Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 6.5 120 gr NBT

Anyone know if the 6.5/120 gr Nosler Ballistic is "tough" as the much touted 7mm?

Before someone asks, my def. of tough in this case is thicker jacket than most.

Additional jacket thickness doesn't necessarily make a bullet "tough." But have no worries.

The Nosler 120/6.5 won't disappoint you. I've used it in everything from a little 10" 6.5 TCU to a 24" 6.5-06 -- and with MVs ranging from barely 2000 fps to over 3K -- and have always been rewarded with stellar performance on deer and hogs. It destroys plenty of tissue and also penetrates more than adequately, even on large hogs, which can truly test the mettle of a bullet.

In various ballistic medium and with impact speeds ranging from app. 2100 to 2600 fps, the 120 grain Ballistic Tip out-penetrates the Hornady 123 grain SST and retains more weight as well. It also slightly edges out both the 129 grain SP and 129 SST from Hornady.

I used the 6.5 CM for the first time last deer season. My bullet of choice was the 120 gr Ballistic Tip, which when loaded over Varget gave a muzzle velocity of 2880 fps. It performed very well on a good sized doe. My only experience with this bullet in this caliber, but I trust it and will use it again. By the way, I’m not a gun writer.

I have shot deer or antelope with a 223, 270, 300WM, 7mmRM, 280AI, 6.5-06, 257 Roberts Ackley rimmed, 25 Krag Ackley, 250 Sav, and 6mmBR.
I have shot targets with ~60 other cartridges.
My most favorite long range hunting cartridges are: 1) 6.5-06 with 120 gr NBT, 2) 280AI 140 gr NBT, and 3) 7mmRM 140 gr NBT.

There is no Nosler or Lapua brass in 6.5-06. There is almost no brass in 6.5-06. I think Peterson makes some, but I have not tried it.
I Find it easy to neck down 30-06 brass to 6.5-06 in one step with a 6.5-06 FL die, load at 3.34" and get sub moa results. My 6.5-06 A Square reamer works with 30-06 brass necked down, but 270 brass requires trimming.
A) In 2015 I called up Forster and went around and around until they sent me a 25-06 Full length sizer die body honed out to a 0.292" neck.
That would make it an ideal 6.5-06 sizer die body, for $57. [double their normal honing charge]
B) In 2015 I called up Lee and went around and around until they agreed to reduce a 270 mandrel from a collet neck die down to 0.262", but leave the top 1/4" alone to fit a 270 collar. This will make it ideal for turning a 270 Lee collet neck die into a 6.5-06 die. $20 plus shipping [quadruple their normal reduction charge]

I have built (2) 6.5-06 rifles on Rem 700 actions.
I have built (1) 6.5-06 rifle on Dumoulin Mauser action
I have built (1) 6.5-06 rifle on FN/Husqvarna Mauser action.

I've killed a few whitetails with that bullet fired from 260 Rems. Dead deer, but no exit wounds. I like the 130 grain AB better.

My one experience with this bullet was out of a 6.5 Creedmoor, MV 2950 on a yearling whitetail at 78 yards, quartering away. Hit the last rib on the near side, cut four ribs before deflecting through the chest cavity, severing the aorta and exiting ahead of the far shoulder. Deer made it about 7 yards after bouncing off a tree. I could have removed the heart through the entry wound. I think it’s a pretty tough bullet.

Old70

That’s the bullet I use. Exits on these small Texas deer, but rarely exits on hogs.

I have some loaded but decided this year to use 100 gr. Partitions in my 260. I have had good experiences with all of the Ballistic Tips from Nosler.

I've never gone wrong with the 120 and 100 grain Ballistic Tips in my 260s, 6.5 x 55 and 6.5 x 57....

Let's see if this will work. There were a number of responses about the 120 NBT on a thread a few weeks ago about favorite bullets in the 6.5 CM. Starting here and scrolling down:
MD and others' responses on the 6.5mm 120 NBT

Cheers,
Rex

[EDIT - maybe I copied the wrong tag, but you'll have to scroll up just a couple posts from where the link above takes you to get to the right place...]

I have had 4 6.5 Creedmoors, 3 Remington 700's and a Howa. Two of the Remingtons and the Howa liked 120 grain bullets as well if not better than heavier ones. I used the 120 NBT's to take a large Whitetail buck, and it worked perfect. My latest rifle, a 700 American Hunter model has been accurate with every bullet I've tried, but I'm out of the 120 NBT's and haven't been able to find any. I tried some 120 Sierra Pro Hunters and they are extremely accurate out to 400 yards, which is the max on my shooting range, and as far as I plan on shooting anyway. As much as I like the way the Sierra's shoot, I'd switch back to the NBT's if I could find some.

They work great in my 6.5x55 but I think they are the typical hunting ballistic tip. They don't have the silhouette pedigree of the 120 7mm bullet. The 140 6.5 mm is more popular with target shooters but I don't think it has the heavy jacket at the nose like the 120 7mm.

i love em outta my 260 rem and,although a small test,they have exited a couple average 120ish lb whitetails here in MS.
Big Ed

I was wondering about that, having had great results with the 120 NBT out of my 7-08.

DF

Have 6.5-06, shoot 120 gr NBT, Edwards Plateau Texas deer and significantly larger Alabama deer, all pass throughs, no survivors.

Years ago Nosler introduced the "Ballistic Tip". It was generally considered a varmint bullet until Nosler made a few with thicker jackers for hunting. They then labeled them "hunting" bullets.
IMO the ballistic tip set the standard for accuracy in a hunting bullet and IMO were a step above the previous ballistic tips available.

I've used them in a .260 Remington, a 6.5 X 55 and a .264 Win Mag.....all of which performed to my expectations.....dead deer!!!

I have since moved to Barnes TTSX for personal reasons.....They are (IMO) every bit as good as the ballistic tips but I can't find an advantage over them.

If you like them.....use them.....with confidence.

I gave up on Ballistic Tips early on after seeing disastrous results on WT's. We pretty well banned them from the deer camp, it was that bad. But that was many years ago.

After reading here on the Fire and from other sources how they had changed, I gave them another chance and have been pleased with the results.

I've used the 120 NBT in my 7-08, not in my Creed. I found the 140 SGK, HPBT to be more accurate than the 120 NBT in that round, maybe a bit more expansive, just as deadly on WT's. I'm sticking with Scenars in the Creed; they shoot so well, why shop around. But the Creed is like that, shoots about everything from pretty good to great, hard to find a bad load.

DF

Given the way the 120 7mm got its jacket I doubt the 6.5 120 is as thick. I can tell you from experience with 260 Remington loads the 120 6.5 is a fine deer bullet.

Its all we've been using after I picked up a 260 a few years ago. Lays the smack down on a whitetail. I haven't been able to reload for it yet but picked a few boxes of the fed prem 120bt. As longs as its available I doubt I'll bother.

But I've always heard that about the 7mm, shooting a 708 myself...I have always shot the 120bt instead of the 140.

So true.

The Scenar has a thin jacket, like a VLD, but holds together better than the VLD. So, core lead hardness must play a role.

There is more to bullet design than jacket thickness, although it's a major factor.

DF