Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Nosler 6.5 120gr ballistic Tips

I'm just wondering if these are similar to the 120gr 7mm and the 95gr 6mm with a thicker jacket or if they are thinner like the usual NBTs?
Anyone ever section one of these? I'd really be interested in seeing pics of these.

I've heard both ways, yeah they are and no they aren't.

I can tell ya this tho, I've used them to take a lot of game, for a state you can only take ONE deer... But out of a 260 Rem, with an MV of 2950 to 3000 fps , they darn sure work, on anything from 50 yds to 300 yds for me....

Same for me here in PA - from the late 90s to about 2010 that’s pretty much all I used on whitetails and loaned the .260 out to several family members as well - never failed.

PennDog

These will be shot out of a 260rem and not pushed to the Max.

Not sure if they’re thicker jacketed or not but they hammer whitetails from my 260. The 120 NBT and the 129 Hornady are the only 2 bullets I load in mine.

shot a few whitetails with those 120 s out of my 264 running them at 3400 fps

they work for any reasonable shot

sdgunslinger did you get pass throughs or did they blow up inside? I have thoughts about using them in my PRC.

I’m curious as how your load shoots that you develop with them. I have several boxes of 120 BT’s I picked up this summer. I have shot the Nosler factory loads with them in my .260 Rem. and it was horrible.

I had pass thru s on broadside shots , including after hitting shoulder and spine areas , but I will say the shots were mostly around 300 yards across open fields


my son in law did use the rifle and loads to shoot a good sized doe in the butt at around 150 yards.......hit her high up towards the tail and the bullet made it thru 8 or ten inches of spine , of course that floored the deer , and I though that was good performance for a bullet that light driven that hard

I've shot 2 caribou with this bullet out of a 260 rem. I at 70 and one around 200 yards. 1 shot each and found both bullets just under the skin on the off side.

Don't know about the jackets but they work well at Creedmoor velocities on wolves!:-)

must have been the powder or something else...the bullets are certainly accurate and perform quite well at 260 velocities...

if a concern, upgrade to the often over looked 125 gr Partition....

a 100 grain partition is also accurate and capable...

The 120 gr Nosler BT is the bullet I’ve used in my 260 for 10 years or more. Very accurate. I get pass through on deer, but the shots are almost always broadside. I avoid quartering shots if at all possible. On large feral hogs, I usually do not get pass through, but haven’t had to track a hog very far.

For what it’s worth, I switched to the 100 gr BTs for a couple of years, then back to the 120’s. I really could not see any difference in performance on game. Both are deadly.

I’ve wondered the same thing and have also got varying answers. I did shoot a pig with one a few weeks ago at 324 yards and it went down in its tracks due to spine hit. No exit wound. Had to put one in the brain pan to finish him.

Have no issues with them so far but will likely move to something with a better BC when I use mine up.

John

No telling since it was factory loaded stuff. I reloaded some 123 ELD-matches almost 2 years ago using RL-19 and put 5 shots in a group well under .50”. I didn’t write the load down or the COAL I used. I fired to repeat it and got shotgun patterns instead. Now I’ve learned my lesson and keep records on everything I load, I just haven’t seen RL-19 in almost 2 years.

My daughter killed several deer with these in her 260 Rem with no issues. She ran out and we couldn't find any at the time so we ended up going with the Sierra 120gr Pro Hunters that were available and she's still shooting those because i purchased about 500 while i could get my hands on them. I wouldn't have any problems going back to the BT because it did a fantastic job killing deer from the 260.

I used them in a 6.5 Remington magnum. Shot several deer with them a few years ago. Worked fine.

Have also used them on my 6.5 mag on several deer... they work good. Shot a bobcat at about 30 yards and about cut him in half. Sumbitch sploded. Pick your shot...they can be destructive.
George

Used them at 3200fps from a Wildcat (before SAAMI) 6.5/284. it was one wicked bullet! Yes, it has a tough jacket. Chub Eastman and a buddy (Spomer?) used it in their 6.5/280AI for everything, including Alaskan Moose!

I've ran mine with RL 15, but the most common load is with 4064.