I have a 7mm Rem Magnum that seems to shoot best with 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips. I'm planning to use this rifle on one of my mule deer hunts this fall and I'm wondering if the 150 grain NBT will provide adequate penetration on good sized muleys.

I've hunted mule deer often but have never used this bullet before. I'll be hunting in open country but of course there is always the possibility of a shot at close range. As I recall, JB says that different NBT's (in caliber and weight) have different performance properties. How does the 7mm 150 grainer perform on mule deer?

I wouldn't hesitate to use the 7mm, 150gr BT. And I say this based on experience with said bullet.

Great 7mag bullet, shot very accurate in my last, a 700 BDL SS.

I have seen the 7mm 150 BT penetrate very well, and on animals bigger than mule deer.

....and they sure do shoot!Dober got me started on them and I have been putting a bunch downrange from my 7RM.They hit where you look!

Thanks JB! I will give them a try. I always knew NBT's shot well but was concerned about penetration.

I killed a lot of Mule Deer and Whietails in several states for many years using the 150 Btip over 69 grs of H4831, a very accurate load in the 7 mag BDL, seat it out to @ 3.34 unless your throat is short,used the 215 M primer, still hard to beat that load for consistant accuracy,hovered @3150 fps, a bit bloody on close shots but really shines way out there.

JB, referencing "that different NBT'S have different performance properties", which calibers/weights are constructed as tough as the 7mm 120 grain NBT. Thank you.

I for one, have never had an issue with that bullet, and I've used it in situations that were probably a little on the rough side for its intended use, i.e. <50 yards from a 7MM RM.

NBTs get a lot of crap. I think the performance of the NBT is directly proportional to the amount of teeth remaining in your smile. Just ask these folks.

http://forum.gon.com/archive/index.php/t-433940.html

I've been using the 150 NBT out of the 7 Rem and out of my Mashburn for all that moves (yotes, chucks, lopes, deer, elk, bruins etc..) it will decidedly stop a muley and right now!

There's hardly anything in this world that I'd not take on with the bullet out of my Mashburn or any other big 7.

Dober

it sure is an accurate little devil out of my 7.. Hope to kill something with it soon.

The only experience I ever had with ballistic tips on game was a 180 from a 300 Wby on a cow elk when they first came out (the 180's not the cow elk....). What an awful mess that created -- to this day I can't bring myself to try the "new and improved" BT on anything but varmints. Irrational, I know, but it's just not going to happen. FWIW, Dutch.

Last fall I shot a decent mule deer buck twice through the chest at about 80 yards with the 150 gr BT out of my 7mm mag. He wasn't able to stop either bullet. A couple of years ago I put that bullet to a very stern test. I was running them at 3400 fps out of my 7mm RUM and I shot a corn fed whitetail buck square on the shoulder at 54 yards. The bullet shattered his onside shoulder, blew a hole in the ribs you could stick your fist through, pureed the lungs and still exited through the other shoulder, just missing the bone. I agree with Dober, have no fear. Shoot 'em straight and things die.

The 150 NBT is the most accurate bullet out of my two .280AI's and my 7RM. It's a perfect choice for any deer sized animal. However, according to Nosler's (I called them) people it is not as tough as their 180gr 30 cal. BT or their 120gr. .284 bullet. Both bullets have had their jackets beefed up. I also recall being told that their larger cal. bullets have thicker jackets as well.

Has anyone shot Elk with them? I have used Silvertips for years on deer and they work great and will be bringing it as a backup rifle for Elk.

Ah...that would be a yes about the elk... I'd have no worries Randy take it and light one up if you get the chance, have a super hunt!

The 150 BT is the most accurate bullet I've ever used in a 7mm mag and I've had no problems with them on whitetail deer.

Delta Hunter..... Is there a public rifle range in north MS? I have not joined the club in Memphis and am looking for an alternative place to sight in a couple of rifles and test some loads. Thanks

Delta,

Have you run those loads through the chrony? Wondering what they clocked in the Sako.

Good Lord. Now EVERYBODY is going to hate me!

The one deer I shot with one... to say it blew up would be an exaggeration; it was neck shot and it certainly exited out the other side of the neck. But it sure did take out some meat. It literally made chunk like the size of an apple or a double fist, vanish. It is, to this day, the most dramatic wound I've seen on a deer.

That was from a 7mm-08 at a MV in the mid 2600's, at fairly close range.

There's the Desoto Rifle and Pistol club which I'm a member of. It's not public, but membership is very reasonable. They have two ranges now, one is east of Hernando in Desoto county (about 15 minutes from my home) and the other, the newer one, is right off I-55 east of Como. The new one in Como has a max range of 600 yards I believe. The one in Desoto co. is limited to 200 yards.

Check out joining. I believe it's worth it. Here's the website:

http://desotorifleandpistolclub.com/

Sorry, didn't chrono those loads and don't own the Sako any more.

I've got a 7mm mag Beretta Mato now and am working with the 150 BT and RL22. I haven't maxed it out yet. At 65 grs. I was getting about 2970ish fps. I'm planning on going up to maybe 68 grs. when I get the time. Accuracy so far is very good, but I'm hoping as I near a max load it'll get even better. In my experience the 150 BT just flat out works in the 7 mag.

I don't know how it performs on mule deer, but it is a good performer on whitetails for sure. My Dad used some handloaded and Federal Premium loads using the 150 grain NBT and killed a nice pile of deer with them. They do perform better at ranges over 100 yards, but they do pretty good under 100 yards, they just seem to bloodshot more meat which is not that big of a deal since we don't eat the ribs anyway.

The more stuff a bullet wrecks the faster the animal dies. I fail to see how a large wound is a bad thing.
When using the 165 AB at max book velocity out of my 300 RUM I have found that a exit hole the size of a golf ball makes tracking easy if they run, which doesnt usually happen.

Oh, I agree with all that. Reference the "TSX wars".

And it was a sample of one, which is to say, meaningless or nearly so. But, I came away from it thinking it wasn't a good bullet for my needs simply because I can't always shoot them in the neck (or behind the shoulder). If what I saw was representative, and I shot a deer into or through a shoulder, the meat loss would have been substantial.

It was 8-9 years ago, before I always had a camera in my pocket (cell phone) which is too bad. It really did look like someone had implanted a small bomb in it's neck then set it off.

I really want to whack one with the little 120-gn NBT. Almost did last year at very close range but it didn't work out.

just got a box of 150 nbt going to load them in 284 win hope they work grin


hunt8mm

If you shoot a deer in the neck and hit vertebrae with nearly anything, it'll look like you describe. Bone shards tend to make a mess.

I forgot to mention, this was on the ENTRANCE side of the neck.

Yepper that will happen on certain neck shots and on shots to the sternum, I notice it from time to time especially on yotes with a high speed round..

I also happen to take note of the fact that the volunteers hit the turf really quick..

Dober

This was the end of that deer, mos' def' Mark!

Hey buddy- got new listing in contract in two days this weekend, at full price! It was interesting how it played out and we'll have to discuss it sometime. I have my concerns RE: appraisal though.

give me a shout..

Dober

Classic load of 7 mags with this bullet is

150g, bullet just touching the lands
63.0g of IMR 4350
Rem 9 1/2 primer
Rem brass

Out of my 700's, this load will shoot with the bullets touching at 100 yds.

One Stainless sendero will shoot just opening up a single bullet hole.

Those groups are exceptional!
Kudos on the good shooting.

Don

+1

@Mark Dobrenski...you have settled a delemma for me as well. I shoot the 150 NBT's out of my 7 mm RM and LOVE them...but hear all that crap about not being any good for elk. As a fellow Montanan, you know that deer hunting and elk hunting often are happening at the same time (especially in central and eastern Montana) and so a rifle/bullet combo that will do well for both is ideal. I have been mulling over changing bullets...but I have alot loaded and a whole new box of 150 gr. NBT's sitting on my loading bench. So...it would mean working up a new load and likely resighting my rifle which I would rather not do.SO...Thank you for settling this for me for once and for all.

How far off of the lands were you seating the bullets?

Jocko,

In your picture above, do the numbers .388" and .294" below the charge weights represent group sizes?

That's why winter was invented!

There's not much walking around that I wouldn't shoot with the 150 BT out of my 7mm SAUM, and elkies sure aren't one of the critters that would get a pass.

It's not my picture, it's Delta Hunter's picture. I was just asking how far off the lands he seated his bullets to get those kinds of groups.

I'm looking forward to running this bullet as my exclusive through a custom 7x57 that is to be finished up this year... I've had it going as a project since Dec of '08, so this has been a long time coming...

I've got a dogzapper load for the 150 NBT in my 280AI. Figure it will be suitable for just about anything I want to shoot here...