Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Nosler Ballistic tip or Hornady SST?

I like both. Not sure why guys think they need "hard" bullets to kill things. Oh, and if you don't want meat destroyed, don't shoot at the meat. The vital organs aren't in the meat.

I once tested my favorite, most accurate loads by mangling the lead nose. Flattened some, bent some sideways, even beat a couple on the shooting bench. The accuracy within 300 yards did not change one bit.

I hate to break it to you but the BT is a tougher bullet than a Horn interlock on average.

Lord have mercy......I have NOT used any BT's recently. I will be trying them again. I did let the early experiences steer me away from the NBT. Now that I think about it, it seems silly that I've looked over them because of what happened in the past. I do plan to try the 120 BT in my sons 7mm-08. I will report back when he gets one!

Might give the Barnes TTSX - the tipped TSX, not the TSX - a try.

I’ve shot deer and pigs with most bullets mentioned in this thread and others not yet mentioned. The TTSX has provided the most consistent terminal results. Again, this is specifically the TTSX, not the TSX. The TSX was inconsistent in opening a couple of times and that was the end of using them.

Shoot through the high shoulders and they typically drop where they stand without much meat loss.

The 120 TTSX with a case full of Varget and a F210 is a nice combination in a 7-08.

When was the last time you used one? They were toughed up 30+ years ago.

The 7mm 120's are a stout SOB. You won't likely recover it in a broadside deer.

I will keep that in mind! Thank you!

You’re welcome.

A few years back I tried the 139SST in a 280. Was not impressed with the terminal performance so have not used it since. The comments in this thread indicating that Hornady has toughened up the SSTs prompted me to email Hornady asking them to compare the predicted terminal performance between the 139 SST and the 139 Interloock. Below is the response:

"The SST (Super Shock Tip) in a variation of the InterLock bullet; it has design differences that intend for it to open faster--thus, the name--than the InterLock. The SST has not recently been toughened and is designed to open quickly and dump its energy in an animal and normally will retain about 50 to 60% of its original weight, the InterLock is intended to be more of a controlled expanding bullet and retain 65 to 75% of its original weight; both are very accurate."

That’s my favorite deer bullet for the 7-08. You’ll dig it if the rifle likes them.

Stop apologizing. You're good. Seems you don't claim anything you didn't actually see or do. No GFYs so far so you have been accepted by the rank & file. Oh, Stop apologizing..

And just to muddy the water.......I'm opting off the .284 120gr BT for my wife's A-Bolt Micro in 7-08. As a counter balance to the routine reporting on this little missile, our sample of one whitetail buck got a big negative on the support scale. Loading the 20" barreled rifle nearer minimum than maximum (don't recall the exact weight of RL15 but can check if required) certainly gave a mild velocity according to our shoulder reports. The bullet engaged at about 60 yards and destroyed the neck spine a couple or few inches ahead of the left shoulder. Should have ended up in the right shoulder or lung but did indeed "grenade" on the spine. We butcher our own game so the end result was personally observed. There was a cavity approximately 2 to 3 inches in diameter where the spine used to be. Bone chips, lead & copper fragments, and shredded venison was all that remained. Total depth of penetration was probably around 5 to 6 inches.

Don't know how others have fared with bone hits but that's my report and I'm sticking to it. So all things ain't always equal. This year I'll continue with the 120 BT in a Model 7 stainless with a max load of Varget, but my wife will be shooting the 139 SST with a low end powder charge. Still interested in seeing first hand a broadside shot with the 120 but will take on the challenge myself and provide her with a more comfortable bullet weight in a frame that should certainly hold together at decreased velocity. eom

I've had my 7mm-08 since the early '90's and remember when the only bullets on the shelves here were the Remington 120's and Core-Lokt 140's. Back then I assumed that those 120's were the varmint bullets and the 140's were intended for larger game. I'm still thinking the same way and because our deer are large, the 140 BT seems a more logical choice to assure an exit wound. Our Cabela's here only has the 120 BT's on the shelf, so I've had to look a little harder to find the 140 BT's. Most everything else for the 7mm-08 is in that 139-150 grain range which makes me wonder why Cabela's would only stock 120 BT 7mm-08's? They aren't reduced recoil loads.

At last count, seven tags filled with the 120 NBT from the 7mm-08. Seven complete pass-throughs and several broken shoulders along the way.

Four bucks, two doe and a cow elk. All one shot with minimal tracking (under 100 yards to DRT). Distances from 30 to just under 287 yards.

One instance of a hard hit spine stopping a bullet wouldn't put me off. On this very site I've read various comments about bullets you'd never suspect having trouble with direct spine hits.

Always wonder what guys expect with close range impacts on bone, with higher velocity cup and cores? I've got a pic of an antelope whacked with that 139gr SST out of a 7mag at 100yds, through the backbone. Bowling ball sized exit.

stay with the 120 bt for you as i wanna see some pics of your exit wounds also. but for the wife if'n ya want penetration why not try the ole 139 grain interlock? it will give you the results you desire at 7mm-08 speeds. my 8yr old son will be going after his first kill with the 120 ballistic tip in a month or so as well.
Big Ed

Another fan of the 120BT. My 280AI thrives on them and I used them enough in a 7 mag. to tell they don't give up all that much to the Barnes 120.

I have a theory ( probably wrong ) that neck shots are different especially a rut swollen neck. I have had even 180 grain Sierras shot from a 300 mag get stopped by a small deer's neck I think the neck recoils and this soaks up some of the bullets energy. This sort of spring back could be a factor. The sane physics of why a heavy person will feel more recoil than a lighter person. Neck vertebra are also pretty hard. Some of the explosiveness observed could be the bone fragments acting as secondary projectiles. I would just chalk it off to Sh*t happens and an incidence of one.

These neck shot anomalies are very interesting partly because I don't have much background with them. Only shot I can recall that was similar to my wife's experience was a smaller bodied buck, non-rut, same distance but with a 30-06 and 150gr Interlock. Egg sized exit. Specific neck physiology differing from other bony structure sounds like a reasonable hypothesis. Not giving up on the bullet based on a single example. Like I said, I'll be using them myself at higher velocity. I believe the load in her Abolt was 40.0gr RL15. In a 20" barrel probably in the 2700fps range.
For her a 3 legged buck flopping away with a busted shoulder from lack of penetration would be very hard to take. She has shot deer in the past with the 139gr Interlock full up with 50gr H4350 and they don't go far. Staying with a reduced load now because of some retina issues she has had. Confident the 139 SST will expand well even at a 2600fps muzzle velocity and give sufficient penetration on a shoulder bone hit. We'll find out in November. Thanks