Better For Antelope - Nosler 130gr AB or 120gr BT?

[Winny94]

Strictly for Pronghorn, would you rather be using a 120gr Ballistic Tip or a 130gr Accubond out of a 22.5" 260 Rem? I've heard a BT on a pronghorn shoulder is not a good thing, but having never used them myself, I cant confirm that.

 

[FEENIX]

Strictly for Pronghorn, would you rather be using a 120gr Ballistic Tip or a 130gr Accubond out of a 22.5" 260 Rem? I've heard a BT on a pronghorn shoulder is not a good thing, but having never used them myself, I cant confirm that.

Either one should work; not a fan of shoulder shot though ... shot placement is still the key.

I've harvested a few antelope with 180 BT and 200 NAB out of my .300 WM with double lung/heart shots with minimum meat damage/waste.

 

[longgunshooter]

Personal pref but AB or LRAB and never look back.

Although, hit proper, the BT's will work fine on a light animal like that. Depending on if you hit an on side rib, expect a baseball sized exit hole.

 

[bigngreen]

No difference, don't shoot an antelope in the shoulder or spine with either our you'll have a mess, both will kill it no issue.

 

[WildRose]

BT's are a much better varmint bullet than game animal bullet. If you're shooting factory ammo you have a very limited selection of bullets to choose from but if I remember right the Federal Premium line offers .260 Rem with a 130gr Sierra Gameking bullet and if your rifle shoots them well that would be a great load.

If you're loading your own the Nosler Accubond/Accubond LR and Swift Sirocco are all good choices as are the Hornady Interbond (good luck finding any) or their new ELD-X all have the kind of terminal ballistics I like so it's just a matter of figuring out which your rig will shoot best.

Good luck and enjoy, I really miss the annual fall antelope hunt.

 

[bigngreen]

The

BT's are a much better varmint bullet than game animal bullet. If you're shooting factory ammo you have a very limited selection of bullets to choose from but if I remember right the Federal Premium line offers .260 Rem with a 130gr Sierra Gameking bullet and if your rifle shoots them well that would be a great load.

If you're loading your own the Nosler Accubond/Accubond LR and Swift Sirocco are all good choices as are the Hornady Interbond (good luck finding any) or their new ELD-X all have the kind of terminal ballistics I like so it's just a matter of figuring out which your rig will shoot best.

Good luck and enjoy, I really miss the annual fall antelope hunt.[/QUOTE

Just how many of the bullets you recommend do you actually put on game? You realize the Accubond LR has proven to be an explosive bullet at close range right? You know the ELD is showing more Amax type performance than Interning right? A BT falls right in with the performance of the ALR and ELD, has heavier jacket construction than the ELD actually.

 

[scottishkat]

I have harvested Antelope, Axis deer and Whitetails with the 120NBT in my 260 rem at 2900 MV. Its performance has been great out to 300. Never shot anything further with it.

Don't think I have ever hit a shoulder I did hit one in the spine without issue.

Tried the 130 NAB in my 260's it was my first choice after reading what Ken Waters had to say about 129 and 130 gr bullets in the 6.5-08. They never shot well always about MOA but for me the 120 NBT has always been stellar. Lot's of reviews on midwausa.

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob

 

[WildRose]

Just how many of the bullets you recommend do you actually put on game? You realize the Accubond LR has proven to be an explosive bullet at close range right? You know the ELD is showing more Amax type performance than Interning right? A BT falls right in with the performance of the ALR and ELD, has heavier jacket construction than the ELD actually.

I've never recommended a bullet that I don't or haven't used myself unless I state it as such.

What exactly is "interning" supposed to mean?

I know the ELD-X hasn't been out long enough for there to be much terminal ballistics data to draw on.

I know that the Accubond LR performed well for me and quite a few other folks but we were put off by the exaggerated BC's.

I know the BT is not a bonded bullet and that it is explosive even at moderate velocities from using hundreds of them on both game and varmints/predators. The BT's Jacket is tapered being rather thin at the tip and getting progressively thicker to the base which is why it has such violent expansion.

The accubond LR IS a bonded bullet and the ELD-X is a non bonded cannelure bullet that can separate at high velocities.

I know that the AMP jacket is designed to be uniform in thickness and that it's actual thickness will vary depending on the caliber and weight of the bullet. AMP refers to the manufacturing process, it doesn't mean the same jacket is used throughout the line.

I also know that the thickness of the jacket is only part of the equation and that the exact alloys being used have a significant effect on terminal performance but that how the core and jacket are held together has an even bigger effect on how the bullet will perform at a given velocity.

Now, what else would you like to know?

 

[bigngreen]

I've never recommended a bullet that I don't or haven't used myself unless I state it as such.

What exactly is "interning" supposed to mean?

I know the ELD-X hasn't been out long enough for there to be much terminal ballistics data to draw on.

I know that the Accubond LR performed well for me and quite a few other folks but we were put off by the exaggerated BC's.

I know the BT is not a bonded bullet and that it is explosive even at moderate velocities from using hundreds of them on both game and varmints/predators. The BT's Jacket is tapered being rather thin at the tip and getting progressively thicker to the base which is why it has such violent expansion.

The accubond LR IS a bonded bullet and the ELD-X is a non bonded cannelure bullet that can separate at high velocities.

I know that the AMP jacket is designed to be uniform in thickness and that it's actual thickness will vary depending on the caliber and weight of the bullet. AMP refers to the manufacturing process, it doesn't mean the same jacket is used throughout the line.

I also know that the thickness of the jacket is only part of the equation and that the exact alloys being used have a significant effect on terminal performance but that how the core and jacket are held together has an even bigger effect on how the bullet will perform at a given velocity.

Now, what else would you like to know?

Nope, that's pretty much what I figured

 

[270DT]

Another option you could look at is the 125 grain Peregrine Plainsmaster. I load them in my 6.5 WSM and they perform exceptionally well. Here is a link .264 PlainsMaster 125gr - 50 Bullets - Peregrine Bullets

Also they advertise and support this website

 

[Bravo 4]

I would shoot whichever shot best from the rifle being used, and just because they are cheaper I would start with the ballistic tip. That and they usually shoot really well. I have used ballistic tips in .223 up the .338 and from what I've experienced the smaller the caliber, the lighter the grain per caliber and the faster you run them the faster they will come apart. The lighter and smaller BT's I would consider a varmint bullet but the heavier they are per caliber the longer shank they have and the more likely they will not have a jacket-core seperation. As an example I will use my daughter's .243: I load the 95 grain BT at 2950 fps and it has killed several deer from a couple hundred yards to as close as 25(ish). All have exited with behind the shoulder shots but 1. This was a quartering away shot behind the shoulder that took out two ribs going in, penetrated through the vitals and the offside shoulder, and was laying under the hide in a perfect looking mushroom. This was a decent sized buck for the area of around 200 pounds. If that didn't cause the bullet to fragment, "blow up", or seperate I don't think too much on an animal half that size would.
On the other hand, I would expect the smaller and much faster 55 grain bullets out of the same rifle to come apart really fast because it has done so on smaller animals than antelope...coyotes.
Then you take a larger caliber BT like the .338 and it has a much tougher construction. I punched a hole through a whitetail buck last year with a 200 grain BT at over 3000 fps impact velocity and it went through both shoulders. No hint of fragmenting or seperation, just a small entrance and a quarter sized exit.

 

[johnnyk]

I would vote for the 120gn Ballistic Tip. I have shot a few whitetails here in NC and some would probably be about the same size as the speed goats out west. I, nor my son, never had a problem, from 35yds out to 400yds. That bullet killed everything it came in contact with.

This was from my youngest son's rifle; a Rem 700 SS Mtn rifle w/22" barrel. I loaded the 120's with 46.5gn of H4350 and Rem 9.5 primers. Velocity was around 2900fps, IIRC, but accuracy was .37", I loaded them .010" off.

I killed a couple of Georgia whitetails with this bullet (120gn NBT) but from a 6.5-284Normal w/26" barrel running 3225fps. Very, very effective and accurate. It shot .34" @ 100yds and I shot several 1.5 - 1.75" groups at 500yds with it.

Good luck! JohnnyK.