Based on your experience, what do you think is the best all around bullet for large bodied Whitetails, Muleys and lets throw in Hogs as well.

7MM and .257 Caliber. Shots near and far.

Gotta be able to handle bone.

Mine:

7MM: 150 Gr. Partition
.257: 120 Gr. Partition

Green and yellow box of corelokts.......Schitt, I am channeling Swampee again.

Best in the World!

Whatever weight TSX you like in either caliber.

Next question......

7mm 150 NPT is my go to STW hunting load.Sure knocks the crap outta things.

As for a 25...nil

162s are tough to beat for a cup and core in the 7s. TSX in the quarter bore.

+1

.257 100g TSX is a rock star!

Verdict is still out on the 7mm. Way too many good choices.

Noticed Nosler had Seconds in stock this weekend in the .257 120Parts.

May not be the best, but here is what I use:

100g TTSX @ +P, .257 Roberts
110g AccuBond @ +P, .257 Roberts
120g A-Frame@ +P, .257 Roberts

140g North Fork, 7mm RM
140g TTSX, 7mm RM
160g North Fork, 7mm RM

100g TSX in any .25, 140g Partition in the standard 7mm's, 160 grain Partitions in the magnums.

Hard to argue with those two. I'd probably substitute the 140 PT in the 7mm cuz I shoot a lot of 7mm-08, 7x57, and .284 Win....and, we're talking deer and hogs.

Good choices I'm not sure why such a tough bullet is needed for deer but the Nosler Partitions will work.

John,

Right now my choices are the same as yours. Been flatening Whities routinely with the 150 Partition from my .280 and my 257AI really like to shoot the 120's. I'm yet to kill with that rifle as I have not had it very long.

The one change I'll be trying to make is seeing how the Bob AI like to shoot 100gr TTSX's. If the rifle likes them as much as the Partitions, the TTSX's will be a mainstay.

Based on my personal experience,in 7mm, the 140 Bitterroot(which ain't really fair cause it is no longer made) with the 140 Nosler Partition a very close second.

In 257 I have used the 100,115,and 120 Nosler Partition a good deal and for large deer I'd pick the 115.

Can't say on hogs because I have never shot one,but have used the above 7mm's on black bear and they "work".

Barnes TSX/TTSX or Nosler Partition in what ever weight that shoots the best in your rifle....

Nosler BT in any cal

100TSX
140TSX .... 150 Scirocco is a thumper

7mm i use 120TSX and X

25 i use 85X and 100TSX

Started using the 120gr Hornady HP in a 257AI that would not shoot partitions. Don't know if it's "best" or not but it sure works well and has been shown to be very accurate in several rifles.

Standard cup and core bullets:
7mm-154g Hornady Sp
25 cal- toss up between the 100g Hornady Sp and the 100g Speer BT


Premiums:
7mm-120g(450 yds and under) or 140g Tipped Tripple shocks
25 Caliber- 100g Partition(I have not killed anything with Tripple shocks in this weight).

From my .25-06, I've used both the 100 gr TSX and the 115 Berger VLD. Two very different bullets.

Both worked very well, my rifle shoots the Bergers better, so am sticking with them for that rifle & mule deer hunting.

Also have a history of using Nosler Partitions in any cartridge, including the .25's. Best? Hmmm. Dunno. Sure are some good ones available.

Guy

7MM- 140 gr. Barnes TSX
.257 (in my case, WBY)- 100 gr. Barnes TSX

.257 110GR ACCUBOND
7MM 140GR ACCUBOND

+2

100gr Partition - 250/3000

115gr Partition - .257 Roberts

154gr Hornady Interlock - 7x57

Best is certainly a relative thing. I do have personal favorites, based on ballistic and on game performance.

I like the 140 grain Barnes and the 140 and 160 grain Partitions in my 7mms. Except for the 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip is my favorite for antelope in my 7-08.

The 100 grain Barnes and Ballistic Tip are my favorites in the 25-06.

After playing with them a bit I am using the 140gr PT's this next season in my 7x57...as long as the hogs are under 350#'s which is the case for most of us...no matter how big it looked. Magnum cartridges, longer ranges, the better BC's of the 150gr. 7mm's would seem to make them a better choice. Something like a scirroco or accubond would be my choice.

.25= 100 grain TTSX

.284= TTSX or NP depending how hard it's getting pushed!

Just based on my experiences, in the 7mm, from the 7mm RM, to the .280 on down to the 7X57 I'd say either the 160 gr. or the 140 gr. Partition. Even when only started at 2680 fps., the 160 gr. will open well at over 400 yds. The 140 gr., when started at 2800 fps. will open well at same distance.
Both will shatter both shoulders on stuff much tougher than deer.
Have only made one kill myself with a .25 caliber bullet and that was a 100 gr. TSX. However, in spite of it's outstanding performance, I understand the Barnes line has something like a 3% failure to open rate. So, I for one, am back to the Partitions.
Anybody that wants to argue that the Hornady, Sierra, or Speer's work fine, or plenty well enough, on deer won't get much of an argument from me. I just prefer the premiums like the NP because they tend to open better at extended ranges and hold together better if I hit brush or bone. Nice to have an edge.
As to what is the "best," I suspect we have so many really good choices that I can't really split hairs that well. E

Curious to where/how this data was obtained and how it would compare to other bullets.

7mm Dakota - 160 Partition
7mm-08 - 140 TSX

No .25 cal experience here.

I'd take a .257" 75XFB over a 120NPT.

I hear good things about 120X's in 7mm................

Just don't have any experience with the X's meeself, but that's gonna change soon.

Gonna beat on some hogs with 120's in 7WSM in a couple of weeks.

Hope to have some pics.

Bye-bye NPT's...............(grin)

I'm hoping. At that velocity, it should open close or far.

I imagine the piggies are gonna be at MV range, so we'll see what happens.

The .257" 75 at 4000fps,don't suck.

In fairness,the 80TTSX is lookin' good................

7mm:
150 or 160 gr Partition--depending on cartridge.

25 cal:
120 gr Partition.

Gonna try some 140gr E Tips in the STW.Will report my findings on game this fall.

120X's in STW are plum [bleep] wicked.................

My hog hunting buddy Ashley is loading them.

He said 67.5 gr. of IMR 4831 should get me to 3300fps with a 23" tube.

I'm more interested in what's gonna happen up close at that velocity.

I seriously doubt I'll find a bullet, but I'm gonna try to go long ways on a hog, so I have some chance of digging one out.

I'm scootin' 'em purty good like,outta several 25-284's.

Look to air out the combo a leetle more,here directly...............

I shoot Hornady 162 gr SSTs out of my Ruger #1b -7mm-300 wby mag.
and Nosler 115 gr ballistic tips out of another Ruger #1b 257 wby mag.
All with fantastic results

J.M.,

If Pats "experiments" are any example. You might have a lot of digging to do!!

Never know.I've thought about those 120's.My barrel is twisted for the lite stuff.

7mm 154gr Interbond: Best all around period
257 100gr TSX

25 80gr TTSX
7mm 120gr TTSX

Same Here.

Of the currently available bullets: 7mm 150 Swift Scirroco, 257 no experience

How about Hornady's 139 grain SST out of a 7mmWSM? MV would be about 3150, too hot for that bullet? Same question for Nosler 140 grain Ballistic Tip? I've never shot any deer with these bullets but I worked up the load for an antelope hunt that fell through.

You stayin with hunnerds in 25-06AI?

100's shoot faster out of the barrel, 115's and 120's have more retained energy at long range. In the .257 Wby, 100's get down to around 1,000 ft pounds at 500 yds., which some consider marginal power for a deer sized target. The 115's have 1,400 ft. pounds at 500. And trajectory, long range, is as good with the slightly heavier, slightly slower bullets.

Didn't check, but 25-06 AI should be close to those figures.

DF

I don't care much about retained energy. The 100gr TTSX at 3300fps lays the smack down from the .25-06 out to about 550 yards where I live before expansion becomes a concern...

Well, for MY .257 Rob., I prefer the 115 Nosler Partition. For MY .280 Rem., I prefer the 160 Nosler Partition.

For me, these bullets attain high velocity, excellent accuracy, terrific penetration, and humane kills.

Respects,

Richard

Big Stick;
Our youngest daughter shoots them out of her .250AI and based on an admittedly limited testing last fall of two bucks, one 1st rack whitetail and one 2nd rack mule deer, we intend to keep using them.

We recovered one actually, that looks like this - left one of course.


At about 250 or so yards, it broke a rib, traversed the heart, broke another rib, broke the humerus cleanly in half about 1�" below the joint to the scapula and then lodged under the hide about midway up the scapula.



As I say, we're happy enough with the results to continue to use them on deer sized animals with confidence.

To the OP, I can't recall shooting anything with a 7mm, but was present when a couple deer died in front of a 7mag, so I'll pass on guessing what might be a consistent bullet in that diameter.

In the same way, I've never shot a hog so what I've said on bullets would be restricted to deer and or deer sized animals.

Regards,
Dwayne

100 TSX in 257; 120 TSX in 7mm or if you feel the need, then the 140 TSX.

MM

168 berger is pretty good bullet for deer. I have shot 8 or 10 with great result. Several elk 5. 115 grain berger out of several 25-05's work very good also.

The Grand Poohbah nailed it

Accubonds in 110 & 160 is my choice.

Any 25 caliber bullet at 100 grains and in the 7x57 I have 139-140 grain bullets do the job.

100 gr Hornady in the 257 Roberts
120 gr Rem Corelokt in the 25-06
139 gr Horn or 140 NPT in the 7x57
139 gr horn SP or 140 NPT and the 160 gr NPt in 7 Rem Mag.

Have used lots of others but have learned to bet on these. Magnum Man

100 gr TSX in 25, 140 gr TSX in the 7