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Posted By: RevMike Sierra Pro Hunter 120-gr. 7mm - 07/17/17
Gents:

We hear/know how tough the 120-gr. NBT .284 is, but I was wondering what your experiences are with the Sierra Pro Hunter in the same weight. I'm looking for an inexpensive lightweight bullet to push at medium velocities for field practice and use on Florida whitetails (and pigs, of course). Is the Pro Hunter as stoutly built as the Ballistic Tip?

Thanks.

RM
No, but it might work well at moderate velocities.
I usually shoot Sierra Pro Hunter 140s in my 7mm08. They have worked well on Missouri white tails and one Wyoming antelope. But, the largest Missouri buck I've taken was with a Sierra 120 Pro Hunter at a MV of 2795fps. Shot was at about 150 yards. Entrance on right side, tight behind the shoulder. Passed between ribs on entry and broke a rib on exit. Deer ran about 40-50 yards, pretty normal. There was some bloody gel under both shoulders, more on entry side, but very little wasted meat. I have not used the 120 BT but years ago did kill one deer with a 140BT. That bullet came apart and only a few pieces exited. The 120 may be tough but the 140 wasn't. I know they have supposedly been changed but I'm not going back to find out when Sierras work so well. Also had poor results with a 270 130 BT.

A year or two prior to shooting the buck with the 120 PH, I shot a large doe at almost the exact same spot with a 140 PH doing 2735 MV. Deer ran the customary 40-50 yards but that bullet broke ribs going in and out. No mention of gelling on that one. I keep notes on all kills. I'd guess that the 120 opens up a little faster than the 140. They are both very accurate.

I've never shot a pig so can't say if they are tougher than deer or not.
Used a 120gr Pro Hunter in 6.5 out of a T3 Swede as my go to bullet at a max load of RL19 after seeing a 120lb WTail doe fold up like an accordian - nose to butt - mid stride at about 125+ yards. Impact was at the top of the crease on a slight down angle from about 50'-60' higher than she was, and the bullet was recovered at full expansion and intact at about 1/2-3/4''s high still in the inside of the off side ball joint. Fastest DRT I've ever had. Looked like the hand of Thor went ZAP and slapped her straight down folded in half.
Ron
AnsonRogers,

I don't really blame you for not trying Ballistic Tips again after the first fragile models, but among other examples I've seen the 120 BT, started at over 3000 from a 7mm-08, enter the left rear of the ribs on a big whitetail buck standing angling away, and end up under the hide of the opposite shoulder, after breaking the shoulder.

Have also seen the 140 from a 7x57 make basically the same shot on a pronghorn buck at about 150 yards, except for also catching part of the spine--and exit. That was in 1995. It didn't take long for Nosler to toughen them up.
My experience the 120 7mm tend to be a bit explosive. They killed everything they hit, but left a bit of a mess. In 7mm08 and 7x57AI
Originally Posted by WV_Airedale
My experience the 120 7mm tend to be a bit explosive. They killed everything they hit, but left a bit of a mess. In 7mm08 and 7x57AI


Any idea of the velocity? I plan to push them at less than 2800 fps.
Saw a hunter use the 120 ProHunter from a 7-08 at moderate speed on a buck that was just shy of 200# on the scales at a distance of under 100 yards.

It was facing the hunter, but at a slight angle, not quite quartering.

The bullet impacted just forward of the front edge of the leg, but did not penetrate through the rib cage.

Instead, it tracked along the exterior of the rib cage and under the front leg exiting behind the leg.

The deer bled out after running about 100 yards and hiding in the thickest thorn brush imaginable.

We had to call a dog to find it, which it did.

The experience caused the man to quit hunting which was a shame.

As for Ballistic Tips, they have produced more tracking jobs I've been involved in than all other bullets added together, especially on pigs.

Would suggest trying the 120 or 140 grain TTSX at full power instead, or Partitions if that is the preference.
No idea Mike but I can make a comment on the 140 gr. BT. It was one of the early ones that cost me a deer and my right knee. I suppose the knee was my fault as I tried hurrying up the ridge to look down into the gully the deer ran into. The hit was well placed but the bullet blew up on a rib making an ugly and most likely shallow wound. Velocity was a chronographed 2800 FPS.
I believe that the early 140 gr. BT that come in 100 bullet boxes had the stiffer jackets when Nosler changed to 50 bullet boxes for the BTs. I have yet to try the newer version of the 140 BT in my 7x57.
Right now, I'm trying to get the 150 gr. 7MM ABLR to shoot in one of my 7x57s and in a .280 Rem. but so far no cooperation. Also have a series loaded up to try the 160 gr. Gram Slams once the weather cooperates. It's our rainy (monsoon) season and the range is a boggy mud hole.
Paul B.
120 BT's from my 7-08, 3000ish fps, accounted for a literal truckload of whitetail doe culls one weekend....17 in fact. Every single bullet exited, mostly neck shots.

[Linked Image]
Originally Posted by jeffbird
Saw a hunter use the 120 ProHunter from a 7-08 at moderate speed on a buck that was just shy of 200# on the scales at a distance of under 100 yards.

It was facing the hunter, but at a slight angle, not quite quartering.

The bullet impacted just forward of the front edge of the leg, but did not penetrate through the rib cage.

Instead, it tracked along the exterior of the rib cage and under the front leg exiting behind the leg.


I've seen similar hits/results at my camp, and not with 120 grain 7mm Sierras. Get that angle just right (just wrong?) and it can happen.
Originally Posted by jeffbird
As for Ballistic Tips, they have produced more tracking jobs I've been involved in than all other bullets added together, especially on pigs.


This is contrary to my experience on deer and pigs, primarily with 150 grain Ballistic Tips launched by a 308.
mm,

the worst example that sticks in my mind especially was a hunter with a 25-06 with BT handloads. He wounded lots of deer and pigs in two separate trips. I watched him shoot a pig just below the ear at about 50 yards. The pig was stunned enough that we could walk up before it ran. The wound looked like someone scooped out a chunk with an ice cream scoop. Had to finish the pig with a pistol. The other I remember was a young guy with a 7 Wby who used BT's and ended up calling for a tracking dog more than once.

The 25-06 hunter changed to a 308 with 175 SMK's and 168 Amaxes and the results improved to no more wounded animals.

As mentioned, the TTSX is my go to choice now, but Partitions are effective too. Maybe the BT's are better now and deserve another chance, but the TTSX's have worked so well and do not tear up lots of meat, so going to stick with them.

The best deer hunter and shot I have ever known used a 7-08 with 140 Pro Hunters over Varget. He shot over 100 deer a year most years off of management permits. He lost a couple through the years, but only a couple.



Originally Posted by jeffbird
mm,

the worst example that sticks in my mind especially was a hunter with a 25-06 with BT handloads. He wounded lots of deer and pigs in two separate trips. I watched him shoot a pig just below the ear at about 50 yards. The pig was stunned enough that we could walk up before it ran. The wound looked like someone scooped out a chunk with an ice cream scoop. Had to finish the pig with a pistol. The other I remember was a young guy with a 7 Wby who used BT's and ended up calling for a tracking dog more than once.

The 25-06 hunter changed to a 308 with 175 SMK's and 168 Amaxes and the results improved to no more wounded animals.

As mentioned, the TTSX is my go to choice now, but Partitions are effective too. Maybe the BT's are better now and deserve another chance, but the TTSX's have worked so well and do not tear up lots of meat, so going to stick with them.

The best deer hunter and shot I have ever known used a 7-08 with 140 Pro Hunters over Varget. He shot over 100 deer a year most years off of management permits. He lost a couple through the years, but only a couple.




Same thing happened to me a number of years back. Shot 4 hogs, 200# to 80# one evening. All head shot between 150 and 200 yds, 300 Win Mag, 180 NBT (old version). Killed them but the entrance wounds looked like Claymores got'em. You could see teeth and other structues on all four.

Newer NBT's do better, but I had changed to 180 NAB's in that gun and they did OK.

I liked the NBT/NAB set up, both bullets with same B.C.s, same POI. I could swap back and forth depending use. The NBTs were a hair more accurate than the NAB's, at least for me in that gun.

DF
Originally Posted by JGRaider
120 BT's from my 7-08, 3000ish fps, accounted for a literal truckload of whitetail doe culls one weekend....17 in fact. Every single bullet exited, mostly neck shots.

[Linked Image]

Hope you had some help at the skiinning shed...

DF
I'm not a gunwriter but I do use the 120gr Nosler BT and 120gr Sierra Pro Hunter in my 7mm08 - both are very accurate but the Sierra is substantially cheaper down here at the bottom of the world.
I have used the Sierra's on Wallabies (quite possibly "overgunned"). They dropped on the spot and the damage was very significant. In the future I plan on using the Sierras for practice and general plinking and the BTs for game (deer, chamois and tahr).
I've only seen a couple deer shot with the 120 Pro Hunter and impact velocity both times was under 2600 fps. Bullet performed perfectly both times and I came away thinking a fella could load them a little hotter and be fine. Personally I'd keep muzzle velocities under 2800 or so and feel very confident. Never saw any pigs shot with it so I'm not sure about that. I have not doubt it'll kill any pig you shoot with it, but it might make a mess if you hit it on the shoulder.
My wife put three of the 120gr Pro Hunters from her 7mm-08 in an antelope's chest at distances from 200 to 300 yards. You could cover the group with your hand. None of them exited. It was the nastiest wound I have ever seen in over 50 years of hunting.

My daughter used the same load in her 7mm-08 and hit an antelope high in the left front leg at about 250 yards, The bullet fragged and eviscerated the animal without ever entering the body. Hardly had to use a knife to gut it.

The next year I loaded 120gr Ballistic Tips. Bang. Flop.
Originally Posted by RevMike
Gents:

We hear/know how tough the 120-gr. NBT .284 is, but I was wondering what your experiences are with the Sierra Pro Hunter in the same weight. I'm looking for an inexpensive lightweight bullet to push at medium velocities for field practice and use on Florida whitetails (and pigs, of course). Is the Pro Hunter as stoutly built as the Ballistic Tip?

Thanks.

RM



Mike, theres no need to go to anything Sierra makes for hunting bullets as long as any alternatives exist in the world.



Besides, the IS would puke if you put a Sierra in it....
Originally Posted by AnsonRogers


I've never shot a pig so can't say if they are tougher than deer or not.


No doubt they are much tougher. I would say maybe (definitely) tougher than a Black Bear. They have thick rubbery often mud caked hides. The boars have up to a three inch shield of gristle covering the vitals. The heart and lungs are deceptively farther forward than it appears. They will come after you if you botch a shot. Their bones are thick and fatty so don't always shatter when hit. They can have a thick layer of fat and tallow on them. They have an attitude.

That said I don't know what to think about bullet performance anymore. I have had both Sierra's and Noslers go kablooy on me and even though it is usually MD's experience of one it is impossible not to jump to conclusions and damn the lot of them. But I enjoy proving myself wrong and will use both of them in the future. However the BT is the current darling and the SPS tilts the decision in their favor. But I guess when it comes down to it I have reverted back to my Bubba heritage and which ever one is on sale gets the nod.

Will add this though as far as hunting bullets go these are accurate and mo accurate almost a toss up but I would put the Sierra's slightly ahead if I had to chose. I think Kenny Jarrett said this about the BT but same with the Sierra " If a rifle won't shoot well with these it probably isn't going to shoot well with anything."
Originally Posted by RevMike
Gents:

We hear/know how tough the 120-gr. NBT .284 is, but I was wondering what your experiences are with the Sierra Pro Hunter in the same weight. I'm looking for an inexpensive lightweight bullet to push at medium velocities for field practice and use on Florida whitetails (and pigs, of course). Is the Pro Hunter as stoutly built as the Ballistic Tip?

Thanks.

RM

I tend to go for something tough enough for the worst-case shot angle scenario on the biggest thing I'll possibly encounter. Culling does and eater pigs over bait or other setup scenarios should allow you to pick your shot, so you can maybe get away with something a little softer.

Another idea would be to develope your hunting load with something tough and use the soft ones for practice. That would possibly make a box of premium bullets last nearly the lifetime of someone of a certain age.🤔

BTW, I sectioned a 100gr 6mm PH and found it had, as advertised, a tapered jacket, quite thick at the base. However one I put through the heart of an adult doe at almost exactly 100 yards pretty much evaporated, admittedly after souping everything in the area.
The worst thing I can say about Sierras is they act like the highly touted Berger's in all regards sometimes. Get the pop corn please

.
Originally Posted by Pappy348
[quote=RevMike]Gents:
Another idea would be to develope your hunting load with something tough and use the soft ones for practice. That would possibly make a box of premium bullets last nearly the lifetime of someone of a certain age.🤔


That's another thing I like about the Sierra's so far I have had good luck matching load for load with several other bullets: Barnes, Kodiak, Noslers, TBBC, factory you name it and it just may match it.
Somewhere I have the remains of a 150gr Sierra .308 bullet, exact type forgotten, that I recovered from behind the ear of a small buck I shot about 2005. He was going diagonally away downhill from me, and the bullet struck him in the V at the rear of his brisket, apparently as his front feet hit the ground. How that little aspirin-size chunk made it all the way up there is a mystery. I didn't find it until I sawed his skullcap off.
I had one Sierra 180 out of a 300wm hit a small buck in the neck and not even sever the vertebra. I was in disbelief that he required another shot and this from what I thought was an Elk worthy load. The bucks neck was rut swollen and it was pretty tough eating unless stewed for a long time but even so. Bullets can do strange things.
I've been out for a few days and just read all the posts. Thanks for your comments.

It looks like I'm just going to stick with shooting Interlocks. I can load them down to dink with, then crank them up for game. They'll cover everything I'm doing for now. Too bad Hornady doesn't make a 120-grain Interlock. It might compete with the NBT for performance.

Ingwe, you don't have to worry about the IS being fed either Sierras or plastic tipped bullets (although I did have to do an exorcism on it when I got it since it looked like a few plastic tips may have gone down the pipe). I have a lifetime supply of 154-grain Interlocks, 160-grain Partitions, 160-grain Deep Curls, and 160-grain Grand Slams...each! There's some weird pattern developing there.
After reading the thread, seems a common theme is the Pro Hunters blowing up and causing a lot of damage...

sorta like the ballistic tips first did...

Mike, you're a Fla guy... deer aren't that big down there ( kinda like our blacktails) and
secondly I can't imagine you are shooting deer at long ranges down there....

probably more like 30/30 range as I call it...100 to 150 yds...

ya know, throttle the 120 Pro Hunters down to say 2400 to 2500 MV.. and there isn't a deer that ever
existed in the State of Fla it wouldn't drop, if the bullet was put in the vitals.

Our blacktails usually run 100 to 120 lbs.. anything over that is a BIG one!

The second largest one I shot, was 210 lbs on the hoof.

Shot that one at 50 yds, a heart shot...put a valley right down the middle of it... dropped on the spot, after 1 step.

Using a 7 x 57 just like the one I think use to be Ingwe's., that you now own.

A Winchester Featherweight...

The load that did the deed?

28 grains of SR 4759, shooting a 115 grain Speer HP...

certainly a more fragile bullet than the 120 Sierra Prohunter...

but my load was tailored to the distance I'd be hunting at and the velocity the bullet would function in
for the job...

oh and recoil.. was like shooting my 223 Featherweight...
Originally Posted by RevMike
I've been out for a few days and just read all the posts. Thanks for your comments.

It looks like I'm just going to stick with shooting Interlocks. I can load them down to dink with, then crank them up for game. They'll cover everything I'm doing for now. Too bad Hornady doesn't make a 120-grain Interlock. It might compete with the NBT for performance.

Ingwe, you don't have to worry about the IS being fed either Sierras or plastic tipped bullets (although I did have to do an exorcism on it when I got it since it looked like a few plastic tips may have gone down the pipe). I have a lifetime supply of 154-grain Interlocks, 160-grain Partitions, 160-grain Deep Curls, and 160-grain Grand Slams...each! There's some weird pattern developing there.


Parson, it sounds like you had it right all along, and in keeping with the spirit of your favorite round.

Continue to convert innocent forest (swamp?) creatures into tasty comestibles .
Ain't that something? Maybe ol' Finn had it right: Either the 154-gr Interlock or 150-gr Partition and you're about done.
Originally Posted by Seafire


The load that did the deed?

28 grains of SR 4759, shooting a 115 grain Speer HP.....


Seafire, do you have any idea what the velocity of that load might be? It sounds like a great practice load, although I'll need a different powder since 4659 is gone.

Thanks
I'm sitting on 32 lbs of it.. so it'll be a while for me to be out of it...

however, if you want a good practice load in anything from a 243 right up to a 30/06...

I always rely on 30 grains of IMR 4198...

in a 7 x 57 that's pretty safe right up to 160 grain bullets in my experiences with
my Model 70 and my Ruger...

If ya want I can dig up a target taken with a 7 x 57 using Blue Dot with IIRC a 130 grain
Sierra SP... a 25cent size hole at 100 yds for 5 shots...

Running right at 2400 fps...
4198 I can get! I know you've said that it's what Remington uses in the Managed Recoil load. I have more 160-grain bullets than I know what to do with, and I expect that pushing them in the 2400 fps range would be fine for anything in Florida. As you noted, it's rare that any shots are longer than 150 yards.
What you are doing won't require a really tough bullet....Serbia pro hunter bullets will work fine..
son-in-law downloaded the 120 Sierra in his 708 for the kids a couple years. Worked fine at 2400-2500 muzzle velocity as Seafire suggested. Shots were under 125 yards from a blind with a bench for them to shoot from. Granddaughter has now graduated to the 120BT out of her new M70Fwt Compact 708.
Seafire, I know you don't like H4895 for reduced loads, but I also know that you've used it in the past, so I have a question for you: I was shooting a few practice loads using Hodgdon's 60-percent rule behind a 100 grain bullet, and two of the fired cases showed soot all the way down the case body to the extractor groove. Is that normal with H4895 when using it for reduced loads? What a mess.

Thanks
I've shot a lot of whitetails, some of them pretty heavy, with 130gr. Sierra Pro-Hunters out of a .270, and never had an issue. I was running them over 3000fps, too, the old classic load with H4831SC. The deer dropped like they fell in a hole.


Using a 7mm with 120s, I'd probably back it down a bit, to 2800 or so, and use the heck outa them. I'll guarantee the corn-fed Missouri whitetails I've shot were heavier than those little Florida swamp deer, yet they die easy if you hit 'em right.
Originally Posted by RevMike
Seafire, I know you don't like H4895 for reduced loads, but I also know that you've used it in the past, so I have a question for you: I was shooting a few practice loads using Hodgdon's 60-percent rule behind a 100 grain bullet, and two of the fired cases showed soot all the way down the case body to the extractor groove. Is that normal with H4895 when using it for reduced loads? What a mess.

Thanks

Not Seafire, but it sounds like you should up that charge a little - sounds like you're not getting enough case expansion to seal the chamber.
Originally Posted by mark shubert
Originally Posted by RevMike
Seafire, I know you don't like H4895 for reduced loads, but I also know that you've used it in the past, so I have a question for you: I was shooting a few practice loads using Hodgdon's 60-percent rule behind a 100 grain bullet, and two of the fired cases showed soot all the way down the case body to the extractor groove. Is that normal with H4895 when using it for reduced loads? What a mess.

Thanks

Not Seafire, but it sounds like you should up that charge a little - sounds like you're not getting enough case expansion to seal the chamber.

+1
Thanks Mark and Ken. That is exactly what I'm planning to do. The "60% Rule" is a little too light. I'm going to go up a couple of grains and see what happens.

Thanks again.
You're welcome Rev.
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