and the 140 was 0.031 avg.

So the 120 gr NBT definitely has a 0.010 thousandth thicker jacket than the 140gr NBT.
By 20 + percent.

This test explaines a lot to me and puts the debate to sleep as far as I am concerned.

I know it was long winded but I wanted to make this test as accurate as possible and
unbiased.

J E CUSTOM
 
Thanks for taking the time to do that. I'd be interested in the same test comparing a 140 Accubond to the 120 Nosler Ballistc tip. Probably no comparison.....but it could be eye opening.
 
That was an interesting test J E. I'd like to know how the 120 and 150 gn Ballistic Tips stack up as far as jacket thickness goes. I shoot the 7mmRM and have always used the 150gn. I tried the 120's years ago but just for target shooting and was not impressed with them and the way the wind blew them around at 500yds. They were accurate though. JohnnyK.
 
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