Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Not Sold on the 120 NBT

While it may not guarantee results in your rifle, research and tips from other hunters and shooters should give you a clue as to where to start. Often times they do work just as advertised.

I believe you're in dire need of a clue on many subjects.

If someone wants to send me their partial boxs of 120 bt I'll shoot an elk in the shoulder and report back if there's any difference than normal.

Kent

FC, late to the dance on this thread but if you're loading for a "hog specific" round at closer ranges load them down to 25/2600 ish velocities and place your bullet where it's supposed to go and you will do just fine.

No need to wind them up to 3000fps as that's better suited for further out there.

Worked just peachy out of my 284 Winchester.

You guys saying go with the Barnes because even though they are expensive they are the cheapest part of the hunt must switch bullets to practice?

I've never shot Bergers, but I have to admit I am intrigued with their reputation of penetrating several inches and then expanding violantley. It doesn't make sense that they can penetrate hide and muscle for several inches without expansion, then, when they hit the lungs, they come apart.

Like any expanding bullet, I would expect them to start expanding the moment they hit resistance.

I use totally different rifles to practice, and honestly, due to competitive shooting for many years, I flat don't practice much.

But I do shoot a 22 almost all year round at various things on the farm if nothing else... and give the cowbirds heck in the spring with a pellet gun...

Most any rifle is good drop wise and wind wise to 300 yards. Beyond that you have to do a bit of work to make sure you are right. For none of that do I need practice, only verification zero's and any trigger time is practice, doesn't have to be with my go to gun.

Barnes

I do on the rounds in which I use Barnes bullets.

For instance, the 7mm 120 ttsx/120 Vmax combo flies pretty similarly. Also the 6mm 80ttsx/80 Ballistic Tip. Just started messing with the 210 ttsx/200 SST combo in a 338-06. Have yet to shoot the 200 SSTs at distance to see how they match up, but I'm optimistic.

But to answer your question, I suspect most guy's rifles don't see much practice other than for the obligatory single 3 shot sub MOA group posted on the internet after sight in, and the "DRT" dink once or twice a year (alternately one must post up pics of a "shot up too much meat" or "overpenetrated" dink). So the cost of a few Barnes bullets isn't really an issue.

The closest thing to a "perfect" performer is the Nosler partition. Too many reports from Barnes guys about "penciling" to convince me they are the perfect bullet.

Yes, I do that. I have accurate loads for each rifle with Barnes, from 22Hornet to my 30-06. I do not use Barnes for plinking rounds.

I do a fair amount of coyote hunting and have 3 rifles for that, a Ruger M77/22 Hornet, Sako L461/222remmag and TC Icon/243win. I only use Barnes in the Hornet for coyotes as I have far less 'runners' using Barnes than any other bullet I tried in that cartridge.

In my experience, Barnes just seem to hit harder. They seem to make a small cartridge hit harder.

Using the 222remmag as an example, when I hit a coyote that's facing me (which is the usual since I call them in) with a Btip or Vmax, they usually get stiff and tip over. When I used softpoints, the front-end would go down, then the hips and frequently the tail would 'wave'. Basically, I have more dramatic kills with Btips or Vmax than with sfpts. In the Hornet, using Barnes (45gr XLC), the results are similar to Btips out the 222RM, inside of 100yds.

I see you took the NAB to Africa. Did they shoot better in your 7RM than the NPT?

Wanting your thoughts on the subject.

DF

Yes they did Dirt. I have killed probably 150 head of big game with the partitions, and about 60 or so with the AB's. I'm going to refrain from giving the AB's the same high praise I give to the partitions until I take more game with them. However, if I were prodded to having to give my opinion on comparing the two today, I'd say the AB's I've recovered have performed like a tipped partition, and I can find no fault with them yet. They have been a fabulous performer for me and have been slightly more accurate than the partitions have been in most of, but not all of my rifles. When I get partitions to fall into 1" or better groups though I usually call it good though.

I have personally seen big mule deer and aoudad shot with 140-160 AB's with impact velocities from 3300fps (7STW @ 30 yds), to app 1800fps (hogs @ 800yds, 160/7mag) with equally impressive results......60-65% retention. The STW scenario really impressed me with that bullet's performance. You've seen the pics of my African animals, retentions from 50-64%, and very dead (quickly) animals.

All it tells you is what worked in their guns.
The reloading manuals give you that same information.

So what has this thread taught you, other than everyone seems to have different results?

Reading a manual will give you a "clue" where to start.
It sounds like you are the one in need, since you repeated what I said:

Disagree, based on this thread. You want to hit shoulders with speed, even with Barnes-which may be my favorite do it all, but I do like NBT's-you will have a good chance of more than a little lost meat.

You want to save meat and still aim for shoulders, then go slower and use a bigger bullet and you don't need a Barnes and Barnes may not be the best choice slowed down.

Hit them in the head and they all work and you save meat. Maybe in that case you can have it all, but most are not willing to go there.

Same experience here. I have killed two deer with the 120BT @ 3,200fps out of my .280 that turned me off. Now I use 120gr TTSX. Both times the bullet exploded and basically looked as if you had unzipped them down the side with guts hanging out, one quartering towards and the other away. Zero penetration and was a awful mess trying to salvage any meat.
My nephew killed a deer using same rifle and different load @ 2,890/fps and it worked great. I will not use them over 2,900/fps.

Loading manuals give info, but not the same as user info. The manuals tend to be more general and don't give the specifics I like.

I use both.

DF

Yes. that "user info" has really been helpful on this thread, huh?

Well, yes.

I got good info from JG on his NPT vs. NAB experience. You don't see that in loading manuals. I see others have experienced blood shot meat at impact with TTSX's. Ed didn't see the logic in high speed, light for caliber bullets for game and from what I've seen, he may be right.

All these bits of info and nuances of bullet performance on game go into my "computer" as I work thru loads to achieve what I want for a particular rifle.

I don't get that from loading manuals. To me the main use for loading manuals is to double check user loads and make sure they're in the ballpark with tested loads.

Some books, like Ken Waters Pet Loads, give more detailed info than loading manuals. It's the nitty gritty details I'm look for. As they say, the devil's in the details.

Otherwise, what kinda Loony would I be...?

DF

Mule Deer answered this already. Shut up and listen. He's right.