Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .284/120 grain ballistic tip

maybe this has been asked before, anyone shooting the 120 grain ballistic tip at deer in a .280 or 7-08? like it/don't like it?

Been using it several years now and can not complain. I started using it with a 7mm08 and am currently using it with a 7mm08 AI. I like to shoot them through the ribs and it does a very good job. miles

I use the 120BT in my .280AI. It works very well on whitetail and is super accurate.

thanks I had one bad experience with a ballistic silver tip many years ago and I am trying to overcome my prejudice. A friend uses them to good effect as well, they are cheaper than many bullets out there and seem to get good accuracy despite what you shoot them out of.

Been running the .280AI with 120 BTs (3400+ fps)this spring for hogs. So far looking very, very promising. N=5, all bang-flops with 2 holes. Sizes from 60-180 lbs, ranges from 30-150 yards.
I'm gonna try some 120 TTSXs next, got 'em loaded and ready to sight-in. Only reason is because they have been so outstanding in 150 gr out of the .300WSM.

My daughters and grand-kids have taken several pickup loads of desert mule deer, Coues whitetails, Texas whitetails, Kansas whitetails and pronghorns with 120 grain Nosler solid bases and ballistic tips in a variety of 7mm-08s. We have never lost an animal.

As near as I can recollect, without going to the hunting diaries, only one animal took more than 1 shot. He was a large mule deer shot at a lazer-ranged (after the fact) 420 yds. He was dead on his feet after the first shot but just had not realized it yet. He stood around long enough for the second shot to put him down where he stood.

I regard Ballistic Tips to be one of the better (if not the best) of the "non-premium" bullets.

The 120 BTs work great in my son's 7mm-08 on whitetail deer.

At one time it was more of a varmint round, However I read recently that the silohuet shooters....requested a more stout bullet for their applications... and due to the demand, Nosler granted the request. More recent product is +/- 60% copper, and a fairly rugged bullet for big game.

The newer 120gr ballistic tips are much tougher than the old versions in the red and green boxes of 100.I have used them on or large bodied Canadian deer and they do a fine job.

Can you drill shoulders and get an exit with them? Details?

Thanks,

DJ

Can someone section one and put up a pic ???

I use them in my 284 win. Velocity, accuracy and performance are great in my opinion. They go cross ways thru a mule deer chest and keep on going.
Others on this site have used them on elk and moose successfully.

They worked great for my wife this past season out of her 7-08 at about 70 yds (MV 3100ish). Caliber entrance, about a nickel sized exit. She said the deer (7 pointer) looked like it threw itself down it dropped so fast. This was a behind the shoulder shot. Honestly, we've used Accubonds the past several years and performance was very similar - very small sample size in this case.

DJ,
I'd say yes. Check with dogzapper as he's run them through a few big elk with his 280AI I believe.
Elvis,
There was a pic on the fire here a while back while the 120 NBT was being debated - I'll help search for it.

They've been more accurate than my trusted NAB load out of my 7RM and may replace it if they hold up to the "Muley @ 3500fps" test.

I have been shooting them out of my 280AI with great results. All have been blacktails and mulies and one Antelope. All did not make if more than 20 yards. I really wanted to shoot the 140AB out of this rifle but it does not like them at all. The ballistic tips are sure impressing me to this point!

FWIW, I put a 120grBT thru a running broadside buck's shoulders at around 80-100yds from my old 7-08AI. The bullet penetrated the first scapula but stopped short of even denting the second scapula. No exit or offside hide here:


Recovered 120grBT core:



And here is a 140grBT and 120grBT I sectioned about 5yrs ago. Note the beefier jacket up front, but not really beefy enough to make much difference in penetration between the two. I would rather have the extra 20grs of lead:


A recovered 140grBT/7-08 from the offside hide of a 400lb+ bear, the core separated and I placed it back inside for these pics. A better big game bullet IME and opinion (though a 140grNP trumps both):

Somewhere I have a similar recovered 165grBT/3006 from another bear, identical performance.

I also recovered a 139gr Hornady BTSP from a head on shot at a buck, the bullet hit the spine dead on, took out about 5" of vertebrate. On another bigger muley buck I got complete pass thrus with 2 shots at 400yds+ (lasered too). However, nothing was left of the core with this head on spine shot at about 80yds:


The 120grBT is a fine bullet for most deer, just don't expect the same bone crushing, shoulder drilling performance of bullets like the 140gr Nosler Partition, Barnes TSX or the new Nosler E tip.

I personally prefer the 139gr/140gr weight bullets for hunting with the 7-08 class of cartridges, they deliver more damage, buck the wind better and fly plenty flat out to 400-500yds.

From the 7-08, I have never recovered a 140grNP or 120grX from bears or deer.

Will be trying out the new Hornady GMX 139gr if I can get my hands on some.

MtnHtr

Thanks, 'Hunter.

DJ

Great post and pic's Mtn Hunter!

I've been using them in my 284 Win. for quite awhile. Never a problem.