Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 260 REm bullet choice: 120 nbt or 123 SST/ 129 SST

for whitetails and axis deer. Any difference between the 123 or 129 SST and 120 NBT. Just want to hear from people who used both.

Seems odd Hornady would make a 123 and a 129. Any insight?

The 123 was designed for the 6.5 grendal which runs a few notches below a creedmore or 260.

I just put together a 6.5Cm and have loads with both the 120BT and Sierra 120 PH which also seem to group together as well.

I think I will start with the BT and then try one with the PH.

I am little worried that the 123SST will be to fragile. My experience with other SSTs was they were pretty soft and with the 123SST being designed for the grendal I am worried it will be a bomb in my creedmoor.

I would have liked to try the 125NP, but It was on back order at Midway and I couldn't find any locally. Maybe next year.

I agree. I just read up more on the 123 and am off it for the 260 too.

So I am still wondering how that 129 SST fairs against the 120 NBT.


thanks noKnees.

I've had good success on a handful of deer and hogs with the 120 NBT and 140 SST from a 6.5x55....no complaints with either.

There's an interesting thread on Sako collectors from a New Zealand hunter using a 6.5x55 with 129 SST for Chamois. He also used the 120 NBT and was not impressed which led to him switching to the 129 SST. That's not been my experience with the 6.5 120 NBT though. Link below.

http://www.sakocollectors.com/forum/showthread.php?8106-M995-in-6-5x55-strikes-again

Thoughtful of you - thanks.

I sent him a PM when I read this thread because the few deer and hogs I've shot with the 120 NBT expired rather quickly and I don't have experience with the 129 SST. Here was his response:


"Back to your question. We found that on chamois at ranges of 250 to 300 yds it took 2 or even 3 shots with the Noslers to drop them. This small chamois took 3 shots at ranges from 300 to 100 yds to stop.

Chamois are a small (about the size of a goat) but tough animal. They have to be tough to survive where they do. I think the Noslers went right through them without expanding. When I mentioned on a local forum that I had trouble with Noslers on chamois others replied that they had found the same thing. My son used to hunt chamois with a Model 70 Featherweight in 243. With Factory PMC 80gr SP we had the same problem. When we started reloading we switched to Hornady 87gr SP and then 95gr SSTs and the problem vanished..

When we bought the M995 we thought the Nosler 120gr would be ideal - fast and flat shooting with plenty of terminal energy, but the chamois took no notice of the theory. With a deer it does not usually matter if he runs for a bit before falling over but with chamois you never know where they will fall to. I once shot a chamois looking down at me from a rock outcrop 150 yds away. He fell off his perch into a snow chute and came to rest at my feet! So we switched to 129gr SSTs and never looked back. Not long ago my son took 3 chamois with 3 shots - all dropped on the spot, though a couple fell into a snow chute and came to rest several hundred yards down the hill where we recovered them the following day.

They seem to work equally well on red deer. My son likes to sit on one side of the valley and glass the edge of the bush on the other at dusk. He has taken several deer this way at around 400 yds. All dropped on the spot. While checking our ballistic chart not long ago my son shot a 4-shot 1.5" group at 400 yds which is not bad for a hunting rifle. Me, I can hardly see the target without binos at that range! The red in the pictures below was shot at 425 yards 20deg uphill just on dusk. He just dropped on the spot. You can see what I mean about possible meat damage. The first shows the entry hole just below the shoulder and the second the exit wound. He wasn't going anywhere.

As Hornady SSTs in NZ are half the price of Nosler BTs you can see why we gave up on Noslers."

I think I'd skip the plastic tips and just use the 129 Interlocks, personally. Nothing wrong with old technology, if it worked, and they do.

They used to be the gold standard for 6.5's but lately I hear they are on the hard side and need to be driven to expand well.

My fave is the 130 AB

For grins, throw a 100 TTSX if not needed long range smack, it'll go thru and thru...like the Accubond

I like the 123 in Amax for varmints, or SMK/Scenar for paper/steel but not hunting.

Have you considered the 120 grain Sierra?

Don't forget the 130 AccuBomb and the 130 HPBT Game King. Oh the 125 Partition is awesome too.

I've heard tell that the 140 Game King will do alright at those speeds to, though I've no firsthand experience .

The old 120 Speer hotcor works well in the 260. Lately I've been running 130 Nab's in mine.

Bb

127 barnes LRX ?

Not much difference int the ones you listed though